Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
had my guidebook in the bag they were clutching. I wished I could grab their
books and update all the information that I now realized was bad advice.
While I was comfortable and enjoyed a fascinating Moroccan experi-
ence on my own, the frightened tour groups reminded me of some kind of
self-inl icted hostage crisis. h ey sailed away still i lled with fear, but I was
celebrating an Islamic nation that was stable, enjoying a thriving economy,
and that didn't concern itself much with America. h e tourists were thank-
ful they didn't get ripped of 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 mis-
take, it can also be a valuable lesson. Any one of those tourists could return
and, with a dif erent attitude (and better guidebook advice), be welcomed
not as a customer, but as a friend.
The Human, the Bear, and the Forest
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 i ll
me with fear and anger. What I learn about Islam by traveling in Muslim
countries i lls me with hope.
Of course there are real dangers. And rare is the religion whose fun-
damentalist fringe wouldn't kill in the name of God. But no society should
fear another society simply because 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 terrorism causes Americans
to travel less.) If you can't visit in person, travel to Islam vicariously by seek-
ing out connections and friendships with people from cultures and religions
that are dif erent from your own.
h e 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
i shing, raise their kids, and enjoy the sun. Neither wants to do harm to the
other, but—because they can't readily communicate—either would likely kill
the other if they crossed paths. h e 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.
