Currently viewing the tag: "Islam"

Green Planet Series: Interview with Ibrahim Abdul-Matin (Part 2)

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ibrahim-abdul-matinSpeaker, author and environmental commentator Ibrahim Abdul-Matin shared his green wisdom with Melibee’s Kate Kirk in Part 1 of our Green Planet Series.  Be sure to read it before you move on to today’s question and answer session!

You have a very interesting background, being raised Muslim by your converted parents. How has living being raised as a Muslim American shaped your world view and goals?

I think being a Muslim and an African American gives me a unique perspective. America hasn’t been very kind to my people, so there’s a deep relationship of some time of distrust and it’s forced me to think outside of the box per se, to think that there’s not even a box, to not even think of a box. There’s also a constant challenge of where do I fit in, where do we fit in as a people into this larger narrative of America.

Have you made your hajj yet? If so, could you talk about that experience a bit? How has the re-entry experience in the US been for you? Have you experienced reverse culture shock of some kind?

I have not made hajj. I’ve made a lesser pilgrimage called umrah, which is basically a mini hajj to Mecca. I’ve done that twice. Regarding reverse culture shock, I think the United States is very bizarre. We don’t take off our shoes when we come indoors. Americans don’t have the same bathroom etiquette as people in other places. We’re not as clean. We don’t have bidets. Like, how do you not have a bidet? That’s civilized. The biggest shock has been the fact that there are no places built in for reflection. You walk into a mall in Malaysia, and there’s a prayer room. There are signs to tell you where you can go pray. You can go to the Burj Khalifa, one of the tallest buildings on planet Earth in Dubai and you can find prayer areas. You go into Jordan and there are prayer areas. You hear the adhan all over Saudi Arabia. You have a constant reminder, which is what used to be here when you’d hear church bells. You don’t even hear church bells anymore. Growing up I used to hear church bells every hour, and it was almost reassuring. Like OK, that comes from the church. It’s sending a message, “Don’t forget about God and it’s 5 o’clock.” I think we’ve missed some of that ceremony and ritual, that’s my reaction to coming back. And also, for a Muslim, being abroad you have more freedom about what you eat. When you come back, you’re all of a sudden forced to say “Oh, I can’t eat there.” Because of the pork obsession. You never know what’s going on in people’s kitchens. You never know how they cook, what forks and knives they’re using, and what cutting board they’re putting things on.

Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, author of "Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet"

Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, author of “Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet” speaks at UNC Chapel Hill (USA)

So much of international education and environmental work relies on air travel and we end up with the unfortunate irony of contributing to global warming (via the huge carbon footprint of long distance flights) while trying to promote green ideas and awareness of global issues. What can we do in this predicament?

There’s not a lot we can do, given the context that we’re in right now. I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to do it. I don’t know if my son will be able to travel as much as I’m traveling now. I don’t know if his son, God willing, will be able to travel that much. This is a unique moment in human history when we’ve had this ability and I don’t think it’s going to last very long, because it requires you to have an incredible amount of unlimited oil. We’ll do better things, create better technologies, but I don’t know if we’ll be going up in the air that way. It’s hard to say when will be that next thing.

In interviews for Melibee Global and the ANT Bookstore’s Foot Note a few years ago you gave readers tips on how to effect change in the environment. Do you have any additional tips that you tell people these days?

The first you can do is to de-hoard. Start throwing away and giving away and getting rid of your stuff. Personally go through your house stuff and if you haven’t used it in three to six months, figure out someone who can use it. Let go of stuff. Get rid of things. Or if you’re going to keep things, keep them really well. Hold onto them and keep them in good condition. The second thing I tell people all the time is create less trash by buying less things or buy things that have more value and hold on to them. Your goal should be to have zero trash coming out of your house, and start by doing less trash each day. This a meditation, a deep meditation, an over time meditation. You’ll find that after a year or two you’ve created less waste. For example, my wife and I spent some time with her sister, and they don’t actually create a lot of waste, but they had a garbage can, a traditional one that most Americans have. You open it up, and it has a big, black garbage bag. You pull it out and take it to the garbage disposal. We haven’t used a garbage can and bag that size in about three years. It felt foreign to me to actually be doing that. I was like, “How do I do this again?” So it’s like retraining ourselves, our relationship with waste. Nothing gets thrown away. There’s no such place as “Away.” So we have to really start getting into a rhythm, almost a meditative rhythm, to understand our human behavior as it relates to trash and to not assume that we’re going make changes overnight. No spiritual path has ever come and transformed people within a day. People have evolved and have had to understand themselves first before that can happen.

