cb magazine vol. 9 ed. 36

cb magazine vol. 9 edition no. 36

28 journalists from 6 countries meet for 12 days

Freedom of speech in a world of conflict

EgyptIsrael

YemenDenmarkPalestine

Jordan

crossingborderscB advisory BoardProf. Munther Dajani (Chair Person), Mr. Herbert Pundik, Ms. Else Hammerich, Ms. Lotte Lund, Mr. Hanna Siniora, Mr. Jakob Erle, Mr. Mossi Raz and Mr. Greg Newbold

Executive BoardMs. Anja Gustavsen (Chair), Ms. Rosa Dich (Vice Chair Person), Ms. Britha Mikkelsen, Mr. Jørn Faurschou, Ms. Louise Breum Brekke, Ms. Anne Gyrithe Bonne, Ms. Mette Juel Madsen and Mr. Peter Andreas Breds-dorff, Mr. Asbjoern Petersen, Ms. Rikke Mikkelsen

Executive SecretariatMr. Garba Diallo (Director), Mrs. Nina Brinck (Chief Fi-nancial Officer) and Ms. Farhiya Khalid (Project Intern)

Contact UsCrossing Borders, Krogerup Højskole Højskolevej 9, 3050 Humlebæk, Denmark tel +45 49213371 Web www.crossingborder.org e-mail [email protected]

Crossing Borders partner organizationsisrael Givat Haviva Palestine Peace and Democracy Forum jordan Masar Centre Germany Dialogue Lab finland The Finnish Institute In The Middle East

Palestinian CoordinatorMs. Suheir Hashimeh tel +972 544292574 e-mail [email protected]

Israeli CoordinatorMs. Dorit Maor tel +972 544901415 e-mail [email protected]

Jordanian CoordinatorMr. Khaled Shorman tel +962 65858748 e-mail [email protected]

Egyptian CoordinatorMr. Fathy Abou Hatab tel +20 102592385 e-mail [email protected]

Editor-In-Chief/Danish CoordinatorMs. Anja Gustavsen e-mail [email protected]

Language EditorShawna Kenney e-mail [email protected]

PhotographersPatrick Holbek, Andrew Pellett and Peter R. Poulsen

Art DirectorMartin Wex e-mail [email protected]

crossing Borders is a non profit, non governmental organization that provides youth and educators from the Middle East and Europe with dialogue, space and media, communication and conflict management skills training. The aim of CB is to increase the possibilities for the world peace with special focus on the ME.

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Reason & PrejudiceA Danish journalist learns more about the Middle Eastern conflict while chatting with someone who lives it every day

The ScoopA Jordanian journalist maximizes his time spent at a Danish daily by landing an interview with a Danish cartoonist

Western ImpressionsProducing professional journalism is easier when you have modern equipment and a nice working environment

dancing moonA full-figured Arabic dancer finds acceptance in unexpected places

Cultural BordersGoing abroad for the first time can change the way you look at your surroundings – and even yourself

1 on 1 dialoguesPerceived enemies face each other and realize that they have more in common than they initially thought

The Power of LanguageIt is not religion that causes conflict but the lack of knowledge and understanding between people

Playing GamesTwo different games spark opposite emotions of joy and discomfort – but both create a deeper understanding

Neutrality of the PressReporters need to stay neutral – especially when reporting on the news from their own conflict zone

love Beyond BordersA concrete wall takes on new meaning when used by lovers as a message board

On the Other SideChoosing the best university is not always the right answer if you are a minority trying to fit in

mind your languageOur culture and language affect the words we use – and sometimes we unknowingly offend people

Neutral Ground

This magazine has been produced with the finacial support of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ DEMENA Youth Fund through the Danish Development NGO MS and Politiken & Jyl-lands-Postens Fond. The opinions expressed in the articles do not reflect or represent the opinion of the Danish Ministry, MS, Crossing Borders or the partner organisations. The opinions are the sole responsibility of the individual writers. We invite you to comment on any of the articles in this magazine by emailing us at [email protected]

