Why the Middle East? Why Arabic and terrorism studies and international affairs. In a word: Ummmmmm... Who knows? I made a snap decision to get my masters degree and for some reason am drawn to the events of the Middle East. The history, war, oil, people, culture, food. Something about it seems right. Something about it makes it seem like the middle of the world. If reconciliation throughout the world is to occur, I am certain it will begin in the Middle East. I don't mean peace in Iraq. I don't mean Israel and Palestine. I mean all of it. I mean when the world no longer looks at the region as though it owes us something. I mean when everyone can look at the region and understand that all Abrahamic religions started in the same place with the same people and very similar beliefs.
I certainly am not going to sit here and pretend I have the answers and won't sell myself as someone who knows everything (or even a lot) about the culture of the Middle East. However, I will say that I am studying the Middle East and will be spending at least the next three months living amongst the people who are fortunately or unfortunately in the middle of many of the world's controversies. While I won't fool myself into thinking that a lot of people will read this blog, I do not intend on writing in Against Goliath merely to explain my experiences. I strongly feel that if more Americans understood the "War on Terrorism" and the culture of the Middle East, a very different sentiment would exist on the future of this so-called war. For example, it is simply inexcusable that John McCain has mistaken Shiite and Sunni. Barack Obama has called for exits from Iraq that are very questionable. Our leaders and our citizens absolutely must know more about the situation we're in and stop being newspaper observers. Considering America's involvement in the Middle East along with the importance of oil are among the foremost issues in American politics, people need to be more educated in the events of this extremely volatile region.
My goal is to bring a little bit of knowledge to anyone who does me the honor of reading my opinions. I promise not to preach or talk about my very mundane daily experiences. Please spread the word to different people. The more people who know a few more facts about the Middle East will make the world a better place, I guarantee it.
1 comment:
are you alive?
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