May 2021: A Thorn in Our Hearts
/خار در دل گر بدیدی هر خسی
دست کی بودی غمان را بر کسی
"A thorn in the heart is not obvious to everyone;
This is how sorrow takes over! "
~Rumi
Source: Mathnawi I, 153
Translated by Dr. Fariba Enteshari
© Rumi Educational Center
Reflection on the Quote:
A message from Dr. Fariba Enteshari, Founder & Executive Director
For too long we have lived with a thorn in our hearts and vision pretending we know how to manage the life entrusted to us. For too long we have been ignoring the sorrows that are accumulating and we have become numb in our witnessing. We need experts who can teach us how to remove this thorn from our hearts and see who we have become.
Engraved in my mind is the image of former officer Derek Chauvin’s face when he heard that he was guilty of all three charges against him. The expression on his face, the terror and disconnection from the new reality in his eyes … every segment of this horrendous tragedy has been all too upsetting to watch for so many around the world. I became enormously sad thinking about who we are collectively as a society when we produce people like Derek Chauvin in our communities. What did we teach these supposed guardians of law and order that allowed them to become so distanced from human dignity and understanding? How can it be so easy to take a life in public? Pumped up by fear and filled with entitlement, we have created a dangerous force of destruction— not order! Otherwise how is such a disregard for human life possible?
The other image burned into my soul is the look on Derek Chauvin’s face when he had his knee on George Floyd’s neck for such a long time. When I finally forced myself to watch the video, I witnessed his total disregard for George Floyd’s humanity. Are we doomed beyond reach when we harbor the disconnected humans among us and trust them with the power them to cause harm?
Derek Chauvin’s expression of entitlement, demonstrating his power over the life of George Floyd and over the terrified crowd who were watching him in disbelief, should be beyond the comprehension of anyone. Could anyone have stopped him?
As a society that can allow so much cruelty, watching day after day the results of our actions we are all changed for the worse. If it were not for the people who came out in masses to acknowledge that they heard the cry of George Floyd as their own, we would be even more lost. Despite the pandemic, waves of people peacefully filled our streets not only at home here but also around the world to say “NO” to the horrifying actions of those who have not yet had to face any consequences for their actions.
The shadows of the past have been lurking in layers of our society for a long time. What has been the role of our institutions and our communities in this mess? Surely the responsibilities for so many things going wrong do not fall only on the shoulders of one or two “bad apples.” Who is Derek Chauvin mirroring? The mistakes of our past!
Who are the demonstrators who risked their lives in the middle of a pandemic to make sure their demand for justice has been heard? They are the hope for a better future.
How can you be a part of healing the NOW?
-Dr. Fariba Enteshari