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.

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.)

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.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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.

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 17^th 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.

See larger image The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (Paperback) By (author) Samuel P. Huntington List Price: $16.99 USD New From: $3.43 In Stock Used from: $0.01 In Stock

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.

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.

Imam Fiesal and Daisy Khan

While the controversy about the proposed Islamic Center in New York City rages on, I am once again deeply moved by the dignity and grace of Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf and Daisy Khan.  They recently spoke at the Open Center in New York City.  If you don’t know The Open Center, it is a is a non-profit educational and cultural center offering programs intended to heal the body, nourish the soul and awaken the spirit. I have been to the center and it is one of the most spiritual places I have found in the hustle and bustle of the city.

In the video below, Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf speaks eloquently about the goals of the Islamic Center.  He references that the biggest issue we face as a society is extremism – in ANY religion – and that the goal of his work continues to be to build bridges between faith communities. His movement is to break the cycle of fear and misunderstanding that threatens peace in the world:

Click here to view the embedded video.

His wife, Daisy Khan, passionately speaks of the support that she and her husband have received, including a letter from a 15 year old agnostic girl who prays for less ignorance around the issue. The prayer that Ms. Khan references at the end of her talk is delivered with heart and really moved me.  (Ms. Khan is an is Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), a non-profit organization dedicated to developing an American Muslim identity and to building bridges between the Muslim community and general public through dialogues in faith, identity, culture, and arts):

Click here to view the embedded video.

I have written extensively about the proposed Islamic Center (previously referred to as the Cordoba House.) Needless to say, I will be watching closely as Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf commences his national tour in 2011 to build support for the project. It will not be a fund raising tour. Sadly, his speaking tour is not open to the public due to the death threats that he has received as a result of this project proposal. The media will be invited to meetings and is welcome to report as they see fit.

(See links below for other blog postings on the subject.)

Park51 Logo

I heard an interesting interview with Michel Abboud, the architect for the proposed Islamic cultural center known at Park 51.  (I suppose we could also call it “the Islamic cultural center formerly known as the Cordoba House and incorrectly called the World Trade Center mosque.”)

Here are 5 little known facts about the proposed center:

1)  it would be 16 floors, but less than 10% of the entire space will be used for prayer. The new building would have a mosque in the basement beneath public facilities including a swimming pool, basketball court, theater, restaurant, offices and a child care center.

2) the architect is Catholic

3) the theme of the Islamic center is cultural, rather than religious

4) the design which features a lattice of Islamic-inspired patterns which allows light to flood into the interior

Proposed interior of Park 51 Islamic Center, NYC

Exterior of the proposed Islamic Cultural Center for NYC

5) the plan still needs funding and planning – it is not a “done deal” at this time.

If you’d reside in the New York metropolitan area, you’ll be happy to know that Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq, from the 30mosques.com project, will be speaking at SUNY’s Purchase College (Purchase, NY – Westchester County) on Wednesday, November 17th at 7 pm.  The event is FREE and open to the public, so be sure to mark your calendar!

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!