Category Archives: Tour Report

Alone, Asian, Atheist in the Middle East

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Obey-Middle-East-Mural

Middle East! Turn around and look East! (Obey Middle East Mural, Shepard Fairey)

Many of you followed Phuong-Mai Nguyen’s journey through the Middle East, as written live right here on the Cultural Detective blog. Last year in Estonia, Mai, the co-author of Cultural Detective Vietnam, keynoted the SIETAR Europa congress. In that speech she shared the ten lessons (‘commandments”) she had learned after almost a year of living in the Middle East after the Arab Spring. Her remarks have now been republished by The Islamic Monthly, and I’m confident you’ll be eager to read them.

As Mai tells us, her learning “touches on threats of Islamism, the tendency to self-victimize, and the need for all of us to establish a genuine relationship with moderate Muslims in the West.” The full article reprinted from her speech contains some of her powerful photos as well as her personal learning and viewpoints. 

The ten lessons she learned from her journey include:
  1. Thou shalt not watch TV
  2. Thou shalt stay thyself
  3. Thou shalt empower thy man
  4. Thou shalt fear God
  5. Thou shalt turn around
  6. Thou shalt break free
  7. Thou shalt seek guidance
  8. Thy land shalt be named
  9. Thy land shalt be named again
  10. Thou shalt acknowledge my new identity

Please, read her remarks and let us and Mai know what you think! I have been fascinated by the fact that she chose to make this journey, and the opportunity to view such an experience through the eyes of a Vietnamese woman.

Best, Dianne

 

A Vietnamese Woman’s Experience of the Arab Spring

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1947577_10203237474119981_1557351267_nCultural Detective Vietnam co-author, Phuong-Mai Nguyen, spent eight months traveling through 13 countries, tracing the path of Islam from Saudi Arabia to East Asia. She chronicled her journey here on this blog. Mai traveled alone, during the height of the Arab Spring, amidst so many changes and so much turmoil. She met hospitality everywhere she went, learned a whole lot, and fell in love with the people and places.

Mai has just launched her Vietnamese-language book (two, actually) about her journey. The English edition will debut in October. Be sure to catch her powerful short video, below.

What also makes people discriminate?

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(Tiếng Việt ở dưới cả nhà ạ)

I choked when this picture popped up on my Facebook wall, claiming that Muslims are being oppressed in Vietnam. Within the last few days, almost 4000 people have shared the photo. By now, those who genuinely believe that the Muslims in my country are being rope tied to each other, forced to kneel down, and threatened with knives could be a million. And the number rolls on! Uncontrollably!

There is no doubt that social media is a monstrous tool to promote both goodness and dark deeds. This is an era in which a picture does not just equal 1000 words but can turn 1000 ill-informed innocent people into 1000 martyrs.No time to read, no time to research, no time to cross check, not even time to use our brains to think. All reason can be overwhelmed by the thrilling power and the irresistible waves of emotion that a snapshot or a video clip can deliver.

For your information: This is a picture from the Vietnam war, roughly 40 years ago, capturing an investigation of North-Vietnam solders. The 70,000 Muslims residing in Vietnam are not in danger and often harmoniously mix their lifestyles and rituals with Vietnamese tradition and culture.I can imagine my Vietnamese countrymen would not be happy to see this abuse of history and ignorant act, although it may have originally been posted with good intentions. Yes, note this! It is not only the terrorists with their hideous acts that make people discriminate; it is also those who blindly believe that the whole world is against them and thus turn even a friend into a foe.

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Tức ói máu khi nhìn thấy tấm ảnh này trên wall nhà mình với cái tiêu đề to tướng: Người Hồi Giáo bị đàn áp ở Việt Nam. Pót lên mạng ngày 23-8, cho đến nay đã có gần 4000 người share, và có lẽ hàng triệu người trên thế giới này đang đinh ninh rằng người Hồi ở VN bị trói chằng tay vào nhau, bắt quỳ xuống đất với dao găm kề vào cổ.

