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"Coexistence House" Helps Bridge Religious, Ethnic Differences

USINFO Webchat transcript, April 4

Danielle Josephs, the founder of the Middle East Coexistence House at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and house residents Dalia Gheith, Sara Elnakib and Samantha Shanni participated in an April 4 USINFO webchat on how their living situation helps efforts to bridge religious and ethnic differences and encourage women’s involvement in international conflict resolution and negotiation.

Following is the transcript:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
USINFO Webchat Transcript

The Middle East Coexistence House: Women Bridging Religious and Ethnic Divides

Guest:     Danielle Josephs, Dalia Gheith, Sara Elnakib and Samantha Shanni
Date:      Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Time:      8:00 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT)

Moderator: Dear participants, we look forward to hearing from you today. If you would like, please tell us where you are joining today's webchat from. You do not have to tell us your name.

You can do this by selecting the "comment" option.

Middle East Coexistence House: Danielle Josephs is a senior at Douglass College double-majoring in political science and Middle Eastern studies. The daughter of an American mother and an Israeli father, Danielle has always held a fervent interest in the Middle East and is working to realize her goal of becoming a Middle East negotiator/policymaker.

A huge proponent of Middle East coexistence, Danielle founded the Middle East Coexistence House with the dual aim of bridging the gap between Jewish/Israeli and Arab/Muslim/Christian women at Rutgers and encouraging women’s involvement in international conflict resolution and negotiation.

For the past two summers, Danielle has served as a research assistant for Professor Brian Mandell at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where she is researching Middle East policy frameworks and negotiations. She is also the winner of GLAMOUR Magazine’s 2006 Top Ten College Women Scholarship.

Question [Abraham_Lincoln]: When I learned about your inspiring efforts, I was impressed and had a hunch that cooperation between women of different religions might work better than the one between men of different religions. I wonder how you feel about that? If your answer is yes, could you give us some reasons or instances?

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: Good morning! Thank you to everyone for participating in this chat. As the founder of the House and a student at Douglass College (the all women's college at Rutgers University in which we are enrolled) I have come to understand the ability of a critical mass of women to initiate major political change. Women, in my opinion, have a different skill set then men (the ability to be forward-thinking, see the bigger picture, etc.) It has also been proven that women tend to be more collaborative.

It is vital that women assume positions of leadership in government because they have a lot to bring to the table. In collaboration with men and existing leaders, I think that women can make a significant change in the region.

Question [warda]: Hello. I am Warda from the University of Oran in Algeria. I would like to thank you of giving me the chance to participate with you. My question is: What are the efforts of young Americans to bridge religious and ethnic diversity? Thank you.

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: Hi Oran. There are a number of grassroots efforts on American college campuses to bridge cultural gaps and embrace diversity. Our House is one example. In fact, our House is the first living-learning community of its kind on any American college campus. Our model is being replicated next year on a number of American college campuses, including the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Question [benama]: Even what you are doing look good for you. You are free but excuse me if I say that by saying that you are bridging religious and ethnic differences -- you are not doing good things for your religions because what I know is that all pure religions call for the coexistence between nations, so the problem is not the religion, because for me as a Muslim, I know that a Jewish person was the neighbor of our prophet MOHAMMED (peace and blessings be upon him) during years in his city (the city of the prophet).

Thank you for reading my comment.

Middle East Coexistence House [Dalia Gheith]: Hello, this is Dalia. Why are we not doing good things for our religions? On the contrary, I think we are doing good things for our religions when we coexist with members of other religions, because that shows that there are members of our religious community who are open, and willing to coexist with and accept members of different religions. In any case, I personally believe that problems arise with the interpretations of religious doctrines not the religious doctrines themselves. I agree with you, I don't think any religion is a problem.

I'm a freshman at Douglass College. I'm interested in foreign languages and international affairs and relations. I'm of Palestinian origin, and I lived in Saudi Arabia and Jordan for 11 years before coming to the U.S.

Middle East Coexistence House [Sara Elnakib]: Hi, my name Sara Elnakib. I am one of the Muslim members of the Middle East Coexistence House. I am a 22-year-old senior studying Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University. I currently live in Paterson New Jersey, however, I was born in Egypt and came to the U.S. when I was 3 years old. And I would be happy to answer any of your questions :)

Question [April2]: Have you had "ah-ha!" moments? I mean a comment, an exchange, or an action that suddenly opened your eyes with new understanding about the person from a different culture and how they see the world? What happened?