What have you found best motivates people to follow through on these tips?

We’ve had trouble. I think everyone has trouble with it. I think for motivation some healthy competition is good. I’m always a believer of some good, healthy competition. In Islam we say you can’t be jealous of anything other than someone’s knowledge or practice. If I see someone being more frugal and practical, I’m jealous of them because I want to be the most frugal. I want to do dishes every night, but me and my wife made a deal that we would never wash dishes at night. Stuff like that that motivates you. With the lack of clutter you’ll find that you have a clearer mind and can think better when there’s less stuff.

Can you describe your speaking presentations with Melibee? What is it that you like about having these dialogues?     

I’ve had some fun conversations at some of the best campuses across the United States. Some of the premier institutions in the Big Ten, the SCC, the Big Twelve, just being able to go to places and be welcomed and have really insightful conversations. To speak, to sell books, and get to ask tough questions and respond to them as well. My role is to make sure that I’m saying something that’s true and accurate, smart and clever. I think it fits well with what Melibee is doing.  

Many thanks again to Melibee’s Kate Kirk for posing such thoughtful questions!  You can read one of Kate’s own posts and read her bio here.




Ramadan: Sincere Reflections

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I’m so happy to share today’s guest blog by Matthew Stevens with you! I had the pleasure of meeting Matthew when he was a student at UNC Chapel Hill.  Please enjoy his comments on sincerity.

According to Charles Feltman, author of The Thin Book of Trust, sincerity is one of the four fundamental distinctions of trust. Sincerity is explained as, meaning what you say, saying what you mean, and acting accordingly. The month of Ramadan requires sincerity in order to fully reap its benefits and rewards. Many people see the month of Ramadan as a month of hardships and struggles and while it may outwardly appear as such, it is also a month of hidden opportunity.

As a convert, this is my fourth Ramadan however, due to health concerns I have yet to fast through an entire month of Ramadan. As each year approaches I intend to complete the fast, but health reasons have always thwarted me from pushing forward. I hope that this year will be the first complete Ramadan for me Insha’Allah (God Willing.)

This Ramadan also presents a new personal challenge to my fasting schedule. I recently began my professional career as a college-graduate. As excited as I am to begin my new career I am also wary about fasting with my work schedule.  I want to be prepared to learn the most and to be the best analyst in my new field, but what I have yet to realize is that fasting may help me achieve these personal goals.

With a name like Matthew many people never realize that I am in fact a Muslim. Being accepted into the larger Muslim community as a convert is possible however, this ability to be a chameleon comes with its caveats. Since my external appearance is devoid of traditionally Muslim or Islamic characteristics, it requires me to be entirely certain in my personal identity as a Muslim. I must be able to both internally and externally support my decisions and understand that my actions are constantly being measured by my sincerity.

In order to build trust with anyone I believe that you must be sincere with yourself. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims must assess the sincerity that we have with our faith. This sincerity is constantly being tested by fasting while continuing careers and facing the daily challenges of life. By developing sincerity, we are hoping to establish trust not only with ourselves and our families, but also with God and our community. I hope to begin this next week of work by embodying this element of sincerity in order to gain the trust of my new colleagues and clients.

The month of Ramadan should be understood as a chance to share our sincerity with ourselves and others. We should all strive to build and develop trust with those around us, not only during the month of Ramadan but also during every moment of the year.

About the Author:  Matthew Stevens graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the spring of 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a minor in Arabic. During his senior year at UNC he served as the UNC Muslim Students Association (MSA) president. He has traveled to the Middle East to study Arabic and learn about the Middle Eastern culture. He is currently working for Huron Consulting Group as a healthcare analyst.