»They were all there: the persecuted bloggers; the raging feminist activists; the resilient reporters; the idealistic truth seekers and the soldiers of freedom of speech – all seeking recognition. I watched them through my old protective bubble, which started shak-ing and trembling towards explosion. It didn’t take long until that bubble burst and for the first time in years, I found myself exposed to nearly everything.«

These are the words of one of this magazine's Pales-tinian journalists and course participants – and in so many ways it depicts exactly what Crossing Borders is all about. This is the reason why I as a journalist and editor am involved – why I believe that this magazine, the many long days, endless arguments and exposed feelings, are all worth the trouble.

On neutral ground – in a sleepy town in Denmark – presumed enemies, Arabs and Jews, started talking. Far from home and outside the conflict area of the Middle East they had to relate to one another, listen and reflect. Tempers rose, eyes watered and voices became fierce. Silence fell and the groups withdrew to ponder, adjust and embrace the comfort zone of their own. But they always returned, always found a way to enter the cultural conflict zone once again. Most chose to enter into dialogue as an attempt to reach a new level of un-derstanding, exchange respect, cross personal borders and maybe get 'the other side' to see things differently.

This magazine contains the voices of these partici-pants. They talk about love, anger, hurt, change, free-dom of speech, culture, prejudice, racism, fear, loneli-ness, censorship, enemies, nightmares and dreams. Their work demonstrates all of the emotions and basic

needs we share as human beings – the very things that sometimes tear us apart.

We invite you to cross borders with us.

Anja Gustavsen, Editor-in-chief

cb magazine vol. 9 edition no. 36 cb magazine vol. 9 edition no. 36 05 04

confessions Professional

of a cynic

hat kind of a twisted idea was it to come to this god-forsaken farmland on the edge of a windy Danish is-land? I thought to myself af-ter two days in the Crossing

Borders journalism seminar in Vallekil-de. What made me plunge my deliberate-ly-estranged self back into the emotional dirt of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, hundreds of miles away from any famil-iar place? And why leap back again into the eternal limbo of this sorrowful affair after years of profound denial?

Something happened to me in that picturesque but isolated village near the Northern Sea, on the upper end of earth. Something that unmasked what I’ve been persistently burying beneath layers of bullet-proof cynicism.

Yes, for a too long I used journalism as a shield against the brute and grim re-alities of my region. It would have been a dark and stormy world for me if my know¬ledge translated into emotional involvement. Every drop of blood and

every missed opportunity would world a throw me off balance.

The ouTsideRThere were several times when I truly tried to react to political fallacies and hu-man atrocities, and the stage was there to be used. My mind would heat up, my rhetorical muse would steam up and rat-tle, and I’d cast my boiling arguments in molds of polemic missiles fired through my trilingual keyboard. But after having a look at the outcome I’d always think it's too personal, too demagogic, too pa-thetic. Shortly after, those texts would be dispatched into the familiar bin of frus-tration. Therefore, I chose to cling on to the outsider point of view. To depict re-ality, without allowing anything to stick to me—to research and interrogate, but

only outwards. And at the end of the day to wash it off me before the next wave of filth arrives.

And why this weakness? This intellec-tual paralysis? Well, as much as I would like to deny it, it’s because of being a Pal-estinian – an essential side of the conflict. Nothing can be easier than being sucked into the polemic swamp of the Israeli-Arab conflict. And once you start wal-lowing inside, there's no chance of see-ing anything else clearly. Wanting to be a non-biased professional journalist (and perhaps also a mentally healthy one), I wrote about everything but the conflict. You’d even find me writing about fash-ion and tourism. But after years of doing that, sweeping the truth beneath a fake carpet of impartial observation was no longer an option. It was time to step in

and make a stand. So I bought a ticket to Copenhagen.

i found ThaT soulBefore arriving to the Crossing Borders seminar, I was in a severe state of dwin-dling inspiration. Everything turned pale and shapeless, and I had to escape to Europe in search of some remedy to a disturbingly growing writers block. This was my first time to participate in such a dialogue seminar, even though I had often been invited to them. Knowing the nature of these activities, I always rejected the invitations, expecting nothing but talk-ing heads firing hollow clichés and banal facts. And so it was in too many cases, but nothing prepared me for the social en-counters that rekindled my curiosity.

