Pakistani Icon Has Message For Mainstream Christians: Do Something

Most Americans have probably never heard of him but Rohail Hyatt of the 1980's era Pakistani rock band, Vital Signs, is credited by the BBC with co-writing the third most popular rock song in world history...a tune called "Beloved Pakistan." He is, in Pakistan, a national icon. And he is risking it all by writing a soundtrack for a movie titled "In the Name of God," due out today.

Hyatt is, in some ways, a role model for Christians interested in reclaiming the f word today...

THE REST OF THE STORY:

According to Nicholas Schmidle, writing for Mother Jones, the new movie daringly tells the story "of a young rock musician who gets brainwashed by a radical mullah, hangs up his guitar, dons a shalwar kameez, grows a beard, and goes to live in a mosque." The story appealed to Hyatt because one of his closest friends and former band mates took a similar path. Hyatt is sick and tired of the way powerful, fundamentalist and, in his view, hypocrital mullahs in his country have distorted Islam.

Hyatt told Schmidle that this movie isn't anti-Koran, anti-Islam, or anti-religion. In fact, Hyatt says he "rediscovered his faith in Islam" while working on the soundtrack for this movie. Instead, he says, this movie is "about a horrific interpretation of something beautiful.” An increasingly powerful and unchecked class of mullahs is misleading Pakistanis about the true message of Islam, he says. “Your dress and the length of your beard aren’t what makes you a good or bad Muslim.”

As of 48 hours ago, it still wasn't clear if the movie would even make it past the censors. But, if it does, Schmidle says he asked Hyatt if he was afraid of the possible Salman Rushdie-like repercussions connected to working on this movie:

“I don’t want to put my family at risk,” [Hyatt] replied. “But I believe in this movie. I have been a musician and seen the way these mullahs feel towards people like me. I am not the victim. Religion is the victim. And I have an opportunity to do something about it.”

I've heard lots of complaints - in our media but also from colleagues and friends - about how "moderate" Islamic leaders have not spoken out loudly enough against the radical fundamentalists? Well, I'm thinking it's hard to fault them when speaking out can put their families, their careers, and even their lives at risk...and when, even if they DO muster up the courage to speak, their voices are often censored. So, this is a shout out to Rohail Hyatt today: May God bless and protect you.

But this is also a rallying cry to all those mainstream Christians out there (you know who you are) who are confronted daily - in their families, in their neighborhoods, and in their churches - by radical Christians who would, if they could, chase Hindus off the Senate floor and working women back into the house and gays back into the closet and scientists back into the Dark Ages: What is your excuse??

When was the last time you dared to lovingly but firmly take on a radical brother or sister in the faith at the dinner table or at a church meeting or anywhere? When was the last time you risked challenging their distorted view of Jesus and their narrow view of the world and their prejudiced interpretation of Scripture? When was the last time all you pastors out there equipped people in your congregations to do this?? How are you preparing people to confront fundamentalist Christianity wherever they find it?

I'm afraid the downfall of Christianity in our generation may be that most mainstream and progressive Christians are just too freakin' NICE. We'd rather let the radicals and the fundamentalists have their way than stand up to them or make a scene. We'd rather fold than fight.

One old-timer in the progressive wing of my denomination (ELCA) told me he's not interested in causing a stir because "I know that eventually our side will win."

Tell that to Rohail Hyatt.