I'm sure most of you who are taking the time to actually read my blog already know that last week Oprah decided that she will be visiting Israel "in solidarity" with the Israelis. I don't have any problem with Oprah visiting Israel, but I just think she should take the time to visit some of the major Palestinian cities as well. I'd be happy to arrange a tour of Nablus and An-Najah for you Oprah, just shoot me a call!!!
Anyhow, it's important that we ask Oprah to educate herself as she so frequently asks her audience to do. There are many petitions circulating asking her to visit Palestine as well so I hope you'll consider signing one. Here's a link to one I found:
www.petitionspot.com/petitions/OprahPalestine
My sister was married this past weekend. God bless her marriage...see you soon.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
"Massacre of Democracy"
http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=22302
How can we sit by as Israel dismantles perhaps the only Arab democracy in the middle east? I am appalled at these arrests and can't see any warrant for them. Arresting Hamas officials in the West Bank will have no effect on rocket attacks from Gaza. It's simply a means to destroy the intellectual infrastructure of the West Bank and the result is the continued suffering of the Palestinian people. I pray these officials will be released.
How can we sit by as Israel dismantles perhaps the only Arab democracy in the middle east? I am appalled at these arrests and can't see any warrant for them. Arresting Hamas officials in the West Bank will have no effect on rocket attacks from Gaza. It's simply a means to destroy the intellectual infrastructure of the West Bank and the result is the continued suffering of the Palestinian people. I pray these officials will be released.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Back in the U.S.A
So after four months overseas I'm back in the United States. I must say that it's hard to be back. I miss everyone in Palestine as much as I missed everyone here in the U.S. It's great to see my family and all of my friends, but I know that I will return to Palestine, and I will stay engaged in the Palestinian cause for the rest of my life. For all of you in Palestine reading this, I miss you more than you understand, and I'll be gone only as long as I need to be, inshallah.
Leaving Israel was no easy chore. I'll be writing about it in great detail in the near future and I'll be sure to post the story when I'm done. Let's just say that the process involved taking my clothes off on more than one occasion and seven hundred dollars in unnecessary expenses. It was quite a lovely time.
Since arriving here in Massachusetts I've been just as busy as I was in Nablus, however instead of working, I've been catching up on having a social life again. My friend Artty released a new CD, which you can check out here http://www.arttyraynes.com/, and my friend Cait got married, which was fantastic.
I've received a great deal of feedback about my blog since I've been home. It's amazing how many people read it and how it reached people I never thought would be interested. Instead of ending the blog I'll be re-naming it and continuing. I'm going to continue to write about Palestine and probably a host of other things, so if you're interested, keep your alerts set up. Also, please don't hesitate to send me feedback or just comments. As humans we learn through engagement, which should come through communication. This is how I learn, so I'd love to hear from you.
I think I've been talking to much since I've been back. I just find that I can't keep quiet and it's important for people to know the truth. I've encountered people who've been extremely interested, extremely ignorant, and some who have been extremely arrogant. I got into an argument the other night with a girl about Islam. She tried to tell me that their religion fosters hate and violence. I wanted to cry when I heard her speak these words, because it couldn't be farther from the truth.
As Americans it's our responsibility to understand Islam. Islamophobia is very dangerous and we should be taking steps to increase understanding to counter these radical views. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. It would be very foolish for Americans not to understand it, and even more foolish to have false perceptions about the Muslim faith. So do your country and your culture a favor and instead of watching Grey's Anatomy some night read about the true principles of Islam, or better yet, find a Muslim and ask them about Islam. They will be helpful and enthusiastic to help.
I took my mother to a Red Sox game on Saturday. She watches the Red Sox every night and loves the team as so much of us do here in New England. She hadn't been since 1968 and you could tell. Fenway Park is one of those special places. When you come into the park and see the grass, look around at the fans, and watch the players warm up on the field a feeling comes over you that can't be described in words. When we got to our seats I could see that my mother was consumed by this feeling and actually for the first three or four innings she didn't talk much, I think her and the park were having a special moment, making up for lost time. I hadn't see my mother smile like that in years, she was like a little kid. The over priced tickets were worth every penny.
