Aug 14

A Ramadan Adventure: 30 US Mosques in 30 Days

By Missy Gluckmann International Education Tools, International Education Week, Middle East, Muslims, Uncategorized 1 Comment »

I am so excited to blog today, as this is one of the most fun and informative adventures I have read about in some time!  Two young men, Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq, are on a Ramadan road trip. Their goal is to visit 30 mosques in 30 US states in 30 days, crisscrossing the US to break fast with a new mosque each day and to blog about the experience.

These two young men visited 30 mosques in the New York City area in 2009 and started a blog at the request of friends and family.  They were stunned to learn that people all over the world were following their journey and learning about the diversity within the Muslim community and foods that are eaten to break fast.  Check out this interview about their 2009 New York experience was covered by the Brian Lehrer radio show in NYC.

What I particularly love about Aman and Bassam’s journey is that they are Muslim, but they write about their mosque experiences as anyone visiting for the first time would.  And they’re FUNNY guys – blunt, honest and playful in their writing.  They started in NYC and decided to visit the controversial Park 51 (the Cordoba House) for evening prayer.  Their observations are definitely not what the mainstream media is covering, and it is downright refreshing:

“I’m standing in prayer expecting to feel something considering I’m inside the Ground Zero mosque. I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel, but for some reason I’m confused why I’m not feeling some mythical sensation.

Then I realized, it’s just a mosque, just like any other place of worship in the country. So the only thing I was feeling was an earache from all the screeching on the microphone from the sound system — just like every mosque in America. :)“

(Note: Park 51 has not been built into a cultural center yet. The site is NOT at Ground Zero, but 12 blocks away in the old Burlington Coat Factory building. I clarify this because calling it the “Ground Zero mosque” supports the misinformation that has floated around about the plans for an Islamic cultural center.  It is NOT on the Ground Zero site!)

and

“After the prayer, I walked outside and said goodbye to the security guard. His name was Rohan and he spends his days working security outside the building on a regular basis. I asked him if there’s been any kind of problems outside the building, considering all the protests. He said there hasn’t been any incidents at all, except for a random homeless guy that walks by asking people for marijuana. He joked, ‘Yeah but it’s New York City, if I didn’t see a homeless guy walking by asking for weed, I’d be surprised.’ “

and perhaps most humorous:

“An announcement is made that the toilets are broken and people should go across the street. You can’t have a community prayer without the standard hilarious housekeeping announcements…”

The 30 mosques web site has some great photos of their travels and the inside of mosques they’re visiting – as well as the people they’re meeting along the journey.

Al Jazeera news interviews congregants at a NYC mosque

A handful of people attend evening prayers at Park 51 (the Cordoba House site, NYC)

Aman Ali (right) speaks with a local Muslim in Augusta, Maine (USA)

This site is particularly important, as there is so much emotion and anger around the building of mosques and Islamic cultural centers in the US. For those raising ‘objections’  (code word for FEAR in my humble opinion) about Park 51 (the Cordoba House), I immediately ask the following questions:

1) have you ever been to a mosque?

2) spoken with a Muslim person about their faith?

3) read or heard anything about their faith that didn’t come from a mainstream news outlet?

The answers are usually no, no and no – and “I don’t need to – I ‘tolerate’ them.”  (Of course, the easiest way to manifest tension is to create an enemy using the “us/them” paradigm). Forgive me world, but I have high expectations.  I don’t want societies to simply ‘tolerate’ others. Tolerating isn’t enough in this fragile world we live in. I want us all to attempt to respect others whenever possible.  Lofty idea? Perhaps.

This usually means that we have to ask hard questions and put ourselves in others’ shoes to truly communicate effectively and to have an understanding of the lens that one sees the world through. It also means that we need to be willing and open participants in conversation and we must often tune out the media.

I recently had a conversation with some folks via Facebook about the Islamic Cultural Center that will be built 12 blocks from the World Trade Center site.  It went like this:

Person A:  I have decided that I’m ok with this center.  But the Muslim community has to come out and be more clear that they are moderate in their religion.

Person B:  They (Muslims) have no respect wanting to build so close to Ground Zero -  3000 people died and they shouldn’t build a site near that center. That is disrespectful.

Me:  Regarding the media – I have seen many interviews where Muslims speak about their religion being hijacked by terrorists.  I also think that many Muslims died in the 9/11 attacks, so I’m not understanding why they are somehow not allowed to be mourned in the same way. I also don’t understand what you mean by “too close” to the Trade Center.  What is “far enough” – the east side?  uptown?  midtown? Queens (across the East River)?

