Speakeasy finds communication key in 'Difficult Dialogues'
By Jennifer Bak, Staff Writer
January 19, 2008 | 10:51 p.m.
I watched as people of all ages, colors and creeds filed into Baker Center’s Multicultural Center on Thursday, Jan. 17 to participate in the first Difficult Dialogues forum, designed to raise awareness about different world religions.
The focus of the forum was titled “Meeting the Muslims Among Us,” and it encouraged a panel of six Muslim students to discuss their religion with audience members. As I sat in the meeting room waiting for the forum to start, my nerves were going crazy. What exactly was I doing here? I didn’t know the first thing about Islam, and this forum was supposed to be a dialogue between a panel of Muslim students and the audience. Even if I were knowledgeable in regards to world religions, I haven’t really met anyone whose religious (and even personal) views differ that dramatically from mine.
I was in way over my head here, or so I thought. No lecture I could ever sit through, no discussion I could ever have with my friends, could have prepared me for the discussion I was about to experience. What I learned from this Difficult Dialogues forum opened my eyes for the first time to the people's cultures that really surround this campus and the world.
The Difficult Dialogues Program at Ohio University is a relatively new program with the purpose of promoting discussion about an often taboo subject: religion. The program challenges students to think in new ways, to look at new cultures and religions with an open mind and to take the knowledge and lessons they learned into the world with them. In addition to Thursday’s forum, the Difficult Dialogues program has brought speakers, like Bishop Pearson, on campus to host insightful discussions.
The panelist of students -- who came from Morocco, Indonesia, Turkey and India -- were immediately asked the question of whether there were any debates among Muslims and if so, what the debates were. This first question opened the door to an entirely new way of thinking and understanding a very different culture.
I learned that within the Muslim faith, the debates ranged from marriage to terrorism, politics to Ramadan and the headscarf to sects. Who knew that there could be so many contrasting facets in one faith? But of course, that was the whole point of the evening: that a great majority of Americans, myself included, don’t know enough about Islam to truly appreciate and respect its diversity and its followers. As Americans, we tend to think of issues from only one point of view: ours. Not that I’m singling out Americans in a negative way, because this isn’t a strictly American issue. The same can be said of any citizens of any country. After all, isn’t it easier to think about oneself in a safe environment than step over the lines to explore new ideas?
We have problems in our own country, and it’s difficult to accept our shortcomings and turmoil, let alone explore the issues that are plaguing people and places all over the world. Thursday night really changed one-track thought for me. I learned Muslims all over the world are targeted by the established systems in their countries because Islam and terrorism have been so closely linked in a post-9/11 world. Blindly ignoring the fact that it’s a miniscule, radical portion of the Muslim population -- those who are rejected by the real followers since murder goes against the teachings of the Koran -- who are committing terrorist attacks, innocent Muslims find themselves being stopped at the airports for a second check or being harassed on the streets.
The irony, though, lies in the fact that these very people are the victims of routine terrorism every day, with attacks happening at least once a day in many Middle Eastern countries. While Americans are still healing from the tragedies of 9/11, Muslims have had no time to recover because as soon as the dust from one attack settles, another rocks their lives again.
India, a democratic and capitalist country, also plays host to racism on a national scale. We tend to get a “white versus black” image in our heads when we hear of racism, but how many of us really think about the negative relationship between the Hindu and Muslim peoples in India? It is a pressing issue in India. Conditions for the Muslims are poor, especially in regards to education equality, but rarely does anyone speak out, stand up and lend a voice to the issue.
So where does America really stand? This was probably the most “touchy” subject of the evening, because no American wants to hear that his or her country is disliked by others. However, reality ruled last night, and as hard as it was to hear, America really isn’t faring well in the eyes of Muslim countries.
It’s not the average American people who are frowned upon, but the current political administration that’s the sources of distaste. The panelists agreed that the American economy is in good shape and is something to be desired because it’s a good model. Yet the U.S. is not highly thought of in Islamic nations, mainly because of our actions in and policies toward Iraq. Some of those from Turkey, one Islamic country that has been immensely impacted by U.S. culture, say that although they respected America in the past, relations are deteriorating because of our president, his administration and his foreign policy tactics.
The most important lesson I learned from the evening can best be summed up in one word: communication. The six Muslim panelists agreed that there is a lack of communication between America and Islamic countries. America, they said, should get to know Muslims and their faith. This sparked an interesting thought to take shape in my mind. If the whole point of terrorism is to rip apart people, nations and cultures by instilling fear in all, and if Americans are fearful of Muslims and refuse to participate in open communication with people of other cultures, then aren’t we, too, in effect, succumbing to the ideals of terrorism?
In an increasingly global world, open communication with people whose beliefs don’t match ours is one of the most important tools for successfully creating a strong, safe future. If we never step out of our comfort zones and open our minds to the diversity that exists on our own campus, we will never know about the vastness of the world's people who are living right next door to us here at OU.
The Difficult Dialogues forum was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. My own way of thinking was challenged as I was encouraged to put my point of view aside and see reality through a new lens. As the minutes passed and the panelists personalized each answer with their own experiences in both America and their home countries, I found myself being extremely glad that, for one of the first times ever, I crossed the cultural lines.
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