I'll try to post some links about Islam tomorrow. Like I said, I'd love any feedback about the blog. By the way, I like Grey's Anatomy too. :)
Leaving Israel was no easy chore. I'll be writing about it in great detail in the near future and I'll be sure to post the story when I'm done. Let's just say that the process involved taking my clothes off on more than one occasion and seven hundred dollars in unnecessary expenses. It was quite a lovely time.
Since arriving here in Massachusetts I've been just as busy as I was in Nablus, however instead of working, I've been catching up on having a social life again. My friend Artty released a new CD, which you can check out here http://www.arttyraynes.com/, and my friend Cait got married, which was fantastic.
I've received a great deal of feedback about my blog since I've been home. It's amazing how many people read it and how it reached people I never thought would be interested. Instead of ending the blog I'll be re-naming it and continuing. I'm going to continue to write about Palestine and probably a host of other things, so if you're interested, keep your alerts set up. Also, please don't hesitate to send me feedback or just comments. As humans we learn through engagement, which should come through communication. This is how I learn, so I'd love to hear from you.
I think I've been talking to much since I've been back. I just find that I can't keep quiet and it's important for people to know the truth. I've encountered people who've been extremely interested, extremely ignorant, and some who have been extremely arrogant. I got into an argument the other night with a girl about Islam. She tried to tell me that their religion fosters hate and violence. I wanted to cry when I heard her speak these words, because it couldn't be farther from the truth.
As Americans it's our responsibility to understand Islam. Islamophobia is very dangerous and we should be taking steps to increase understanding to counter these radical views. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. It would be very foolish for Americans not to understand it, and even more foolish to have false perceptions about the Muslim faith. So do your country and your culture a favor and instead of watching Grey's Anatomy some night read about the true principles of Islam, or better yet, find a Muslim and ask them about Islam. They will be helpful and enthusiastic to help.
I took my mother to a Red Sox game on Saturday. She watches the Red Sox every night and loves the team as so much of us do here in New England. She hadn't been since 1968 and you could tell. Fenway Park is one of those special places. When you come into the park and see the grass, look around at the fans, and watch the players warm up on the field a feeling comes over you that can't be described in words. When we got to our seats I could see that my mother was consumed by this feeling and actually for the first three or four innings she didn't talk much, I think her and the park were having a special moment, making up for lost time. I hadn't see my mother smile like that in years, she was like a little kid. The over priced tickets were worth every penny.
I'll try to post some links about Islam tomorrow. Like I said, I'd love any feedback about the blog. By the way, I like Grey's Anatomy too. :)
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Monkeys!!!
"Monkeys!", she said to me in a tone of utter astonishment. I was engaged in an in depth conversation about the creation of human beings. There are a few students who come to speak with me everyday in the English department, while I conduct my volunteer hours in the English lab. They have taught me a great deal about Islam, for which I am forever grateful. I cherish my conversations with them.
When I explained to her that I'd been taught the scientific theory of evolution, she responded with the previous quote, which was accompanied with a big smile, the type which covers the whole face, one that you simply can't conceal with all your effort. She had given me an article about creation a few days before, and I had read it with much interest. The article explained, with a great deal of scientific support, that humans, or Adam more specifically, were created from clay, by Allah, as the Holy Qur'an clearly states.
The conversation became more and more complex and I look back at it now as one of those exercises that both tests your beliefs and opens your mind to new possibilities. I explained to the students that I didn't feel it was my duty to god to conduct my life in the manner in which I choose to do so, but my duty to humanity. Islam teaches with great respect the ideals of mutual respect and the lifelong goal of serving humanity, things I've always believed strongly in. Our disagreement, or at least my disagreement, is the motivation. I don't feel that humans should need motivation from god to conduct themselves in this manner. We shouldn’t need promises of paradise to treat others how you would want to be treated, at least in my opinion. When I did get my point across to the students, they agreed to a certain extent, and told me that those Muslims who live their lives only with the goal of reaching paradise are not faithful to Allah or his words dictated in the Holy Qur'an. The result of our conversation, besides mutual enlightenment , was that my next article would focus on the idea and motivations of paradise in Islam.