Here is the book Matthew references above:

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Ramadan Guest Blog Post Series

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Ramadan is nearly here and this year, Melibee will be sharing some guest blog posts with you over the 30 days of Ramadan.  Our guest bloggers are very diverse and will share reflections on Ramadan and Islam.

In 2010, I had the pleasure to meet Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq from the 30 mosques project.  My experience meeting them at mosque in North Carolina is one of my most fond memories of crossing cultures – and I didn’t even have to leave the state! Through that experience,  I learned a lot about faith, community, spirit and stereotypes. As an educator, it challenged me to use the Melibee blog platform to share educational tools about one of the most misunderstood faith communities in our country.

To kick off the series, here is a link to my personal reflections of that transformational day at the mosque in North Carolina back in 2010.

This is the first interview I did with Aman and Bassam during their first 30 mosques project, which took place outside the mosque.

And here is Aman and Bassam’s 2012 project – sharing others’ Ramadan stories! I’m sure this will be a great resource for educators too:

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ENJOY!

 




Top 5 Teachable Moments: The 10th “Anniversary” of 9/11

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This is a tough post for me to write.  It is nearly impossible to imagine that it has been a decade since the terrorist attacks of 9/11.  As a native New Yorker, going back to that day is painful, traumatizing, scarring.  Clearly, this is not exclusive to New Yorkers – people all over the world felt a range of emotions after the attacks.  Yet, I would describe my feelings about how I’ve seen Islam distorted since that day using similar words – I have felt, at times, as if I have been watching a slow and gut wrenching slaughter of a people. I have spent much of my time since 9/11 responding to those days since that event with teachable moments.  Here are some suggestions for teachable moments to memorialize this day:

1)  Create a day of gratitude: One of my strongest memories of the days after 9/11 was how incredibly supportive and loving people were toward each other in NY.  People smiled at each other, reached out to help a stranger, and donated blood to the Red Cross.  No one asked whether you were Christian, Muslim, Jewish, etc.  Reminding people of our humanity by creating a day of gratitude for all we do have is a perfect way to change the counter narrative about that day.  We lost thousands of lives that day, and as a result of that tragedy, we managed to find a heck of a lot of humanity. Let’s find a way to recapture that. Remind people of our common humanity.  Perhaps it is through setting up a blood drive or creating an interfaith picnic on the quad? After all, we all bleed and we all need to eat! Figure out what works for your campus or community and make it happen.

2)  Create dialogue through film:

Budrus: This is an excellent documentary that illustrates the hope and non-violent movement of Muslims (in Palestine.) It is an excellent counter narrative to the myth that all Muslims and Palestinians are terrorists. It is also a shining example of Israelis and Palestinians working together and breaking down stereotypes of each other. Link to an interview with Nadav Greenberg, the Outreach Coordinator for Just Vision (who made the film.)

Crossing Borders Film: I have written extensively about this film. I firmly believe it is the most effective tool to create dialogue about Islam.  Arnd Wächter, the film’s Director, will be in the US this fall for screenings.  Feel free to contact me if you’d like more information about how to set up a screening with Arnd.

3)  Bring in a speaker to create dialogue about Islam:

Here are three wonderful Melibee Global speakers who briefly mention 9/11 in their presentations, but more importantly, talk instead about the true fabric of Muslims in our world:

a) 30 Mosques:  Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq, the co-founders of 30 mosques are available for campus events.  They spent Ramadan 2010 and 2011 traveling to 30 states (each trip!) sharing stories of every day life of diverse Muslim communities in the US.  Feedback about their presentation has been unprecedented. What they accomplish in changing the minds and hearts of others about Muslims in America is the stuff that peace prizes are made of. This year, their trip has been covered by the BBC, Huffington Post, Travel and Leisure, CNN International, Al Jazeera (English) and a documentary is in the works about their epic journey.

b) Ibrahim Abdul-Matin:  Author of “Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet” is the best lesson in sustainability AND redirecting the dialogue to more timely issues than 9/11.  He brilliantly reminds us to talk about “water” when someone asks about 9/11.  Invite them for a glass of water  – which is a much more critical political issue in our world today.  Kudos Ibrahim!

c) Nury Turkel:  Nury is new to the Melibee “family” but very well versed on speaking publicly about the human rights violations of the minority Muslim Uyghur (pronounced)”Wee-Ger” population in Northwest China.  He does a brilliant job of explaining how politics landed innocent Uyghurs in Guantanamo Bay and how the Chinese policies have attempted to destroy the Uyghur culture.

