In the international community, anti-U.S. sentiment has been exacerbated by events like the Iraq War, the war in Afghanistan, the Guantanamo Bay scandal, and the drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Likewise, stereotypes and misconceptions of the Islamic World have been common place in the United States since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Rebecca Cataldi, a program manager for a non-profit in Washington, D.C. is working to change these perceptions with her initiative – the American-Islamic Friendship Project. She was inspired to start this project – a collection of messages of peace and friendships between people in the U.S. and the Muslim world – after visiting the Middle East and Pakistan. Below, she tells CHUP more about her initiative, why she started it, and what you can do to contribute:
Q: Can you explain the concept behind your American-Islamic Friendship Project?
The American-Islamic Friendship Project collects messages of peace and friendship from Americans to people in the Muslim world and from people in the Muslim world to Americans. When enough messages have been gathered, I hope to publish them in a book to be distributed in America and various Muslim countries. The goal is to build greater understanding and friendship between our countries by allowing the voices of “ordinary” people to be heard, dispelling the perception that Americans and people in the Muslim world harbor hostility toward each other, and connecting Americans and people from diverse Muslim countries in promoting our common desire for a more peaceful world.
Q: What inspired you to start this initiative?
Events such as 9/11 and the Iraq War made me want to do something to promote friendship and greater understanding between Americans and people in the Muslim world. I believe that cultural exchange and personal relationships between “ordinary” people can play a powerful role in creating social change and improving relations between their nations. So I began to visit Muslim-majority countries so that I could meet people and learn about their culture firsthand. I admit I was a little apprehensive at first. I wasn’t sure how people would treat me as an American. Many Americans have the perception that people in Muslim countries don’t like them or would be hostile to them if they came to their countries. Before I went to Egypt, for example, people in America told me to be careful and worried that something might happen to me. When I got there, however, I was overwhelmed by the kindness and hospitality of the Egyptian people. Instead of the hostility or anti-American prejudice I was afraid I might find, I found that people were curious about Americans and were happy that someone from America wanted to learn about their country. In talking about political and cultural issues, we found we had much more in common than we had expected. Yet I was surprised to see that many Egyptians seemed to have the perception that Americans don’t like Arabs or Muslims or would be hostile to them if they came to America. I had a similar experience when I went to Pakistan on a project to visit women’s madrassas. People there were incredibly kind, hospitable, and welcoming to me. They didn’t seem to dislike Americans, yet many of them seemed to believe that Americans dislike them.
In my opinion, the majority of people in America and in the Muslim world don’t have any hostility toward each other and want to have greater friendship and understanding between our countries, yet we tend to believe that the other has hostility toward us. I wanted to dispel this misperception by finding a way for Americans and people in the Muslim world to be able to communicate their real feelings to each other. One Egyptian university student did some beautiful drawings symbolizing peace and friendship between Muslims and non-Muslims, and she asked me to take them back to my country and share them with Americans. I was touched by her desire to reach out to us, and when I shared them with Americans, they were so happy to receive a message of peace and friendship from someone in the Muslim world. I started the American-Islamic Friendship Project for two reasons-first, because I wanted to return the kindness I had received in Muslim countries with the gift of messages of kindness and peace from my own country, and second, because I wanted to enable people in America and the Muslim world to hear the real feelings of each other, the feelings of ordinary people beyond what we hear in the media.
Q: What were the most surprising reactions to the book, both from the American and the Muslim side?
The reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. I guess what surprised me most on the American side was how many people said something like, “I’ve been wanting to reach out to people in these countries for long time and I didn’t know how.” They were so happy for an opportunity to communicate with people in the Muslim world. What surprised me most in the Muslim world were the reactions of some madrassa teachers in Pakistan when the messages were shared with them. Some of them actually cried when they read what Americans had written. One madrassa teacher, upon reading a message from a six-year-old American girl, said, “If American children are writing to us to express peace and love, then we have to respond in kind-not only with our words, but with our actions.”
Q: How can initiatives like yours help bridge the gap between the U.S. and the Islamic World?
“Ordinary” people have such a powerful role to play in building better relations between our countries, because it is ordinary people who collectively shape the social consciousness of a nation, and the social consciousness affects the nation’s attitude toward other cultures and international problems. Difficult issues like the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine can only be resolved if America and the Islamic world can work together as partners in problem-solving, and not as enemies or rivals. In order to be able to collaborate as partners, we need to believe that the other wants to work with us, to know that the other doesn’t hate us, and to trust that the other shares goals in common with us-such as an end to violence and a government that protects the rights of its people-even when we have different ideas about how to reach those goals. So it is so important for us to be able to say to each other, and to hear from each other, “We don’t hate you. We want to work with you to solve these problems. We want friendship and peace.” This is a simple but powerful message, which is often drowned out in the fog of war and terrorism. Perceptions can create reality by shaping thoughts and actions. I believe that initiatives that connect people with each other at the human level can play a powerful role in building better relations by affecting our perceptions of each other.
Q: How can people get involved?
There are three main ways: 1. Contribute a message to the book. We are always looking for messages to add to the book, particularly from people in the Muslim world, where we need to gather a lot more. Any message is welcome as long as it promotes peace, friendship, and understanding. It can be as short as a sentence or as long as a page. Anonymous messages are also welcome, but please identity your country. 2. Identify and connect us with organizations or people who may like to receive a copy of the book or contribute messages. Messages gathered so far have been compiled in a makeshift (pre-publishing) book and have been sent to various places, especially schools and universities in countries like Egypt, Pakistan, and Jordan. We are always looking for new places to send the book and for places where we can gather new messages for the final published version. Contacts at schools are particularly appreciated. 3. Help us find a publisher for the final book. Donations are also welcome. For any of the above, please contact me at shadowseye@yahoo.com and write “American-Islamic Friendship Project” in the subject line.