Gathered in that remote school in the countryside, the seminar presented a rare collection of identities and personalities. Never before have I met young journalists so hungry for expression. They were all there: the persecuted bloggers; the raging feminist activists; the resilient reporters;

the idealistic truth seekers and the sol-diers of freedom of speech – all seeking recognition. I watched them through my old protective bubble, which started shak-ing and trembling towards explosion.

It didn’t take long until that bubble burst and for the first time in years, I found my-self exposed to nearly everything. The fire in the eyes of the Egyptian opposition

journalists; the mettle of the Palestinian ones; the unlimited curiosity of the Dan-ish others; and the courage of the Israelis to confront twenty-four Arab journalists were all worth coming for. It was one big laboratory of socio-political interactions

and, as in any lab, things tend to explode. That indeed happened several times, when conceptions and misconceptions clashed in fire and noise. I was there not only to observe, but also to participate.

a new quesTLooking back, what seemed at the begin-ning a half-vacation turned out to be an enriching experience. Those two weeks were a pause in my professional life, but something new started, and this is only the beginning of a new quest, yet to be defined. My next meeting with those entreating personas will be in November. I wonder what kind of journalist I will be then.

Hakim Bishara is a 29-year-old Palestinian. He works as a freelance magazine writer

for the newspaper Globes in Tel Aviv.

Change 29-year-old Hakim Bishara was travelling Europe, hoping to rid himself of

writer’s block, when he joined the Crossing Borders course. Now, something new is

afoot for him. Photo: Peter R. Poulsen

Nothing prepared hakim Bishara, a Palestinian journalist, for the enlightening surprises of the Crossing Borders seminar in Denmark

i watched them through my old

protective bubble, which started shaking towards explosion

»

cb magazine vol. 9 edition no. 36 cb magazine vol. 9 edition no. 3606 07

Golden liquid escaped the can and spilled out on the table and seats as the bus drove through the streets of Copenhagen. »I’m so sorry,« I said to the young woman in front of me, embarrassed at my clumsiness.

I had brought some beers for the bus ride back to Vallekilde and offered her a beer, but she respect-fully declined. Then, fifteen min-utes after we got on the bus, we started talking and my conversa-tion partner soon began to enchant me; her face constantly seemed to invite me to ask about anything I had on my mind. Though we both laughed several times, the subject of the conversation was serious and it seemed to me that the words we spoke touched both of us.

»Five years ago I couldn’t have spoken with you about this,« she said.

It conveyed to me an impression of how I could not expect anyone to ignore their origins – a banal point, maybe, but to me it was enlighten-ing. »The place where I live is quiet

now. But when it is attacked, I can-not see things as impartially as I do now.«

In my travels I have tried to learn more about her side of the conflict, but her compatriots usually re-frain from talking about it. »They travel to escape the conflict so they don’t want to be reminded of it,« she said. I had never thought about this. Though seemingly evident, my travel encounters had taught me that I could not reason with these people, the Israelis.

Reasons on BoTh sidesI must admit that I was not aware of the fundamental implications my political views had on the way I initially judged her. I didn’t realize this until I was back in my garret re-flecting on our conversation. Then, it dawned on me that the role I was playing in this course was not just that of the bystander witnessing two antagonistic parties arguing.

Though I had no illusions of be-ing politically neutral I did consider myself capable of judging every in-dividual in the group by his or her person regardless of nationality. The bus ride had taught me something else and it had indeed changed my view on an entire population.

I still sympathize with the weak part of the conflict, but now I believe that reasons exist on both sides.

»It’s been hard speaking to you,« she said after we arrived.

»Why?« I asked in honest surprise.

»Because you constantly remind me of how the other side thinks,« she said.