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: Hi April. I think there are "ah-ha!" moments everyday. When you live with someone, you get to know them on a completely different level. Everyday is a learning experience. Every encounter broadens your knowledge base. For example, at the outset of the project, I was unaware that Muslim women could take off their hijab (headscarf) in the presence of other women. During the first week, when one of my residents took off her scarf, I practically ran the other way so as not to embarrass her. She later told me that it was totally appropriate.

Question [IRC Cairo]: Dalia, did u at first feel angry by living with a student Jewish same time u are Palestinian origin?

Middle East Coexistence House [Dalia Gheith]: This is Dalia. No, I did not. In fact, I was already expecting to be living amongst Jews in the Middle East Coexistence House. I wanted this to happen because if it did not, it would not be a true "Middle East Coexistence" experience for me.

Question [April2]: What about other friends, participants who aren't part of the House? Do they come over? Do they become part-time participants in the coexistence experiment? Or do you see how your life-experiment is affecting other people in your lives and their cultural attitudes?

Middle East Coexistence House [Dalia Gheith]: Many of my friends have been affected by our project. It can change a persons attitude about how to solve the conflict. It can also give students hope because we are trying a new strategy and not giving up. In speaking to people I know about this project it has also brought awareness about the Muslim culture and what its like to live with someone religious or someone who is Middle Eastern.

Middle East Coexistence House [Samantha Shanni]: Hi, this is Samantha Shanni. I am happy to be here. I am a sophomore majoring in psychology and Middle Eastern Studies. I grew up in an interfaith family. My mother is Christian and my father is Jewish.

Question [cario irc]: Islam is truly a religion that advocates tolerance of people of other faiths; [o humankind we [God] have created you male and female]; and made you into communities and tribes; so that you may know one another. Surely the noblest amongst you in the sight of God is the most god-fearing of you. God is ALL-Knowing and ALL-Aware. [Holy Quran 49-13] How Muslims to live in peace with non-Muslims in USA? [Egypt, ALI EID]

Middle East Coexistence House [Dalia Gheith]: Hello, this is Dalia. I believe that in order for us Muslims to live in peace with non-Muslims in the U.S., we must have a good understanding of the tolerance of which our faith speaks and which it promotes. Consequently, we will become more open and accept dealing with and living amongst people of different faiths. For Muslims who are living in coexistence with members of different faiths, I think they are doing just that: Being accepting of people from different faiths and understanding of the fact that their faith promotes tolerance.

Question [April2]: How long is this living arrangement going to go on? Are other participants waiting for a vacancy in the house to join?

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: This is the first year in which the House has been in place. The good news is that the project has been institutionalized at Douglass College of which we are a part and will be implemented by administrators and students for years to come. We already have our House members lined up for next year. There are fourteen of them.

Question [Bina]: I am Happy to see group of young girls celebrate, I have a question:

1. What do you think about secular ([separate] the religious from the governing)?

2. What is your advice to those who are missing understanding about the religious?

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: 1. In this country, I think a secular government functions well. I am not saying that a secular government is necessarily better or worse than a non-secular government. It depends on the country which has such a government. Personally, I see no problem with the idea of separating religion from government. In fact, in a country with people from different religious backgrounds, a secular government works best, in my opinion.

2. They should read about other religions, and talk to people of different religions. But most of all, I would advice such people to keep an open mind, and try to welcome the idea of the existence of different religions, and accept people of different religious backgrounds.

Question [Cario IRC - Maha from Cairo asks]: SARA: Tell me about ur experience by living side-by-side with students from different cultures and religions?

Question [IRC Cairo]: Hi, Danielle, I am Sally from Egypt. I want to ask you about your vision of Islam and how Muslims are treated in America? Are there good communication between you as Jewish and other Muslims or Christians?

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: Hi, Sally. Thanks so much for your question. To be honest with you, Islam has always fascinated me. My father is an Iraqi Jew. His parents were born and raised in Iraq -- they lived their entire lives there. My grandparents from Iraq grew up coexisting with their Arab and Muslim neighbors.

At Rutgers, I have been studying Arabic and think that it is a beautiful language. Because I also speak Hebrew, Arabic has been much easier to learn. I have many Muslim friends and it is upsetting to me to hear the experiences that they encounter as Muslims today. It is especially frustrating to know that my Muslim residents, most of whom wear hijab, encounter daily discrimination. I am determined, through this project, to help demystify misperceptions about Islam and Muslim women.

