Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Hero
Designations of heroism seldom satisfy in their objects of choice. Most commonly heroism is associated with physical courage; but there is another sort of heroism that involves conviction and a desire to tell the truth. The heroism of the human spirit.
I don't know how you could listen to this NPR interview and not feel that author Ayaan Hirsi Ali is anything but a true hero. Like real heroes she feels fear — she isn't dissociated — which, after all the years she has had to psychologically resolve attempts at intimidation, still shakes her voice — a shy, respectful, clear voice.
The listener's questions were emblematic of modern forms of dysfunctional thinking. The first questioner repeated the term “neo-colonialist” in what appeared to be a repetition compulsion infecting his entire life. He said she was a “neo-colonialist feminist”. This toxic thinking, academy-based ideological maliciousness, has persisted for far too long, generating self-righteous assertions of victimization, which presents as bullying and is expressed as hate-mongering. The other questioner was dismissive and provided a familiar deflection; like some Medieval European, he saw the problems of the world as all caused by Jews.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is trying to improve the lot of literally billions by suggesting a sea change in attitude, in which societal self-criticism, common in liberal democracies, but not found in the Islamic world, replaces “blaming the outside”; Ayaan Hirsi Ali advocates the rights of women in oppressive societies and finds herself subject to threats of violence.