From Washington DC the world is a frightening place. Read the papers, watch TV, get online and the conclusions are clear; the planet is hurdling towards an inevitable clash of civilizations. Muslims (extremists) are out to murder our children and us. Our leaders, including more than 20 Republican governors, tell us we ought to shore up security and deny entry to Syrian refugees for terrorists could be among them. The TV flashes constant video of extremist training camps, Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, and ISIS in Syria. It seems inevitable, history will repeat itself and we will be dragged once more into the misery of war.
This was my sad state of mind on November 19, the day I left on a much-awaited vacation to the Middle East and Africa. In one word I felt Fear. Fear of chaos. Fear of war. Fear of terrorism. Fear of the unknown. Despite my relatively international upbringing and my work as an immigration attorney, I let "Washington" creep just a bit too much into how I viewed the world.
But now, coming back from a nearly two-week trip abroad, the fear has lifted for the first time in a long time, and boy does it feel good. In one sense, I feel lighter and more hopeful than I have in many years. While sightseeing certainly took up most of the agenda, I had the opportunity to talk to a broad variety of people including Muslims, Europeans, and Africans. I was reminded once again, of the humanity of us all. Just as in Washington DC, across the planet, the sun also rises. Most people just want to be accepted, they want to see their children educated and grow up. They just want to live in peace. Sadly, and perhaps fatally, neither the media nor the Donald Trumps of the world are keen on espousing our mutual desires.
Our first stop was Dubai. There stands the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. Its spire towers over the city and is magnificent to behold. True, Dubai is one of seven Emirates, ruled by a Sheik, hardly a democracy and foreign to most Americans. But, in solidarity with all of us, the "Burj" was lit up in the colors of the French flag. The Emiratis we spoke to are just as outraged by the Paris attacks as we Americans are.
We spent quite a bit of time with a devout Muslim couple, originally from Canada, now living in Dubai. Sarah, an accomplished Islamic teacher and mother (just like me), covered in a headscarf, expressed her dismay at how Muslims are being portrayed in the U.S.: "How can it be that Americans don't know that those terrorists are not Muslims?," she asked me, "They do not stand for our religion." True to my beliefs, I explained to her that Muslims need to do a better job of denouncing extremists and she agreed. But as an American, I was embarrassed by the reaction of so many of our leaders - a reaction led by fear. A reaction that is anathema to our established policies and procedures for accepting refugees. A reaction that is at its core "anti-American."
We cannot let fear control our decisions and our actions. Policy led by fright and trepidation is the worst of all. Much of the Cold War was defined by our distrust of the Soviets and their distrust of us. Because of fear combined with short-sightedness, we made mistakes, supported innumerable dictators in Latin America and across the world, and spent decades on the brink of nuclear war. Because of fear of the unknown we turned back hapless Jewish refugees escaping the Third Reich, sentencing many of them to death. Because of fear we subjected Japanese Americans to internment camps. America is better than this.
The Italian students we met backpacking in the UAE, the German couple on Safari just outside of Johannesburg, and the guides and taxi drivers, in Cape Town, all expressed their dismay over the Paris attacks. The U.S. does not corner the market on the abhorrence of violence - most humans do.
Inevitably however, conversations turned to politics. Who will win the Presidential elections? Several mentioned that Donald Trump was a joke but a dangerous one nonetheless. I wanted to say that as Americans we would always be on the side of justice - That we would see beyond the message of the extremists and open our arms to Muslim refugees. I wanted to deny that a reactionary, ill-equipped, xenophobe could ever represent half our country, that Americans were brave and better than our enemies. Today, I fear that my wishes are just that.
In the movie the Bridge of Spies, Tom Hanks explains that even an alleged Russian spy deserves due process under the law. After all, he notes, the only thing that separates Americans from other human beings is our institutions. Now more than ever, we must show the world that we stand for core principles: due process, equal opportunity, acceptance of diversity, human rights, and justice for all. But in times like these, in a city and a country controlled by fear, how can we hold true to these founding doctrines? How can we ensure that we don't spiral into the mistakes of the past?
Unfortunately, the reality of our times demands a solution that will involve violence. Organizations like ISIS and the terrorists who attacked innocent people in Paris cannot be handled mildly. They must be destroyed. But what long-term strategy will prevent a continuing cycle of violence?
Let the people talk.
We should whole-heartedly support initiatives that promote understanding between diverse religions and cultures as a way to circumscribe the fear of the unknown. Take for example my Yemeni client Mohammed. In his early twenties he had a profound curiosity to meet and talk with non-Muslims and understand other religions. He eventually made contact online with YaLa-Young Leaders, a Facebook-based movement of young Middle Easterners working to enact a new regional vision of peace through inter-faith dialogue and communication. Soon Mohammed and other young adults were forming connections on social media, and attending conferences, where they discussed religion, culture, music, and politics. Extremist elements in Yemen eventually learned of Mohammed's activities and he was threatened and harassed. Today Mohammed is in the US, applying for asylum but more committed than ever to peace activism. He has met and broken bread with Jews, Christians and Catholics and each have discovered that beyond the political and religious labels lies a much deeper, common desire for peace and understanding.
If our children are to have a chance at a better world, we should do more than just "promote diversity" by throwing them into the same school and expecting them to get along. We should develop classes and programs that allow for in-depth, meaningful discussion on religion and culture. Encourage travel. The earlier we start the better. Children are not born to hate those that are different; they learn this from the world around them.
We should encourage a more balanced media as a way to build bridges between diverse religions and cultures. People are sick and tired of all the bad news. We are desperate for something positive to hold on to.
Television programs and talk shows could be created that show the many ways that different people are actually trying to get along. Take for example, the Aileen Getty School of Citizen Journalism, a one of kind online training program "to build the capacity of youth to tell their unique stories and elevate their voices for peace and positive change." The program is part of the YaLa Academy, which my client Mohammed first made contact with in Yemen. Thus far, the YaLa Academy has enrolled more than 1,200 students from Israel, Palestine and across the Arab world since its inception in 2012.
Numerous other programs exist that can be highlighted in media and should be supported and cited to as successful examples of peace building. The organization "Seeds of Peace," for example, identifies young leaders in communities divided by conflict. Then, through initiatives like a yearly summer camp in Maine, they "equip them with the skills and relationships they need to accelerate social, economic, and political changes essential for peace." With more than 6,000 alumni throughout the world, Seeds of Peace graduates go onto promote cooperation and understanding and prove there is a hope for a better tomorrow. Knowledge about and the expansion of organizations like the YaLa Academy and Seeds of Peace can provide people not only the hope for a better tomorrow, but also the tools to create positive change.
Let the people talk, listen, and learn.
For far too long we have utilized "realism" as an excuse for restrictive policies that equate security with the need to resort to force and repression. With hindsight, this narrow view has proven to fail time and again, not only damaging our values, but also our security. Certainly, in our fight against terrorism we must use the strength of our weapons but let us not forget the power of our values - both are essential to live in a safer world. If we work to strengthen the ties that bind us, we may well have a chance for a better tomorrow.
