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War in Iraq. Al-Qaida terrorist threats. Palestinian/Israeli conflict. It is difficult to watch TV or read the newspaper without facing one of these issues.
Grace College senior Mike Greer sees these events from a perspective not very common in America today. In spring 2002, Greer studied in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Israel with the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities' Middle Eastern Studies Program. He then spent two months as a missions intern for Frontiers in Cairo, Egypt.
Greer said that strife between the United States and Muslim countries does not necessarily mean that the feelings of the people in those countries toward Americans is echoed in the flag-burning riots we see on television.
"Arabs have an incredible ability to discern between individuals and the government of that individual's home country," he said. "My closest Arab friends wouldn't understand or like U.S. foreign policy, but they are still open to learning about me and accepting me as an individual."
He said his time in the Middle East has affected his view of foreign affairs. "I think, as Americans, we need to be careful and very discerning regarding how we advocate dealing with other countries economically and especially in terms of going to war," he said.
Greer believes it is important to remember that political conflicts come and go and things change. He said that Beruit, Lebanon, the scene of much tension in the 1980s, was where he saw the most American influence during his time in the Middle East.
"Tension with a country like Lebanon that existed a number of years ago is completely different today," he said. "They have Starbucks and kids drive around in souped-up Camaros and Mustangs. A few years ago, this was a war zone, and now it's one of the most seemingly western cities in the Middle East."
Greer also has gained insight into his faith. "In Middle Eastern countries, you're faced openly with Islam. And seeing so much of a religion in a culture causes one to deal with the hard facts of one's own religion and what makes what I believe more true than what they believe."
He continued: "Being in foreign cultures, you see certain aspects of humanity that help you see different aspects of who God is. There's an incredible aspect of diversity, even just with respect to his creation of man," he said.
Greer's trip overseas even forced him to re-evaluate his own life. "I look at life in a broader sense of what I can do in the world, not just in my country and my town," he said.
"Having a more global education, I see where, in turn, I can help educate others in my culture or help educate people of other cultures about Americans and why we do what we do."
Despite the conflicts between Islamic nations and the West, Greer said, the images we receive of Middle Eastern Muslims are often incorrect. As an American abroad, there were times when he couldn't even walk a mile down the street without being invited into a stranger's home for a meal and to talk. "Hospitality is stronger in the Middle East than any other culture I've been in," he said. "It pervades culture, religion, everything. It's something that's become unimportant in our culture."
Greer believes that awareness of our own culture and learning about the cultures of others could help resolve many of the conflicts between our nation and Middle Eastern countries.
He said, "Because of the prosperity of our nation, we often don't see how our policies and our actions influence the rest of the world. Americans should be and are more open to learning about Islamic cultures since 9/11, and Muslims are becoming more open to being educated about us as the world becomes more of a global community."
