The National Dialogue
A while ago I read about King Abdullah’s initiative to promote national dialogue, this is different from the international faith dialog… and to me at least, more important.
You see, having our differences in opinions, food, music, looks, languages… etc, is what makes this world beautiful, learning to respect those things, is what enables us to appreciate that beauty.
It is sad that things went down that road many years ago, but dwelling on the past will never fix the future, acknowledging a problem and working on fixing it will. I was also surprised to know that the initiative was years in the making, since King Abdullah was Crown Prince.
In a country where one of my friends told me that marrying a foreign girl to his family meant marrying a girl/woman from the other village, even though the other village was only within a half hour drive by car, and the two villages are inhabited by the same tribe but different clans.
Most of Saudi never had to interact with the “other”. I was even asked by a co-worker how could I marry a woman that was not related to me and did now know my family customs… I asked him how he could live such a boring life where nothing changed. To each other, we in Saudi… are the “others”.
However, do to economics, the world in Saudi had to change… while the regions of Jeddah/Makkah/Madinah had the luxury of interacting with the world for hundreds of years, other areas did not… basically their world (and to a certain extent our world did not change a bit for centuries until a little over fifty years ago).
I am happy that this is happening, that the educators are being educated on the issue of the importance of dialogue and respecting other’s opinions… even if they do not agree with them at all… maybe then… just maybe… we will not see this happen anymore.
Yet I do not expect changes to happen anytime soon (if at all), and I think that the interfaith dialogue is a waste of time and money… every religion has many divisions in it, and a history of rivalry between the sects, each claiming that it, and only it, are on the straight and narrow… so trying to get them all on the same table, to agree on something… well, if anything fruitful happens, I would be… ecstatic and elated and all the words that the thesaurus can come up… but they wont… pessimism? Nope! I just know history repeats its self.
However, I also know we live in an age unlike any other before, where walls of ignorance are being knocked down by knowledge… the difference this time, is that this knowledge is not controlled by Church or State or any other organization, this knowledge is straight from each and every individual who is willing to participate in this torrent of knowledge sharing through new media outlets… and that… to me… is wonderful.
Comments
Powered by Facebook Comments
Aug 03, 2009 @ 19:16:51
But then again, I’m glad to find so many Saudis that not just associate with us foreigners, but welcome us into their homes. I’d like to point out that the general lack of interaction is not due to intolerance, but perhaps a more deep rooted sense of ‘family’ and customs. I have never met someone more generous than a Bedouin in the desert here.
In my native Pakistan, the caste system was mainstream until very recently. A family of one caste would not associate themselves with with another. It is very recently, however, that I’m glad to say, that the new generation doesn’t really identify with such titles. Perhaps due to intermarriage.
I also think these dialogues are a waste of time. You only join such a dialogue if you are willing to make changes to your own way of thinking, nut just try to impose your belief system on others. In the United States, I was invited to Mormon and Evangelical ‘dialogues’ that were simply a way of shoving ideologies down your throat. Similarly, I think a national dialogue would only work on the grassroots level, when people talk to each other talk because they themselves choose to and not because they’re put in the same room as each other for an hour.
Weather it be a royal decree or by the proliferation of the media among the youth, change is coming. Dialogue is the name of the game on the internet. People are comparatively more accepting of other cultures, as compared to, say 10 years ago. But as is usual, change here comes slowly, but inevitably.
Aug 03, 2009 @ 21:18:50
I beg to defer my dear Qusay!
King Abdullah initiated the national dialogue and the interfaith dialogue to foster greater understanding of our differences.
King Abdullah want us to respect those differences, not to resolve them.
Understand and respect doesn’t mean you have to give up or alter what you believe in.
Dialogue is always useful…
Aug 03, 2009 @ 22:00:54
To understand our differences dearest Q, is to legitimize them! It is that way for me personally!!
If I know why you’re doing what you’re doing. or why you’re believing what you’re believing. It makes is easier for me accept the fact that you’re different.
Aug 03, 2009 @ 23:33:26
I have to agree with saudiaspire: even talking about religious differences within Islam is worthwhile so long as there are those who think there is only one way (their way) to God. It may take decades, but getting Saudis to realize that ‘different’ does not equal ‘evil’ is a worthy project.
It’s the first step in building a tolerant society.
Aug 03, 2009 @ 23:43:32
The internet has been a great tool for helping me learn more about Muslims and Arabs as I became dear friends with some guys from Syria within the past two years. It really helped me better understand Islam and the Arab perspective on many things in my own country. I have enjoyed interacting with them and am thankful for the wonderful opportunity to meet people who live thousands of miles from me and learn more about them!
By the way, they became so dear to my heart that my husband and I traveled all the way to Damascus earlier this year. Something I NEVER had on my life’s list of things to do before I die. I mean who from America wants to go Syria?
Well, I do now! I loved the people and miss them every day.
Enjoyed your post!
