Without hate? Without stilted ideas of Christianity and Judaism?
Look at what Ms. Audrey Shabbas is doing in the States. She’s trying to remove the sordid myths from the minds of students and teachers she teaches, and has been successful in the last 2 decades she’s pioneered her program. The end result is that millions of people in the States are more knowledgeable about Islam and Arabs – more than we give them credit for I think, but it’s not the same in the Arab/Muslim world for the ideas of the West and Christianity and Judaism.
All three major religions have started in what we now call the Middle East, yet Middle Eastern people in general just view other religions as mistakes! Why? Those two other major religions didn’t come for the same God?
The premise of Ms. Shabbas’ idea is solid, you can’t change a country’s or society’s thinking without investing in education, good education not the crap that the Muslims and Arabs are still being fed. We need open people like her here in to take that up and no, don’t wait for government funding or encouragement, they don’t care.
The only path to peace is understanding, not belligerency and killings. Not bombs and a stratified society. And just invoking the name of Allah now and again won’t help either. What is needed is practical and pragmatic solutions.
We can start by recognising other religions and cultures. Strike that, let’s be even more basic. Let’s start by saying the people, all people, deserve to live an honourable life.
Comments
Can we now teach our children about the west?
Amen. Education, education, and more education. Unfortunately, in the Middle East, too many people believe the anti-Western / anti-Zionist propaganda of their governments. And not enough Arabs really have contact with the West to realize that the West is not anti-Arab. Even many Arabs who move to the West, still listen to al Jazeera and so on.
Here in the States, people are very careful about not being prejudiced. Not just against Arabs or Muslims, but against any possible group. One of the most amazing things right after 9/11 was that there were no hate-crimes against Arabs or Muslims. There was one or two, and they made national news. There was extra police in the streets to prevent any hate-crimes and the TV was saying “we are all Americans here” every five minutes.
Can we now teach our children about the west?
[quote]Here in the States, people are very careful about not being prejudiced. Not just against Arabs or Muslims, but against any possible group. One of the most amazing things right after 9/11 was that there were no hate-crimes against Arabs or Muslims. There was one or two, and they made national news. There was extra police in the streets to prevent any hate-crimes and the TV was saying “we are all Americans here” every five minutes. [/quote]
Hi Mahmood and Congrats on the blogs 1 year mark
I am a Bahraini Student currently in the United States and I check your blog for issues concerning us the Bahraini’s.
I am sad to say the above referred to quote is not quite true because i have personally experience racial remarks immediately after the 9/11 attacks. To be truthful I hated to be here, people suddenly weren’t any friendly as they used to pre 9/11. The main problem is that throughtout the days in september 2001, the number of hate crimes had dramatically risen specially against people of middle eastern descent. Not only that but Iraqis and other arabs in Dearborn, Michigan and In Chicago were suddenly monitored by the FBI and were under constant surrveliance (Talk about freedoms guaranteed by the constitution). To be truthful most American High school students here study religions in history but none of them seem to understand that all arabs are not terrorist or have sympathy for their cause but still they would poke fun of FOBs (Fresh Off the Boat) or formally known as new immigrants.
Is it ignorance or is it the material being taught?
Ali Burshaid
Can we now teach our children about the west?
Yes, immediately after 9/11 some people did make racial remarks. All the this was just words. And even that stopped very quickly.
All government and all major organizations including the media were strongly against such remarks. Besides, a racial slur is not a crime, as you know.
The number of hate-crimes did [b]not[/b] increase. There were fears that they might increase, but they didn’t. High government officials were on TV from the moment of the attack urging the people to stay calm and to not commit any hate-crimes.
Being monitored by the FBI is a violation of someone’s freedom? Since when? The FBI can be watching me right now for all I know. And? I still have all my freedoms.
High school students make fun of FOBs? Yes, and? They are high school students. They also make fun of you if you wear an outfit that’s not cool or if you have the wrong haircut.
Finally, as a cultural note, many Americans, including myself, dislike it very much when someone comes here, receives some benefit, such as an education, and then complains about how bad things are. No one forced you to come here to study. If things were bad, you would leave; the fact that you are still here means that things are not that bad. By comparison, how many Western students study in Bahrain?
Re: Can we now teach our children about the west?
