Background for Visual Rhetoric Assignment

It seems that if I am to construct an argument based on a visual text, it would behoove me to choose a topic with which I am fairly knowledgeable. That topic would have to be Israel. But before I forget, let me go ahead and include my thesis statement here to get it out of the way: "Using the rhetorical tool of exaggeration, cartoonist Pat Bagley of the Salt Lake City Tribune illustrates the unique position the Jews occupy in regards to Beck, on the one hand opposing his incredulous claim that they will one day convert to Christianity but on the other acknowledging the common enemy they have in the Muslims. Beck is correctly portrayed here as putting himself at odds with both groups of people in his attempt to 'Christianize' the Jews."

So now. On to the background. Israel, or more specifically its capital of Jerusalem, is known as the "most coveted location in the world". This ancient place is home to sites holy to three different religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. As of 2000, Jerusalem was home to 1204 synagogues, 158 churches and 73 mosques.

Pretty interesting data. And this is sort of a taste of what's more to come in the paper itself. But this blog is more about me, about why I chose this particular cartoon and my stakes in the issue with which it is concerned.

I wanted to include the background information about Jerusalem in this blog for a reason. See, I have a peculiar relationship with all three of the afore-mentioned religions, an interesting "stake" in the issue at hand, and this cartoon in particular. See, I can relate to all three of the afore-mentioned religions. To start, my last name is Baghdady.

Yes, my family is from the Middle East; Baghdad, to be more specific. You could have guessed. Before my grandfather dropped the Muhammad from his name, he was assumed to be Muslim, as are many of his brothers and sisters. So there's one religion represented in my past.

The second is Christianity. Both of my parents are believers and I was born into the Baptist church. At a young age I accepted Jesus Messiah as Savior based upon what He did for me by dying on a cross just outside Jerusalem some 2000 years ago.

But there is a twist. I would not refer to myself as a Christian or even a Protestant. Enter the third religion, Judaism. Many Christians do not take Judaism seriously, even though the Jew's Torah comprises the first five books of all Bibles. Christians like to take Paul's New Testament epistle to the Galatians and use this with other New Testament texts to discount the Torah, brushing it off as something Jesus took care of, did away with, at the cross. In my interpretation of the Scriptures I do not find this to be the case, and thus I adhere to practices typically categorized under Judaism, such as abstaining from the unclean foods, worshipping on the Sabbath day (Saturday) as opposed to Sunday, and observing the seven Feasts of the LORD, erringly referred to as "Jewish feasts".

So that's my story. A little background for those who will read my paper. Oh yea, the draft is due Monday, right? I bet you can't guess what I'll be doing this weekend.