11/17/11: The Love Of My Life And The Roommate Who Lit My Hair On Fire...

As I am sitting here in my room, enjoying the amazing lightening storm happening outside, I am listening to a 25 minute recitation of the Holy Qur'an, and am completely and utterly marveling in the beauty of it's sound, melody, and words. I truly feel that there are very few things in this world more beautiful than the sound of Arabic, and the fact that I have FINALLY started back up with my formal study of the language gives me a happiness beyond that of worded description.

So many people find it impossible to understand the love that I have for this language, and I can't count the number of times I have heard things like, "Why do you like the language of terrorists", "Arabic is such an ugly, dirty language", "You can't sound nice when you speak Arabic", and so on. In a sense I can't be too surprised at this since I am guilty of the same fault when it comes to the German language, but I guess, because I think Arabic is so beautiful, I find it hard to understand why everyone doesn't feel the same way :-).

Today was my first day starting my lessons with the tutor assigned to teach those of us who have had previous Arabic training. Unfortunately I was under the impression that Arabic was going to be highly emphasized in my program (which is partly why I chose to study here), and I was very disheartened to find out that they were only offering one class that would cater to beginners with NO Arabic experience or exposure... That was not fun for me to find out. After a rather lengthy process of back and forth emailing to try and eradicate this rather unfortunate situation, a tutor was finally arranged for us. Today was our first lesson and it felt above and beyond fantastic to get back into the study of Fusha. Eventually I want to pick back up with 3aamiyya (dialect/spoken), but in terms of needing the ability to understand Arab news and translate Arab texts the Modern Standard is what I really need.

It really is amazing how different the spoken and written forms of Arabic are, and learning both will really be like learning two separate languages. Luckily all of the extra studying really won't be a problem for me since I could be completely content sitting in a room studying only Arabic every day. Sure, it wouldn't be so well rounding, but I would love it! I just have to remember I have important seminars that need serious work and attention so I can't solely focus on Arabic (unfortunately). Luckily I'm trying to write on topics that require a lot of Arabic textual translation so the language will be useful in terms of my wider course load.

Wanting to well round myself during this first semester, I have decided to focus on issues less related to what I want to eventually write my thesis on. I feel that if I only focus on Jordan and the Palestinians I will burn out on the topic and it won't give me the breadth of knowledge I want to acquire from my Master's program. I have decided to focus one of my papers on Sufism (Islamic mysticism) and the music of the Sufi's which is turning out to be an amazingly fascinating topic. Islamic mysticism, much like Jewish mysticism, is so beautiful and fascinating, and the music can't be beat. I hope to focus another seminar on Jewish minorities in Arab countries from the beginning of the rise of Nazism, to the inception of Israel. It is a fascinating time period to study Arab Jews and I think I will focus on the once vibrant Jewish community of Iraq. This is an issue close to my heart since I am finding my own situation to be very similar to that of being a Jewish Arab (minus the fact that I'm not actually Arab... again, unfortunately).  I still have one seminar topic to lock down, but hopefully I will be struck by divine inspiration in the next few days!

As far as the social aspect goes, though being a graduate student is pretty much killing any vibrant social life I might have wanted, I am continuing to have the most amazing time in my new apartment with "my boys" (as I like to refer to them). Even when we aren't doing anything special, just hanging around the apartment being completely ridiculous and silly, I have the greatest time. The other night it was Morgan's "pretend" birthday so we all went to the nice hamburger restaurant near our apartment for a little, not so authentic, celebration. We had a few drinks, some delicious food, and it was a great night out. Morgan has a friend in town so it was nice having another girl added to the mix (although I must admit I love being the only girl in the apartment!).

Micha'el and Me at Dinner

After a delicious dinner we decided to go back to the apartment and pre party so that those of us not going out (me) could have a little fun before the boys continued their night on the town while I studied (which actually didn't end up happening (the going out or the studying), but we find out why later). After a few drinks and some hookah we naturally needed to find ways to entertain ourselves, so after getting a slightly intoxicated Krav Maga lesson,  I decided that I wanted to see Micha'el's gun that he always speaks so fondly of :-). Little did I know that this gun was a GUN GUN... It was huge and probably weighed more than I did! Needless to say I had fun playing with it even though I was slightly terrified the whole time it was out. 