In the end, we all agree to disagree on the subject.  I don’t disrespect these people – I welcome the dialogue as it inspires me to write on this blog and share my opinions and findings.

I hope that Melibee readers will check out 30 Mosques 30 States.   Content is more quickly uploaded to their Facebook page – so feel free to check that out too!


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Jun 05

Active Ignorance at Play: The Controversy Over Building The Cordoba House Near Ground Zero

By Missy Gluckmann International Education Tools, Professional Development, Uncategorized No Comments »

I am a New Yorker.  I am also a world citizen.  Therefore, I have a responsibility to write about this horrific debate that has been brewing in New York City over plans to seek approval to build a new cultural center called the Cordoba House a mere two blocks from the World Trade Center site.

Approximately a week ago, there was an open community board meeting to discuss the plans for the Cordoba House.  People came out in droves to voice their objections, claiming that Ground Zero is too sacred to put a “mosque that symbolizes the ideology that inspired the attacks of 9/11.”  You’ll see in this interview and video on ABC news that the media continues to perpetuate the inaccuracy that Muslims “were cheering in the streets in streets in the Middle East and in America” on 9/11.  I didn’t see any Muslims dancing in our streets? Did you? How about our friends in the Middle East? Were there droves of people dancing in your streets when the towers fell?  What I do recall are images from around the world showing people crying and holding candle light vigils.  I recall friends from all regions of the world, including the Middle East, sending their heartfelt condolences over the terrorist attacks and reminding us that this is not what Islam is about.

The same ABC news video clip shows Daisy Khan, Executive Director for the American Society for Muslim Advancement serving as a voice of reason.  She states: “It is active ignorance at play, and a center like this will be dedicated to removing that ignorance.”  Bravo to Ms. Khan for stating what needed to be said. It makes me  wonder how many of the people condemning the Cordoba House initiative have ever SPOKEN with a person who is Muslim.  I wonder if they’ve ever directly sat down and asked a Muslim person about their faith and what they do in a mosque when they pray.  I wonder if they’ve ever seen anything about Islam that didn’t come out of Fox 5 news or any other conservative news source.  I wonder if they have ever picked up an English version of the Koran or traveled to a place that is primarily Muslim?  I wonder if they have ever visited the Cordoba House Initiative’s website which clearly explains the goals of the project and the legacy of work done on behalf of peace building around the world.

I was in New York on 9/11.  I spent the day frantically trying to contact my family. I went to the local hospital to try to donate blood. My family awaited news of my brother-in-law who worked near the towers;  he wasn’t reached for a few hours but at the time it felt like days.  Thankfully he was alright, just difficult to reach.  We watched as thousands died on that day in New York and in Washington DC.  I tear up just thinking about how many people I know who lost someone close to them and I mourn the passing of a way of life in this country that died on that day.  While I can’t completely understand the grief and pain of those who had family members and friends murdered, I do have an obligation to push back against ignorance about what the Muslim community stands for and what they are trying to do with Cordoba House.

When people are angry enough to state things such as “this is where the next terrorist act will be planned,” we have an obligation to say, ok, enough is enough. Let’s not forget that innocent Muslims were killed in the Trade Center on 9/11.  Is it not their right to mourn also and build an educational and spiritual center that is based on religious leaders working together to minimize tension between Muslims and the West?  And if two blocks away from Ground Zero is “too close,” what is far enough away?  Are we talking 5 blocks? Above 23rd street? Above 59th Street?  One of the outer boroughs of New York? New Jersey? This ridiculous notion that the plans for the center are “too close” are sprung from a group of people who are drowning in sadness, anger and ignorance.

I can’t believe that I even have to write this because it seems so ridiculous that somehow Muslims are all being labeled as terrorists by people who live in one of the most diverse cities in the world.  For me, it is as silly as saying that all Republicans are terrorists because Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City bomber) was a registered Republican.  Any extremist view is dangerous, but to label all people under one umbrella of faith is simply ignorant.

As an international educator, I work tirelessly to bring diverse people together to create opportunities for authentic dialogue.  In the past, I’ve brought World Religions for Peace to speak with students and recently wrote about my experience bringing the film “Crossing Borders” to Western Connecticut State University.  This marvelous film about a group of American students who travel to Morocco to meet a group of Muslim students prompted several Western Connecticut State University students to write papers about their negative stereotypes of the Muslim world, admitting they had never even had a conversation with a Muslim before and feeling ashamed that they judged them without warrant.  The simple lesson of not judging a book by its cover is certainly applicable here.