Ali,
Please don’t let a few inbred redneck jackasses ruin your view on America or Americans. Americans shouldn’t view all Arabs as terrorists, and Arabs shouldn’t think all Americans hate them. There is IDEAL and there is real life. There will always be those on both sides who take an extreme view. Some of those will act out on that view. The VAST majoirty on both sides are not and do not think and feel in this manner. Sadly those few rotton apples on both sides can cause great harm. I think you already know this.
You are right about monitoring of Arabs and Arab Americans post 9-11. It did and is still going on. Had it been the Mexicans or Danish who pulled of the events of 9-11 (as an expample only) the same would have happened to them. I personaly feel I was being followed/observed in the US during the first Gulf War by the FBI. I think it was all the calls I made to Saudi that drew the attention to me. Trust me I made LOTS of CALLS.
As for the teenagers and their comments. I have seen and heard some vicious talk from teenagers in Bahrain, Europe and in the US. Teenagers are going to be teenagers. The term FOB has been used on every ethnic/religous group immigrating to the US. Irish, Germans, Poles, Italians etc. There was a time in the US when you would see signs saying “Catholics Need Not Apply” Irish “Need Not Apply” etc. Is it right for this to happen. No. In fact I think it RUDE and flat out wrong.
I dont’ know what part of the US you are in, but if you happen to be in the Boston area I would enjoy meeting you. Feel free to drop me an email.
Ciao.
Mark
Skunkcrazy (at) aol.com
Re: Can we now teach our children about the west?
Hi Ali, thank you for dropping by and for your sentiments.
My brother went through the rigamarole of immigration, investigation, and finger-printing on his recent visit to New York too. He however says that other than that he did not face any prejudices.
I don’t understant what you are going through and never can unless I myself live the same situation. I have not been to the States for several years so I personally don’t know the situation there other than what I read here and what I hear of second or third-hand experiences, all of which fall under the category of prejudicial insults rather than actual “hate crimes” as in beatings, burning and others. I agree that some will classify even insults as some sort of crimes.
But let me turn your attention to a similar situation which might bring things in perspective:
Imagine you are an Indian in Bahrain or the Gulf.
Can we now teach our children about the west?
[quote]Finally, as a cultural note, many Americans, including myself, dislike it very much when someone comes here, receives some benefit, such as an education, and then complains about how bad things are. No one forced you to come here to study. If things were bad, you would leave; the fact that you are still here means that things are not that bad. By comparison, how many Western students study in Bahrain?[/quote]
Hi this is Ali again
Hmmm… Receive some benefit. LOL
Well to be completely honest with you, i am not receiving some benefit, my education here is paid by the tax dollars my family here has been paying for 30 years and the sales tax that i am paying is also going towards my education. so next time try not to judge because pre judging and it the same thing as a prejudice which you are doing.. No i am not receiving it…..
I have one more point to make although i may be a new immigrant to this country, I really love and appreciate where i live and all the things that this country has to offer and on that note i would like to tell you that most students In my school dont even stand when the pledge of allegiance is recited (hmm…) I stand and recite it proudly because first of all I respect this country and second of all i appreciate dearly the priceless education and cultural experience i am receiving here. I have made a lot of friends here white, black, yellow whatever and they are very appreciative and supporting even the teachers. I love the teachers here not only do they love to have a student from a different country, they love us because they know they we are here to study seriously and work hard.. (No, Not all American students are lazy but i would point out that fact that i live in a suburb and 50% of my class is graduating)
so next time try walking in the boots of an immigrants and dont forget that if it wasn’t for immigrants (pilgrims, germans, italians etc) America wouldnt be in the first place. And I know what Indians go through because first of all i am here which gives me a personal perspective and when I was in Bahrain, i studied in the Indian School Bahrain in Isa Town which as you may guess had people from different nationalities and Indians. Mark, i live in the great midwest in Indianapolis.
Finally, I would like to conclude to the last point made by the above person.. I never said that things going on here are bad, i just said that people after 9/11 started to act differently, i was here when 9/11 occured and i know how people were before it (accepting and friendly) and on a last note not everyone here is bad and not accepting its just the fact that people are ignorant.
Ali Burshaid
Can we now teach our children about the west?
Great question, and about time it was asked. Certainly you can’t rely on the Americans to spread understanding of western values – just what is point of Washington pouring money into Hurra and Sawa when Bush is underwriting Israel’s policies?
There’s a real need for a popular book explaining western societies, sort of like Readers and Writers’ old Beginners series. Remember them? They were great – easy to read and informative.
