{"id":84396,"date":"2013-04-28T10:48:06","date_gmt":"2013-04-28T05:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=84396"},"modified":"2013-05-02T05:40:47","modified_gmt":"2013-05-02T00:10:47","slug":"the-rally-for-unity-and-the-reluctant-infidels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-rally-for-unity-and-the-reluctant-infidels\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rally For Unity And The Reluctant Infidels"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Laksiri Fernando<\/a><\/span> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dr. Laksiri Fernando<\/p><\/div>\n

I was delighted to see the story item in the Colombo Telegraph (27 April 2013) last night about the \u2018Rally for Unity<\/a><\/span>\u2019 organized by some \u2018unknowns\u2019 on the general slogan \u201cHate has No Place in Sri Lanka\u201d to be held at Green Path (in few hours\u2019 time from now) and then saw this commendable movie \u201cThe Reluctant Infidel\u201d on SBS One<\/em> at 9.30pm, Sydney time. The connection was too obvious.<\/p>\n

The organizers of the \u2018Rally for Unity\u2019 declared that the purpose is \u201cto show that moderates are strong and united against hate and are committed to promote understanding about the strengths of diversity and unity.\u201d This was exactly the purpose of the movie I saw.<\/p>\n

The movie was initially called in Britain just \u2018The Infidel.\u2019 The Australian producer added \u2018reluctant\u2019 in between for attraction or precise meaning. The writer David Baddiel thought that people are generally and irrationally obsessed and even terrified about their religion and race\/ethnicity. When they go into identity crisis on these matters what they should actually do is to \u2018step into the other one\u2019s shoes\u2019 and take a deep breath and laugh. It was with these thoughts that he wrote the script.<\/p>\n

The rally organized today is not however a laughing matter. We still have to see how the law enforcement agencies, obviously on the government instructions, would treat the peaceful protesters. They were rough and in fact \u2018unlawful\u2019 at the last candle light vigil. As the organizers have emphasized, the effort is completely \u201cnon-partisan and a non-violent awareness campaign\u201d organized by a \u201cvoluntary movement of concerned Sri Lankans from various institutions, professions and industries\u201d who are opposing the \u201crecent hate speech and the marginalization of minority communities in general.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is obviously a new type of protests emerging in Sri Lanka, a new social movement (NSM), so to say, among those who are against hate speech in this instance but could embrace many other injustices in the future. I first saw this phenomenon emerging during the Tsunami calamity in December 2004. Some youngsters came to the University of Colombo, obtained permission to hold a candle light vigil at the sports grounds to collect funds for the Tsunami victims and within hours they organized the event through SMS etc. with the participation of hundreds of people at that time. They were \u2018Colombans\u2019 from appearance but some of them came from remote rural Sri Lanka working in the private sector in Colombo. The expansion of the service sector is the backbone of these social sections.<\/p>\n

The Movie <\/strong><\/p>\n

Let me get back to the movie, \u2018The Reluctant Infidel.\u2019<\/p>\n

Mahmud Nasir is a successful small business owner in a London suburb, who always fights with his Jewish neighbor, Lenny Goldberg. Lenny is a taxi driver. After his mother\u2019s demise, Mahmud discovers an adoption certificate among old documents which reveals that he was adopted from a Jewish family and his original name was Solly Shimshillewitz.<\/p>\n

Mahmud although, or being, a funny man by nature goes into deep identity crisis with sleepless nights, frequent tantrums and virtual absent mindedness. His behavior has gone topsy-turvy. He tells his wife that he has to reveal \u2018something about himself\u2019 but doesn\u2019t tell. Wife thinks that he is probably gay and even informs the local Imam for advice. Mahmud approaches his old adversary, Lenny, and he is most willing to offer help being an infidel himself and feeling amused about his Muslim adversary becoming a Jew now. This leads to more suspicions about his gayness, his new friend Lenny being a bachelor.<\/p>\n

Mahmud\u2019s son, Rashid, is engaged to Azma, the stepdaughter of a devout Muslim cleric, Arshad Al-Masri. When Mahmud reveals that he was a Jew (not he is), the engagement breaks down. Mahmud\u2019s family also leaves him.<\/p>\n

Mahmud finds his biological father Izzy Shimshillewitz in a Jewish old care center through Lenny. But he cannot see his father before latter\u2019s death prevented by the Rabbi in charge, not believing the connection. How can you believe a Muslim son of a Jewish father! Izzy has given Soli for adoption in two weeks of his birth when Izzy\u2019s wife dies at the child birth. Izzy has known that his son is a Muslim. Mahmud slowly overcomes his identity crisis, realizing that \u2018he was a Jew,\u2019 but now \u2018he is a Muslim,\u2019 although not a fanatic. He keeps friendship with the newly found Jewish friends. Both Lenny and Mahmud are \u2018infidels.\u2019<\/p>\n

Mahmud finally manages to bring his son, Rashid, and Azma together by exposing the cleric, Arshad Al-Masri. Arshad in fact had been a rock star in the name of Gary Page whose original parents were scientologists. The movie ends with the interfaith wedding of Rashid and Azma attended by both Muslism and Jews.<\/p>\n

The movie reveals the \u2018impermanence\u2019 of all categories of religion and race\/ethnicity. Both should be taken in moderation. The unity in diversity is the best option for multiethnic and multi religious societies like Sri Lanka as the participants of the Rally for Unity will signify. Hate has no place in a civilized society. As one poster for the rally says, \u2018Racism Stops with Me.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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