Moderator: Rutgers University students attend the launch of the Middle East Coexistence House on the Douglass College Campus.

Question [cario irc]: Dear Miss. Danielle JOSEPHS. Do WE agree that poverty, gender equality, environmental problems, peace and human security, governing globalization, are the most important problems and challenges facing humanity as we enter the 21st Century? Warm Greetings and flowers from Egypt [Egypt ALI EID]

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: Thank you so much for your question. Yes, I completely agree that environmental problems, peace and human security, and globalization are very pressing issues. However, the key is that we must work together as a global community and society to solve them. There are many inspiring examples of Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East collaborating on environmental projects in the region. These gigantic problems will only be solved if we put our minds together and commit to work as a team.

Question [April2]: What's in your refrigerator? How do you manage mealtimes? Are you learning about foods from your various cultures?

Middle East Coexistence House [Dalia Gheith]: Hello, this is Dalia. I barely have anything in my refrigerator, except maybe milk or water. As for mealtimes, I personally go to the dining hall in my campus, as we generally don't have mealtimes in our dormitory in which everyone comes and eats together, so we're each left to get our own meal. Yes, I am learning about foods from various cultures in the Middle East. At times, people from the Middle East Coexistence House, or outside the House, bring some foods from their culture and let us taste them.

Question [IRC Cairo]: Sara, how did you as a Muslim girl be able to deal with other people from different religions? And what is their image about Islam in the American society?

Middle East Coexistence House [Sara Elnakib]: This is Sara. Well personally I try to interact with everyone in a very respectful manner because as a Muslim I was taught to be respectful and kind to everyone I interact with. And so when people see you respecting yourself and them they automatically respond positively and are very kind, however you do encounter every once in a while someone who doesn't understand Islam and is not willing to discuss anything. For those people I still act very kind but try to talk to them and see how I can help change there opinion of Islam, because at the end it’s only a difference of opinion.

Question [IRC Cairo - Maha from Cairo asks]: I like 2 know about your experience Danielle: what was your first impression by dealing with Arab/Muslim? Why did u choose 2 be a MIDLLE EAST negotiator?

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: Hi Cairo. (By the way, I am looking forward to visiting Cairo for the first time this summer!)

To be honest, because my father's family grew up in Iraq, I have been exposed to Arab culture from a very young age. As a Jew with a large family in Israel, I have learned that Jews and Muslims have many similarities. There are differences, however, and we have to learn to focus on what we share and work together.

The Middle East needs more women leaders. I am passionate about trying to bridge gaps between cultures. I think the Middle East is in need of that more than ever. Call me an idealist, but we can't just throw up our hands and give up. We must keep trying for the sake of younger generations.

Question [Abraham_Lincoln]: Thank you for your answer.

I think that politics is too important to leave only to men. Men tend to emphasize confrontation against opponents in their eagerness to distinguish themselves. By contrast, women universally represent peace and reconciliation. Therefore, I think encouraging women’s involvement in international conflict resolution is very important and can be a decisive factor.

However, I understand that, in the Middle East societies, it is very difficult for women to participate into politics because of the traditions there. Could you advise your view as to how to encourage and facilitate women’s participation into politics in the Middle East?

Middle East Coexistence House [Sara Elnakib]: Hi Abe, about your question before weather women have a more peaceful political views then men, that has been a central discussion in our class for the past year and we haven't come up with one opinion; we have opinions ranging from only women should be in power to no women should be in power. Personally I think that women can be just as conflict oriented and not peaceful as men. We commonly discuss the era of Golda Meir and what happened to the Palestinians in her office as prime minister. We also discuss how so many Palestinian mothers encourage suicide bombing.

So as you see its not that women have some sort of natural tendency towards peace its just that perhaps as educated women, who are tolerant of one another and passionate about changing the present world, will we have a chance to help the Middle East. And finally about female leaders in the Middle East, despite the barriers of tradition there are many educated females in office specifically in Egypt and Kuwait. And I see that with globalization many things are slowly changing including women's impact on politics and society as a whole.