Re: Can we now teach our children about the west?
Ali
I am glad you posted again. You are right things are different after 9/11. For better or worse I do no know. A little of both most likely.
You are living in the “heart” of America., “The breadbasket” The Great Midwest. The land that feeds this nation. I hope you have been able to travel and see other parts of the US as well. Nothing opens and educates peoples minds more than travel. My eyes and mind experienced this when I made my first trip overseas as a teenager. Landed in Switzerland and was SHOCKED to see police with Automatic weapons in the airport! Never had a kid from a small town in Oklahoma seen such a thing. 6 hours later I was on flight to Saudi…. WOW….. I had prepared myself for the sand, hearing different languages wasn’t a problem either. What threw me for a loop and this sounds silly now, was seeing men in what I could only term as dresses! (thobes) The point being, that experience changed me for the better and I am thankful for it. That trip was an education. And yes I purchased a Thobe when I was there all those years ago. Still have it also.
Immigrants ARE AMERICA. Without them there would be no America. People from Germany, Egypt, Italy, Bahrain, Russia, England and every other country in the world have become Americans. We are a people made up others. We are not a “Race”, we are Americans. Out of many.. one. (Latin translation of E.pluribus unum). We are not perfect and never will be. No country is perfect if for the weather if nothing else. My ideas of perfect and yours are different. A few days ago Mahmood wanted snow and I was willing to send him some all while trying to claw my way out of the US, onto a plane and head to Bahrain for some sunshine and shawarmas.. The grass sometimes looks greener on the other side of the fence!
Being an immigrant to any country is not easy and I cannot say I understand everything you have or are going through. What I can say is I am happy for you and I wish you the best in whatever you choose to do. I have to ask. How do you feel about the words “Under God” in the pledge? Do you as a Muslim feel this is a “Christian” issue? Just curious. To me “Under God” means “Under God” nothing more, nothing less. I don’t take it as a “Christian” issue. I think God is bigger than all of us.
I hope your are not in the 50% that is not passing! Somehow I don’t think so!
Stay in touch.
Mark
Re: Can we now teach our children about the west?
You’re right Ali, nevertheless, don’t let a few idiots get you down. Just enjoy your new home and try as much as possible to educate people about your old one… keep the good memories, bad ones tend to get forgotten with time.
Trackback :: http://wso.williams.edu/~atorrega/blogs/belonging/archives/000316.html
TrackBack from belonging
+Links Mena’s Review of Movable Type 3 The beta testing began Tuesday when we let the first fifty public testers into the fold. Your Powerbook Knows Where it Is MTPlugin: FancyEncoding Can we now teach our children about the…
Re: Can we now teach our children about the west?
Oh, yes, let’s do look at what Ms. Shabbas is distributing:
Peter DiGangi, director of Canada’s Algonquin Nation Secretariat in Quebec, called claims in the book, the “Arab World Studies Notebook,� “preposterous� and “outlandish,� saying nothing in the tribe’s written or oral history support them.
The 540-page book says the Muslim explorers married into the Algonquin tribe, resulting in 17th-century tribal chiefs named Abdul-Rahim and Abdallah Ibn Malik.
Mr. DiGangi said the guide’s author and editor, Audrey Shabbas, and the Middle East Policy Council (MEPC), a Washington advocacy group that promoted the curriculum to school districts in 155 U.S. cities, have been unresponsive to his concerns since November.
But Ms. Shabbas said this week the passage was removed immediately from subsequent copies, and that she was “giving careful and thoughtful attention� on how to notify the 1,200 teachers who have been given copies of the book in the past five years.
This claim to Muslim precedence in North America has also been spread in the United States:
Meanwhile, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation this week issued a report that is critical of “Arab World Studies Notebook.�
The study, titled “The Stealth Curriculum: Manipulating America’s History Teachers,� reviewed many curriculum supplements and “professional development� programs aimed at schoolteachers.
“It appeared that the creation and dissemination of these materials, often through professional development institutes and [teacher] in-service programs, had fallen into the eager hands of interest groups and ideologues yearning to use America’s public school classrooms to shape the minds of tomorrow’s citizens by manipulating what today’s teachers are introducing into the lessons of today’s children,� the Fordham study concluded.