Israeli housewife?? :-)

After another hour or so the crowed dispersed and Micha'el and I were the only ones left outside. Since he is pretty much identical to the typical Israeli he felt the need to smoke every five minutes, so we spent some time talking outside while he was giving himself lung cancer. When we got back inside he thought it would be funny to mess with me and flick the lighter by my hair... Little did he know that long hair near a flame is not the best idea, and right as he flicked the lighter my hair caught on fire!!! I think for a millisecond we were both in shock, we frantically put it out, and then couldn't stop laughing for a good five minutes. I really should have been mad but it was just too funny! Lucky the damage was minimal, and I think he will be a bit more cautious the next time he wants to play with fire. After recovering from what could have been a very, very unfortunate situation it was time to put the night behind me and get to bed. It was another great night in our CaliCondo, but I had class the next day so it was time to say goodnight. 

I'm hoping that this weekend will be very productive and filled with research so that I can get started on these papers, and I will report back tomorrow or the next day with all the goings on over here :-) 

Tisba7 3ala Khier <3,

Jordana Simone 

11/15/11: Change Happens In The Blink Of An Eye

Flag of Syria

Flag of Jordan

Flag of Saudi Arabia 

The pace at which change occurs in, what seems to be, every country in the Middle East is utterly astounding. Whether talking about changes of opinion, policy, stance, or alliance, it all happens inordinately fast over here. Only Yesterday I was in class giving a presentation on Jordan's weak stance on the issue of the Syrian crackdowns and violence, and, just today, it seems like that situation has changed two fold (in fact the change occurred last night). 

Politically speaking, the issues with Jordan's stance on Syria are profoundly interesting, and various sources painted a very decent picture of the delicate political situation that the Royals of Jordan find themselves in. Now since I am not Jordanian I can only discuss how it looks from the views of an outsider looking in on what is going on in the region. However, before I begin, I would like to extend a huge thank you to all of my Jordanian contacts who have been so helpful in sending me wonderful sources and information concerning the "goings-on" of the Hashemite Kingdom. 

What my research led me to discover: Jordan is in a very delicate situation when it comes to how they respond to Syria for a few reasons. Firstly, Jordan fears, and has reason to fear, Syrian intervention in Jordan should the Assad regime feel that they are supporting Syrian opposition. As of now, Jordanian border towns with Syria, namely Ramtha, are housing close to 1,500 refugees (some sources say it's close to 2,000), and though the Jordanians have not confirmed this outright, this could be used as a means for Syria to intervene on the claims that the Jordanians are aiding Syrian opposition rebels. This worry is not without reason. Syria has intervened in Jordanian domestic happenings in the past. Probably the most notable time was when Hafez Al-Assad (Bashar's father), who was president of Syria for almost 30 years (1971-2000), sent troops into Jordan during "Black September" to support the Palestinian guerillas against the Jordanians. Though his raid was quashed by the Jordanians, it was direct military action taken by the Syrians against the Jordanians. 

Hafez Al-Assad

On the other hand, Jordan is receiving a great deal of pressure from within to take a more firm stance on the violence in Jordan. The King has come under tremendous amounts of pressure from opposition groups since the Arab Spring movement has swiftly swept through the Middle East, and though he has made internal reforms to maintain monarch legitimacy in his country, the pressure is still ever present. In fact, the Muslim Brotherhood faction in Jordan, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), is opposed to, what was, Jordan's wishy-washy response to Syria, and has used that as a means to rally up opposition. The IAF feels that Jordan should strongly condemn the unadulterated violence going on in Syria, and follow the lead of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait in recalling their ambassador to Damascus. On the one hand Jordan has to worry about Syrian retaliation, and on the other, they have to respond to ever growing domestic pressures.

