For the past couple of weeks, three major questions have dominated conversations among Fordham University students: “How was your summer?” “Did you see what Miley Cyrus did at the VMA’s?” and “Have you heard what is going on in Syria?” I am impressed that Fordham students are taking an interest in the violence occurring in a country that many Americans could not place on the map, but I am dissatisfied with limitations on the discourse in its present form.
One of the values that has been drilled into my head since I started attending Fordham University is the need for an increased awareness of the world around me: “You need to read this newspaper/watch this show/read this book/travel to this country, because it will make you more aware of the world around you.” I agree that having a greater understanding of other cultures and current events is good, but only when it serves a higher purpose; “being aware” by itself is not the ultimate goal.
Too often it seems that people seek knowledge of world events for the purpose of seeming “cultured” and intelligent.
They are less concerned with the suffering of the people of Syria than they are with the people around them knowing that they can properly pronounce Bashar al-Assad. This is a betrayal of the true purpose of awareness. True awareness of the events of the outside world should lead to an understanding of our connection with other human beings and inspire empathy and compassion. In the words of Thomas Merton, “The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.”
Ideally, this compassion grows to inspire action, and this is my primary objection to the current approach taken by the average citizen to the events in Syria: little or nothing is being done.
Some may have participated in Pope Francis’s call for fasting and prayer, but for the most part people are content to be aware, to know but not to care, or perhaps to care but not to act. More than 100,000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced; it is not enough to merely be aware. A number of organizations attempting to aid Syrians exist that would appreciate the time, effort and ingenuity of Fordham students.
If you prefer political activism, writing to your representative or working for a campaign are possibilities. If you are religiously inclined, I think the people of Syria would appreciate your prayers.
Syrians and others who suffer around the world deserve more than mere awareness of their existence, and as fellow human beings, we must recognize our duty to act with compassion. Please do not just settle for “being aware.”
