I am now back in Rabat. The other IREX fellows and I will soon be having our final meeting before returning to our homes throughout the United States. As I meet up with the others and we share experiences there is one thing we all seem to have found common among the students we have met. They want us to know they are not terrorist nor is terrorism a part of their faith or beliefs as Muslims.
It is difficult for an American traveling to Morocco or any other predominantly Muslim country to not consider religion. There are also expectations of what is appropriate for me to talk about in my role as a teacher. Add to this the world events since the attack of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 and I feel this is a topic that I must address but, with thoughtfulness and sensitivity.
It would not be appropriate for me to speak on behalf of Islam or any other religion. I can only share from my own individual perspective and hope that others might find some common ground or at least parallels in their own beliefs.
As I have traveled around the world, I have been fascinated by many opportunities to witness and learn about other religions. In particular, the roles of religion in various cultures as well as its role in the lives of the friends I have made around the world. In a way, I find the world to be like a big museum or gallery in which I have been able to observe the application and interpretation of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Shinto, Judaism, Sikhism and other religions in various forms, like paintings on a wall.
Each painting captures its own sense of beauty or understanding of truth from the perspective of the artist. I’m inspired when I am able to feel the sincerity of the artist as he or she offers a glimpse of the beauty or truth they have found. While each work of art is inspired by each individual artist's unique perspective, I can take that piece of their expression and reflect it upon my own life experience and thus move the creative process forward; advancing it to a place of personal relevance. A place where it can speak to me personally and add beauty and deeper understanding into my own life.
What I like about art is its ability to unite our human experiences. Art gives us a way to reflect upon our humanity and provide an opportunity to learn more about ourselves as individuals, communities and human beings. Sometimes my reflections expose blemishes or things that I need to improve but, they always offer a sense of hope and belief in humanity. If I don’t find these qualities within a work of art then to me it is not art. I think the same is true of religion.
My stay here in Morocco has given me a unique opportunity to spend a week with a beautiful Muslim family that clearly sees Islam as I see a beautiful painting and as many of my fellow Americans view their faith. Each of us bring our own life experiences into the gallery. We reflect upon each piece of art in a way that brings about a personal relevance that could be quite different from someone else. But, if we enter the gallery with an open mind and a pure heart, we leave a better person. To me, anything else is not art. I think the students I met would also agree that anything else is not religion.
