Please do not politicize the Meeting With God Display

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Fwd: Please do not politicize the Meeting With God Display-Yvette Rosser

Sat, 19 Jan 2002 15:49:32

>"Yvette C. Rosser"

>"ganapa vijai"

>Fwd: Please do not politicize the Meeting With God Display

>Sat, 19 Jan 2002 04:48:40 -0600

>

>>FYI: A letter I sent to the Museum of Natural History, I faxed and

>>emailed this letter to Ms. Charnov and to Ms Kendall:

>

>

>>Sat, 19 Jan 2002 04:43:07 -0600

>>Charnov (AT) amnh (DOT) org

>>"Yvette C. Rosser"

>>Please do not politicize the Meeting With God Display

>>

>>

>>January 18, 2002

>>Elaine Charnov

>>Director, Public Programs and Artistic Director,

>>American Museum of Natural History

>>79th St. at Central Park West

>>New York, NY 10024

>>Fax: 212-769-5329

>>

>>Dear Ms. Charnov,

>>

>>The display, "Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion" is meant to

>>give a feeling of Hinduism, the beauty of its images, the nearness

>>and interactive nature of its practices and rituals. It is not

>>meant

>>to offer a social critique, but rather serve as an introduction to

>>the religion of almost a billion practitioners, and, as the display

>>itself stressed, the religion of well over a million US citizens.

>>

>>As in any religion there is room for negative critiques within

>>Hinduism, change is good, self conscious analysis is to be

>>encouraged. But in this exhibit, the museum is offering the

>>citizens

>>of NYC and the USA a chance to experience the devotion that a Hindu

>>feels when he or she does puja (worship) or has darshan

>>(experiences

>>the deity).

>>

>>I visited the exhibit in November and found it to be quite lovely.

>>I

>>was impressed that visitors had left coins and personal objects

>>inside the little doors that opened and closed in front of the

>>images. The display was more than a simple exhibit... it was

>>fulfilling the purpose for which it was designed so

>>sympathetically,

>>to bring the visitors into an ambiance wherein they could

>>appreciate

>>the beauty and richness of this ancient religion. The Meeting with

>>God display offers a gentle glimpse into Hinduism connected to the

>>earth and to the human spirit.

>>

>>This sensitive and informed exhibit was wonderfully refreshing in a

>>world where Hinduism is sorely misunderstood. Stereotypical

>>portrayals and misuse of Hindu images is the usual fare in both

>>Western academia and popular American culture. The exhibit at the

>>Museum of Natural History was a break with that unfortunate

>>tendency

>>to sensationalize and negatively categorize Hinduism. In the Museum

>>of Natural History there were no long critiques of the evils of the

>>pernicious caste system, no discussions of 'sati', bride burning,

>>dowry deaths, female infanticide, poverty, pollution, over

>>population, nuclearization. No, for once there was a look at

>>Hinduism and Hindu India without the concluding Marxist critique,

>>the ususal academic caveat warning about the dangers of the Hindu

>>Revivalist movement.

>>

>>Now I have been informed that the Museum of Natural History is

>>planning to air two films by the well known Leftist film maker

>>Anand

>>Patwardhan. Both of the films scheduled to be shown in conjunction

>>with the Meeting with God exhibit have nothing to do with the

>>purpose of the exhibit and in fact will undermine its positive

>>impact. Mr. Patwardhan's films offer an alternative perspective,

>>and a strong critique of Hinduism, but your beautifully constructed

>>Meeting with God exhibit is not the proper place to show these

>>films.

>>

>>For example, if you were to mount an exhibit on a theme such as

>>"The

>>Many Faces of Islam" in an attempt to introduce Americans (and

>>other

>>visitors to the museum) to Islamic practices, would you air a film

>>in conjunction that showed Osama bin Laden encouraging jihad

>>against

>>Americans or showed a Taliban soldier shooting an Afghani woman in

>>the back of the head?. If the goal was to explore how Islam was

>>practiced by people around the world--the personal, intimate face

>>of

>>Muslim rituals and beliefs--would you air a film made by a director

>>who is anti-Islamic? In connection with a positive and instructive

>>display meant to dispel negativity, why show a film that is

>>categorically and self-avowedly created to delve deeply into the

>>negative?

>>

>>These films are not about Hinduism, they are about politics. They

>>are also dated. slanted, and sensationalist. The theory on which

>>the

>>"We Are Not Your Moneys" is premised is a misguided interpretation

>>of the history and symbolism of the Ramayana. which is sacred to

>>Hindus all over the world.

>>

>>If you were going to mount a display about Christianity at a museum

>>in India, in order to introduce Indians to the ways various

>>Christians practice, would you air the film "Hell's Angel: Mother

>>Teresa of Calcutta" -- a scathing appraisal from British journalist

>>Christopher Hitchens--or a film about how the Jesuits were the

>>front

>>men in the genocide of indigenous Americans? I think not. You

>>wouldn't show such films to Indians who came to a display meant to

>>enlighten them about the positive aspects of Christianity... why

>>stress the Inquisition or Witch Burning or the genocide of

>>indigenous populations? Those are certainly valid areas of study

>>and

>>shouldn't be discouraged. However, it is simply improper and

>>counterproductive to mix the two messages.... politics and

>>religion.

>>Similarly, since 1993 Mr. Patwardhan's films are often shown in

>>classes in US colleges as critiques of Hinduism. They are designed

>>to be critical, they use slanted, sensationalist strategies to make

>>a point. These two films are overtly political, anti-Hindu and

>>very

>>sensationalist. They are completely inappropriate to show along

>>with

>>your genuinely sympathetic display.

>>

>Please do not distract from the positive impact that your wonderful

>display, Meeting with God has created. This is especially important

>since many Americans only hear negative things about India and

>Hinduism. Others are simply misinformed, and that is why immediately

>after 9/11, Hindu temples were fire-bombed and Hindus were attacked.

>This was not just because of hate mongering xenophobics, but because

>so many people are so uninformed about Hinduism that they thought

>Hindus were Muslims.

>

>The Patwardhan films teach that Hindus are fanatics and racists...

>is

>that the purpose for which you have constructed the Meeting with God

>display? I certainly did not get that impression when I visited. It

>would be disappointing if you aired these films that will work to

>undermine the positive impact of your sympathetic and elaborate

>exhibit designed to dispel negative stereotypes about Hindu beliefs

>and practices. Please, for the sake of the meaning of the display

>and

>its positive impact, do not show these particular films.

>

>

>--

>

>Yvette C. Rosser

>Department of Curriculum and Instruction

>The University of Texas at Austin