By Hesham A. Hassaballa
I am a little embarrassed by admitting this, but, I have always
wanted to be a Jedi. Yes, I know the Jedi are fictional warriors from
the "Star Wars" series. However, there has always been something
about the Jedi that have attracted me. When I was a young lad,
when the first three movies came out, I wanted to be a Jedi because
they were "cool." They defeated the bad guys with their "awesome"
light-swords. As I became older, the whole spirituality of the Jedi
order appealed to me. They embody the sort of Muslim I want to be:
a spiritual, devout warrior for the common good.
The Jedi remind me of the Sufi mystics of the past. These Muslims
were "knights by day, monks by night." They dedicated their days to
the common good of their fellow human beings, and their nights
were spent in deep and devoted worship of God. It is an ideal I have
always strived for and, I admit begrudgingly, have not yet achieved.
I have always loved how the Jedi can use the powers of the Force to
their advantage. I always fantasize how cool it would be to use the
Force to lift the remote control from across the room and bring it to
my lap. I would love it even more if I could run to work, instead of
battling the Dark Side warrior of Chicago's traffic, at amazing speed
using the Force; or if I could use the Force and perform a backflip,
forever impressing my friends; or if I could see into the future like
the Jedi do.
By and large, though, what I want more than anything else is to own
and be able to use a light saber! That would be the ultimate dream-
come-true. The skill and art of the light saber is beyond imagination,
and to be able to master that skill, without amputating your arm in
the process, is an enormous accomplishment indeed.
More than simply cutting off the hand of a thief or flipping away from
a speeding car, I am deeply attracted to the spirituality of the Jedi. I
can easily substitute "God" for the "Force" and make complete
sense. In fact, I always wonder whether the Jedi are actually
speaking of God when they talk of the "Force." After all, in Islam
God has 99 names, and, for me at least, God is the "Force" that
drives my life every day.
In Episode I, Master Qui-Gon spoke of his meeting young Anakin
Skywalker as the "will of the Force," and this is very close to the
Muslim belief of all things happening according to God's will. In
addition, Qui-Gon's advice to Anakin to "feel, don't think" and the
Jedi salutation of "May the Force (read: God or peace, even) be
with you" deeply appeal to me as a Muslim.
Now, I admit, the whole thing about the midi-chlorians infecting
everyone, telling them the will of the Force, is a bit "out there."
Nevertheless, the description of the Jedi as "A noble order of
protectors unified by their belief and observance of the Force (read:
God)" and "...as guardians of peace and justice" are of particular
significance to me as I try to be the best Muslim possible.
Yes, I know the Jedi really do not exist. But, everyone, even adults
in today's world, need an escape to a fantasy world, and that place
for me is the world of the Jedi. I frequently pray to God to make me
a Jedi in Heaven. My sister and I joke that, when we first arrive in
Paradise (God willing, of course!), we shall have a lightsaber duel.
Evidently, my sister, who signs her emails as a "JIT (Jedi in
Training), is as much a "Jedi junkie" as I am.
All joking aside, however, the principles of the Jedi: devotion to the
Force (read: God), honor, discipline, and service for justice, are
principles that our world, torn apart by the Dark Side of human
nature, is in desperate need of. I hope and pray that I become one
of the Muslim "Jedi" of our world today.