"Religion": this can be the most divisive word, and yet at the heart of most religions is the wish for peace, love, and restoration of a paradise lost.   Ironically, even people of the same faith are united and divided by their slightly different views on a shared religion.  You might think that the "It's a Small World" mindset could bring us closer to one another, but this is not always the case. The same media that can be used to help us understand each other can be used to highlight the flaws of a minuscule minority. The more we know, sometimes, the more we misunderstand.



Today, I had a beautiful moment of peace.

I stood in a Bahraini mosque. The plush carpet, donated by Ireland, caressed my bare feet. The black abaya that I wore to respect my hosts' traditions was a soft and humble dress, and I was relieved that it could fit over my robust hips. I still had my identity; my own pashmina shawl decorated my head with music notes! 



Looking west (!) to Mecca reminded me of looking east to Jerusalem. The modal chants I had just listened to were echoing in my mind, and I couldn't help but notice that Hebrew and Arabic have almost identical words for compassion and mercy.  

I stood alone and sang silently to myself every peace song I knew, in every language I knew.   I remembered what the tour guide, Achmed, had told us about the best prayer starting with your body, then flowing into your mind and then your soul.  I paid attention to my breath to exude peace.  My mind reminded me to sing in my head and not out loud, but I also started thinking: we are all cousins. I just felt love and gratitude for the moment.

After, I went to Achmed and told him how I wish peace for our peoples and for all the world.  He smiled and said, "We are all cousins. All the rest is politics. All the rest is the media which portray a small handful of millions of people in the world. I want what you want, for you, for me, for all peoples."



I could write about Sunni/ Shia splits.

I could write about a form I had to fill out which asked not only for my religion but also my sect.

I could write about the similarities between the Jewish diaspora and the Muslim one.

But I want to focus on his words: I want what you want, for you, for me, for all peoples.



Let our hopes or prayers or wants or actions join together to make the world small enough for us all enough to understand each and large enough for all of us to have our own space to thrive.
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Labels: Activism antisemitism Islam Islamophobia Jewish Judaism Muslim Peace
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