Bjarke Hartmeyer Christiansen is a 26-year-old Dane. He studies

journalism at the university RUC.

reason & PrejudiceBjarke hartmeyer Christiansen realizes that random encounters can be true eyeopeners

isha welcomes me into her husband’s Middle Eastern res-taurant; her black hair adorns a beautifully sculptured face, a canvas of blue-green eyes car-rying the vision of Lebanon’s

seaside. Born, raised and married at 16 in Lebanon, she has lived in Copenhagen with her husband for the past 16 years.

Her youngest, Diana, wore her name on a gold plate as a necklace, and studied my being in 'baba’s place' with sheer curiosity, examining me at all times while holding on to her mother’s leg. Aisha, suspended be-tween yesterday and today, held her daugh-ter’s hand, reassuring her of her tomorrow, while I sat down next to her in a corner.

Which chapter did she belong to? I wondered.

»Of course Lebanon,« she said, »I am Lebanese and always will be, but living in Denmark is a blessing as you can see. We travel home every other year to reconnect with our relatives. But, as you see, our family is doing well; we do not struggle here, we do not face any strife that we

cannot handle. Well, other than the occa-sional reprimanding looks I receive from other Arab women for not wearing a Hi-jab as a Muslim.«

an aRaB man aT heaRTThe Zaatar pastries her husband made were delicious. I pointed out to her that she was lucky to have a husband that en-joyed cooking and helping out with the housework, but she looked at me with a coy smile and whispered: »Once he is home from work, he doesn’t enter the kitchen. I am the mother and wife, re-member? Even here«.

She glanced quickly over her shoulder on the look-out for any eavesdroppers. »He will still be an Arab man«.

I asked her about her integration into the Danish society and contentedly she

explained to me about the various social benefits her family receives, the security and stability that they are feeling as part of the community. She enrolled her three children in the nearby Hilal School, a Mus-

lim Danish School in Blågårds Plads where most second-generation immigrants at-tend their schooling. It is an excellent hy-brid of Arabic and Danish educational

system which allows Muslims and Arabs to retain their language and religion.

Aisha, Diana and I drove to a shopping mall. We listened to the newest Arabic songs, with my hips (secretly) swaying to the rhythm of the orient, as I satisfied my inner self with lucid poetry of motion.

PeRsonal exPeRienCesMy body awoke from its slumber. I was once away from home too. During the past six years I lived abroad for my uni-versity studies, and I recall the feelings of loneliness I saw in Aisha’s eyes. A familiar loneliness that I was acquainted with re-turns to me, and I find myself sighing. My mind is racing, memories picking up mo-mentum, feeling away from home, allow-ing the loss of memory to erase the idea of home, from loving it to hating it for reduc-ing me to a lonely, wandering soul, while Aisha’s voice drifts in the background.

Muna Samawi is a 24-year-old Jordanian. She is a programme coordinator for the

Jordan Career Education Foundation.

ImmIgrants Muna Samawi meets a Lebanese woman who's content in Den-mark, happy because her family is doing well and doesn't face challenges other than occasional reprimanding looks from other Arabic women thinking she should be veiled. Photo: Peter R. Poulsen

24-year-old muna samawi empathizes with a Danish immigrant family and reminisces about her own feelings of loneliness abroad

home aWay from home

my body awoke from

its slumber. i was once away from home too

»i sympathize with the

weak part, but i believe reasons exist on both sides

»


Being a journalist from Yemen, I was lucky to be able to go to the Crossing Borders program and meeting other journalists from countries like Egypt, Palestine, Is-rael, Jordan, Denmark and Yemen. To be with journalists for more than 10 days, studying, eating, hav-ing fun, and touring together is a unique experience. It gives knowl-edge and enhances personality.

For me it was practical journalism training; all the things I did during my stay were important elements of the program. Having discussions, doing kitchen duties, catching trains together, interviewing, attending press conferences and working as a team all helped develop our journal-istic skills in one way or another.