An IAF rally in Jordan 

On top of domestic pressures, the Kingdom of Jorda has outside relations that it has to nurture with great care and caution. On May 10th, 2011, Jordan (and Morocco) submitted requests, and were invited, to become members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which is an extremely beneficial move for the country in terms of political and economic growth. The GCC, established by Saudi Arabia in response to the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war on May 25th, 1981, includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE, and now Jordan and Morocco. Saudi Arabia's ever growing criticism on the Syrian regime, as well as the decisions of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait to recall their ambassadors to Syria, has also put a growing amount of pressure on Jordan. The last thing the Jordanians want to do is jeopardize their relations with Saudi and lose membership to the GCC. Revocation of membership would mean a devastating loss of financial support, Jordanian jobs, and they would face political isolation in the powerful Gulf region. 

Gulf Cooperation Council 

With all of this to take into consideration, it seems that King Abdullah decided that ever growing internal pressures, on top of good relations he needs to keep with the powerful Gulf states, prompted him to "become the first Arab leader to openly urge Mr Assad to quit"-BBC Also in the report issued by the BBC, King Abdullah II stated that if he were President Assad, he would "step down and make sure whoever comes behind me has the ability to change the status quo that we're seeing". It should come as no surprise, seeing the pattern of demonstrations that have so far happened in Syria on the Saudi embassy, Turkish embassy, and so on, by Assad's supporters, that about 100 of the regime supporters rallied outside of the Jordanian embassy late last night. Dozens were also killed in Syria-Jordanian border towns upon the issuance of the King's statement. 

King Abdullah II

For whatever the reason may be, it seems that Jordan has finally taken a more firm stance on the issue of Syria. What this will mean for the country in the future, no one can know until the internal situation in Syria calms and settles (and who knows when that will be). But what seems clear, at least to me, is that more countries are now taking a stand against the atrocities happening in Syria, and vocalizing their upset for the some 3,500 (and counting) people who have died, and who will continue to die, if things don't change quickly in Syria. 

Until Tomorrow <3,

Jordana Simone

11/13/11: My Heart Is In The East, And I Am At The Ends Of The West

My home will always be the desert 

My heart is in the East, and I am at the ends of the West... For those of you who have seen my many pieces of body art, you know that this poetic excerpt is particularly special to me. In fact, much of my body art really reflects my overall feelings, hopes, and wishes surrounding my faith, my passions, and the Middle East in general. 

My Hamsa with the poem excerpt in Arabic and Hebrew 

Peace!

Peace and Love

Since Judaism is my identity, Arabic the love of my life, and the Middle East where my heart feels the most at home, it should come as no surprise that I have themed my body art in such ways. It is just another way I can give myself completely to this fascination of mine. As I am sitting in my gorgeous, new Tel Aviv apartment, I can't help but feel how much I miss places like East Jerusalem, Jordan, and the West Bank. Living in Israel feeds my deep seeded connection to my faith, but it leaves a void in terms of my true loves of Arabic and the "eastern" Middle East. If only I had time to go to Jaffa every time I felt this pull to venture back into "Arab" lands, but unfortunately, as a busy graduate student and intern, it's harder than it may seem to make the 30+ minute commute often. 

On a different, albeit still related note, in the past few weeks I have really been struggling with trying to get a firm grasp on my own identity, and that isn't as easy as I would have thought seeing as I have so many conflicting (at least conflicting in my mind) characteristics. I am Jewish yet I place Arabic in a higher importance than the language of my religion and people. I don't place this greater importance because it is more practical to learn Arabic for job purposes, but I place it in higher importance because I have this unexplainable connection to it. I don't speak it so well yet, but what I do speak I speak infinitely more convincingly than I ever have Hebrew, I am as comfortable with this language as if it were the language of my family, and when I hear Arabic something inside me lights up. It sounds so silly to speak this way about a language, but when you truly love something, you love it completely, and I have loved it deeply for a long time. 