(Reach out to Melibee Global at info@melibeeglobal.com if you’re interested in any of these, or any other speakers, for your organization’s events.)

4) Create an opportunity for reflection AND create an opportunity to feel proud:

We should lower our flags that morning and honor those who died.  We should think about their lives and their legacies.  We should thank our local fire departments and police for the services that they so unselfishly provide to our communities.  And we should also create opportunities for those who are Muslim to feel proud of their faith, as it was not their faith that killed others that day, it was a group of terrorists who did so.  I have observed Muslim students and friends in this country shying away from feeling pride for their faith and it pains me deeply. Imagine if every time you were asked about your religious beliefs, you had to defend it? That is what many of our Muslim friends continue to experience. Imagine if people looked at you oddly because you choose to wear a cross or yarmulke? Women who choose to cover their heads are often being stared at, assumptions are often made about oppression. Use this anniversary to shift the tide by creating an opportunity for Muslims to celebrate their faith, which promotes peace.  Work with your campus Muslim Student Association and your interfaith dialogue community to find an appropriate way to celebrate all religions instead of having to defend them on this important day. Many Muslim students who have heard the 30 mosques presentation write to Aman and Bassam to thank them for reminding them how much they love their faith and how they want to explore the diversity of it in the US as a result of their presentation.  Shouldn’t we all be able to feel proud?

5) Consider others who are living with terrorism:

Find a cause to support in honor of those who died and those who survived on 9/11.  Create a fund raising event to raise awareness about those who suffer on a regular basis – and donate funds and time to this cause.  Helping others in need is perhaps the best path to healing our world.

If you’d like to read more about my thoughts on 9/11, please click here.

Peace to you all.

 

 




Podcast: Confronting Religious and Cultural Hatred

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Missy Gluckmann, Founder of Melibee Global and Arnd Wachter, Founder of Crossing Borders Education

I had the pleasure of participating in a radio interview with Arnd Wächter (Crossing Borders Film) and Dr. David Owusu-Ansah (Professor of African Studies, James Madison University) on Tom Graham’s “Virginia Insight” show on WMRA.

You can listen to the recording here.

(If you would like to consider Arnd Wächter for a film screening or speaking event, please click here.)




Demystifying the Other: Tools for International Educators

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I had the pleasure of presenting at NCAIE this past week with Carrie Wagner, Author of Village Wisdom and Bonnie Parker, Study Abroad Director from UNCA.

We crafted a session that was meant to be more interactive and less power point driven, as we all have had near death experiences caused by “too much powerpoint”!

Our session was described as follows:  “Muslim”, “Israeli”, “African”, and “American” – the labels that we use to describe others come with heavy baggage and a tremendous burden. This session will provide resources that can be used in community programming and/or as part of the curriculum to create dialogue that will aid in demystifying and humanizing “the other.”

Note: The “other” in our training meant a person or culture that one did not have first hand experience with, or one that generated stereotypes due to limited first hand experience. It was meant to acknowledge that we each have limited understanding of certain people, places and cultures in this world, and as a result, we often relate to them through stereotypes. These stereotypes create a disconnect between us and “them.

That’s a lot to tackle in 75 minutes, right?  Here was our approach:

Icebreaker: This was designed to create dialogue about “the other” and to help identify our own “others” or that of our students/community. We talked about the importance of setting up a trusting environment before doing this exercise. We had four different photos and asked people to go to the one that intrigued them.  Participants were then asked to write down words that came to mind as a result of viewing the image and to discuss the image and the words. For example, a photo of two young people sitting on the side of a street with a musical instrument garnered words such as “poor” and “talented.”  Then we briefly heard from each group – why did they choose those words?

1st Exercise: We worked in small groups and each read a specific section from Carrie Wagner’s book “Village Wisdom.” The groups each identified which phase of the cultural adjustment the section of the book related to and then discussed how that particular phase contributed to how the sojourner perceived “the other.”