Last night, before I went to sleep, my roommate spoke to me in the darkness of our bedroom. "I dreaming of the Jewish again, they come to my village and invade". He told me how when he was young the Israelis had invaded his village, "truly", and that since then he'd had the same nightmare of the Israelis invading his home and him running to his mother's arms in tears. "I don't know why I dream this", he said to me. "Some things never leave us", I said to him, hoping that my words could help soothe him, but knowing that I would never truly understand the dream that haunts him to this day.
When I explained to her that I'd been taught the scientific theory of evolution, she responded with the previous quote, which was accompanied with a big smile, the type which covers the whole face, one that you simply can't conceal with all your effort. She had given me an article about creation a few days before, and I had read it with much interest. The article explained, with a great deal of scientific support, that humans, or Adam more specifically, were created from clay, by Allah, as the Holy Qur'an clearly states.
The conversation became more and more complex and I look back at it now as one of those exercises that both tests your beliefs and opens your mind to new possibilities. I explained to the students that I didn't feel it was my duty to god to conduct my life in the manner in which I choose to do so, but my duty to humanity. Islam teaches with great respect the ideals of mutual respect and the lifelong goal of serving humanity, things I've always believed strongly in. Our disagreement, or at least my disagreement, is the motivation. I don't feel that humans should need motivation from god to conduct themselves in this manner. We shouldn’t need promises of paradise to treat others how you would want to be treated, at least in my opinion. When I did get my point across to the students, they agreed to a certain extent, and told me that those Muslims who live their lives only with the goal of reaching paradise are not faithful to Allah or his words dictated in the Holy Qur'an. The result of our conversation, besides mutual enlightenment , was that my next article would focus on the idea and motivations of paradise in Islam.
Last night, before I went to sleep, my roommate spoke to me in the darkness of our bedroom. "I dreaming of the Jewish again, they come to my village and invade". He told me how when he was young the Israelis had invaded his village, "truly", and that since then he'd had the same nightmare of the Israelis invading his home and him running to his mother's arms in tears. "I don't know why I dream this", he said to me. "Some things never leave us", I said to him, hoping that my words could help soothe him, but knowing that I would never truly understand the dream that haunts him to this day.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
4/22/2007
"You are documenting the history and the emergence of a nation", Ala said to me. He also informed me that I am perhaps the first westerner to lecture in the Sharia Department here at An-Najah. I truly consider it to have been an honor and one of the most important presentations of my life. While I undoubtedly personally benefited from the experience, I hope that the students, both male and female, learned something from my efforts. If they learned anything, I hope it was that not all Americans are ignorant of the plight of the Palestinian people and that some of us do care.
It motivates me to give similar presentations in the United States so as to increase awareness and hopefully work towards a dramatic change in public opinion. Lucy, the director of the right to education campaign here at An-Najah, and a British citizen, attended my lecture and commented at the end that she has seen a change occur over her lifetime in the representation of Palestinians in the British media. I pray that such a change occurs in my country and that it won't take generations to do so.
My presentation was on the bias that exists in the American media, specifically in regards to the occupation of Palestine. When I was telling my roommate last night that I would be giving the lecture today he at first wished me luck, as many people had when I told them I would be presenting to students and faculty members of the Sharia Department, but then he told me how important it is to do such things. Many of these students may have never spoken to an American and by being here I have the amazing opportunity to present to them as what I am: an American citizen. My delivering of the presentation, as an American citizen, was powerful to many of the students, as I was told.
After the presentation Ala congratulated me and told me how it was very important for the students, especially Fatin, the student who lobbied for me to be permitted to give such a presentation. I was supposed to give it nearly three weeks ago, but unfortunately the faculty did not think it was appropriate for me to do so. Thankfully, through Fatin's efforts, they rescheduled the date. I understood how important it was to her both before and after the presentation. Before the presentation she was extremely nervous, probably more so than I was, and after the presentation she was extremely happy. It would have taken a great deal of effort to wipe the smile off her face, and to me, this was reason enough to have given the presentation. She walked off reciting one sentence to me: "Thank you very much!" That sentence and the smile on her face are two things I will never forget.
Ala compared Fatin's situation to the philosophy of Plato. When a man discovers how to escape from a cave he has the difficult decision of enjoying his freedom from the cave or returning to rescue his friends. Through the Zajel program Fatin has had the opportunity to interact with internationals like myself. "It's like she's entering another world", Ala explained to me. "Now she will go back to the cave and rescue the others". While I don't think my presentation was that groundbreaking, I was heartened by the words and hope that I had one tenth the effect he expressed to me.