Aside from the language aspect there is the cultural aspect of my current identity crisis, if you will. It is so hard for me to truly find my niche when I feel completely comfortable, albeit very different, in two opposite cultural settings. When I am in a Jewish community I feel like I am in a community of "my" people; the rituals are familiar, the customs are familiar, and it is very comforting to feel surrounded by my own people. However, I would be lying to say that I don't seek to find this same kind of comfort in Arab communities. I am not Muslim, but my deep connection to the language, and fascination with the culture, leaves me feeling equally connected to their community. I agree that it will never be "my" community, but I still have a great desire to connect to it in a way that enables the Arab community to, at least, be partly "mine".  I no longer want to be an outsider looking in on this amazing group of people, but I want to find a way to fit myself into their niche while still maintaining my deep roots in my own community. I guess this is me wanting it all! I wish I could explain this feeling more adequately but there are so many things that are beyond explanation. There is no reason I should have this connection to the Arab world, aside from the fact that I'm pretty positive, along with most people who know me, that I was an Arab Jew in a past life, but for whatever reason, I do, and I have a duty to myself to do whatever I can to satisfy my desires in terms of my future life in both of these vastly different communities. It also really doesn't hurt that I look Lebanese/Syrian, so that might make this whole process a bit easier :-) 

Me on two different sides of the coin

Next week my studies continue and I hope to be able to report on more interesting research. I am also hoping to get back to the West Bank next weekend so stay tuned! 

Lilah Tov Chaverim <3,

Jordana Simone 

                                                       

11/11/11: A World Getting Smaller

Maybe it is because I am from the United States where everything, barring domestic politics and issues, seems so far away and detached, or maybe it's because I have been living in my own little, self absorbed bubble for so long, but now that I am living in and studying the Middle East, I am starting to truly realize just how small and interconnected the world, and especially this region, is.

I'm sure I have known for a while how interconnected this region is, however, the first time this  really resonated with me was when the "Arab Spring" broke out in Tunisia and spread like wildfire across the Middle East from Egypt to Libya to Syria, and so on. I was not in the area at the time when this mass movement began, but because of it's large scale and revolutionary nature it was extensively covered in the West. However, following the Middle East only on Western news sources does not really give a very accurate picture or understanding of how, for example, something happening in Egypt or Syria could both indirectly and directly effect Jordan, Saudi Arabic, the Sudan, and so on.

As most of you know I am choosing to focus my research on Palestinians, the Two State Solution (which also implies I will also be looking at the issues regarding the broader Palestinian Israeli conflict), and the region of Jordan. Since narrowing down these three topics, I have been constantly browsing various news sources and reading all I can on these three issues. I am very fortunate to also be able to read Arabic, and with the assistance of my handy dictionary I have been able to begin collecting information from Arab news sources which paints a very unique perspective of this region from the natives who reside here.

Perhaps the most interesting pieces of information I have found so far assist in painting this picture of interconnectedness between Jordan and various other Arab countries. Just a few examples to illustrate my point: Yesterday at 1 in the morning an Egyptian gas line, supplying a substantial amount of gas to both Israel and Jordan, was hit with explosives and that had major negative effects on both Jordan and Israel. The interesting thing about this is that, even though I'm sure this action was primarily meant to negatively effect Israel (who many Egyptians don't feel should be provided this natural resource by Egypt even though Israel generates 40% of it's electricity from this resource), the consequences in Jordan were profound due to the fact that Egyptian gas provides Jordan with 80% of their electricity. Jordan suffered greatly as an indirect (or what I believe to be an indirect) response to Egypt's "demonstration" against Israel. Again, just another way to see how all of these regions pull from one another and depend on one another.

Another very interesting article I read was on "Jordan and the current unrest in Syria". Before coming here I really didn't understand the delicate connection between these two countries, and now that I have expanded my knowledge it is amazing to me the various relationships between all of these countries. The gist of the article is that Jordan is trying to tread lightly on the issue of the unrest in Syria due to a fear of enraging Damascus which could effect the Monarchy in Jordan. Jordan is, however, being pressured by many of her citizens (especially the IAF: Islamic Action Front), and even outside forces such as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States, to condemn the brutal murders and attacks going on in the country. Jordan is at a very critical political crossroads and they are having to approach this issue with care for fear of Syrian intervention in their country. Again, without really studying or focusing on this, it might not be immediately apparent that the uprisings in Syria have an impact, to the extent that they do, in Jordan (despite that they border one another) and various other Arab Nations.

Map of Jordan and her borders 

I will wrap this up by merely saying that I am finding my studies to be very eye opening and fascinating. It has been a long time since I have studied something I love as much as the Middle East, and it makes hard work a lot of fun.

