This column last week was titled “Losing the Hearts and Minds.” It elicited more e-mail response than any op-ed piece previously done in this space.
The article focused particularly on the hearts and minds of Saudi young people and how disappointed many of them are with the United States. The e-mail responses were not bland. They came from all over the world and either pointed out how sad this situation is or, in extreme cases, how they didn’t care what the young Saudis thought.
During the week following the publication of that article while reading those e-mails, my 17-year-old daughter shared with me an essay that she had written to accompany an application to college. Tears came to my eyes while reading it. Her essay follows:
“’Islam does not promote work ethics’, ‘Islam does not allow women to work’ — these statements were not declared by the fringe elements in American society, but by a senior US congressman blaming Islam for the ‘backwardness of the Arab and Islamic worlds’ (at a September 2004 meeting in Beirut, as reported by Adib Farha, a Lebanese government official). Additionally, in an interview on the CBS program 60 Minutes, Evangelical Minister Jerry Falwell said, ‘I think Muhammad was terrorist.’ A leader of the US Christian right, Pat Robertson, stated several times that Islam preaches violence and has said, ‘If you get right down to it, Osama Bin Laden is probably truer to Muhammad than some of the others.’ These false accusations issued by political and religious leaders, combined with daily negative stereotypes portrayed in the media, depict Muslims as simply immoral terrorists. The Western world has witnessed an alarming growth of hatred of the Muslim world based on such stereotypes, and is creating a curtain between the Muslim and Western worlds not unlike the ‘Iron Curtain’ of the Cold War era. With the Muslim population representing one fifth of humanity, I believe it is crucial to bridge the gap of misunderstanding that exists between Christians and Muslims. If steps are not taken soon, a worldwide conflict may be unavoidable; some people think it has already begun.
My desire to be a bridge of understanding between Christian and Muslims arises not only from my education, but also through my cultural and emotional relationship with the Middle East. My father, an international consultant, has taught me that understanding is key in any relationship. He has personally inspired me to become educated on Islam and Muslim-Christian relations. Furthermore, my heritage has had a tremendous impact on my convictions. My grandfather, Naif Saba, lived in a village in Lebanon that was populated by an equal number of Christians and Muslims. Although my grandfather was Christian, he never differentiated between Christians and Muslims. In fact, when he immigrated to the United States, my grandfather brought both a Bible and Qur’an from Lebanon and kept them both in a special place in his home. Similarly, my mother’s Christian ancestors, the Assyrians, lived among Muslims in Persia, which is now Iran. Many Middle Eastern traditions, such as hospitality and generosity, have been passed down to me through my family.
Most importantly, my personal experience in Saudi Arabia has opened my eyes to the true values and customs of Saudi Muslims. I lived in Saudi Arabia from 1993 to 1995. During this time, the Saudis were very gracious and hospitable to my family. We shared many values: Dedication to family, care of the elderly, and faith. I was friends with many Muslim children who taught me their language and religion. Like my grandfather, I made no distinction between Christians and Muslims. We played together, learned together, and shared our childhood.
Extremist anti-Islamic sentiments can lead only to one result: Prolonged conflict between the world’s two major religious groups. They become a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is not to excuse extremists who use Islam as their excuse for violence. Like their counterparts in other religious communities, these violent extremists have no place in civilized society. But it is neither wise nor Christian to condemn an entire religious group — particularly one who believes in the God of Abraham — because of the inexcusable actions of a violent minority. Christians of Middle Eastern heritage have long-recognized the importance of ‘getting along.’ If any group has suffered the results of religious-based violence, certainly Middle Eastern Christians have.
And, it must be said, Middle Eastern Muslims have also suffered the results of religious based violence (remember the Crusades). It is time to stop using religion as an excuse for political/economic oppression and violence. God must be crying.
We must create bridges of understanding between Christian and Muslim worlds. In the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission Report, “Islamist terrorism” was listed as the cause of most of the problems surrounding the 9/11 crisis.
The solutions discussed in the 9/11 report dealt only with educating the Muslim world about Americans, not vice versa. In order to promote economic and social understanding, the bridge must have a two-way street. We have as much to learn about Muslims as they have to learn about us.”
