Dojustly.lovemercy.walkhumblywithyourGod.

Teach the ignorant as much as you can; society is guilty in not providing universal free education, and it must answer for the night it produces. If the soul is left in darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin but the one who causes the darkness.
–Victor Hugo in Les Miserables

It is exactly two months until I enter my 24th year of life and three months until I return home for a visit to beautiful “Minn-e-snow-da!”

I have recently returned from a fantastic week at camp up in the mountain village of Hacikənd, about an hour and a half from Gancə. The camp was an educational experience, sponsored by the Democracy Commission and designed to promote leadership and other transferable skills to promising community youth. Located within a hike of the famed Kapez Mountain, the compound consisted of a series of large rooms, a kitchen, bathroom, shower, and living space. In addition, after hopping two fences, one may access a vast series of unadulterated grassy fields, hills, and mountains—a perfect spot for epic games of “Capture the Flag” and “World Cup.” The classes were great and I was able to spend a good amount of time leading discussions on freedom and democracy, stereotypes and discrimination. I also had the good fortune to lead a yoga class, teaching such practices as “greeting the sun” before breakfast. Overall, I had a great time getting to know the students, PV site mates, and enjoying the beautiful scenery. As a result, returning to site was somewhat bittersweet as we seemed to have created something of a haven in the mountains possessing a comfort level that I have never experienced in all my years as a camper and councilor. However, there continues to be work to be done here in Gancə.

I recently lead the first session of my six-week film and discussion group; this term’s topic being “Borders, Discrimination, and Conflict.” The goal of the meetings is to expose and discuss the potential consequences of stereotypes at the communal and individual levels. Due to logistical challenges, we were not able to watch the first film on the list (“Remember the Titans”) but skipped to the second installment: an episode of the famed series “The West Wing” entitled “Isaac and Ishmael.” The episode emerged following the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001 and attempted to unpack the conflicts and misunderstandings inherent to the average American perspective at the time. The story creates a space in which to discuss issues of terrorism, Islamic extremism, and discrimination against Muslim Americans immediately following the attacks. While the tenability of some of the statements in the episode remain debatable, I find its appeal for pluralism and critical thought with regard to prejudice compelling. Furthermore, its exposure of the misunderstandings and unsophisticated discourse surrounding Islam as a religion and a way of life within the present American vernacular give us room for pause.

As you may know, Azerbaijan is a predominantly Shi’a Muslim country whose history represents a conglomeration of Soviet, Turkish, Persian, and European influences. Hence the recent protests in New York and nonsensical threats by a certain angry man in Florida seem to confirm rather than deny the stereotype that Americans live under the premise “that the rest of the world, if properly packed could fit into the confines of Rino, Nevada” (David Sedaris in Me Talk Pretty One Day). In discussing various statements and acts of discrimination against Muslim and Arab Americans—my personal favorite being a journalist’s policy suggestion that Muslim-Americans should carry I.D. cards—I had little to say in response. In Azerbaijan I am frustrated by what seems to be a series of assumptions and stereotypes ranging from, “you are Chinese. What are you selling?” to “you are American and therefore must be a wealthy Christian missionary here to collect souls.” How do I justifiably reject the premises of such generalizations given recent events? Sometimes I wave my Minnesota flag, informing students that prejudice against certain groups is changing—“look at Minnesota whose fifth district recently sent the first Muslim member of the House of Representatives to Washington…” Of course, this line of argumentation only takes you so far and, considering the number of election cycles in United States history combined with pejorative comments regarding the religious convictions of President Obama and the book of choice for Representative Ellison’s swearing in, one must wonder: are we really as far ahead in our practice of democratic values as we collectively claim? The recent protests in New York appear to be the latest installment in a reality that most Americans are unwilling or unable to admit: prejudice and discrimination continue to color the discourse of what I have repeatedly described to my students as “the racial, religious, and ideological melting pot of the world.”

Before I get off of my passive-aggressive soap box, I would like to make the following appeal: before advocating or protesting a particular normative action regarding a particular group, please ask yourself: how can I justifiably ask the rest of the world to open their minds to an image of Americans and the United States beyond media and hearsay when individuals in the place I call home are not doing likewise?

I am aware of the fact that this is the month of both Eid el-Fitr (known in Azerbaijan as Ramzan Bayram) and the “Days of Awe” for the Jewish people. I wish you and yours a wonderful month. Perhaps I will wander down the bazaar today and seek out apples, honey, and bread. Somehow, I get the feeling it won’t be the same as those on Grand Avenue in St. Paul though…