Introduction

Like many of you perhaps, I was completely unaware of conditions in the Middle East until September 11 2001. That day of course is indelibly marked upon my memory (probably yours too), much like I imagine the day in 1963 is remembered by the generation that witnessed the assassination of President Kennedy. Both events marked a watershed moment, the loss of a kind of innocence that have certainly shaped the future of many people and national policy.

Watching these moments unfold I was struck by the surge of patriotism among Americans. But sadly I also saw the face of bigotry and racism rise as well. Reasonable, intelligent people used ugly names and made rude assumptions about others based on ethnicity and religion. Much of this, I think, was due to the same lack of knowledge that I too was lacking. As I have watched, and learned, I have seen some amazing things come to pass.

What I want to talk with you about in this blogging endeavor is what journalist Mark Shields calls the “tide of democratization sweeping through the Middle East” (PBS News hour, Mar 18 2011). As a democratic nation with a legacy of people that stood up and fought against oppression I think we can all relate to the basic human desire for human dignity in which we can live freely and raise our families in happiness and health.

But why now, after centuries of oppression, are people rising up? What conditions and circumstances have come to pass that common citizens in nation after nation have begun to demand freedom at the risk of security and life? These are some of the subjects I’d like to explore with you, perhaps we will learn new things, gain new perspectives, even find common ground which we can empathize with a culture much different from our own but at the core still human, seeking what we ourselves seek on our own daily lives. I look forward to the journey with you all.