Mr. Roth said the “Arab World Studies Notebook� is the primary reference text used in the council’s program of teacher workshops conducted by Ms. Shabbas, which have numbered more than 268 in 155 cities since 1987.
The book, offered at a markdown of $15 from $49.95, has 90 readings and lesson plans covering the history and culture of the Arab world, the broader Middle East and Islam worldwide. “A lot of teachers use it,� Mr. Roth said.
UPDATE: Here is the actual workbook, still available online: Arab World Studies Notebook – Muslim Explorers.
Since I don’t know how to change the name – Sandy P.
Re(1): Can we now teach our children about the west?
Sandy, thank you for your views and the references you provided. This just proves that there is no such thing as a bed of roses to every story or effort for that matter. The very least that Ms. Shabbas is doing is at least increasing awareness of the Arab/Muslim culture in the States which an astute teacher or listener will do more research on and arrive at their own conclusions.
I personally have not read the text-book yet. My intentions were to highlight that a single person CAN effect change, and her dedication to her cause is certainly laudible.
Can we now teach our children about the west?
Fawzyah,
I think your post drives the point home perfectly. We (Americans) are not perfect, nor do we claim to be. War is an ugly reminder of the dark side of humanity. To make matters worse this is a war with an unclear enemy. An enemy that does not wear a uniform. An enemy that could be and has been, Americans, Brits, Aussies, French, Saudi’s etc.
The US has done a pretty good job post 9-11 of maintaining our open and tolerant society. There will always be some jackass somewhere that can’t get it through his inbred brain that his way isn’t always right and cause a problem. But with a population approaching 300 million we are going to have a few nutters in the mix.
Ciao!
Mark
Can we now teach our children about the west?
Thank you for your comments. The US has always been a very tolerant society, albeit not perfect. No other nation of people are as accepting of other nationalities as them. We must thank them for leading the way in teaching tolerance. I must remind you that now they are at war with Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. War brings bad feelings out of good hearted people. If you want to complain about Americans change in attitude, you must first complain to Bin Laden and the extremists about that. Shut their mouth’s for good and the American people will relax and get back to normal. We should be helping the Americans to feel safe again by fighting our common enemy. Why
Can we now teach our children about the west?
It’s hardly a surprise that somebody like Ms. Shabbas is promoting a program to foster understanding about the Arab and Muslim world. America is full of that. Now what I would like to see is an article from an Arab country where the equivalent of Ms. Shabbas is promoting a program to foster understanding about the West and America.
I never noticed an Arab in America before Sep 11. Now I can not help but notice them. Mass murder gets your attention.
I had taken Arabic in college and studied Middle Eastern history but I went on a real reading spree about Islam and the Middle East since the World Trade Center went down. The more I learned, the lower my opinion of Islam sunk. The doctrine and evolution of Wahhabism particularly sullied Islam in my view. The Wahhabis appear to dominate the Muslim world now, an evil development. The ingratitude of the Saudis is especially striking. We make them rich beyond their wildest dreams, save them from death under an Iraqi occupation, and their response is to mount terror attacks against America.
It’s hard not to take offense when you read translations of the hatred for the West coming out of the mosques in Saudi Arabia, their missions in foreign countries, and their representatives here in America. It’s vile. I don’t see any Muslims standing up to them to refute them either. I absolutely don’t see any Muslims marching down the streets saying “Allah Bless America!” The only Muslims I see running down the streets on my TV are shouting “Death To America!”
I am not very impressed by the claim that Muslim terrorists are not true Muslims. They are obviously Muslims, devoted Muslims, and freely offer that the violence they do is to promote Islam.
What I do see are videos of Arab Muslims teaching other Muslims to kill Americans to promote Islam. Some of those videos are shot right here in America. I see American Muslims going to Afghanistan to join Al Qaeda. I have trekked to the site of the World Trade Center. I work in sight of the Pentagon, where my coworkers saw the third suicide jet impact. I also see and read the remarks of Arab Muslims celebrating those attacks.
It seems pretty obvious to me that there is a sizeable fraction of the Muslim world, dominated by the Wahhabis, that is engaged in a religious war against America and the West. There is a large portion, perhaps a majority, that passively supports that war. The foundation for this religious war is a lack of understanding of the West and intolerance for other beliefs.