Question [cario irc]: GOOD MORNING and Warm Greetings from Cairo. We need to move from a clash of civilizations to a culture of peace. We have a communal background; TOWARDS a Dialogue of Civilizations. What about the roles of post- undergraduates students and academics in USA AND Middle East in Restoring Trust and Understanding between the Muslim, Christian, and Judaic worlds? [EGYPT; Ali eid - Ph.D student].

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: Hi Cairo. As a matter of fact, the woman who teaches our weekly seminar on Middle East Conflict Resolution and Negotiation is a graduate student currently acquiring her PhD in political science at Rutgers University.

Graduate students and faculty can play an important role in facilitating dialogue. Graduate students can also establish organizations on their campuses dedicated to stimulating productive dialogue. Faculty can play a major role because they influence thousands of students. If students see that faculty are taking pains to make sure that they work with a diversity of professors from different backgrounds, students will follow suit.

Question [matrix16]: Hi.

Question [jrabadov]: Have you succeeded in bridging the religious differences between Muslim, Jewish and Christian? IF YES, what have you done so far to bridge the gap between these variety of cultures?

Middle East Coexistence House [Dalia Gheith]: Hello, this is Dalia. I believe we have succeeded in bridging the religious differences between the three religious groups -- within -- the Middle East Coexistence House. By agreeing to live with each other, we also agreed to accept each other regardless of our faiths. We try to understand each other's points of view and learn more about each other's backgrounds. Because, I believe, we understood how to bridge our religious differences, we try to promote the message of coexistence outside our residence and show other people inside and outside our university what we have done.

Middle East Coexistence House [Samantha Shanni]: In our house class, an important thing that we do to bridge culture gaps is learn the history of different cultures and countries. We learn how the Middle East became what it is today and also about customs, traditions and cultural practices. Sometimes we see similarities among cultures and philosophies that one may not expect. This practice is important because to help a conflict you must understand it first.

Question [jrabadov]: I have registered myself to join this web chat but I still don't figure out how it works. [Moderator's Note: Your questions will appear when answered by our guest speakers.]

Question [IRC Cairo]: Danielle: Are you looking forward to visiting Cairo for the first time this summer!

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: Yes! I am so excited! I have visited Israel a number of times, and just this winter, I went to Turkey for the first time. I am very eager to visit other parts of the Middle East so that I can truly put all that I've learned into perspective.

Question [wcwcwc_472]: I’m a college student in China, and I got a position in our class (the power as monitor). Recently, the dean of students wants to dismiss me because I don’t obey his order (actually there’s no controlling relation or belonging relation between us, I’m elected by the people -- my dear classmates when I was a freshman last year). How can I do?

[Moderator's note: This question from China brings up an interesting point, how has the University reacted to your student-led initiative? Is there support from the University?]

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: That is a tough question. I was lucky -- since my freshman year, I have fostered a very close relationship with the Dean of Douglass College. When I had the idea to launch a Middle East Coexistence House, I called her immediately to set up a meeting. She was extremely receptive and committed to making sure that the Middle East Coexistence House became a reality at Douglass College. The administration was very supportive.

My first suggestion is that you work closely with administrators who do support you. Have them help you and support you in your conflict with the dean. I would also suggest that you build a coalition of students. When a critical mass of students speaks, the administration has to listen.

Question: Hello everyone. My name is amir. I'm a freshman at Douglass College. I'm interested in foreign not god languages and international affairs and relations. I'm of Palestinian origin, and I lived in Saudi Arabia and Jordan for 11 years before coming to the U.S. can you to chat to amir

[Moderator's Note: Dear Amir, we passed your email address directly to the house members.]

Middle East Coexistence House [Samantha Shanni]: Hi Amir. What do you think about our project? Is there anything specific you want to chat about?

Question [IRC Cairo - Ahmed from Cairo]: I'd like to ask Danielle: What exactly is your religion?

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: Hi Ahmed. I am Jewish.

Question [cario irc]: SARA, hi. What about the Influence of American Muslim Intellectuals in Arab World?

Middle East Coexistence House [Sara Elnakib]: Personally, I have strongly believe in the power of American Muslims in the Arab world. I find that perhaps with the knowledge and education received in the U.S. one can be very influential in the Middle East. I personally am planning to go back to Egypt to live there after I graduate and hopefully somehow change health care in the Middle East.

IRC Cairo: Sara, how did you as a Christian girl be able to deal with other people from different religions? And what is their image about [Coptic Christians] in the American society?

