Welcome to 3boor al7odud, or "Crossing Borders." For a few years, I've written occasionally about the conflicts in the Middle East, interfaith dialogue and international relations. In 2010, I published a four-part series on the Arab-Israeli conflict, studying at the time in Amman, Jordan, just a few kilometers from Jerusalem. In June, I will return to Jordan for an intensive Arabic program, followed by two years of study at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies. Inshallah — if God wills — I will receive degrees in Middle East politics and Islamic studies.
I am, by no means, an expert on the Middle East. Frankly, I would call very few people true experts in the region. We all come with our own unique biases, informed by the environment in which we were raised and in which we studied. I do, however, believe I have something to offer to the intense discussions currently racking policy analysts, and more importantly, Arabs, Israelis, Turks and Iranians. For years, I have studied the Middle East from American and Arab perspectives; soon, I will become acquainted with the tremendous experience — putting it lightly — of the British in the Middle East. This web of information, combined with traditional political science methodology, gives me at least some basis from which to examine the tough challenges facing the region.
Above all, though, I wish to only offer my opinion. If one thing has become clear in the so-called Arab Spring, it is that the future of the region is not for the nukhab — the elites — to determine. The shouts ring through the streets, from Tunis to Manama, from Sana'a to Amman, from Damascus to Cairo: al-sha'ab yurid isqaT al-niTHam, the people want to topple the regime. The best any of us can do, as observers, is to stay out of the way, to support when asked and to add to the multitude of information available for all who love the Middle East.
I am, by no means, an expert on the Middle East. Frankly, I would call very few people true experts in the region. We all come with our own unique biases, informed by the environment in which we were raised and in which we studied. I do, however, believe I have something to offer to the intense discussions currently racking policy analysts, and more importantly, Arabs, Israelis, Turks and Iranians. For years, I have studied the Middle East from American and Arab perspectives; soon, I will become acquainted with the tremendous experience — putting it lightly — of the British in the Middle East. This web of information, combined with traditional political science methodology, gives me at least some basis from which to examine the tough challenges facing the region.
Above all, though, I wish to only offer my opinion. If one thing has become clear in the so-called Arab Spring, it is that the future of the region is not for the nukhab — the elites — to determine. The shouts ring through the streets, from Tunis to Manama, from Sana'a to Amman, from Damascus to Cairo: al-sha'ab yurid isqaT al-niTHam, the people want to topple the regime. The best any of us can do, as observers, is to stay out of the way, to support when asked and to add to the multitude of information available for all who love the Middle East.
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