Aug 03, 2009 @ 23:48:47
Qusay – Thanks for bringing up a great topic. I am a firm believer in dialogue. I know it works – on a personal level, if not on a national level. The thing about real dialogue – candid and open discussions of things that matter – is that even when we don’t agree, we’re usually able to find at least an inch of common ground. Sometimes that ground isn’t even on the topic, but in the passion we bring to the topic, or a common frame of reference/experience, or a core belief we share, or a million other little – but significant – ways we are more the same than different. ways that we would never have been aware of if we’d backed away from dialogue. And once we’re willing to see the same instead of the different, we open the door to respect. And respect can change the world. It’s not so much about understanding our differences – we’re always going to have differences. It’s about recognizing our similarities. That’s the power of dialogue – well at least that’s how I see it!
Oh and I’m really glad you’re willing to “participate in this torrent of knowledge sharing through new media outlets”, Qusay. Voices like yours need to be heard!
Aug 04, 2009 @ 09:07:59
I am glad to have all you great people share your comments with me… and to think I was not going to publish this post!
Aug 04, 2009 @ 11:54:54
Qusay–This is a wonderful post! How could you contemplate not publishing it?
I agree with Saudi Aspire, and John that genuine dialogue fosters understanding, acceptance and respect, whether about national or cultural identities, or sects with a faith or interfaith similitudes.
The awareness that such genuine dialogue on sensitive topics is difficult, and hence the need to train dialogue facilitators is an admirable part of King Abdullah’s endeavour.
I certainly have been in settings where dialogue was a pretext for ideological assertions, and discussion consisted of one upping each other with quotations from the canon: Maoist China (student political “discussions” with quotes from the Little Red Book); post-Khomeini Iran (medical ethics conference opened each morning with a series of Ayatollahs on the same hadith not to have women examined by male doctors or if necessary to do so using mirrors, and the same “medical proof” that you could get accurate blood pressure readings on women through a chador–NOT); any university humanities course with a “fascist-style” professor and a group of students wanting an A; etc.
To me this is not genuine dialogue and a waste of time except for observation of the phenomenon. Similarly the internet provides places of genuine dialogue (like your blog) and ones of no or pseudo-dialogue.
NidalM–here in the colonies the Pakistanis are definitely maintaining their caste system and don’t want their children in public schools unless there is such a high proportion of Pakistanis that the noxious Canadian influence will be mitigated/eliminated; the Indians are scandalized by a North-South India romance; some parents will accept “a good Muslim from a good family of whatever culture”, and others want one from their home city, family, clan; the self-identified “brown girls” flirt with but laugh at the “white boys”; etc. This is particularly common among 1st and 2nd generation immigrants. Us 3rd generation people are more mixed or willing to be so. Undergraduate students are willing to explore other cultures but often prefer to marry within their own, or give up their liberalism when they join the work force.
Great topic and post Qusay! You elicited so many interesting comments!
Aug 04, 2009 @ 15:43:09
Thanks Chiara, but subjects such as this one… if written wrong and/or understood wrong usually begin flame wars… and I was not sure I got my point across… thankfully I did.. to a certain extent of course.
As usual your comments provide more insight into the subject. Thanks for that
Aug 04, 2009 @ 16:23:29
Yes I can understand how that might happen, but you presented the topic with sensitivity and so it has opened dialogue not flaming or bullying. Kudos.
Aug 05, 2009 @ 06:19:44
well said Qusay,
I myself owe it to this shared and multiple-input pieces of knowledge that I come to realize things much better, I love this new-age knowledge, great post
Aug 03, 2009 @ 21:41:27
Nidal, thanks for sharing your experiences, especially that it’s one from another country. The caste system is unofficially alive in some parts of Saudi.
Thanks again
Aug 03, 2009 @ 21:50:58
Saud, I do beleive that dialogue is useful (remember I said I’m happy
) on the national front… But when it comes to faith, dialogue without respect is… What? Is that not the problem we mostly suffer from? Lack of respect?
And what does the greater understanding of our differences going to do? That is the unanswered question… At least to me.
Thanks Saud
Aug 04, 2009 @ 08:52:26
John, Thanks for your input, I greatly enjoy your blog and insight. I agree with you, if the only outcome of this is for all to realize that “different” does not equal “evil” then its a worthy project.
Aug 04, 2009 @ 08:59:49
Susanne430, Thanks for your comment, nice pics of Syria on your blog. I’ve visited Syria twice and have a couple of friends over there, it’s a wonderful place full of history great food and good people… I am happy you had a chance to visit it and enjoy it.
Yes the internet is a great gateway for all of us to have a window into each others worlds, and these windows are not filtered by media… it is just raw information.
Thanks again for sharing your view.
Aug 04, 2009 @ 09:04:08
Sand Gets In My Eyes, Glad you liked the post! That is a wise comment “Sometimes that ground isn’t even on the topic, but in the passion we bring to the topic”. And I am glad you are willing to participate in the torrent also
Aug 04, 2009 @ 11:14:59
I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of weeks now..maybe a month, but this is the first one I’ve commented on. So I’m glad you hit “publish.”
Aug 04, 2009 @ 15:43:48
Thanks Susanne, and I am glad you commented
Aug 05, 2009 @ 11:20:55
Thanks Hala…