Now onto the more personal stuff! I had an amazing time last night reconnecting with a friend I met years ago at a small Jewish camp in the Simi Valley (Alonim). She was one of the Israeli youths brought to participate in this camp and we spent 2 amazing summers becoming very good friends. I recently discovered she only lives 10 minutes away from me in Tel Aviv, and we were finally able to reconnect last night. I am so happy she is so close, and last night was only one of many fun times we will be sure to have together. She is also proving to be a better Hebrew teacher to me than my Ulpan teacher. Maayan tries to only talk to me in Hebrew and she is very slow and patient with the fact that I am not completely comfortable with this language yet. I get frustrated sometimes and answer things in Arabic, but I'm trying not to do that too often!

The reason we were able to see one another is because the boys and I decided to invite some people over for a little pre-housewarming housewarming party. We still aren't totally set up so I'm sure once that project is completed we will have another party (not like we really need an excuse though!), and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to have Maayan over for a visit. Morgan, who really planned this whole event, made a delicious dinner for all of us, and we had a great time with good friends in our new place. Everyone seemed to really love the set up and I loved showing it off! After the official party, Maayan and I tagged along with Michael, Gary and some of their friends to an IDC party near the central bus station in Tel Aviv. It was a long night, and by 1:30 in the morning my feet hurt more than I was tired, so Maayan and I decided to leave the boys and call it a night. The only problem with that was that Michael had my key and money so I was very glad Maayan had cash for the cab and Morgan was awake so that I could get into the apartment.

The cab ride home was an adventure in itself, and the cab driver spent much of the ride trying to tell me that I should call or text his nephew and arrange to meet him. He told me that he gives all pretty girls that he drives his nephews number, which was really not incentive for me to call him... AT ALL, although the compliment was appreciated. I was very happy to get home and get to bed. I woke up not feeling very well and hope to God that I'm not getting sick... But I've been lucky to stay healthy this far so I have reason to hope that my streak will continue!

Maayany and Me 

Last night was just more proof that Israel is becoming a place I consider home more and more everyday. Really aside from family and a few friends (who I see on skype more than if I was actually at home), I really don't miss the USA much at all. I am carving out a new life for myself overseas and absolutely wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Until tomorrow <3,

Jordana Simone 

11/9/11: War Is In The Air

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 

It is no secret that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has a fierce hatred towards Israel and the Jewish people. However, in case you aren't aware, here are some things he has said in the past regarding the Jewish state and her citizens:

Washington wants to "save the Zionist entity, but it will not be able to do so."

"This entity (Israel) can be compared to a liver transplanted in a body that rejected it," he said. "Yes it will collapse and its end will be near."

“Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury,”

“The Zionist regime will be wiped out soon the same way the Soviet Union was, and humanity will achieve freedom”

Those who think they can revive the stinking corpse of the usurping and fake Israeli regime by throwing a birthday party are seriously mistaken. Today the reason for the Zionist regime's existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation."

Thanks to God, your wish will soon be realized, and this germ of corruption (Israel) will be wiped off.

 "like a cancer cell that spreads through the body, this regime infects any region. It must be removed from the body,"

And there are many many more... 

It is clear that Ahmadinejad is a dangerous, dangerous enemy for, not only Israel, but many Western countries around the world, and in the wake of Iran's nuclear program, the world's eyes are on both this man and his country. In the past weeks it has been said that an Israeli strike on Iran is more and more likely, and there is much talk about strikes on Iran possibly leading to a 3rd World War. I would be telling a lie if I wasn't very concerned. Ahmadinejad has made it very clear that he would love nothing more than to wipe Israel off of the map, and that fact, combined with Lebanon's (who's Hezbollah government is backed by Iran) statement that future attacks on Israel will no longer be concentrated along borders, but will go straight to Tel Aviv and other large cities, is a very scary and harsh reality that everyone living here must face. 

Maybe it is because I am new to life in Israel, and maybe for other Israelis, who live everyday knowing that their neighbors would love nothing more than for them to disappear, this is all very normal, but I am finding it very hard to deal with the fact that a war in my back yard is very possible. It's also a great discomfort to know that someone as cruel and vehemently against the existence of Israel is about to obtain nuclear weapons. At this point it is looking like there is no way for Israel to stay out of this and still effectively protect her borders and her citizens. 

