interfaith dialogue

Here is a transcript of an online conversation I had with a Syrian man who is learning Japanese. We didn't talk about Japanese though.


K: hi jon , how is life ? how are you ?
J: depressed
K: oh, why ? could you tell me ? what happened !
J: why don't you tell me about yourself instead.
J: You're where? UAE right?
J: are you enjoying life there
K: well not that much
K: life here is expensive and my salary is low . so i can't do much activity
J: If you had the money, would there be a lot of fun things to do? What would you do?
K: hmm. I would go to swim in Jumeira beach each weekend and I would go to music shows .and
K: to a lot of shopping
J: There are music shows there? Nice. Kuwait is a cultural wasteland.
K: and enjoying parties
J: You're 20-something right?
K: you know night life also
K: i am 24
K: and you ?
J: me what? my age? I'm nearly twice your age.
K: i see.
K: and what do you do in your weekends?
J: not much.
J: Are you fasting?
K: yep
K: i enjoy fasting
K: have you visited dubai before?
J: no
J: but you're in one of the other emirates, I thought. you're in dubai?
K: i am in ajman city 50 km near dubai
J: are you still practicing Japanese?
K: yep
J: ganbatte ne
K: i make little advancments. still beginner
J: I am a beginner with arabic
J: but I have a problem with regards to arabic because I am finding the arabic culture to be too conservative for me, and this affects my enthusiasm for learning the language.
K: you mean no alcohol and not sexualy liberated , right ?
K: but still you can enjoy other things in arabic culture !
J: There is more to liberal thinking than sex and alcohol. Those are small things, really.
K: i understand. you mean money and politics
K: Jon , can i ask what you are working in kuwait ?
J: I'm teaching. What country are you from? You're not a native of UAE are you?
K: i am from syria
K: what are you teaching ?
J: does it matter?
K: hmm. just out of curiousity
J: I teach English to children with learning disabilities.
K: i see . nice job
J: Your job is technology related?
K: yep
J: My Arabic tutor is also from Syria. He is a nice man, but also very conservative.
K: you are lucky to have syrian arabic tutor.
J: Yes, I've heard that Syrian Arabic is very good.
K: ya , sure
J: Have you ever had any non-Arab friends?
K: ya, many ..
K: from france , germany and england.
K: when i was in syria. i used to make language exchanges with foriegn students who came there to study arabic.
K: with some of them , the relation develped from language partners to friends
J: nice
K: and you . have you ever had any arab friends?
J: No, I never have. I rarely even met any Arabs before coming to Kuwait. Now that I am in Kuwait, I have opportunities to meet Arabs, but there are few social venues for meeting them. My tutor is a nice man, though we have little in common.
J: I meet more Indians and Pakistanis.
J: Language is also a great barrier with the Arabs I'm meeting. Maybe after I learn more things will change greatly for me. I would like to meet Arab intellectuals.
K: i see.
J: Does that make you think anything?
K: i think that you want to understand the arabic mentality , that is why you want to meet intellectuals
J: I watched a program on CNN about life in the Middle East, and they interviewed people at a music festival. These people were interested in peace and freedom of expression. They said that while the news often shows us the segment of Arabic culture that is extremely religious, there is this other side of Arabic culture. I would like to find that other side. The side that likes to demonstrate their religioius piety is everywhere, but I don't see the other side much.
J: Do you understand what I mean by demonstrative piety? We also have many Christian fundamentalists in the US who take this role. I find it very distasteful. The idea of blaring a religious sermon over loudspeakers so loudly that forces everyone to hear your religious beliefs - I find it very offensive.
J: What are they usually saying during those Friday sermons when they are yelling from the mosques? Do you know?
K: you make me really laugh . yelling from the mosques!!
K: ya, i know what they are yelling !
K: do you want me to tell you ?
J: Do you think I am joking, Khalid? They are screaming and yelling in an angry voice. It makes me very upset, though I have no idea what they are saying. There are 3 mosques all around my apartment.
J: Please tell me.
K: ohh, three mosques around your apartment. you are trapped man !
J: It does not give me a very good feeling.
K: i see.
J: So what are they saying?
K: hmm. lots of things
K: first of all . mercy from God to all muslims.
K: peace , hope and love between muslims
J: I'm sorry but I don't believe that. That kind of message is not delivered in an angry voice.