2nd Exercise: We watched a 12 minute clip from the film “Crossing Borders.” In this scene, the students (American and Moroccan) visit the Sidi Moumen slum and met with local Moroccan youth who live there. The film clip illustrated the several layers of “the other” – the Americans experiencing a Muslim country for the first time and a slum for the first time, the Moroccan students meeting their fellow countrymen who live in a slum, which was a new experience for them as locals.  We discussed how “the other” can be people in our own society or people half way around the world, and that often changes over time.

We also spoke about how these two educational tools can be used in schools – for example:

- Instead of a common read, have a common film experience and weave it into the curriculum.  Assess the change in world view as a result of this experience, using a tool like the BEVI.

- Use these tools in orientation, pre-departure and re-entry meetings.

- Weave these tools into an interdisciplinary course.  Push the boundaries of what the items on the list were originally intended for!

- Use these tools for STAFF training and retreats.  We need to be inspired too!

- Create a book/film club and invite students and larger community to participate.

Bonnie, Carrie and I prepared a “toolkit” that is meant to be a living document that we can always update.  What resources would you want to share for those interested in exploring “the other” further?  How can the resource be used?

Free Download: Demystifying the Other Toolkit (PDF, 53.5kb)

Training at NCAIE was very rewarding.  I love to interact with my colleagues and I always learn from each group. I hope that this little training module will inspire you to demystify “the other” on your campus and in your community.




Interview with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

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I had the unique opportunity to sit down, one on one, with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.  Please enjoy our conversation:

 

I attended the Imam’s public presentation later that evening and found him to be equally engaging in a large crowd.  He spoke about his attempt to follow in the footsteps of great leaders who have tried to be champions of conflict resolution, especially during a time when most information in the media is ill informed.

He posed the question:  How will Americans engage in a world where 20-25% of the global population is Muslim? The US has a huge footprint in the Muslim world including geopolitical, economic and policy interests.

Imam Feisal spoke candidly of the “arc of being accepted in this country,” and referenced that before Muslims, Jews and Christians had to go through a similar struggle of being accepted in the US. He spoke of the anxiety that people feel about the “unknown,” and how it comes hand and hand with intentional misinformation.

Imam Feisal moved to the US in 1965, when he was 17 years old. During his lecture, he eloquently described that the exploration of his spirituality was rooted in the US because in this country, spirituality is a matter of choice. (Abroad, your clothing or country identified you as a Muslim – here you had to decide to be.)  He spoke of a stunning moment in his young life – at the age of 12 or 13 – where the boundaries of “self” dissolved for a very long moment – where he felt one with the universe. He smiled as he talked about the recollection, at that moment, that God was there, an absolute being of love, knowledge and wisdom, a moment of feeling deep love and compassion. This inspired him to read and study more in an attempt to piece it all together. It was particularly moving to witness his memory of this time – and if felt like I was listening in on a deeply personal conversation.

Imam Feisal firmly stated, “It is not about labels – Muslim, Jew, etc – it is about a relationship with our creator.”

Interestingly, the only ‘challenging’ question he was faced with that evening came from a man who read a quote from a New York paper that claimed that Imam Feisal stated that danger came from any extremist group and atheists/agnostics.  The Imam explained that he was misquoted in this case – and that his point was that any form of extremism is dangerous – including extreme atheists and agnostics.  The man then asked, “What do you think of me as an atheist?” and the Imam’s response was, “As long as you’re doing what your conscience tells you to do, you are a believer.”

Well said.

Someone in the audience did ask the inevitable question about the proposed Islamic Center (Park 51).  I think this subject has been covered enough, but I’ll simply say that the Imam explained there has been a vision for the center for a very long time and while he truly understands the pain involved, the expression of concern was malicious and political.  If you read my blog, you know that I agree that this is all simply a tool for divisiveness, and that ultimately is what feeds extremism.

At the end of the day, Imam Feisal reiterated that it is in the best interest for US national security to have good relations with the Islamic world;  he likened his job to “marital counseling on an international scale.” He added that from a human rights perspective, it is clear that an Islamic American identity needs to exist – but right now it is still seen as “alien.”

