presentation for military

So in my last post i talked about doing a short presentation for some soldiers going to Iraq.  when they first told me about it, i was pissed “oh great so they can learn more of my ‘backwards’ culture before they rape and kill my people.”

this kinda made me feel conflicted.  i spoke to another coworker who has a degree in peace/conflict studies focusing on mid east, and she had some things that made me feel better.  i mean hopefully….hopefully they will take into consideration the sensitivity of civilian/military interactions and how they work.  hopefully they won’t do anything to worsen the civilian’s situation or their own.

inshallah this mess will be resolved…and our efforts will have helped.

 

i hope i didn’t sound like an idiot in my presentation.  i just hope i made sense and they learned…something.

never knew who was sunni who was shia

interesting:

Aggravation

So a few days ago I had to go to a local community college diversity fair, and represent my work. So basically I had table set up with artifacts and info about Arab Americans, the place I work, etc. I talked to many students interested in Arab stuff. It was nice. But…these sorts of things are just grounds for ignorant folk to come up to you and voice their thoughts on the middles east in the most fucked up general terms. One woman comes up to me seeking “enlightenment.” Bullshit. I think she just wanted to air her aggravation. Don’t get me wrong, I think there are a lot of fucked up things in my culture…BUT THAT DOESN’T GIVE YOU, MS. PRIVELEGED WHITE WOMAN, THE RIGHT TO CRITICISE OTHER COMMUNITIES/CULTURES. LOOK AT YOUR OWN DAMN RACE IN YOUR OWN DAMN COUNTRY. Yeah, you are so fucking civilized…right?

Annoying Lady: So, lemme ask you something: because all countries in the mid east (she may not have even said a designation) are governed by religion, how do families who come here adapt? (because our government is so secular, right? and all families are the same)

Me: Most adapt pretty well. I mean they are trying to live their lives. Perhaps some older generations may be resistant, but they just want to hold on to their culture.

Lady: Well then why even come here if you don’t want to change? ::then her son came by and shook my hand and they both looked at me weird…like “I just met a real live Ay-rab:::

Me: its not that they (again…they? They ALL??? It was so hard to talk because she caught me off guard with her gross generalizing) don’t want to conform. I mean…younger generations usually assimilate faster-

Lady: yeah yeah I know but I’m talking about— (And she went on and on….)

Lady: So in all those countries, don’t they all know that the three religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) have the same beginnings with Abraham? Don’t they know that? Why all the fighting? (insinuating that they are all barabaric)

Me: I’m sure they know that information…(why don’t you ask them??? Then I tried getting specific by talking about one country, like Iraq, as very secular, and comparing it to a religious country….because NOT EVERY COUNTRY IS THE SAME) Also, I mean, look at Christianity, Catholics and Protestants have had their troubles.

Lady: well yeah, but they aren’t killing each other over it….

And I should have said this…after conferring with a coworker later: “oh REALLY? So Ireland untilt he late 1980s had no problems between religions…that’s a country in the west…non Arab….you stupid fuck” I wish I was able to get clearer with her. It just caught me off guard. She was talking so GENERALLY that it totally threw me. I sorta clarified that I was Chaldean…only to see how she felt about THAT (mostly because she said she had lived around the area where many Chaldeans live). I wanted to gauge her thoughts on Christians in the middle east. Maybe she just hated Muslims? She just looked at me blankly. I think she probs conflated culture and religion…as she conflated EVERYTHING else. Maybe she just hates Arabs.

So my question: are you really trying to understand the many CULTURES of a region, lady? Or are you just their to air your grievances? ‘Cause, bitch, I ain’t got time….

Linky time.

Not much to write…that’s a lie, but I would rather post some links to some Kabobfest articles of interest:

1. An article about the appropriation of Islam in american culture…via Urban Outfitters  

2. This article about Arabs in Hollywood-mostly films about Arabs, and this one person’s review of them.

3. And a little bit of blogging against homophobia in Syria