Mạng xã hội khiến ai cũng cảm thấy như mình là một nhà báo quyền lực vô song. Kể cả khi nhà báo ấy ngu dốt, quan điểm sai lạc, hay như kẻ pót cái ảnh này, thì nhìn gà hóa quốc, chỉ nhăm nhăm muốn gào lên cho cả thế gian này biết mình là kẻ bị hãm hại. Rồi thì trong cơn phẫn uất, bạ ai cũng lên án, vô tình biến cả bạn bè thành kẻ thù. Ai bảo chỉ có mấy thằng khủng bố mới làm cho người ta trở nên dị ứng với đạo Hồi?

Nhiều lúc cảm thấy lo lắng vì mình đang sống trong một thế giới mà tốc độ thông tin phát triển quá nhanh khiến người thường không mấy ai đủ thời gian để thích nghi. Một bức ảnh bây giờ không chỉ còn có sức mạnh hơn 1000 con chữ nữa mà còn có thể biến 1000 kẻ ngu xuẩn thành 1000 kẻ sẵn sàng cảm tử. Ở thế hệ You-tube này, chẳng mấy ai còn có thì giờ để đọc, để cân nhắc, chưa nói đến để suy ngẫm. Đập vào mặt một cái ảnh hay một cái clip thì lập tức tình cảm dồn lên đè bẹp tư duy. Loài người bao nhiêu năm qua đúng là cừu vẫn hòan cừu (câu này ai nói quên xừ mất rồi!)

Tái bút: Gần 70.000 người Hồi ở Việt Nam sống chủ yếu ở vùng của đồng bào Chăm. Họ, cũng như đại đa số những người Hồi trên thế giới chẳng khác quái gì đồng loại xung quanh cả. Từ khi du nhập vào VN, người Hồi thậm chí còn hòa quyện tín ngưỡng tôn giáo Hồi vào các dòng tín ngưỡng khác của dân tộc – một đặc điểm chung của rất nhiều nền văn hóa châu Á.

Appearance Can Be a Life or Death Matter

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Immediately when I heard about the attack on the Sikh temple in Wisconsin (USA), the first thought that came to my mind is that the shooter must have confused Sikhs for Muslims because they wear turbans and grow beards. There have been many similar incidents, one of them in 2002 when four teenagers burned down the Sikh temple Gobind Sadan in New York. The teens told authorities that they believed the temple was named “Go Bin Laden” (!!!)

Similarly, Christian figures and nuns may be mistaken for Muslims, with their loose outfits and head coverings. A picture taken in Jerusalem may confuse many, for it can be very unclear who is Jewish, who is Muslim and who is Christian. I have asked lots of my friends and they often think that the three Morrocan Muslim girls in this picture look more like Jewish women because of their headscarf style and their dress.

Almost everwhere I go in the world, people on the streets mostly call me Chinese. I have embraced a business idea of producing millions of T-shirt that say, “Everything is made in China. NOT ME!” and sell them to desperate and angry Japanese, Korean, Singaporean and Vietnamese tourists. I’ll probably be rich and earn enough money to travel more.
When I was in Syria lately, immediately upon stepping into a neighboring house, Abdullah my friend shouted out even before the host could see my face: “She is not Chinese!” Very wise of him, because the man we were visiting belongs to the opposition, who is of course very pissed off with China and Russia for their support towards Assad’s government.
Looks do matter, regardless of how superficial they are. Of course no one should be killed, and most religions have love and respect at their core. It can be detrimental and become a matter of dealth and life in this age of speed, in which people only have time to watch, not to think, and news is more important than knowledge.

Link

The latest update on my Middle Eastern travels has been published in the Jerusalem Post. I hope you’ll let me know what you think!

There is Nothing New in Egypt

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Egyptian mobile company Mobinil has found an extremely cheap and effective way to advertise itself in Cairo Airport. Shiny billboards welcome foreign tourists and journalists with provocative quotes from USA President Obama — “We must educate our children to become like young Egyptian people,” and former Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi — “There is nothing new in Egypt. Egyptians are making history as usual.”