He received a standing ovation and despite a long day in the public eye, I was personally touched by his grace under pressure, his humanity, and the time he took to be ‘present’ for my interview (especially considering his hectic schedule!)

I would encourage anyone who wants to help build bridges to the Muslim community to visit The President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge. While Imam Feisal is no longer a spokesperson for Park51 in New York, he is still a board member. To learn more about the Cordoba Initiative, click here.

(Note: This video is largely unedited.  I did not remove any of Imam Feisal’s answers.  Rather, I cut out the logistical conversation related to how much time we had with the media coordinator, etc.




Islam and the West: Clashing Beliefs or Common Values?

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Mark your calendar! On Monday, April 4th, 2011 from 5 – 8 pm, the International Beliefs and Values Institute (IBAVI) and the Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement will be presenting “Islam and the West Clashing Beliefs or Common Values?” in the Francis Auditorium at Mary Baldwin College (Staunton, Virginia, USA).  I am humbled to be part of the panel discussion after the screening of “Crossing Borders”, along with Nihad Awad (Executive Director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Dr. David Owusu-Ansah, Professor of African Studies at James Madison University and Arnd Wächter, Director of the film “Crossing Borders.”

Many thanks to Nusayba Hammad, Mary Baldwin College class of 2013, for writing up this excellent description of the event:

“Islam and the West: Clashing Beliefs or Common Values?” seeks to deconstruct both the Middle East’s and America’s conceptions of the “Other” by finding common ground to stand on. Samuel Huntington’s theory of the clash of civilizations has dominated our perceptions of the other side of the world, but we must ask ourselves, is it with good reason? Crossing Borders uses the shared experiences of four American and four Moroccan students to bridge the supposedly vast gap between the Muslim world and the West. During their journey through Morocco, these students find that they are not so different after all.

In this age of globalization, understanding the commonalities and differences between Islam and the West is crucial. World politics, and especially the United States’ role in the Middle East, are proving to be increasingly portrayed as “us (the West) versus them (the Middle East/Islam).” But is it fair to pit Islam and the West against each other, implying that they are incapable of coexistence? Delving into the archives of American history, we find this not to be the case. For instance, Morocco was the first nation to recognize the newly formed United States of America, and the two countries have had bilateral relations ever since. The first Muslims to arrive to America did so in the 17th century, against their will and on slave ships from Africa. There are accounts of Muslims serving in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and today, there are over 10 million Muslims in the U.S. Islam is not detached and separate from America, and Muslims are not outsiders but an integral part of our society and nation.

History therefore begs a question: Is the perceived conflict between Islam and the West one that can be traced back to irreconcilable differences found in the essence of each, or is it simply the result of the way in which world politics have played out in the last century?

Crossing Borders will be introduced by Arnd Wächter, the film’s director. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Nihad Awad, Dr. David Owusu-Ansah, and Missy Gluckmann. Each will share his or her perspective on the issues presented in the film, framed by unique experiences and expertise in the field.

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The Transformative Power of Intercultural Experiences

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Today’s guest post is written by Arnd Wächter from Crossing Borders Education.  Arnd writes about the transformative power of international experiences and he offers a glimpse into his personal experience on the subject. Arnd is one of the most fascinating people that I’ve met on this international education journey; we have talked for hours about how meeting people from other parts of the world and hearing different perspectives have shaped us. Arnd has not only become a friend to me and my family, but is also a part of Melibee Global’s international speakers series. He can be booked to present his film, Crossing Borders, and is scheduled to be in the US from mid-March through mid-April 2011, so reach out if you are interested.  (His film is also available for screening in other parts of the world.)

As an educator, I believe that intercultural experiences have an important role to play in a world situation that is – to say the least – very confusing. This year, 2011, marks a decade since the tragic events of September 11. Today’s undergraduate college students were eight to twelve years old in 2001 and consequently have spent their intellectually formative years with post-9/11 media coverage, little of which addressed the need for intercultural understanding. I believe that we have the demanding opportunity to support this  generation of students and future leaders to deeper understand the major challenges of cross-cultural conflicts and to develop the capabilities, commitment and grit to address them.

