“Fear always springs from ignorance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote.
What we don’t know or understand about “The Other” can scare us, and some politicians know how to exploit those fears. Islamophobia is a good example this election season. So how do we dispel the ignorance that underlies it?
On Tuesday night at First Congregational Church of Wilmot, United Church of Christ, we witnessed how that is done.
Concord Monitor columnist, Robert Azzi, gave a powerful presentation on Islam and what it means to be an Arab American Muslim in these times. He then answered many questions, not with simplicities and sound bites but with detailed, nuanced and thoughtful answers. He was a remarkable teacher.
If your organization or town is interested in such a presentation, Azzi’s email can be found at the end of his articles and (with his permission) here: theother.azzi@gmail.com.
Allan MacDonald
New London