Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise by Eboo Patel

Author:Eboo Patel [Patel, Eboo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion; Politics & State, Religion, History & Theory, National, Civil Rights, Political Science, American Government, General
ISBN: 9780691196961
Google: thWLDwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 46228026
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2018-09-11T00:00:00+00:00

7

Postscript

Potluck Nation

There is a scene in Kumail Nanjiani’s film The Big Sick, an autobiographical account of his dating and ultimately marrying a white woman, that highlights some of the clichés about America and its Muslims (or Muslims and their America) in this moment. Nanjiani’s parents have grudgingly accepted his desire to be a stand-up comic, which Nanjiani describes in one of his routines as a professional aspiration that carries a status just below that of joining a terrorist group within his ethnoreligious community (it’s a joke). But they have drawn the line at a relationship with a non-Muslim white American.

Nanjiani has been living something of a double life, dating his white girlfriend and hanging out at bars on the one hand, and on the other dutifully going to dinners at his parents’ home, during which they introduce him to a steady stream of Pakistani Muslim girls in hopes of arranging a marriage. But when his girlfriend falls sick, Nanjiani decides he can’t take the duality anymore. He needs his parents to know about and support his relationship.

At this point, the conversation takes a clash-of-civilizations turn.

Nanjiani’s parents say, “All we wanted from you is that you be a good Muslim and marry a Pakistani girl.”

Nanjiani, in an uncharacteristic moment of anger, explodes: “Why did you bring me to America if you did not want me to live as an American?”1

The scene is well acted, the timing of the dialogue is perfect, the pain of the characters palpable. The audience is meant to be disturbed, and on the surface, we are. But at the same time, even amid the drama, there is something strangely familiar about what we are watching. The truth is, we have seen a version of this show match a thousand times. Hero American culture, with its celebrated creativity and individuality, in this corner; the minority-religion villain of the day, with its various restrictions and old-world ways, in the opposite. As Hollywood tells it, hero America wins, the minority religion is subdued, and human evolution moves a step forward. You can almost hear the music from Fiddler on the Roof.

The truth about America and its minority religions, Islam included, is far more complicated and interesting. The genius of this nation is not in how it vanquishes minority religions but rather in how it welcomes their contributions. The setup is like a potluck supper. For the larger community to eat, everybody needs to bring a dish. Certain guidelines are given, but nobody is expected to follow a precise recipe. As the demographics of the population shift, so will the flavors of the food on the table. Along the way, conversation happens, palates widen, fusions emerge. There are tensions, and there is feasting.

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