On Jihad and Music

I know this post is going to cause trouble, but I thought I should write it anyway.

I was listening to an interview on NPR with the Karim Wasfi, the conductor of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra. He risks his life, the lives of his musicans, and the lives of crowds of up to 600 Iraqis who come to listen to the orchestra play. Gatherings of any kind are still risky in Bagdhad, and music has been targeted by some extremist groups.

He indicated in the story that conducting music was his way of bringing hope, courage and beauty to a place that badly needs it. It is his own act of rebellion against the status quo. He risks his life because he would rather die in the service of God and his fellow man than to possibly live longer while failing to perform his personal jihad or calling. This is a very different use of "the J word" than the warped, politically motivated view of Islamic extremists, which is the view we've heard in the news lately, and it's closer to the definition "to strive or struggle" in Arabic.

Of course, using the "J word" has probably just brought me under the scrutiny of Homeland Security for using it in my blog! But if people like Mr. Wasfi are willing to take risks for the sake of art, literature and normalcy, I can take that this small risk myself.

I think it's time the more moderate view got some airtime, and Mr. Wasfi's story does it very nicely.

Mr. Wasfi's efforts to bring music to Baghdad brings new meaning to Emerson's quote - "Most men die with their music still in them." Mr. Wasfi is doing more than most of us (and against greater odds) to make sure that doesn't happen.

Most of us feel that we have a calling to serve, work or struggle toward a goal, which usually involves a service we can do better than our peers, and that makes the world a better place. Muslims might call this jihad, Hindus may call it dharma, Christians may call it a calling or a vocation. Athiests or agnostics might use any of these terms, or others. Regardless of what we call it, most of us have our moments when we know we're doing what really fulfills our purpose. For most of us, not every single minute of every single day at work is this inspired, but it stories like this make us realize that it should be.

Most of us find that our lives are a work in progress as we try to fine-tune our life around what inspires us. We try to find the right balance between our income-producing job, our family, our religious life, and our intentions to help people or make the world a better place. Some of us are lucky enough to combine more than one of those things into a single activity, but all of us struggle for balance of those four elements.

Well, after this peaceful and inspiring interlude, I'm going back to my usual Thursday task list, hopefully with better discernment of what fits my personal calling to "get my music out there."

Thanks Mr. Wasfi!