The journalists I met were from different regions and different

backgrounds and to know such journalists is a prize in itself. The dialogue atmosphere present dur-ing the program helped us respect and understand each other well.

We will keep in touch when we go back home. The main concerns for most of the journalists coming from the Middle East look similar: human rights, women’s equality, corruption or conflicts. The Danish journalists have different issues to deal with like integration policies or immigrants.

a maTTeR of equiPmenTThe Danish media establishments I visited answered my question about how they produce such pro-fessional media in the West: the well-equipped facilities and nice work environment at the news-paper Politiken and the broadcast station DR inspired creativity among journalists – but unfortu-nately that is what we lack in our countries.

Khaled Al-Hilaly is a 29-year-old Yemeni. He Works as a journalist

for the newspaper, Yemen Times.

Western impressionsEven doing kitchen duty can teach you valuable lessons. Khaled al-hilaly is all-the-wiser now

on’t publish it,« he said in an an-gry voice. He was a senior in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and he reacted to me writing in my newspaper that during the nego-tiation between foreign minister

Tzipi Livini and Palestinian representa-tive Abu-Ala, it was agreed that the ’Atar-ot’ Airport, next to Jerusalem, would be passed to the hands of the future Pa-lestinian state.

Although I had double-checked to make sure that the details were correct, the senior almost begged me to let it go and forget the whole story. In a short conversation he tried to explain to me that by publishing it, I may cause dam-age to the negotiation process. »What’s the rush? Can’t you at least postpone it? You can ruin the whole thing,« he ac-cused me.

I shared this conversation with my editor, and we both agreed that it was my right and my duty to publish it after I checked it was correct. As an individual,

I believe the peace process is really im-portant. But should it be taken into con-sideration when dealing with the media? What if there are people who think that advan¬cing in the peace process is a ma-jor danger to the safety of Israel? Who appointed me to be the judge of what's bad or good for my state?

In the end I decided to publish the sto-ry after all. Although my newspaper has a small circulation, one day after publica-tion many international newspaper sites already quoted my story. In the same day I received a text message from the foreign

a rePorter's Freedom of speech comes at a high personal price for a journalist working in a conflict zone. doron Bar-Gil knows from first-hand experience

affair senior who blamed me for deep-ening the mistrust between both sides. Although I felt bad, I knew I’d done the right thing.

limiTs To fRee sPeeChThe media, for better or for worse, doesn’t only reflect reality but can affect and even shape it. By revealing the details I knew it might affect the negotiations--not just re-flect it. But I understood that my integrity wouldn’t allow me to erase the story.

Of course, not everything is worth a story. I won’t write something that may, for example, risk the lives of hostages. But again, who appointed me the judge of what could risk people’s lives?

I guess that at the end of the day, dif-ferent decisions are made by journalists. They’re not easy decisions, but that’s what makes the profession so challenging.

Doron Bar-Gil is a 25-year-old Israeli. He works as a political journalist for

the daily, Maariv Newspaper.

dutyCensorshIp Journalists have to tell the truth – even when it could add problems

to existing conflicts. Self-censorship is unacceptable and Doron Bar-Gil refuses

to be silenced. Photo: Peter R. Poulsen

The media, for better or for

worse, doesn̕t only reflect reality but can affect and shape it

»

I can honestly say that Tuesday was not my favorite day. It was a hard day for me. I was introduced to a game called Global Conflicts: Palestine. I had a strong adverse reaction. In the past I have had bad experiences with video games, and in this instance I immediately made a judgment.

I decided to take some time out, to step away from the situation and rethink what I had just done. When I felt that I was able to reassess the situation I came back to the group and gave the game a chance.

I played it and realized that it was not as bad as I thought, and that it was even a good learning tool, es-pecially for someone who has min-imal knowledge of the Middle East. I appreciated the fact that someone was willing to try to work for the greater good.

a new ouTlooKFriday was my favorite day; I took part in a game of conflict simula-tions, The Danish Army’s Peace and Conflict Game. All the delega-tions were taking part, and for the first time I felt at peace with myself and with my environment.

