Our Unique Opportunity

The top headline on BBC World News today read: "Call to bridge West-Muslim divide: A cross-cultural group of 20 prominent world figures has called for urgent efforts to heal the growing divide between Muslim and Western societies."

Considering escalating confrontations between the Arab World and the Western World, I consider myself and the many American Peace Corps Volunteers in Morocco (as well as Jordan before they were evacuated recently) to be in a special position. We have been granted the opportunity to live among a Muslim people, to understand their culture, their day-to-day lives, to speak their native Arabic dialect and become their friends. I have grown to love many people here as dear friends, recalling times when conversations have brought tears to my eyes - tears of love for a Moroccan "sister" or friend. As many among both civilizations grow agitated at the actions and words of eachother, we are able to transcend the hurt, the confusion and frustration and befriend eachother. I hope that each of us, in our communications back home, in our blogs, and when we complete our service and return to the States for jobs in international relations, development work, nursing and many other fields, that we take with us both the personal love for people of this Muslim country and a more in depth understanding of their views of us as Americans and simply human beings, both critical and positive. And vice versa. Moreover, to take action to stimulate understanding rather than strife between us.

This is an experience, in this day and age that will stay with me a lifetime, and in many ways that I nor my fellow PCV's cannot yet perceive, will allow us to play small or large roles, all significant in their own right, in a struggle between civilizations.