Syria:Damascus & Aleppo
“They all lived next door to each other and they didn’t give a d—. They thought it was perfectly normal.” –Peter Sluglett, a British historian at the University of Utah talking today about Muslims, Christians, and Jews living together in Aleppo, Syria. Some holes were blown into my conception of Syria at my Middle Eastern … Continue reading
B as in Beirut
B as in Beirut is by Iman Humaydan Younes and translated by Max Weiss. …Didn’t like it at all and couldn’t get through it. It’s the four depressing stories of women living through war in Beirut. Personally I think that you’re human if you hurt, mourn, or need an adjustment period. But then you have … Continue reading
Boys and Arabic
Who takes Arabic? Short answer-boys and dads. At parents’ night promoting Arabic at another high school almost every single dad in the room lingered a little longer at my booth. And the ones who want to take the class? boys-nerdy ones. There are a few girls but they usually had Middle East in their family. … Continue reading
Part III: Cairo as an Arabic Student: Mosques and Trains”
This was the trip to Cairo that led me to say I wouldn’t tell people I studied Arabic. It would be about 8 years before someone discovered my Arabic past which would consequently lead me back into the Arab world. But that is a story for a different post. What did I love about Cairo the … Continue reading
Cairo Part II “Cairo for the First Time with an Argentine Flair”
Cairo is depth and breadth. Giza, now almost a suburb of Cairo, is home to the great pyramids adding a sense of timelessness to the city. The pyramid building era ended in about 2150 BC which means that you are looking at structures that Abraham (approx. 1813-1638 BC) and Moses would have seen passing through … Continue reading
Cairo Part I “Pre-Cairo: My Aunty”
This post is part of my Middle Eastern Cities series. See previous posts in the series: Damascus, Poll The second place finisher in the Middle Eastern cities poll after Damascus was Cairo. I decided to divide the posts for Cairo up into 4 parts since I’ve been there a couple times and have more stories. … Continue reading
Counter-terrorism Simulation
Ok. So we’re doing a counter-terrorism simulation in two of my ASL classes. I did a master’s degree in International Law and World Order from Reading University in England. During the year I participated in a CIA/British Intel sponsored counter-terrorism simulation and am quoted in the paper that was written about it. We also have … Continue reading
Israeli incursions into Gaza
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is complex. Moderate Israelis and Palestinians like each other. It was refreshing to see this again this summer when I was there. Many can speak each other’s languages and interact with tolerance. When the Israeli army causes the death toll to rise among Palestinians many Israelis become disenchanted with the military. Many … Continue reading
A Culture of Middle East
The student government played the video of our Palestine trip to the whole student body during an assembly today. I’m not sure exactly how everyone took it. My goal isn’t for every student to take Arabic or to change anyone’s mind. I hope that Provo High can become a resource for understanding at a public … Continue reading
aud'acious 
Islamic Translation Series
Posted by bookncurls on March 31, 2009 · 1 Comment
Brigham Young University’s Dr. Daniel Peterson is the first to take on a major translation effort of Islamic philosophy. I attended a fireside he gave on Sunday about how the series is helping to create a bond and heal some wounds between the West and the Islamic world. BYU is an unlikely place for the … Continue reading →
Filed under A Comment, Middle East · Tagged with Arabic, Islamic Translation Series, Middle East