I felt like everyone was making an effort to come to a mutual solu-tion or at least some form of under-standing towards one another. This simulation was taken so seriously, I was impressed with the amount of effort made towards conflict resolu-tion. I really felt as if I was achieving something by being part of this.

Heba Ayouby is a 25-year-old Jordanian. She is a freelance policy

analyst and writer for NGOs.

Playing Gamesheba ayoubi gives up her aversion towards games and is rewarded with a valuable lesson


MoondancinG

moon

Sweaty and sticky I was trying to squeeze in the pants with no luck, so I was in shock when ap-proximately forty girls entered the dressing room! I immediately pulled on my pants, took my shoes

and went back to the studio and asked my teacher: »What’s going on? I didn’t know there was a lesson after ours?«

»No, it’s not for us. It's the other band, Crazy Funky.« Of course my curiosity proved again to be a controlling master and I had to wait and see how good these girls were. After all, I had to be convinced that our band was better before I left (girls... go figure).

»FUNKY, WOW! Five, six, five, six, seven, let’s go!« the teacher said and forty girls started dancing to the sound of the remix version of Fame. It was absolutely amazing--the energy, the intensity and literal ‘girl power.’ A cute young man wearing hip-hop clothes approached me, »Hi, come in, you can join us if you'd like. Don’t get scared. It’s just a bit fast but we'll help you. Come on!« He grabbed

my hand and started to show me how to move. I couldn’t help but dance, not cause he said so but because I wanted to know what was keeping these girls so cheer-ful and high-spirited. Before the lesson was over I definitely made up my mind; I had to be part of this. After a couple of lessons, I was totally committed to the ’Crazy Funky’ family.

whaTeveR maKes you haPPyBefore this, I was a flamenco dancer in an Arab group led by an Arab teacher in a so-called ’Arab-Jewish Center’ in ’Beauti-ful Haifa.’

Since then, for about two years now, I have also been an Arab funky-jazz danc-er, as part of a Jewish group in a Jewish studio.

I divided my time between being a Fla-

menco dancer and a Funky-Jazz dancer, proving that I could be both at the same time.

»I’m shocked, « my new teacher said. »You’ve got great technique and you are a professional performer, yet still during the whole show you were standing in the back. Don’t blame yourself for being a big girl. Big girls have proven themselves in the dance world. I believe in you, in your talent and I advise you to think again about what makes you happy. You aren’t being appreciated,

really think about it.« That was all it took for things to

change. Her words were what I had been telling myself for four years nevertheless, never really followed. Her words were the wake-up call I was waiting for. They were all I needed to quit dancing in the

Flamenco band and commit totally to my new family, the ’Crazy Funky’ family.

After making that decision I can hon-estly say that I enjoy every single second I dance. Every lesson feels like dancing on clouds and being on stage is more comfortable than sitting on the couch at home. Don't let my last statement fool you: it hasn't been four years in heaven and it isn’t the happy end of my person-al story. Maybe I have solved my image problems regarding being a big girl in a skinny world, however I still have to deal with another issue; proving myself as an Arab girl in a Jewish world.

new exPeRienCesBoth the teachers and the girls have wel-comed me with open arms and never once made me feel like a second-class citizen or dancer because of my national-ity. To my surprise, I found myself trying to explain myself to the people who sur-round me and to my family.

How is it possible to be happier in a Jewish studio rather than in 'my own'

neighborhood? How can it be that my Jewish teacher is much more considerate and much more appreciative? Am I really happier or do I just want to mingle and be accepted in the Jewish society? I was bom-barded with these questions and I still am asked many other questions as well.

At first, each time I was asked, I replied in a low unconfident tone saying, »I’m happy, everything is ok«. Over time the tone got higher, sharper and unquestion-ably much more confident. I have never been happier; it makes me feel like a bat-tery being charged with joy and energy in every lesson. I used to perform once or

twice a year in front of my friends while standing in the back of the stage. Now I do three performances every month.

i'm a danCeRI was given the place to express myself. I am currently a dance guide in the studio and have done my own choreography, which I’ve taught to the same 40 girls that I met four years ago in the dressing room.

