By now, everyone has seen the headline that Al-Qaida's Ayman al-Zawahri found the historic meeting between the Holy Father and a Saudi monarch "offensive to Islam and Muslims." Big deal. So what.
But from a mimetic point of view, it is significant. When the Model in the Model-Rival template welcomes the Rival to his tent (okay, St. Peter's Basilica), smiles and gifts are exchanged, it is an acknowledgment of a forthrightness to dialog, discuss differences, cooperate. Equally important is the display of this gesture to the world since what is happening is mimetic rivalry on a planetary scale. This scandalizes al-Zawahri tremendously for two reasons.
First, it takes the power to define and dictate the terms of discourse away from Al-Qaida: the Pope and King Abdullah are the prime actors on this stage, not the -- pardon the expression or not -- flea-bitten terrorists whose false ontological substantiation comes from a alchemical brew of media attention and the primitive Sacred. To share the lime light is galling to the petulant boys of bombs and roses. In a word, "offensive".
Secondly, it is an extremely powerful piece of theo-drama and, if you will, "anthro-drama". Maybe there is an indication in such a historical meeting that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob truly is the God of Esau as well. Perhaps progressive revelation will bring us to a place not of rivalry but of mutual humility and respect one day, by God's grace.
But al-Zawahri cannot fathom this, blind and deaf to what Saint Stephen saw as he was stoned by the Al-Qaida of his day. And this is the point: the Holy Father can understand al-Zawahri, but al-Zawahri cannot understand the Holy Father.
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