Martin Luther King Jr. & Aung San Suu Kyi as Religious Social-Reformists - Essay Sample

Introduction

The society in most countries has always been divided into two sets; secular and religion which have different beliefs. Religion is hardly given much consideration in secular societies. In most cases, the secular society gets into conflict with religion as a result of failure to entreat with the value the human lives. In the history of Burma for instance, the secular society as uncovered by Aung San Suu is presented to be oppressive of the citizens by not protecting, respecting and granting human rights and responding to their needs. Martin Luther King, an American Baptist Church minister, and activist, is also known for exposing the United States racial segregation and oppression of the blacks in the U.S. Born and raised as a staunch Christian, he believed in "religious politics," politics that had respect for human rights and freedom. He is known for several reforms in the United States that brought the rights of the blacks to the limelight. Likewise, Aung San Suu is a renowned activist for human right in Burma. She is known for criticizing the governance for not recognizing the existence of humanity in the country. She believes that religion and political lives should be interconnected for a better world. Suu and Luther Jr. had common aspects in their activism.

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To Suu San Kyi, democracy matters because people matter, and wonders whether it does to Christians (YouTube 2014). For instance, she regrets taking for granted the freedom and democracy that prevailed in Burma before the country lost it (YouTube 2017). According to her, Burma experienced calmness and proficiency in terms of development. The education system was respected, and there existed a healthcare system that flourished, all this enhanced by the existence of democracy (YouTube 2017). She believes that to achieve good governance; there has to be a democracy. Democracy to her, matters for progress and development, unity, peace, and coherence in the society, and that is what she fights for. She asserts that democracy will enable justice and respect for humanity regardless of their political affiliations (YouTube 2014). She mentions that the 1988 uprising was due to dictatorial government administration. Martin Luther King Jr., in the same way, criticized the American government for perpetrating racism and denying black Americans freedom, which he termed unlawfully. He staged several boycotts and matches in a bid to get the American civil rights movement to realize a dream desired by many black Americans. Among his works are famous Letter from Birmingham Jail and the speech I Have A Dream, delivered to over 250,000 people at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He also led the famous Montgomery bus boycott, to fight the arrest of a black American girl who had refused to give up her seat for a white in the Montgomery bus. Other of his works were the Birmingham Campaign and The Great Washington Match to fight for jobs.

Aung Suu and Martin Luther Jr. were great activists of religious, social reforms. Their activism was religious in that they believed that political endeavors should be led by respect and love for humanity. They both felt that social problems were as a result of failure to observe religion. For instance, they accused leaders and government of perpetrating war which is against religious beliefs. Suu, for instance, explained spirituality in a broad sense as a spirit that makes human beings human. This is what democracy is all about, for her (YouTube 2014). Luther Jr too believed in better lives for all Americans, white and blacks. That is why he fought so much to the extent of laying down his life for humanity by his assassination. No religion could beat his dedication.

Works Cited

Austin, Michael. Reading the World: Ideas That Matter. W.W. Norton & Company, 2017.

YouTube, 11 July 2014, youtu.be/voKKhuRYOLI.YouTube, 5 Apr. 2017, youtu.be/MFEEmdKbqBE