isupportaap
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Oh my god! Obama talked about religious intolerance! And he name checked India. Whaaaat? Bring on the totally cooked up media-fueled controversy.
"Religious intolerance in India would have shocked Gandhi: Obama," blares the Indian Express on its front page. The Express frames the remarks in "context", noting, "The comments came a day after the White House refuted suggestions that the US President’s public speech in New Delhi, in which he touched on religious tolerance, was a 'parting shot' aimed at the ruling BJP."
Times of India and Hindustan Times have almost the exact same headline. NDTV, however, one ups them all by tweeting out its story with the plug, "Barack Obama invokes India's example to condemn religious intolerance."
And that's all we need these days for a Twitter storm.
In this corner are the offended, like Bharti Jain at the TOI who complains, "How about Obama teaching a thing or two to Pak and Taliban about religious tolerance?" A sentiment affirmed and retweeted by Headlines Today anchor Rahul Kanwal. Even Sri Sri waded into the fray with: "Isolated incidents doesn't mean India is intolerant. Obama should have met religious leaders while in India for better understanding."
In the other corner are the celebrants who can't help but relish the prospect of a Modi dissed. Joy Das titters, "Broke Protocol to receive him, Broke Protocol at R-Day Parade to sit next to him, wore 10 Lakh Suit to impress him. Why u no care, Barack?"
Everyone is having such a good time seeing exactly what they want, be it hypocritical United States or a weak Modi, that no one seems to care what Obama actually said, and in what context. I do hate to rain on the parade, but let's take a look at exactly when India is named and blamed
Obama talks about the great value of religion and then notes its downside: "But we also see faith being twisted and distorted, used as a wedge -- or, worse, sometimes used as a weapon. From a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris, we have seen violence and terror perpetrated by those who profess to stand up for faith, their faith, professed to stand up for Islam, but, in fact, are betraying it."
Cue references to ISIL and then "sectarian war in Syria, the murder of Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, religious war in the Central African Republic, a rising tide of anti-Semitism and hate crimes in Europe."
Obama then notes that people of faith continually grapple with the good and the bad of religion, which is where India enters the picture… right after America herself.
Humanity has been grappling with these questions throughout human history. And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ. In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ. Michelle and I returned from India -- an incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity -- but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs -- acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation.
So this is not unique to one group or one religion. There is a tendency in us, a sinful tendency that can pervert and distort our faith.
That's it. The two lines that have stirred the pot of vitriol, outrage and malice.
Here's what puzzles me. Are we so entitled that we think in a speech that calls out pretty much every nation in the world, we deserve a special exemption. Hey, you can talk about Holocaust, but don't you dare mention a single riot in our backyard. Or do we, like spoilt sixteen year olds, make everything about us? Or worse, are we so over-excited that an American President should mention India that we can't help but over-read his every word?
Sure, the remarks he made about religious intolerance in India, on a state visit, deserve great scrutiny and analysis. But let's not get all worked up about a passing reference in a by-the-numbers speech about religious tolerance that is at best amusing for its studiously liberal effort to dutifully point its finger at every body. The only religion that gets a pass is Buddhism, but I guess no one told Barack about Sri Lanka. How come no one is complaining about that?
firstpost REPORTS
"Religious intolerance in India would have shocked Gandhi: Obama," blares the Indian Express on its front page. The Express frames the remarks in "context", noting, "The comments came a day after the White House refuted suggestions that the US President’s public speech in New Delhi, in which he touched on religious tolerance, was a 'parting shot' aimed at the ruling BJP."
Times of India and Hindustan Times have almost the exact same headline. NDTV, however, one ups them all by tweeting out its story with the plug, "Barack Obama invokes India's example to condemn religious intolerance."
And that's all we need these days for a Twitter storm.
In this corner are the offended, like Bharti Jain at the TOI who complains, "How about Obama teaching a thing or two to Pak and Taliban about religious tolerance?" A sentiment affirmed and retweeted by Headlines Today anchor Rahul Kanwal. Even Sri Sri waded into the fray with: "Isolated incidents doesn't mean India is intolerant. Obama should have met religious leaders while in India for better understanding."
In the other corner are the celebrants who can't help but relish the prospect of a Modi dissed. Joy Das titters, "Broke Protocol to receive him, Broke Protocol at R-Day Parade to sit next to him, wore 10 Lakh Suit to impress him. Why u no care, Barack?"
Everyone is having such a good time seeing exactly what they want, be it hypocritical United States or a weak Modi, that no one seems to care what Obama actually said, and in what context. I do hate to rain on the parade, but let's take a look at exactly when India is named and blamed
Obama talks about the great value of religion and then notes its downside: "But we also see faith being twisted and distorted, used as a wedge -- or, worse, sometimes used as a weapon. From a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris, we have seen violence and terror perpetrated by those who profess to stand up for faith, their faith, professed to stand up for Islam, but, in fact, are betraying it."
Cue references to ISIL and then "sectarian war in Syria, the murder of Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, religious war in the Central African Republic, a rising tide of anti-Semitism and hate crimes in Europe."
Obama then notes that people of faith continually grapple with the good and the bad of religion, which is where India enters the picture… right after America herself.
Humanity has been grappling with these questions throughout human history. And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ. In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ. Michelle and I returned from India -- an incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity -- but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs -- acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation.
So this is not unique to one group or one religion. There is a tendency in us, a sinful tendency that can pervert and distort our faith.
That's it. The two lines that have stirred the pot of vitriol, outrage and malice.
Here's what puzzles me. Are we so entitled that we think in a speech that calls out pretty much every nation in the world, we deserve a special exemption. Hey, you can talk about Holocaust, but don't you dare mention a single riot in our backyard. Or do we, like spoilt sixteen year olds, make everything about us? Or worse, are we so over-excited that an American President should mention India that we can't help but over-read his every word?
Sure, the remarks he made about religious intolerance in India, on a state visit, deserve great scrutiny and analysis. But let's not get all worked up about a passing reference in a by-the-numbers speech about religious tolerance that is at best amusing for its studiously liberal effort to dutifully point its finger at every body. The only religion that gets a pass is Buddhism, but I guess no one told Barack about Sri Lanka. How come no one is complaining about that?
firstpost REPORTS