I am no political expert, nor do I claim to be, and I hope that I am wrong in thinking that we are most likely going to war with Iran, but with everything hypothesized and said it unfortunately looks like more and more of a possibility every day. Ahmadinejad is a brilliant man and a brilliant politician (there is no denying that), and that fact combined with his hatred and terroristic values, plus the acquisition of nuclear weapons, should send sirens ringing through the whole world. At this point the only thing for us citizens to do is to wait, watch, and pray that the governments of the Western countries and countries valuing life and peace, put a stop to Ahmadinejad and his exceedingly dangerous nuclear program. In the wake of this harsh reality so many things are put into perspective, at least for me. Back home I would be reading news headlines about all of the "occupy" movements, Kim Kardashian's divorce, Michael Jackson's doctor, and so on, but here we are inundated with news of possible nuclear war, dictators that want to wipe us of the map, enemies surrounding us at every border, and so on... 

I hope in the coming weeks things begin to settle down, but I will be glued to the news and praying that this does not become the start of WWIII.

Things like this reinforce that you must live for today because tomorrow may bring tragedy. Enjoy every moment of peace and work everyday to ensure that peace remains. That is what I hope to do! 

Aside from that the apartment is coming together nicely, and school is starting to pick up. With all of the work I am doing I better be a Middle East expert by the end of these two years! 

Ma As-salame ya habibs,

Jordana Simone 

11/8/11: Sometimes The Bad Decisions Are The Best Ones

Club Dizengoff 

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I have been in Tel Aviv for almost 4 months and have yet to experience this amazing night life that everyone constantly boasts about. I don't know if it was due to a lack of people to go with, or because I thought that I was above the whole "party" scene now that I'm a "serious" graduate student, but for whatever reason, it has been about 3 and a half months since I have had a night out on the town. 

Luckily for me I now live with a roommate who knows the ins and outs of Tel Aviv night life, and he and one of his friends thought it was time for me to have a proper introduction to club life in the city. I had run out of excuses of why I shouldn't go, aside from the obvious "it's a school night", but I figured if it was just this once it would be fine. Looking back on the decision now, it probably wasn't the most fantastic of ideas, since I didn't get to sleep until almost 4am and had class at 10, but I had a phenomenal time. Because it is so early in the semester, and I don't have so much work to do yet, I was somewhat able to justify going with the guys. To my family who is inevitably reading this blog, don't worry about this becoming a habit. Now that I know what it's like out there I'm comfortable with only partaking in these kinds of activities on weekends! 

I haven't dressed myself up in a long time, so I took this opportunity to go all out. My motto for the night was "go big or go home" (again, not sure how good of a decision that was seeing as I had class the next morning). We ended up at a club called Dizengoff which was a dance club playing a mix of trance-like music, some dubstep, and more traditional dance music. I spent 4 hours enjoying the ambiance of the dark room with laser light displays, amazing music, and a great atmosphere for just letting lose and dancing. After the stressful class day I had (8 consecutive hours at university) I was very grateful for this mini escape. I spent the majority of the time dancing around and trying not to lose the boys, had a few drinks (again, maybe not the greatest idea seeing as my tolerance is beyond pathetic), and really, really enjoyed myself! 

It was just another of many great nights I have had here in the apartment so far. Whether we are going out or just hanging out at home, I always have a great time with the guys. They are fantastic roommates who are starting to become great friends, and couldn't be happier that I will be living in this gorgeous apartment with them for the next year (hopefully longer)! It is a fantastic situation, and I really feel very very lucky. 

Aside from my little night time adventure, my graduate seminars are so interesting and really going very well. Aside from one professor who no one really cares for, I have the feeling that this will be a very informative and useful introductory semester. I am finally starting to narrow down ideas for my seminar research papers so I will soon be starting on some amazing research projects that I hope will prove to be as interesting as they seem fascinating. I am trying to focus all of my papers on the subjects and regions that I will be focusing my thesis on, so I will be writing many papers on various issues regarding Palestinians and various topics regarding the region and people of Jordan. I will try to make those two topics, or a combination of those two topics, fit any seminar I take so that I can pull from research I do for my papers to use for my thesis. It should all be very interesting! 

