Ok so this year abroad has taught me to be proud when called a tre
e hugger. It’s true, so I’m not going to deny it any longer.
As the lone Oregonian in the group, I’ve recieved a lot of slack about
My roomie and I were watching Channel 4 (a Saudi channel on ArabSat that broadcasts English programming)… when a cooking show called The Naked Chef came on. His British accent and amazing cooking abilities mesmerized me, and I decided that he should be my celebrity crush… My roomie, proving the Texan steretype to be true, started laughing This incident has made me realize how different my views actually are
being from the NW because that’s where all the “hippies” live. And for
awhile I fought it… saying, “No, we’re just ‘environmentally aware’
and actually care about God’s creation” but the other day I realized
just how proud of Birkenstocks and recycle bins I am.
until the end of the show. He had made this elaborate and beautiful
meal and packed it up to take on a picnic with his neices … but once
they got to their destination he pulled out styrofoam plates and I
cringed – completely mortified. My 20min crush on him immediately
ended. How could he use a non-renewable, petroleum-based resource that
virtually never biodegrades?
hysterically. It had never occured to her to think about the type of
disposable products she buys.
from many other people, both believers and non-believers.
I consider myself a conservationist and adhere to the stewardship
model – meaning that although God has given us the ability to use the
resources of the world, we are meant to be responsible with it.
It saddens me that historically Christians haven’t been the ones
fighting against pollution, water quality, animal rights, etc. Many
environmentalists have seen Christians in America as one of the groups
of people they have to fight against to get tighter legislation
because of the attitude and misconception of “having dominion over the
earth.”
Being in a part of the world that is so rich in religious history has been interesting. The links that connect the Abrahamic faiths are just as real for people today as they were 1,400 years ago when Muhammad walked around Mecca, 2,000 years ago when Jesus talked to crowds in Galilee, and over 3,500 years ago when Abraham traveled from Ur. I’ve seen first-hand how important faith in God continues to be for descendants of these three religious traditions.
Coming from the States there is a lot of talk about “Judeo-Christian” values – allowing people to feel the connection in a tangible way. It seems most of this comes from the fact that there are shared scriptures, which validates the link for a lot of people. By default, being a Christian in
It seems that until 9/11 very few people knew anything at all about Islam in the States. I had never heard the term “Christian-Islamic” until arriving here.
I don’t think many people realize that there are actually a lot of connections between Christianity and Islam, some of them incredibly important. Because of this, I wonder how often the term “Judeo-Christian” should be used– if only because it creates tension and a sense of isolation for many Muslims. I never realized that it bothered many Muslims, but it does, because they feel as if their faith has been left out and marginalized by some Christians.
I think it’s important to realize that especially when we talk about Jesus, there are a lot of things in common. We feel able to identify with Judaism, and yet it doesn’t even acknowledge Jesus, who is certainly the most important figure within all of scripture.
Historically in this region Christians and Muslims have had very close and tight relationships, partly because both identify as Arab. However, in the West that connection seems to not exist, and if anything there only seems to be distrust and animosity. I think knowing ways to connect is key in building friendships and bridging the gap of understanding where each other is coming from so I wanted to give a few pieces of info.
Some important things to know as a Christian in regards to Islamic doctrine according to the Qur’an:
- The Torah & Injil (New Testament) are sacred … when a story differs, the Qur’anic version will win; however, there is generally a high amount of respect given to the entire Bible
- Jesus (Isa in the Qur’an) is seen as a very important prophet who performed many miracles that no other prophet was able to do
- Muslims must say “peace be upon him” every time they say the name Isa as a sign of devotion and respect
- They believe that Christ is still alive and will return to judge the world on Judgment Day
- The virgin birth is central in the story of Jesus, and Mary is seen as an important example of a godly woman
- Belief in one God
- Belief and respect for figures including Adam, Abraham, Noah, David
These are just a few, but I wanted to make sure and concentrate on the central role of Jesus within Islam. I think many Christians are unaware of how respected and important a figure he is for Muslims.
There are obviously very big differences (1) identity of Jesus (2) the way Christ died (3) how to have relationship with God. However, I’ve learned how important it is to find and explore the similarities. Learning about other faiths has been beneficial for me both intellectually and spiritually. I don’t think shying away and falling into retreat mode is the answer at all. I think honestly, and respectfully engaging dialogue is so important.
So, let’s not forget that although there is certainly a “Judeo” aspect, there is also an “Islamic” aspect – and both should be acknowledged and respected.
The day before yesterday I ran into my friend Jasmine, a Chechen I met on the university campus awhile back. She’s getting her Master’s degree in Linguistics (she speaks Chechen, Russian, English, German, Arabic and Hebrew fluently). She came with me and with two friends to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. Her family moved here six years ago because of the ongoing war in 
fascinated by the cause and effect of wars specifically, but particularly the struggles for independence going on around the world.