On the eve of the new government here, the Obama quote echoes one of my favorite sayings: “When people fear authority, we get dictators. When those in authority fear the people, we get democracy.” Although the young Egyptian people that Obama honored are those who started the revolution and ended up empty handed, it is now clear that the new President — be it Shafiq, the ex-regime candidate, or Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood candidate — must take its people into account. In short, the people don’t want another Mubarak.

For Berlusconi, he (for once, thank God) has a point. Being one of the three oldest civilizations in the world and still standing after 5000 years, making history seems to be the 9 to 5 job of every single Egyptian. Together with the recent court ruling to dissolve the parliament, Egypt is more than ever at a crossroads and is wide open for surprises.

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Thán phục hết nước công ty Mobinil của Ai Cập với chiêu quảng cáo vửa rẻ vừa ngon ở sân bay Cairo. Khắp tường trên kính dưới lấp lánh hai câu nói của Tổng Thống Mỹ Obama “Chúng ta phải giáo dục con em mình để chúng giống như những người trẻ tuổi Ai Cập” và của cựu Thủ Tướng Ý: “Có cái gì mới lạ ở Ai Cập đâu. Người Ai Cập chỉ vẫn đang bận bịu với việc tạo dựng lịch sử như chuyện thường ngày ở huyện thôi mà”.

Cái ý của Obama khiến tôi nhớ tới một câu nói tôi từng rất thích (bây giờ thì nhìn với vẻ soi mói hơn là thích): “Chế độ độc tài là khi người dân sợ chính quyền. Chế độ dân chủ là khi chính quyền sợ người dân”. Mặc dù những người trẻ mà Obama vinh danh khởi đầu cách mạng rồi kết thúc trắng tay, có một điều chắc chắn rằng chính quyền mới dù là thân chế độ cũ Shafiq hay Muslim Brotherhood – tổ chức đã cướp diễn đàn của Mùa xuân Ả rập, đều sẽ phải dè chừng người dân hơn.

Về câu nói của Berlusconi, ơn Chúa là ông ta dẫu sao cũng được một lần phun ra vài từ có ý nghĩa (nhận xét có phần hằn học vì bản thân không ưa Berlusconi J). Là một trong 3 nền văn minh lâu đời nhất thế giới, hơn 5000 năm tuổi và vẫn đứng vững vàng, người Ai Cập quả là đáng nể phục. Trước thềm một chính phủ mới, lịch sử Ai Cập lại đứng giữa ngã ba đường, tiếp tục trò chơi ú òa cho thế giới thót tim với vô số điều bất ngờ dấu trong tay áo.

Tahrir Square at 3 am

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Tahrir Square (Cairo) at 3 am. Thousands of protesters still occupy the ground. They want a new revolution as dictator Mubarak may get away with his crimes in the Supreme Court and his ministers walk free from all charges.

I spent the whole night with the protesters, being introduced to everyone by none other than the leader of one of the most important revolutionary movements in Egypt: The Free Forum for Change.

In this picture, you see Layla and her brother wide awake. At 3 am children their age are supposed to be dreaming about Disneyland. Tonight they are here learning to support a democratic land. Not sure if they understand it, but I am certain they are the youngest protesters on the ground.

Egypt on the Brink of a New Revolution

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You want to know about the real Arab Spring? Look at this picture. These young people, both Muslim and Christian, are those who started the revolution in Egypt in 2011, demanding dictator Mubarak to step down. However, this spontaneous, penniless, and immature movement has been hijacked by the more organized Muslim Brotherhood who stole the spot light and became the prominent candidates for the new regime.

Yesterday, just a few hours after the voting box closed down, I found myself in a secret apartment in the heart of Cairo, the headquarters of the youth revolution. A dozen young activists were working like bees in a beehive on their laptops, updating thousands of tweets and Facebook posts, sending the results of every single voting spot, reporting to the people of Egypt every potential problem of the election.