Kalsoom, this was SUCH an interesting interview. Rebecca is doing a great job. I truly wish her the best of luck on this project and hope that she’s able to reach out to a lot of children across the Muslim world. Please keep us updated on her progress (especially when the book is published).
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@ another evangelical attempt to convert muslim
children ? correct me if I am wrong !!
I will correct you, because you are wrong in this case. First of all, Rebecca is not “evangelical,” not at all, in fact. Second of all, the project has no aspect of missionizing or converting anyone – if you read the interview she is simply relaying messages of peace in order to break entrenched perceptions that Muslims have of the U.S. and Americans have of Muslims. This isn’t a conspiracy – from my meeting of her, Rebecca is a good person who, like me, studied Conflict Resolution in graduate school and feels like other diplomatic channels are necessary to explore aside from your expected state-level ones.
I’m sorry if this is too hippie-sounding or feel good, Rafay, but I think it’s a great initiative, and the fact that a young woman from Pennsylvania (who has met with people at Lal Masjid for example) came up with it, is pretty impressive. You should give her credit for that.
Kalsoom, I was delighted to read your Interview. Specially with Obama taking over as President, we all need to make an effort to reach out to the other…..as they say, it takes 2 to Tango( sorry for the cliché ). We need more Rebecca’s & Kalsoom’s & all the other positive bloggers who I read on your wonderful site. Keep it up!
As for Rafay Kashmiri, sometimes your comments are good (and probably true) & some times interesting and then sometimes… unbearable to say the least. I don’t intend to start a war of words please. But I for one get tired of reading your views & the same old blame game…over & over again. So please chill out wherever you are posting from.
@ well, I must wait and observe ! goodluck to her.
@proud 2B A Pakistani,
as they say my comments are all seasons, tangos do
have argentinian seasons !! (antangled)
as for blame game,you might have more tolerance for
them, than perhaps myself, I can not tolerate the constant
blame game against Pakistan and muslims, and I have all
the rights to be unbearble for Indians, zionists and Neocons,
particularly after the mumbai attacks, when we had
anti-Pakistan comments came down pelting on chup blog,
I wonder if you noticed ?
I had to defend Pakistan, because I could’nt bear anymore
such injustice and bias. Living in Islamabad and being a
Pakistani is different than elswhere, you understand ?
be happy where ever you are living ! mate
nota bene
perhaps you do’nt like my bold criticizm on
Pakistani Political behaviour !!
Wow! Rafay, you are the quintessential ignorant Pakistani jerk.
A lot of us are Pakistani jerks but at least we’re not that ignorant!
K-C-I-R-P!
Rafay, it was EMBARASSING for me to read your comment. This has nothing to do with converting other’s children. We must acknowledge and respect people that are dedicating their time towards peace and greater communication.
@YH,
a donkey remains a donkey,
” ignorance ” an essetnial, temporal early stage
of awareness, you have got to pass thru ignorance to
attain awareness, dumbo !
But a jerk has no chance, its in his bones,
” a lot of us are Pakistanis jerks “, well, its your
appriciation, not everybody comes from Mumbai or
Faisalabad !!
you claimed that you were not that ignorant !! again, its
just a ” claim ” in the light of my above observations.
K-C-I-R-P = known-curious-imbecile-ruptured-prank, sorry,
you had another proposal ?
@ we are if Pakistan is,
it was embarassing for you to read my comment, were
you involved with the missionneries and evangelists ?
Why should we acknowledge the respect evangelists and
missionneries frauds and crusaders using money,medicines
and influences to convert people in distress, come on !
Pakistan’s history of 60 years can witness as many as
18 such evangelical and missionneries undercover of NGOs
of Christian Origin many of them Zionists.
You might as well have the same respect for Dawa,
Tablighia jamat and other Islamic missions !, but they are
systemtically tarnished and called terrorist by your PPP,
MQM and ANP and the Batilans. If anyone is sincere, he/she
be respected. point
Have to be very carefull !
Last year the Church in US had to pay 660 millions US$
as fine inflicted on Chruch for paedophile priests, there were
11 thousand ” reported “children affected victims were
heard and compensated.
But Rafay, the point is that the interviewee in question (Rebecca) is NOT an evangelical missionary – We are if Pakistan is, from my interpretation, was embarrassed by your comment because of how you wrongly accused her of that…
Rebecca, please know that we are very impressed with the work you are doing. Keep it up!
@ Kalsoom,
you can not make distinctions between several kinds
of doubts, they keep on casting their doubts on simple
citizens of Pakistan being Talibans, terrorists, extremists
and all kind of rubbish and lies, similarly, one should also
listen to other’s doubts casted, one-sided biased
sentimentalism is obviously dubious !
I will wait and see her performance in that field.
here on this blog perhaps encourage her.
Assalam alaikum
Yes one of the many of the people of the West who wish to break the barriers of the so called “west” and The “Muslim world”.The Quran guides the Muslims to call people of other faiths towards us so we can all live in a peaceful system devoid of hate and conflict.
The Peace is name of Allah (god)holy Names , and we are his creations ,thus if we focuse in that name we will find that he created us to live in and by this name ASSALAM (PEACe) .