We live in an era of increasing communalism and sectarianism in which Muslims and Christians in the Middle East and Africa are slaughtered in the name of something. Something, because whatever murders we are witnessing it is certainly not in the name of religion.
Even intolerance in its mildest form — when people get all lathered up when a religious group wants to be left alone to celebrate their holiday in peace whether its Eid or New Year’s Eve — is commonplace.
It is difficult to keep hope alive when there is a steady stream of us versus them. In Saudi Arabia, we are fortunate that violence inside our borders has not touched us for many years, but I sense violence in the hearts of certain elements that have lost their way from the path of Islam.
Then a gesture occurs that renews my faith in man. Saudi students at Boston University, with the support of the Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission in Washington, D.C., honored Rabbi Michael Beyo with a certificate of appreciation for his efforts to serve Saudi students in the United States.
The Boston University Saudi Club, headed by Yousef Al-Rajhi, honored the rabbi because he always stood by Saudi students’ side and was the first to request that the university administration hire a Muslim imam and allow Muslims to perform their daily prayers in congregation.
The rabbi told the students that Saudi men and women are among the best international students in the United States and have an excellent rapport with their American and non-Muslim counterparts. He thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his support for the international interfaith dialogue center. Last year, the rabbi attended Eid celebrations with Saudi students and the deputy attaché of the Saudi cultural mission. Nearly 1,000 people had attended the Eid event.
The relationship between the Saudi scholarship students and the Jewish community in Boston gives me a sense of who are the real ambassadors of Saudi culture and Islam. It is certainly not the haters who would deny non-Muslims the simple pleasures of freely exercising their right to celebrate their holidays. Rather, the real ambassadors are students who have a clear understanding of the message of the Prophet (peace be upon him) of tolerance.
No matter how much we invest in public relations, Saudi Arabia continues to be the target of a barrage of Islamophobic rhetoric. And the haters of non-Muslims only feed that phobia. Yet, when Saudi students, like those at Boston University, are open-minded and well educated, they serve as the perfect ambassadors for their country and their faith.
We should not forget that the rabbi has shown understanding and faith toward the Saudi students. His relationship with Saudis to support them while they struggle in a foreign country is an effective way to bridge the gap among different cultures and religions. The rabbi’s message, and the message of the Saudi students, should be sent abroad to build bridges and show the tolerant face of Islam and Saudi Arabia.
We do not want our students to become preachers, but to learn and come back with that knowledge of other cultures and apply that knowledge here.
The media are strong and effective weapons often used against Muslims in general and particularly Saudis. We are often portrayed as violent, intolerant and vulgar. The hateful online comments on social media reinforce that stereotype. Well, the Boston University Saudi students had proved who the real Muslims are.
Email: [email protected]
