News article
Considering the story in the context of today, one would have to consider the current state of American politics. Donald Trump is continuing ideals that died many years ago such as protectionism as he seeks to shield domestic industries from foreign suppliers such as China. But perhaps more sinister, Donald Trump has started to ban Muslims from entering America. If one imagines Donald Trump is the lieutenant and The Whisky Priest is a Grand Mufti (Muslim equivalent of a Priest) on the run from persecution in America, a newspaper article might read:
The Grand Mufti
After 3 months of pursuing, Donald Trump and his team of policemen have finally caught the Grand Mufti. He was caught by Donald Trump tending to a dying man in a cluster of huts near Las Casas in the northern mountains of Mexico. The Grand Mufti and Donald Trump engaged in conversation for quite some hours before he was detained. He confessed to his crimes, admitting to alcoholism and treason. He also admitted that he came face to face with Donald Trump twice in the last three months but the President was unable to discern that he was in fact the Grand Mufti.
​
​
Donald mentioned in his speech earlier this morning that he despises Muslims less after meeting with the Grand Mufti who he explained was a “down to Earth and kind gentleman with whom he shares much in common.” This didn’t, however, prevent Donald Trump from controversially giving him the supreme penalty, execution. The Grand Mufti was, much to the outrage of the general public, executed earlier this morning. Anti-Trump and pro-Muslim rallies continued all throughout today. The Grand Mufti has become a martyr in the continued struggle against religious persecution in the states and the struggle is likely to continue in the near future.
​
​
​
The President has caught the Grand Mufti
Graham Greene's message in The Power and the Glory is still relevant today. Racism is still very prevalent and even in Australia certain groups of people are made to feel inferior to others. Similar to how Christians were made to feel inferior in their own country in Mexico, Muslims are, to a much lesser extent, still being made to feel awful in Australia. And similar to how the Lieutenant saw Catholics as "disgusting," Pauline Hansen recently called Islam a "disease." Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory is a direct criticism of this idea that one race is inferior to another. More importantly, Graham Greene explains, through the execution of his main character, the effect that that racism can have on the general public. It is important to read this novel as it gives insight into empathy that couldn't otherwise be discerned. Graham Greene is saying through the Lieutenant's dramatic reversal from thinking Catholics to be "disgusting" to thinking of them as people with whom he "shares much in common" is that it is much more conducive to human nature to be kind and accepting of other races than to disregard and persecute them purely for their religion.
