Nationalism vs Religion: the false dichotomy after Paris
Terrorists. Freedom. Pray for Paris. All of these terms have become ubiquitous throughout the news and social media after the attacks on Friday, November 13th. Some believe that it is finally time for a full-blown military operation to exterminate ISIS once and for all. Others hesitate because they see the ghosts of an unsuccessful Iraq War lurking behind statements like “this was an act of war” and “our response will be merciless.” But anyone who appreciates a good paradox will see that behind this thick layer of violence and inhumanity lies the very essence of our humanity.
“In Western Europe, the eighteenth century marks not only the dawn of the age of nationalism, but the dusk of religious forms of thought.”
With this quote from Benedict Anderson’s book Imagined Communities, we can dig all the way to the core of today’s problem. The eighteenth century represents the birth of two nations whose identity is often made synonymous with freedom. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of choice… these are the ideals that come to mind when many people see the red, white and blue waving on a mast or hanging outside an embassy. Anyone who threatens these colors is often perceived to be waging war against fundamental human values or the people who believe in them. Therefore it is no surprise that the government of the United States sought to exterminate Al-Qaeda after 9/11 and the French government is considering the same attempt against Daesh after Paris.
But as Anderson shows, the Western world itself was not always so civilized. Before we died defending our country, we also killed in the name of our god. Anderson’s book is centered on the idea that throughout history, humans have lived in real communities where they know and interact with all members but they have also identified with imagined communities. As he explains “[a nation] is imagined because the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion.” In other words, nations and religions are both ultimately fictitious communities and we imagine members of our nation or religion to be similar to us while members of foreign nations or religions are different.
In essence, this tells you everything about Paris. Humans have always fought to defend their real communities such as families and tribes, but a merciless attack is something people do in the name of something larger, something enduring and eternal such as an imagined community. Perhaps the greatest horror about the Islamic State derives from the fact that it kills innocent civilians in the name of the most powerful of these communities: religion (“Islamic”) and nationhood (“State”). This may seem appalling but it’s interesting to note that “Pray for Paris” or “God Bless America” reflect the same duality in our beliefs. Paradoxically, the inhumanity of ISIS might be caused by the most human of instincts: belonging. That is why they are considered a group and not mere individuals; they are joined by a cause, however abhorrent it may be. Behind the thick air of nationalism and murky waters of religion lies the groupishness that makes it possible for “you” and “I” to become “we.” So before we carry out a merciless attack in the name of freedom, we need to ensure the safety of those who are innocent civilians like us. Otherwise it’s hard to argue that we are any better than merciless terrorists.