When I had first met her and she told me she was Chechen, I replied, “Oh you’re like a Palestinian, or a Kurd – a people without a country of your own.” She laughed and explained that all the Chechens in
As we ate lunch our conversation shifted towards the history of the Russian occupation of
Before even realizing it, my friends and I were debating her about Cultural Darwinism, something which she subscribes to. {For anyone who is unfamiliar with the term – it basically is a philosophy that says cultures evolve and that there are those that are further along in the process, creating superior and inferior cultures – the most famous Cultural Darwinists are those that believe that Aryans are the most superior among all races and cultures.}
I wondered, “How does a woman who is clearly so intelligent and educated, end up believing something so inherently racist?” As our conversation progressed, I was blown away at the lengths to which she was willing to go in order to try and convince us of our own cultural and racial superiority. Her arguments were quite weak, and by the end, she seemed to be re-evaluating some of what she had said; however, I left feeling disturbed by the fact that really anyone can be deceived into believing nearly anything.
I’d like to think that the more educated an individual is, the less likely s/he would fall prey to such ideologies, and yet I’m constantly amazed by those I meet who have done so.
Last night we had an end-of-year dinner with all the American students in the program. It was pretty nice to see everyone together again.
My host mom Nisreen, [photo 1: Emilie & Nisreen]
came and we had a chance to sit and talk quite awhile… it was nice to see her out of the house without the kids because I know how worn out she always gets. Since I first met Nisreen in September, I’ve actually known of her leaving the house without the kids a handful of times. Recently she was able to puchase a gym membership, so that has allowed her a lot more freedom that she had while I lived there.
It feels great to be a Thursday, I was really dragging all week, and am greatful for the weekend.
Right now I’m at the computer lab at school but would really like to head home so I’m just going to stop here. [photo 2: Sally, our coordinator & I] [photo 3: Tyler, me & Bob]
First off, time for another shameless plug – I updated my website, so check it out if you so wish. =)
Most people think of hijab (the veil) when they think of Arab, or Muslim women. Living here has given me an entirely new spin on why and how it’s worn. Apparently before the Gulf War very, very few women wore hijab – basically only the old people. Afterwards, for the first time in most of the region there was a wide distribution of satellites, connecting everyone with the West in a much more tangible way.
Since then there has been an astronomical increase in women who wear hijab. There are several reasons – (1) a political statement in support of Islam; although hijab isn’t actually required in the Qur’an, it has come to be accepted among the Islamic scholars and so is seen as apart of pious. (2) a political statement against Westernization; women have become more modest in their dress since being exposed to the immodest West – it is a way of reclaiming social values by expressing them with clothing. (3) it’s quite fashionable; very few women wear burkas (facial coverings) here, and the wide variety of scarves is unbelievable – they’re very beautiful and can be worn in so many ways – many girls have their own styles. They even make scarves that have name brands printed on them such as Chanel or Gucci. (4) respect; many women wear hijab simply as a way to appease others and not have to worry about people wondering about her devotion to her family or Islam – in some professions wearing hijab may get you farther, although there are also many occupations where they would frown on it. (5) parents want them to; I think that most women choose to wear it in 
I very rarely wear hijab. There’s a pretty big chunk of the women in the city who don’t wear it, either because they are more liberal Muslims, they’re Christians, or their foreigners. Since it has a religious meaning here, I generally only wear it when I’m out in the desert, where it is virtually necessary to keep the sun away, or in a rural village where I think it’d be shocking for people to see blond hair.
I do get stared at more because I don’t wear it around town, but for the most part I’m used to it.
Women go to salons and get their hair done just as often as in the
So, I know that this is one of those topics that people often have a lot of questions about, or want to know more about – so if anyone does, just leave a comment and I’ll try and answer it as best as I can.
[picture: me in hijab]
Last night I stayed with my host family and got to visit with everyone, which was really nice because every time I’m around them I realize how much I really do love them, and feel apart of their family.
This afternoon I went with a few girls to see the
Although that period of time embarrass me to know end, and in no way represents my faith – I realize that for many people I meet in the region, history is very much alive, and the Crusades don’t seem so long ago for them. Knowing I represent those horrific events for others deeply disturbs me.
In addition, the movie itself, while entertaining (especially hearing O. Bloom speak a few phrases in Arabic), is quite inaccurate in terms of its settings. It’s pretty irritating actually. For starters, he lands in what I can only believe was meant to be the
Secondly, the entire layout of
Also, at one point the Crusaders are talking and say “Salah ad-din has marched his men across the
Anyways, I doubt anyone else really cares, but I just had to get that out there.
This evening my roomie Chrystal [pictured in red] and I went for dinner at some Korean friends’ house. They are studying Arabic here, but plan to end up in 
I had no idea, but they showed us video from a service in 
in
It was so encouraging to hear what’s going on in another part of the world… I think its important to always keep a global perspective.
Anyways, my thoughts are a bit disorganized because I’m tired, so I’m going to head to bed.