In the presentation I focused on the bias in the American media through three case studies: The AP, a combined assessment of CBS, NBC, and ABC, and the NY Times. I provided statistical evidence, not gathered by me but by an organization named If Americans Knew, which shows how news agencies under report Palestinian deaths and over report Israeli deaths, giving the impression that the Israelis are the ones suffering more casualties. Recently the Palestinian Information Minister, Mustafa Barghouthi, cited a poll of Americans which showed that the majority of Americans believe that Palestine is occupying Israel. This is a shameful result of the statistics which I presented.
The most important part of my presentation focused on the lack of intercultural dialogue between Americans and Palestinians. Perhaps the most controversial part of the presentation was when I called upon the Palestinian people to negotiate such a dialogue, citing my pessimism that Americans would do such a thing. I hope I'm wrong. The presentation went well. The women sat in the back, with an awkward gap between the men sitting in the front. The question and answer portion was fruitful. The first question was from someone trying to explain to me that the problem is in America more than here. This gave me a chance to explain my agreement, but to elaborate, that the Palestinian people also have a responsibility to improve their tattered image abroad, whether it be based on facts or not. I enjoyed the experience and hope that the students and faculty members who were present benefited from it and that some of them will work in the future towards participating in such a dialogue. I also hope that I proved to some of them that generalizing cultures is dangerous, whether it be Americans generalizing Palestinians, or Palestinians generalizing Americans.
An American school was burned down in Gaza recently. Most American's would probably think the Palestinian government was behind the attack, or that they support such anti-American actions. This is obviously not the case. You can read the story, as well as the statements from the information minister, here: http://www.zajel.org/article_view.asp?newsID=8209&cat=1
Most of the businesses in Nablus are closed today. They decided not to open in solidarity against the murder of two members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade by Israeli soldiers last night. http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=21390
PS. Mike, do you have a broom I can borrow? There's a big mess at Fenway park...
It motivates me to give similar presentations in the United States so as to increase awareness and hopefully work towards a dramatic change in public opinion. Lucy, the director of the right to education campaign here at An-Najah, and a British citizen, attended my lecture and commented at the end that she has seen a change occur over her lifetime in the representation of Palestinians in the British media. I pray that such a change occurs in my country and that it won't take generations to do so.
My presentation was on the bias that exists in the American media, specifically in regards to the occupation of Palestine. When I was telling my roommate last night that I would be giving the lecture today he at first wished me luck, as many people had when I told them I would be presenting to students and faculty members of the Sharia Department, but then he told me how important it is to do such things. Many of these students may have never spoken to an American and by being here I have the amazing opportunity to present to them as what I am: an American citizen. My delivering of the presentation, as an American citizen, was powerful to many of the students, as I was told.
After the presentation Ala congratulated me and told me how it was very important for the students, especially Fatin, the student who lobbied for me to be permitted to give such a presentation. I was supposed to give it nearly three weeks ago, but unfortunately the faculty did not think it was appropriate for me to do so. Thankfully, through Fatin's efforts, they rescheduled the date. I understood how important it was to her both before and after the presentation. Before the presentation she was extremely nervous, probably more so than I was, and after the presentation she was extremely happy. It would have taken a great deal of effort to wipe the smile off her face, and to me, this was reason enough to have given the presentation. She walked off reciting one sentence to me: "Thank you very much!" That sentence and the smile on her face are two things I will never forget.
Ala compared Fatin's situation to the philosophy of Plato. When a man discovers how to escape from a cave he has the difficult decision of enjoying his freedom from the cave or returning to rescue his friends. Through the Zajel program Fatin has had the opportunity to interact with internationals like myself. "It's like she's entering another world", Ala explained to me. "Now she will go back to the cave and rescue the others". While I don't think my presentation was that groundbreaking, I was heartened by the words and hope that I had one tenth the effect he expressed to me.
In the presentation I focused on the bias in the American media through three case studies: The AP, a combined assessment of CBS, NBC, and ABC, and the NY Times. I provided statistical evidence, not gathered by me but by an organization named If Americans Knew, which shows how news agencies under report Palestinian deaths and over report Israeli deaths, giving the impression that the Israelis are the ones suffering more casualties. Recently the Palestinian Information Minister, Mustafa Barghouthi, cited a poll of Americans which showed that the majority of Americans believe that Palestine is occupying Israel. This is a shameful result of the statistics which I presented.