Middle East Coexistence House [Sara Elnakib]: I'm sorry I think you may have misunderstood I am Muslim, and unfortunately there are no Coptic women in this house, even though we are looking for one to be a part of the house.

Question [IRC Cairo]: How can a Muslim live in U.S.A now?

Middle East Coexistence House [Sara Elnakib]: Muslims live quite well in the U.S. today. After September 11, 2001 there was a huge movement from non-Muslims to understand Islam. And since there was this increase in discussion and debate about the religion people started seeing that there are very simple and peaceful concepts in Islam and this made people less afraid and more tolerant and welcoming to Muslims. However, this isn't the case with everyone. I think it mainly depends on where you live. Many people still do not understand Islam and do not want to understand.

Question [IRC Cairo]: Sara, how did you as a Christian girl be able to deal with other people from different religions? and what is their image about [Coptic Christians] in the American society?

Middle East Coexistence House [Samantha Shanni]: I was used to dealing with other religions because half of my family is also Jewish. But I do find that when talking about Christianity in American society a lot of people only talk about the evangelicals or extremely conservative Christians in the government. It is similar to the way people can stereotype Muslims as one certain thing. The more knowledgeable on the religion you are the less this happens.

Question [Coexistence – Abulezz]: Plato said that "Dialogue is a human virtue through which man knows the variant of war.” So what is the role of American mass media in promoting the value?

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: Hi Abulezz. The media is in the business of making and selling news. Each network has its own agenda and set of values. Unfortunately, most of what we see in the news is conflict and violence. Those with positive messages must learn how to effectively captivate the media's attention and through the media, communicate with the American public.

Our project has been very fortunate. In the past few months, the Middle East Coexistence House has been featured in the New York Times, the Jerusalem Post, the BBC and MTV. We hope that through the media, we can encourage others to take courageous steps towards breaking barriers.

Middle East Coexistence House [Samantha Shanni adds]: American media needs to voice the successes and progress in the Middle East rather than only voicing the setbacks and conflicts. Exaggerating or focusing on conflict to increase ratings will only hurt the situation. Taking the financial incentive out of reporting would help to accomplish a fairer and balanced media.

Question [Moderator - Maha from Cairo asks]: SARA: Tell me about your experience by living side-by-side with students from different cultures and religions?

Middle East Coexistence House [Sara Elnakib]: This house had such a great impact on my life, first of all I was able to learn so much about different cultures. It’s a common scene to come into our rooms at like 2:00 in the morning watching us discuss religion, politics and life. Its so interesting because even though I have known Jewish and Christian people throughout my life I never had the courage to ask them about their lives and so this house gave me that opportunity to actually learn about not only Jewish culture but about many other cultures as well.

Middle East Coexistence House [Dalia Gheith]: Thank you for your questions, everyone! Answering them was an enjoyable experience. I hope my answers provided insight into the life in the Middle East Coexistence House, and the U.S. in general. Goodbye, everyone.

Middle East Coexistence House [Danielle Josephs]: Hi everyone. It has been a pleasure chatting with you all for the past hour. We greatly appreciate your support and interest. Please continue the valuable work you are doing all throughout the world in striving to create opportunities for dialogue among people of different faiths and ethnicities. It is vital that we are here for one another and that we participate actively in today's global society. Thank you all so much.

Question [IRC Cairo]: How did you as a Muslim girl be able to deal with other people from different religions? And what is their image about Islam in the American society? Amir

Middle East Coexistence House [Sara Elnakib]: Like I mentioned before, most Americans after 9/11 have looked into books and different things to try and understand Islam and after reading about Islam they become very tolerant and understanding. However, this is not the case with everyone. Muslims do encounter people who do not understand Islam and thus fear it. As a Muslim girl who wears my scarf I encounter this first hand, with mean remarks. But I handle it by being nice and kind to people and try and discuss their issues instead of just having people walk away still ignorant about Islam.

I hope everyone found the webchat productive. Thank you for this opportunity! I hope our message and project will continue to be spread so others can learn from it. Thanks again!

Middle East Coexistence House [Samantha Shanni]: Thank you so much for your time. I hope his discussion helped you in understanding the house and our initiative.

Moderator: We wish to thank Danielle Josephs, Dalia Gheith, Sara Elnakib and Samantha Shanni for joining us today. The webchat is now closed. Please visit our USINFO Webchat Station homepage for more information on upcoming events.

(Guests are chosen for their expertise. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of State.)