Personal experiences that are transformative are often the driving force behind the passions in our lives.  I would love to share a glimpse of mine. I was born in communist East Germany and grew up next to the Berlin Wall. Sometimes my brother and I climbed trees to see boats going by on the river on the other side of the wall. We watched people having barbecue in their gardens but were never able to go there. I was 19 years old when the wall came tumbling down. At that time and in the following years, I experienced drastically in my own story the reality of the Anais Nin’s statement: “We see the world not as it is, but as we are.”

When traveling the world, I realized with amazement how much my images of history, countries and current affairs have been shaped by the context I had lived in. Intercultural experiences became one of the key teachers for my personal development and for learning about other cultures and people. My fascination grew about the process of what happens to our perception and awareness when we enter another culture with appreciation and open senses. I sensed that the world can look entirely different from a different cultural perspective when I am engaging openly in deep dialogue with people of other cultures. And I realized in these conversations that I am learning as much about the “Other” as I am learning about myself.

In the following years, I became passionate about intercultural immersion experiences and backpacked on tiny budgets across the world – often choosing solo trips in order to intensify the intercultural impact. These personal travel experiences became the vibrant background for my passion to create cross-cultural immersion programs, activities and films, which encourage, support and challenge university students to cross borders internally and externally. I would love to share a few of my observations on these activities:

Student Experiences on the Morocco Exchange programs of our organization triggered often very different responses of American students when they stayed at Moroccan family homes and interacted personally with Moroccan students. American students from a more liberal background were often surprised about the positive experiences they had. Some of them identified themselves as being very literate with critical thinking skills and were then surprised finding out how much they had been affected by images of Muslims in the US media.

Conservative students who traveled with us often had to process the shock of experiencing openness, hospitality and warmth in Morocco in sharp contrast to the hostile view their entire families held of the region. I remember a student sharing with me: “My parents and grandparents are not talking to me at the moment. They are evangelical Christians and are deeply upset with me that I am visiting a Muslim country.” After a while she added with a quiet voice: “They consider this religion as evil.”

Over the past years I saw in my own story and in the story of students that experiences themselves are the best teacher to confront existing preconceptions. It is a defining and creative moment when students encounter for themselves something that is in contrast to their accustomed perception, because it empowers them to discover themselves first hand and enhances critical thinking skills. It is powerful to experience hospitality in a Muslim country and then to reflect on: How come we hear so much about the reality of terrorism while hearing very little about the reality and beauty of the other culture? How come we saw post 9/11 on US media images of a small group of 10-20  Muslims celebrating, creating an image as if the entire Muslim world was celebrating? How come we saw these images repeated over and over again? How come we did not see 60,000 Iranians holding a Peace Vigil for the victims of 9/11? How come we did not see the images of over 1 million Moroccans demonstrating against the use of violence in the name of their faith after the bombing in Casablanca in which no American was hurt?

These are moments in which I have a lot of compassion with my students. I remember how much inner work it was after the Communist system imploded to come to terms with my entire education being incomplete or a distorted image. To change such perception does not happen in one conversation it needs eye opening experiences and time to reflect and process.

What I truly love about American students is the quality to get emotionally involved and care about issues and people. I noticed that most students who traveled with us knew very little about the region. I also experienced that the majority really cared from the moment they connected to a person or an issue on a personal level. It is a quality I deeply appreciate in the American culture.

The Educators Role: My experience is that most of the time we do not need to tell students what to think or do. We only need to encourage and support them to step into experiences that are challenging and widening. I experienced many times that the goodness within students takes over and makes them choose their next chapters of learning themselves by going into volunteer work, study abroad or long term services such as the Peace Corps. I experienced that students can discover their passion and task in this world where they are connected to their own power. So I would like to close with a quote that I love sharing with students when they ask “So what can I do?”, a quote which became key to my personal process of growing ideas and visions into creative realities.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs.

Ask yourself what makes you come alive

and then go and do that.

Because what the world needs

is people who have come alive.”