“Yes, our revolution has been kidnapped by the Islamists!” admitted Ahmed. “I slept in Tahir square, protesting for days, to see a new regime with a liberal and democratic mind set, not someone from the Muslim Brotherhood who wants the country to be back in the stone age. The only thing we can do right now is to be keen observers to make sure this is a fair election. If the Muslim Brotherhood wins, we will have a new revolution, a real Arab Spring.”

Syria — The war within and between

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Many have asked me to give a briefing on Syria because I am here in person. Well, here is that briefing, in a VERY simple way.

To many people, the war in Syria is just another Arab Awakening. Being in the country myself, I realize that this is not at all the case. There are at least three conflicts going on:

  1. A true Arab Spring involving young liberals regardless of religious backgrounds, demanding regime reform and democracy.
  2. A war between two Islamic sects, the Alawite government and the Sunni opposition.
  3. A political game with hidden agendas among the big boys (US, EU, Iran, Israel and Saudi).

Mainstream media in the West seems more likely to feature war number 1 and manipulate war number 2 to the advantage of war number 3. Those representing the opposition who appear on CNN and BBC look liberal, westernized and almost victimized.

Next, the media backed by (Sunni) Saudi will call for jihad to provoke war number 2. I saw with my own eyes an opposition’s channel broadcasting from Saudi called “Sunni blood as one.” Note that the Syrian president is not a Sunni Muslim; he is from Alawite, a small sect of Islam.

Last, micro media — social media (blogs, Twitter, forums…etc) and word of mouth will keep circulating around zillions of conspiracy theories and guesswork about war number 3. For example, one of them I have heard: “The West does not want to topple the government; they just want to keep Syria in conflict to the point that it would benefit Israel and weaken Iran, who is Syria’s big ally.”

In this age when images and video clips dominate and cloud our thinking, one easily loses the big picture and falls victim to the vivid power of visual effect. As a good Cultural Detective, please pay attention to hidden biases.

As a journalist, I have the power to CHOOSE what to report. Is there something called “complete objective journalism”? I doubt it.

I have seen demonstrations for and against the regime. Which one would I report? Most secret journalists in Syria would choose to capture the opposition because they and their news (sub)consciously support wars number 1 and 3.

I’ll make a counterbalance here to share with you a view on war number 2. This is the picture of the regime’s supporters who gathered to celebrate with cheerful music and dance. Quoting a local from the crowd: “To be honest, our president is not perfect. But between him and the Sunni extremist opposition, I would go for the lesser of the two evils.”

With Love, from War-torn Syria

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On my second day in Damascus, I moved in with Noura and her family, only to find out that … they themselves have just miraculously escaped from their home town, Homs – the city that is being bombarded and torn apart by civil unrest!

Her brother has gone to school only 30 days this year. They were trapped in their house for two weeks without electricity. Each time they go to the grocery they are uncertain of ever being able to come back. Leaving their only source of income – an internet café – behind, the single mom and her two children have been struggling to avoid falling apart. With very limited resources, this refugee family has been hosting me, feeding me, loving me, giving me a bed, and escorting me to all sorts of sightseeing places that a tourist is supposed to visit. And all that amidst tears, fear, sadness, worries and uncertainty about their future.
In this picture, Noura and I are under the hooded cloaks, visiting Umayad Mosque, one of the earliest mosques in Islam, built on the 3000 year old remains of an Aramean temple. The worship site was turned into a Roman temple, later converted to a Christian church, and finally was dedicated to Islam in 636 (only four years after the death of Prophet Mohammad). The rich history of this mosque reminds us that holy sites should not be seen as the monopoly of one religion, and that we are the result of an accumulated heritage.

Looking at the chaos in some of the Arab countries right now, I can’t help wishing those various branches of Islam could understand this simple notion. And may the extremely hospitable people of their countries, like Noura’s family, teach them the lesson of co-existence, even in time of harshness.