I’m in love with the Middle East. Personally, I am more of a fan of calling it by its correct geographical term: Southwest Asia. I think it's time to start being more politically correct. Anyway, usually when I tell people I love this region I get blank stares, dirty looks and the occasional “Why?” Well, I will tell you why.
How could you possibly dislike something you know nothing about? Southwest Asia has been the cradle for three major monotheistic religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Believe it or not, people are attracted to this area and look to it for enlightenment, for guidance, and for direction.
From a very young age I was taught to stand up for what I believe in–to question everything. I believe that the people of this region have had enough and deserve to be heard.
The violence started within this region once Western powers realized that much of the world's oil reserves occupied this area. Believe it or not, for the past 500 years Southwest Asia saw less violence than the rest of the world and was more politically stable. The origin of the dispute is very similar to much of the world that has a history of colonialism rooted in fake political boundaries, militarization, autocratic regimes, and extortion.
Constantly being subjected to violence because of outside powers who can not let go of their imperialistic ways has led those to question the motives of Western powers and to an extreme hatred of the United States. We are so quick to blame these individuals for being violent but fail to realize that we made them this way. If anyone has committed a crime, perhaps it is the United States for always pushing a country to their breaking point and then acting like they are innocent. I've always heard "the second person always gets caught" when I was younger and it's easy to apply it to this scenario. Here we have the United States throwing rocks at this region when no one is looking. They retaliate after years of everyone turning around and magically when they throw rocks back, everyone is looking. Convenient right? I am not saying it is right or wrong and we are definitely not the only guilty country, but it is the time we are held accountable for our actions.
I feel sorry for Muslim individuals. They are can not walk down the street without receiving a look of disgust; individuals who are bullied and ridiculed because of their religion– individuals who can’t get jobs because their names are associated with evil and terror. I have always loved the fact that most Muslim women wear a headscarf; a hijab or nib. It's definitely a huge decision to make, especially living here in America with the risk of being scrutinized. It takes so much strength to walk down the street, trying to ignore the side conversations and the uncomfortable glances you receive every time you go into a room. White Christians do not have to defend their image from the Westboro Baptist Church or The Ku Klux Klan, so why do Muslims have to constantly defend and separate themselves from Islamic extremists? We associate Islam and the dress code that encompasses it with terrorism and it’s unfair to those who are not associated with such extremists.
When I think of the Middle East, I think of a region that has been bullied over time. I think of beautiful Mosques, how strong the women are, a traditional Lebanese platter(it’s extremely delicious and I recommend it), Petra in Jordan and how Israel’s healthcare is ranked higher than the United States. Come on people, where do you think we got algebra from?!
The list is infinite but the point I’m trying to make, if you haven’t caught on yet, is that they are people too. They are just like us. They like to go on vacation, they attend school, listen to music, spend time with their family and friends and like to eat well. It’s not fair that people criticize due to ignorance. Go take an in-depth global history class. What makes this OK? Why does the media constantly depict negative images of something they choose not to understand? And why do we believe everything we see on television?
There are so many good things happening in Southwest Asia right now that people are not talking about and choosing to ignore. Stop letting the media decide things for you.