When these protesters in New York City have actually had a conversation with a Muslim person, I’m quite certain that they won’t be standing in line to complain about the Cordoba House Initiative.  In fact, I think they’ll be standing in line to attend one of the cultural events.  I know I will be.

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May 03

Video Interview with Arnd Wächter, Director of “Crossing Borders” Film

By Missy Gluckmann International Education Tools, Multicultural Lives, Professional Development, Uncategorized 5 Comments »

Missy Gluckmann, Founder of Melibee Global with Arnd Wächter, Founder of Crossing Borders Education

I had the pleasure of crossing paths with Arnd Wächter while at a recent meeting at the Institute of International Education.  You may recall that I had arranged for Arnd to screen his film, “Crossing Borders“, in early April at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU). While in the U.S., Arnd traveled to Washington DC for several meetings to discuss the film with organizations and schools.

His meeting at IIE, on his final day in the U.S., conveniently coincided with a training that I was attending.  I managed to steal him for a few minutes to hear more about his vision for Crossing Borders. I was particularly inspired to do so after seeing the response of students at WCSU. Several students who attended the screening wrote “extra credit” papers for one of the Political Science classes.  The professor of the course felt it was important to share them with me as the students commented very candidly on their own stereotypes of the Muslim world. One wrote about how ashamed he felt after seeing this film because he realized that he made assumptions about these people without any facts.

As you have read in my other postings, “Crossing Borders” is a must see film.  To learn more about the film and Arnd Wächter, please enjoy this 10 minute interview (and many thanks to Digital Strategy Works for shooting and editing this interview on such short notice)

http://www.vimeo.com/11467995

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Jan 20

Thoughts on Travel Into/Out of the United States

By Missy Gluckmann Travel Tips, safety abroad 2 Comments »

I have been daydreaming recently about how easy it used to be to fly.  For those of us who traveled before 9/11, our biggest worry may have been ‘what movie is being offered on the plane?  Or should I ask for the pretzels or peanuts?’

Boy, travel sure has changed since then.

Thanks to the antics of the “Christmas Day bomber” over Detroit, the rules and processes for entering the US resulted in a bit of Transportation Security Administration lunacy.  First, we were told that airlines landing in the US would not be permitted to allow passengers to stand one hour before arrival.  Then we were told that no one could cover their lap with a blanket, jacket or anything else, including a magazine.

I had to ask myself the obvious questions: Couldn’t someone light their undergarments 1 hour into a flight (vs 1 hour prior to landing)?  Or couldn’t someone ignite something hiding in the sleeve of a shirt (vs on their actual lap)?  Wasn’t this getting a bit silly?  I mean really, if you’re willing to blow your private parts up for the sake of terrorism, I think you could get up an hour and ten minutes before landing and achieve the same outcome in the toilet vs. in your seat?

I don’t mean to minimize the importance of security.  I want to be safe at the airport and on the plane as much as the next person. Yet, when I really stop and think about the number of flights going into and out of any major airport in the States, I am humbly reminded that safety cannot ever be guaranteed.  That is, unless each person that attempts to get on a plane arrives 6 – 10 hours before a flight, is strip searched, has a body scan, has every item in their possession analyzed and tested for chemicals and after the trauma of all of that, likely will need some emotional comfort before proceeding to their seat! (After all, we do love our therapy in the US!)

But really now – who wants to live in a world that has to operate this way?

Considering the number of flights that depart/arrive in the US each day, we seem to have relatively few security issues.  Statistically, we are doing pretty well.  Yet when something does go wrong, the TSA’s response is to come up with knee-jerk, laughable rules that last a week until someone sits down and realizes how truly ridiculous they are.

Somehow, instead of laughing, I just feel rather sad about the whole thing. I feel such a deep loss that a young man could be convinced that setting off an explosion in his underwear would be a useful and productive way to communicate a message of anger and hatred.  I even feel sad about the loss of his future, one that once appeared so promising. I feel for his parents and imagine their confusion and horror. I feel for the people on that flight who could have lost their lives. I think of their families and friends, particularly since I went to high school with a remarkable young woman who died on Pan Am 103.  How does one go on when such a tragedy occurs to a loved one?

And at the same time, I cannot help but think -  Is  it more ridiculous to blow up your undies than to have to monitor how much water you drink on a flight because you can’t get up 60 minutes before you land?

And today I am asking myself – what went wrong in this world that I have to write such a horrific blog post?

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