Living With Others
Naram HajjarCarnegie Mellon University - Qatar
Modern Languages - Understanding Cultural Complexities
In elementary school we had one religion class. The class was split into two different sections, one with all the Muslim students and another with all the Christian students (students who were Drouz or Armenian joined the Christian group). Each week we used to learn new things about our religion and how it came about. As students, we used to think that the information that we discussed in these separate classes was not meant to be shared with the “others.” So no Muslim/Christian talked about what they learned in their religion class to Christians/Muslims.
One day our teacher was absent, and as a result we had to stay in class with the “other” students. We didn’t talk about the Holy Quran but their teacher shared a heartfelt story with the class. As her story was drawing a close, the entire class Christians and Muslims alike, were wrapped in the same sentiment.
As a result of my teacher’s absence, 12-year old me noticed that both religions have the same ambitions, dreams, moral, and humanity.
It is essential that I mention that ever since I was enrolled in school, I was surrounded with individuals from different religions. This early exposure and a non-discriminating mentality (parents and grandparents) set me up to become an individual who never asked the question of religion and never assumed anything about my counterparts as a result of their religion.
Another important trait to recognize is that each religion’s self-righteousness is false. Every faction of individuals that represent a religion has evolved from a not-so-godly past. Usually these people inflict violence on one specific group of people that don’t share the same beliefs. In my opinion these acts of violence are a result of fear of the unknown. These individuals seldom take interest in another’s religious beliefs and they prefer to stick to the limits of their own religion. This boundary can create monsters that look at “others” through an eye-glass that classifies all differing people as non-believers. At this point in time, violent actions have already been taken, but we are responsible for the effects and the reactions that these actions took upon society. We should accept that our ancestors took part in these gruesome acts. At the same time, we should shield the world from ever experiencing such a period again. In order to illustrate my argument let’s take the Whitwell Middle School (Tennessee) as an example. In a history class the students were taught about the Holocaust and the large number of Jews that Hitler killed. In order for the students to understand the gravity of Hitler’s massacre, the entire class was charged with collecting 6 million paper clips. While the students were collecting the needed number, they realized how big of a number like 6 million actually is (Paper Clips, 2004). This activity gave these children a more tangible idea of how many Jews were murdered.
In order to promote peaceful existence, we should all learn more about the “others” in our lives and be mindful that they might have also experienced hardship, be that in their history or in their present life.