That’s why I notice Arabs now. I don’t want to be killed by a jihadi. I don’t want to be some dimwitted Muslim’s ticket to paradise. That’s why when I saw an Arab kid videotaping the shopping mall near the Pentagon, I informed the FBI. That’s why I check the first class section of an airliner I board for Arabs. That’s where Mohammed Atta sat. Every time I board the subway, there is announcement to watch for unattended bags, which could be bombs left by Muslims.
The world would be a better place if the Muslim Arab world abandoned their religious war and learned to tolerate, even accept, people of different beliefs. When that happens, they won’t be regarded with suspicion in America. Right now, that suspicion is deserved.
Steve
Can we now teach our children about the west?
Steve,
That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? That’s like saying that every Irishman supports the IRA and is likely to bomb you and your kids whereever you are sitting. Or its like saying every Spaniard you meet supports ETA. It is really unfair to judge a whole people by a minroity.
Just fyi – Wahhabism is not a ‘strain’ if Islam. It is not even a sect in Islam. And they are a minority. Like those American and UK soliders who enjoyed the torturing of captured Iraqi soliders are a minority and do not reflect the majority of either Americans or Brits.
Before you go down the easy path and start lumping and labeling people into categories – please spend a few minutes understanding the system that the phenomenon has risen in. You sound like an intelligent and thoughtful man. Lets talk about how George W Bush got elected without the popular support of the American people (Florida anyone?). It was because of the insitituionalized anomalies of the electoral college system combined with one of the lowest voter turn outs in history. So – you see how a ‘non representational’ form of leadership can emerge without popular support. In the U S of A! That doesnt mean that every Tom, Dick and Harry support Dubya’s policies.
Sufism is a form of Islam – and a beautiful mystical form, at that.
Wahhabism is an extreme interpretation of the ‘scriptures’ – laregly based on tribalism and, at the time, an effort to demystify and remove the trappings of grandeur and splendour – (Luther anyone?)
I personally think that it is an extremely narrow interpretation of Islam, I also think that our systems of leadership need to evolve to allow for a healthy separation of religion and state – it will take time and it will take blood letting. (Look at Europe and how it had to pay a price to get to where it is. And, look at how hard the Church fought. And look at the current accounts of the Vatican …)
So – you cannot hurry history. You can only try and promote understanding. And perhaps you need to spend a few minutes looking at colonial hisotry in the area – and you will realize that we were never allowed to ‘evolve’ on our own .. due to imperialism or oil – we have always had vested interest in our part of the world – and we were the chessboard for alot of the regional battles that were being fought. Just look at Lebanon in recent history. And look and watch the events in Saudi Arabia as we currently speak. With all the anti Saudi feeling emitting from Washington today – what do you think the US MIlitary will do once the terrorists start hitting the oil installations?! They will come in full force to protect the world’s most important resource… so where is morality here? It is all about power politics, or real politique in the Macchiavellian sense of the word. How do you propose to reconcile the potential entrance of US troops with the anti Saudi rhetoric? I wish most US readers would have a longer view of history and foriegn policy. I wish most US readers would realize that their administration wlecomed Isamic fundamentalism when it served their purposes in Afghanistan in the good old days. And that everything has a price and it came back to bit them in the butt… what comes round goes round.
One last point – most of the kids here speak English. And, due to Hollywood – we are much more familiar with US culture than most Americans are familiar with Arab or Moslem culture. We read fiction, we watch movies. Most of us are bilingual. Some of us have US degrees. We can talk about Eminem and his contribution to US rap culture. We can also talk about Martin Luther King and how the civil rights phenomenon came about in the 1960’s … almsot 200 years after the creation of the US.
But – How many people in the CIA speak Arabic? How reliant is the US govt on Israeli intellience? How much do Americans understand about Shia and Sunni – do they understand the nuances between the Qum and Najaf? And, if the answer to the above is not much – then how, on earth, would anyone in their right mind expect the Iraq situation to ever be resolved in a manner that will create good for the region and for US-Arab relations??
On a parting note – look at all the real time compromises that the CAP has had to make while trying to foster leadership in Iraq. Remember the woman judge? Remember the representational government? Remember Sistani? Remember Falluja? The ‘ideal’s gave away to reality. And tough decisions were made. The learning curve was tough for the world’s superpower. So – please do not underestimate what it will take to move the Middle East into the 21st century .. and please be wise and become a student of hisotry. It is so much easier to sit on the sidelines and compartmentalize. The Midde East is not a soundbyte on Oprah.