The most important part of my presentation focused on the lack of intercultural dialogue between Americans and Palestinians. Perhaps the most controversial part of the presentation was when I called upon the Palestinian people to negotiate such a dialogue, citing my pessimism that Americans would do such a thing. I hope I'm wrong. The presentation went well. The women sat in the back, with an awkward gap between the men sitting in the front. The question and answer portion was fruitful. The first question was from someone trying to explain to me that the problem is in America more than here. This gave me a chance to explain my agreement, but to elaborate, that the Palestinian people also have a responsibility to improve their tattered image abroad, whether it be based on facts or not. I enjoyed the experience and hope that the students and faculty members who were present benefited from it and that some of them will work in the future towards participating in such a dialogue. I also hope that I proved to some of them that generalizing cultures is dangerous, whether it be Americans generalizing Palestinians, or Palestinians generalizing Americans.
An American school was burned down in Gaza recently. Most American's would probably think the Palestinian government was behind the attack, or that they support such anti-American actions. This is obviously not the case. You can read the story, as well as the statements from the information minister, here: http://www.zajel.org/article_view.asp?newsID=8209&cat=1
Most of the businesses in Nablus are closed today. They decided not to open in solidarity against the murder of two members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade by Israeli soldiers last night. http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=21390
PS. Mike, do you have a broom I can borrow? There's a big mess at Fenway park...
Saturday, April 21, 2007
The Dawn of the 27th Year
It seems the Palestinian tradition is to celebrate ones birthday for a week. On Thursday evening I was so bloated with cake I couldn't imagine ever consuming edibles again. I did survive my birthday however and I must say I was very pleased with the hospitality. The best gift I received was by far the argilah that Summer gave me. While my mother I'm sure will hate it, I'll always have a bit of Nablus running through my lungs.
Tomorrow, I am giving a lecture to students of the Sharia Department. I am going to be discussing bias in the American media and the misperceptions that exist between Americans and Palestinians. I've been told that they are not likely to greet my presentation with open arms, but I'm looking forward to the experience nonetheless. Part of my conclusion is that both cultures must work together to breach the levels of government and media so as to bring forth a greater level of intercultural dialogue. I think technology must play a big part in this communicative process. Unfortunately, most Americans won't proactively take such actions, so the burden lies on the Palestinian youth who understand this problem.
We can all do more to allay the misperceptions that exist between our cultures, in fact we must. Most Americans have never met a Palestinian citizen and their perceptions are based only on what they hear in the media and the rhetoric of our government. The fact is that most people in the media and government have also never met a Palestinian person. We should base our perceptions of people not on what we see and hear from media reports but through real life interaction between cultures. Only then will we truly understand each other.
I'll be sure to let you know how the presentation goes.
Tomorrow, I am giving a lecture to students of the Sharia Department. I am going to be discussing bias in the American media and the misperceptions that exist between Americans and Palestinians. I've been told that they are not likely to greet my presentation with open arms, but I'm looking forward to the experience nonetheless. Part of my conclusion is that both cultures must work together to breach the levels of government and media so as to bring forth a greater level of intercultural dialogue. I think technology must play a big part in this communicative process. Unfortunately, most Americans won't proactively take such actions, so the burden lies on the Palestinian youth who understand this problem.
We can all do more to allay the misperceptions that exist between our cultures, in fact we must. Most Americans have never met a Palestinian citizen and their perceptions are based only on what they hear in the media and the rhetoric of our government. The fact is that most people in the media and government have also never met a Palestinian person. We should base our perceptions of people not on what we see and hear from media reports but through real life interaction between cultures. Only then will we truly understand each other.
I'll be sure to let you know how the presentation goes.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Happy Birthday Ani
It's my twin sister's birthday today. Join me in wishing her a happy birthday.
Happy Birthday Ani! I miss you and hope that your birthday is filled with joy (a Red Sox win in other words :))
Happy Birthday Ani! I miss you and hope that your birthday is filled with joy (a Red Sox win in other words :))
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