H. T. Whitman

About the Author: Arnd received his school education in Communist East Germany. As a conscientious objector to military service, he was not allowed to study at university and became a carpenter. After the fall of the Berlin Wall he started to travel the world beyond Eastern Europe and was able to study abroad in London. There he completed his MA in Religious Studies and Post Graduate Certificate of Education. Since 1996 he has worked and lived in the UK, Japan, Australia, the US, Spain and Morocco and traveled extensively on six continents. The impact these journeys had on him personally made him aware of the transformative power of cross-cultural interactions. Being on a visit to Morocco during the build-up to the US intervention in Iraq, he was deeply moved by personal conversations with Moroccans. This inspired him to create an educational NGO that by now has taken over 3600 American students on programs to interact with Moroccan families, students, professors, Peace Corps volunteers, and Fulbright scholars on a personal level. In 2007-2009 he produced and directed the feature documentary “Crossing Borders”as a cross cultural tool to initiate dialogue between students in the Western and Muslim worlds. The film was selected at 12 international film festivals and won several awards.






Park 51: Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf and Daisy Khan’s Roles Change

On By

Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf

A press release from Park 51 announced that Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf and his wife, Daisy Khan, will no longer be speaking on the organization’s behalf.  Imam Fiesal will begin his personal speaking tour next week.  He and Ms. Khan will also not be raising funds for the project on this speaking tour.

Park51 states that Imam Fiesal’s work on behalf of the Cordoba Initiative, while exceptional, requires a broader scope and that Park 51 requires a focus on the downtown Manhattan community specifically. Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf will remain on the Board of Directors for Park 51.

Here is the entire press release from the newly designed Park 51 website:

New Imam Joins Park51
Islamic Community Center
Launches New Website

New York, NY January 14, 2011: Park51, the Islamic Community Center in Lower Manhattan, announced three major developments today.

Park51 announced the appointment of its first Senior Advisor, Imam Abdallah Adhami, a well-respected Muslim-American leader who for nearly 20 years has dedicated his unmatched doctoral credentials in the Islamic tradition to the service of Muslim and multi-denominational communities here at home and abroad. Imam Adhami also holds a degree in architecture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and has seven years of corporate experience in organizational development, art direction and executive training. He was born in Washington, DC and has been serving the Lower Manhattan Community since 1990.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to be a key adviser on a project going forward that has enormous creative and healing potential for the collective good in New York City and in our nation,” stated Imam Adhami.

Imam Adhami will join Imam Feisal and other New York Imams soon to be appointed, who will help Park51 create a robust and dynamic religious and interfaith component.

Moreover, Park51 applauds the goals and efforts of our brother Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf for launching his nation-wide tour on January 15th, a campaign that we believe will have a profound and positive impact on the dialogue between different faiths. It is important to note though that while on tour and afterward Imam Feisal and Daisy Khan will not be speaking on behalf of Park51, nor will they be raising funds for the project. Imam Feisal will remain on the Board of Directors of Park51.

The Cordoba Movement and the Cordoba Initiative are separate nonprofit entities from Park51 with different missions and leadership. Imam Feisal’s tour will support only those organizations.

Due to the fact that Imam Feisal is focusing most of his energies and passion on launching this new and separate initiative, it is important that the needs of Park51, the Islamic Community Center in Lower Manhattan, take precedence. While Imam Feisal’s vision has a global scope and his ideals for the Cordoba Movement are truly exceptional, our community in Lower Manhattan is local. Our focus is and must remain the residents of Lower Manhattan and the Muslim American community in the Greater New York area.

And finally, Park51 is announcing today the launching of a new, expanded website and blog, which provides online access to many of the social and cultural services we intend to provide in the weeks and months ahead.

“We are very excited about the next phase of Park51 and the challenging work ahead,” Sharif El-Gamal, the Trustee and President of Park51 said. “It is an honor for me personally to welcome Imam Adhami to our team. I look forward to his leadership and assistance in the development of Park51. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our many supporters for their time, effort and expertise during the past few months.”

About Park51:
Inspired by Muslim values and heritage, Park51 is a center dedicated to providing cultural, social and recreational programs and services to the Lower Manhattan community, and to helping weave the Muslim-American identity into the pluralistic fabric of the United States.