Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
those needlessly paranoid tourists likely had my guidebook in the bag they were clutch-
ing. I wished I could grab their topics and update all the information that I now realized
was bad advice.
While I was comfortable and enjoyed a fascinating Moroccan experience on my own,
the frightened tour groups reminded me of some kind of self-inflicted hostage crisis. They
sailed away still filled with fear, but I was celebrating an Islamic nation that was stable,
enjoying a thriving economy, and made me feel perfectly welcome. The tourists were
thankful they didn't get ripped off or diarrhea. I had overcome my fear and was thankful
Morocco was doing so well.
In some cases, visiting a country on a tour ruins any opportunity to really learn about
that place. While that may be a lost opportunity and a costly mistake, it can also be a valu-
able lesson. Any one of those tourists could return and, with a different attitude (and better
guidebook advice), be welcomed not as a customer, but as a friend.
I am a Christian who wants to believe we can live peacefully with Islam. One thing is clear
to me: What I learn about Islam from media in the US can fill me with fear and anger.
What I learn about Islam by traveling in Muslim countries fills me with hope.
Of course there are real dangers. And rare is the religion whose fundamentalist fringe
wouldn't kill in the name of God. But no society should fear another society simply be-
cause their leaders and media say they should. Before anyone hardens their take on Islam,
a little travel to a moderate Muslim country can be a good idea. (It's a sad irony that ter-
rorism causes Americans to travel less.) If you can't visit in person, travel to Islam vicari-
ously by seeking out connections and friendships with people from cultures and religions
that are different from your own.
The centuries-old tension between Christendom and Islam is like a human sharing a
forest with a bear. Both just want to gather berries, do a little fishing, raise their kids, and
enjoy the sun. Neither wants to do harm to the other, but—because they can't readily com-
municate—either would likely kill the other if they crossed paths. The world is our forest
and we're sharing it with others. As it gets smaller, more and more cultures will cross
paths. Our advantage over the human and the bear: we can communicate.
