Journal Entries

Journal Entry One

Topic: When Extremist Voices Claim the Narrative

By: Colin Harris

Posted: Thursday, October 10, 2013 6:42 am

Section: Column on Politics

Synopsis.

Collin Harris in the article 'When Extremist Voices Claim the Narrative' talks about the manner in which extremist narratives shape the way people think and perceive truth and reality to be. Harris begins the account by mentioning the book of William Hordern namely, 'A Layman's Guide to Protestant Theology'. Hordern's 1995 book, as Harris tells us, is an account of the development of the Protestant Theology while the book also includes a description of the ways in which conservative theology is associated with the anti-logical and angry sentiments of the extreme fundamentalists. What is of more relevance to the article from Hordern's book, is the assertion that what extremists do in the name of a particular system of thought is not a complete representative of that system of thought. Harris in relation to this assertion provides the example of the Ku Klan Klux (KKK) and that of Islamic terrorists suggesting that these two are not considered to be representative of the Christian and Muslim faith respectively and any such idea is resisted; a time of stress and challenge though bring a change to this practice.

In such a time when there is stress and challenge, the rhetoric of extremism comes out to be an effective narrative. It is then that people see what they are shown while their understanding is manipulated in a manner that is similar to that of what a salesperson does to a customer to make him/her understand that they need a particular product. Fear and anxiety in such troubled times further contribute to this understanding and hence any person showing concern, proposing to protect and ensuring of security to life, is more likely to be recognized than the one who merely shows concern. In this context, the communication means, such as news cycles on cable and social media, play a significant role such that the way of thinking that they want people to develop is repeated to such an extent that even though it is not the truth, the repetition makes it the truth. People then are not able to reflect in a balanced manner and if they make an effort for finding out the truth or the real story, they would be indulging more in a 'contest of dueling rhetoric', rather than in making any rational connections between facts.

Harris is of the view that people in such circumstances of prevailing extremism narratives surrounding them, think more of the security and well-being of things important to them such as family, church, community, and nation and want to achieve it without thinking of the effects of that on others. This kind of perspective is associated with immaturity which is then tried to be addressed, but it is sometimes not addressed at the right time and hence indulges in activities that also lead to extremism. The author concludes the article suggesting that there is always a choice ...