Indifference and Ignorance: When will it end?

As the days go past I quite often forget what the date is, because I really only need to know the day of the week. I try to check the news when my internet is fast, so I had heard some of the development regarding the *!#@& of a pastor in Florida and his publicity stunt. So in a conversation with my Dad he alerted me to the fact that the US Embassy had issued a warning for Americans abroad in case this man went through with his idiotic plan. Seeing as they are in Portugal and are coming to Casa soon this affected them as well. This got me into quite a mood as I really thought about the ability of insignificant people to affect and possibly endanger the lives of thousands of people around the world.

What right did this small minded man have to possibly kill people in consequence of his actions? He decided to take his ignorance and anger out on an entire religion, even though it was al-Quida that was resposible for 9/11 and the lives lost. Not the entire population of people that believe in a different diety and belief system. Living in a Muslim country the past month and learning so much about their beliefs and dedication has been so enlightening. There are children that go to school all day without water and food because they believe in something so much. We may not agree with some of the parts of the Muslim culture, but that doesn't mean you can't respect it.

When you are an American living abroad you realize that you are a representative of America whether you like it or not. Some people will hold you responsibly for your government's policies, or even what some insignificant man does with the whole 50 people that attend his church and actually want to listen to him. I remember that when we would go out in South Africa, one of us would end up in a political discussion with a local simply because of our accents. It is just something that happens. But if you acknowledge that, you tend to try and show that you are an individual and that you don't necessarily agree with said politics. And that Americans can be respectful of other cultures than our own.

I mourn what happened to so many families on 9/11/01. It was a terrible day and will always live in our memories and the scars won't heal for many. What many refuse to acknowledge however is that we cannot keep using that day to fuel hatred and ignorance.

How much do most people really know about Islam? Or Ramadan? Did that small minded man understand that not only was he going to burn their "bible" but also that he was going to do it on this weekend which was a very religious and important holiday for Muslims everywhere? That he would have done more harm than good? It just makes me wonder at what point we will stop refusing to learn about the other cultures in the world, the other religions, the people that might believe something different. I have met many amazing people here that are Muslim, that have been accepting of who I am. Did they have anything to do with 9/11? No, absolutely not. But because of ignorance, they could have been affected by this man's actions. It's hurtful. Whether you don't want a mosque built by Ground Zero or not, his actions were not ok. In any context.

Living in South Africa for the brief period we did, I looked around and did I see hatred on the faces of the people that up to 15 years ago were oppressed and beat down. No because they had accepted the past, and were working towards the future. Ubuntu. "I am who I am because of who we are". They realized that their futures were tied together and that hatred would do nothing to heal their country or help anyone. Archbishop Desmond Tutu discussed the need for ubuntu in order to be a united country and heal. If a country that suffered from apartheid could understand the need for forgiveness and healing, we should as well. I'm not saying that we pardon those actually responsible, but that we don't let it cloud our judgement on a whole religion or group of people.

One of my favorite authors, Elie Wiesel wrote the novel Night, about his experiences during the Holocaust and in concentration camps. Does he talk about his hatred for all the German race? Absolutely not. He acknowledges what happens, he teaches the youth about it, and he moves on. He is a brilliant man who has been through unspeakable heartache, yet he knows that the only thing that can make us whole, make us loving and accepting is forgiveness and moving on.
He states that "The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."

I truly believe that we must look to our past and learn from it, not dwell in it. For when we stew in the ugliness of what small minded people have done, we tend to forget about the beauty in others and in the world. And the world is just too beautiful.

Apartment Crawling - The New Tradition

Everyone needs a tradition, right? For those deeply routed in American holidays we all have the tradition of stuffing with turkey in November, or making delicious Christmas cookies and throwing flower at each other so that it's snowing inside and out. But when the temperature is over 100 degrees during the day, there is no air conditioning in the school you teach at, and it's Ramadan therefore meaning no bars open, what's a group of teachers to do?

Last year, the new teachers decided to start a tradition called an apartment crawl. Just like a pub crawl where you hop bar to bar possibly "crawling" your way to the finish. So this is similar, but a little less hardship to your knees. We decided to continue the tradition and invite the sophomores along for some bonding. So to celebrate the end of the first week of school, we busted out the beer pong cups, the awesome jams, and our walking shoes.

We had four apartments spread through the downtown area of Casablanca where we all live; the positive thing being that they are all within 15 minutes of each other. We made our way around, getting to know each other, kicking back, relaxing, and of course busting out the games. It was an awesome night and a really nice way to feel like this is home.

Why are traditions so important to people, not matter what the culture? Because traditions are what make you feel a part of something bigger, whether your with your family or they are thousands of miles away. So you make new traditions with new faces, and hope that they will be carried out by the next generation, or in our case next batch of eager American teachers. I think that as we settle into our daily routine of going to school at 7 and getting back at 5:30 if you aren't coaching, it is incredibly important to do such crazy outlandish things and make them part of our tradition. Some of the girls have been talking about doing family dinners every Sunday night, another way to feel like you have a home that isn't just temporary.

Another tradition can be our beach/surfing trips, a way to start our own community of surfing teachers!

If there is one thing I have learned so far from the Moroccan culture, it is the importance of family and ritual. Surviving 30 days of fasting would be impossibly for many people including me, but I see the students I teach preserving each day. They are helped by each other, and especially since most of the students are family or have grown up since preschool together. I still know a lot of kids I went to kindergarten with, and I know that when we were in Elementary school we would had each other's backs like these kids do today. I like to think that every time I move to a new culture, or back to one that I already love, that I am making lasting traditions that help make life just a little better. When we have stressful days, what is better than having a great group of people to do silly things with?

I really enjoy getting to know my new "family", even as much as I miss the old. There is so much in this country that makes me amazed, and lots more to come. As I am almost at the one month mark I marvel at our sense of home already. And it makes me just that more excited for whats to come.