Until tomorrow :-)

Jordana Simone

11/6/11: When You Find The Balance You Have Peace

Science Meets Religion 

Perhaps one of the most exciting things about being a graduate student is the educational content we now have at our disposals. The wealth of information we are about to gain is unfathomable, and when it is a subject you are truly passionate about (like I am with the Middle East) there is nothing more thrilling than expanding your knowledge. I feel like the readers of my blog will be getting a Master's degree along with me since I will be talking so much about the meat of the content we are studying. I hope you find it as thought provoking and interesting as I do! 

Tonight we were assigned a short story to read for our Islamic studies class, and it was a beautifully written short story by Yahya Haqqi called "The Saint's Lamp". I won't be writing everyday about all of the interesting things that we read in our seminars, but this story struck a lot of nerves and brought up some very relevant issues and situations in terms of Islam, Eastern culture vs. Western culture, self discovery and so on. First of all, though the religion of focus is Islam, this story could be relevant for someone of any faith and so I recommend it to anyone who wants a thought provoking story of a man's journey to find the balance between his life growing up in "Eastern" Egypt, and his adulthood studying medicine in "Western"  England. 

The Saint's Lamp 

Since I think everyone should read the story for themselves I won't go into too much detail in terms of the plot, but instead I will offer my thoughts and relate them to my own personal struggles and experiences. A major theme in this story is the struggle to find the balance between a religious life and a secular life (which also then branches out into the theme of religion and science which I will touch upon later). It is hard to truly understand this struggle between Eastern and Western life until you live in a country with ideals different than your own. I am about as Westernized as the come being a native Californian, and I wouldn't call living in Tel Aviv living in an Eastern country with Eastern ideals, however, the month I spent in East Jerusalem (and even the few days I spent in Jordan) gave me, at least, an idea of what it would feel like to live in a Muslim dominated country. The religious aspect was what was so appealing to me, but was what I also had a lot of struggles with. I am so deeply rooted in faith, and I love that in certain countries and cities faith and religion reigns supreme, however, being secular, there were many aspects of my life that would not be deemed appropriate for such places, and finding the balance between a desire to live in places dominated by religion, while still holding on to my secular ideals, is struggle that I hope to find a comfortable balance to. This situation is similar to that of the main character in the Saint's Lamp who is trying to find his balance and comfort between his Muslim upbringing, and his Western education. 

The issue of science and religion was also touched upon and I think it is a fascinating discussion. I have studied science, and love how things can be proven true through this institution, however, this is both a blessing and a curse for those of us who are religious in the sense that we have ties to our faith and God. Many people use science to justify that there is no God because you can't prove that he exists, and for a person of science this is a convincing argument. How do you know if you can't prove it? To this question I have no answer aside from the fact that I feel God everyday of my life, and if I feel him he must be real. That is what faith is; something that you believe in even in the absence of proof. This, of course, is not a profound explanation of my feelings on the topic, and doesn't offer a very good argument in terms of the science/religion question, but the point is that I believe in science and I believe in God, and I think that they compliment each other. When the times comes for a more in depth look into this question I look forward to further, in depth, analysis and study, however, tonight is not that night. I merely wanted to illustrate that this is an issue brought up in this story and it is very thought provoking.

At the end of the story the main character rediscovers his faith and finds harmony and balance between his larger internal conflicts. I won't deny that I became a bit emotional reading the end of the story because I do feel there is such a power in faith and belief in God, and through that faith one can find a great deal of peace even in the wake of extreme hardship and tragedy.  It is an extremely inspiring story and I hope that everyone will take the time to read it. It is very short and very worth the little time it will take to read! 

Tomorrow I give my first presentation on Jordan and I have continued gathering resources and contacts for my future presentations and thesis! I am so thankful to all of the Jordanians, and people from around the world, who have begun to help me on this amazing journey to learn more about this fantastic country! I would also like to take this time to wish any reader who is Muslim an Eid Mubarak and a very meaningful Feast of the Sacrifice! I can't wait to learn more about this fascinating religion, and I now know that I will have many people helping me expand my knowledge along the way! 

Until Tomorrow! 

Jordana Simone