K: and some sayings against Mr.bosh and his regiem
K: who made war in Iraq and who continues to interfier with middle east issues
K: messages against Israel and Jews
K: Jon, what do you know about Islam?
J: Have you ever met a Jew?
K: no , still pinning hope that one day i meet one
K: we don't see jews in arabic countries. rarely!
J: I have met many Jews. Every Jew I have ever met was very decent and good-hearted. I love Jews.
K: well. this is great that you have met many nice Jews. I hope I can also meet nice jews
K: where did you meet them?
K: In America ?
J: I think I have a pretty informed idea of Islam. I was introduced to Islam when I was a teenager. I had a good friend from Hyderabad who was a devout Muslim. Unfortunately the Jews often have a great feeling of insecurity. They call this a "persecution complex." It is because they have been persecuted for hundreds of years. As you know, there are many Muslims who savor the thought of killing a Jew. Yes, I met Jews in America. I had a very close friend who was a Jew when I was in college. He helped me through some very difficult times in my life. He died from heart illness at a very young age. I was with him days before he died.
K: I am sorry for your friend. really hope that God bless him.
K: but , how told you that Muslims savor the thought of killing Jews?
K: well, I really want you to learn Arabic in order to understand Quran
J: I saw it on YouTube.
K: what did you see in YouTube?!
J: There was a little girl who was trained by her parents to say that Jew were dogs and should be killed.
J: She was a very small girl, barely able to talk.
J: It was in Arabic with English subtitles. It made me very sad.
K: Oh, no Jon. Her father is realy sick
K: no good father will teach his little daughter those kind of things.
J: I agree with you about that.
K: he is for sure not a raw muslim model
K: It seemed that he had suffered a lot dear Jon.
K: that is why he turned to that bad state.
K: I really want you to study and to be perfect in Arabic . so that you can read Quran
J: Some people just have a tendency toward hatred. We have many Christians who feel the same way about people who do not think like them. They are fundamentalists. Every religion has fundamentalists.
K: but this is their problem not the Religion problem i think
K: it is their problems to be fundamentalists , not Islam's or Christanity's problem
K: In Quran for example, God has praised several time Jews
K: He is telling that lots of admired prophets were Jews.
J: Forgive me for saying this, but I don't believe the Quran comes from God. I believe it is a book of religious teachings like any other religious book including the Bible. I believe that God reveals himself to us in our lives. Our life story is God's communication to us. This is my belief.
K: Then let me say to me that Quran include your life story and my life story , and thousands and millions of other societies who were one day living creatures upon our beautiful planet
J: I can tell that you have a good heart and a beautiful spiritual attitude.
K: those qualities that you mentioned , Quran always taught me to be spiritual and to respect others .
K: I can be your arabic tutor for free. Just for one reason
J: Well, if you want to attribute everything to the Quran, that's okay. I think your decency reflects not what Quran has done with you, but rather what you have done with the Quran.
K: well even though I don't agree on that. I still want to be your tutor so that one day you will be able to read and judge
K: maybe you will change my vision on Quran , as I really seek truth
K: Truth and nothing but Truth
K: I am really open to all people.
J: When a person immerses himself in something, the ideas will inevitably alter his thinking. If you were to study Buddhism or Christianity or Judaism or even Hinduism very seriously, you would start to see truth there, and if you don't turn back, you would become a convert. I know that as a human being, I have an impressionable mind, and I could be drawn into any of these. But I don't want to go in that direction. Therefore, I look at the Quran as a kind of trap. I am not interested in studying it. I trust God to lead me in my life. I don't need to seek truth because it comes to me every day.
K: I see.
J: This is really true, Khalid. Also your life experience gives you the direction of your soul's journey. If it is consistent with the Quran's teaching from birth to death, it is still the story that life has given you.
J: Thank you for hearing my thoughts and sharing yours. I appreciate having this conversation with you. It is the first time I have spoken candidly with a Muslim.
K: me also. I appreciate it.
J: I have an idea. I know that Muslims pray at designated times during the day. I pray at undesignated times. But I always pray when I am going to bed and falling asleep. I will be praying soon as I lay down for my night of sleep. I will pray for your peace and happiness without any specific wish for any change in your religious status. Please do the same for me.
K: sure sure. I really pray for your happiness. Have a nice sleep . sweet dreams also. Hope to talk to you soon next time
K:
J: Good night!
K: Good night and take care
K: Bye
J: Masalaama
K: مع السلامة