I have reached a level in which I can proudly say I’m an Arab, I’m a big girl, and I dance. I owe no one an explanation for that; the only explanation I will never cease to give is the one I show through dancing.

Qamar Daher is a 21-year-old Palestinian. She studies communication disorders,

audiology and speech therapy.

Crazy funky Qamar Daher realized that art transcends nationality and ethnicity.

Kindred spirits can become family –even when other people don't understand.

Photo: Peter R. Poulsen

21-year-old qamar daher, originally an Arabic Flamenco dancer, finds freedom from societal constraints in an Israeli dance studio

i have reached a level in which

i can proudly say i’m an arab, i’m a big girl and i dance

»

cb magazine vol. 9 edition no. 36crossing borders denmark august 200812 13

oing to Copenhagen involved a six hour layover in Frankfurt. I was ashamed to tell my trip com-panions that this was the first time I had travelled outside my country. It was easy to tell that

travelling abroad was not my second na-ture. My Egyptian companions made a quick vote and decided to go out and take a look at the city. I was not sure about it, but I decided to go with the majority. I was a stranger, totally out of my com-fort zone, being led by people I only met hours ago.

The next few hours gave me one shock after another. The streets of Frankfurt were actually clean – and empty. Me be-ing a citizen of one of the most crowded and polluted cities in the world can ex-plain some of my astonishment.

We came to an area called the Red Light district, I later learned. I was speechless; here is one thing you don't see every day in Cairo! I could not escape the thought that I could have been arrested just for looking at some of these things!

In my country public indecency acts are punish¬able by law.

an oveRwelminG exPeRienCeYet the surprises and shocks were far from over. Arriving in Denmark was an amazing experience, right from the very first moment. Everything in Denmark is either green or clean. My first encounter with Copenhagen was another shock. I was preparing myself to see the capital city of Denmark as a busy, smoggy city with lots of action. Just to find it was a quite elegant small city, with colorful buildings, a nice atmosphere, where peo-ple just walked quietly.

It seems no one is in a hurry in this country! Why would they be anyway if your daylight stays on for more than 15 hours? And the fact that they were actu-

ally distributing free apples and juices in the street in downtown Copenhagen was way too much for me.

Needless to say it is way different from where I come from, where traffic jams

are part of everyday life in a capital in which all hours are rush hours. Cairo, good old Cairo…home to more than seven million people.

Everyday was a new discovery for me. There was not enough time to digest ev-erything as waves of cultural shocks were overwhelming me. The daily interaction with different nationalities and mentalities, each group speaking a different language or dialect with huge gaps in cultures. It was like an open window for learning, 24/7.

BasiC needsDealing for more than 10 days with peo-ple from Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Yemen, Denmark and fellow Egyptians in a se-cluded place made me review many of my ideas and notions about the world.

I learned that very few things can bring people together. When we are hungry, tired, lost, or scared we tend to forget all our differences, agendas, political back-grounds and dividing borders and we all act as humans trying to satisfy the most simplistic and basic human needs.

Marianne Nagy is a 28-year-old Egyptian. She is a journalist and has worked

as a TV producer in Egypt.

out of the Comfort zone Clean streets, red light districts and quiet

neighborhoods – things in Europe are very different from the bustling streets

of Cairo. Yet Marianne Nagui finds our basic human needs to be very much

the same. Photo: Peter R. Poulsencultural Borders28-year-old Egyptian marianne nagui experiences culture shocks in Denmark and Germany on her first venture out of Egypt

»Leave the house and the entire neigh-borhood with your family. In a few weeks, we are planning to seize the entire area and I do not want you to suffer the violence and the killing that will occur,« Sarah, a 19-year-old Jew-ish girl, told my grandfather in 1948.

Sarah was my grandfather’s girl-friend when he lived in Hai Al Nu-zhah in the Palestinian city of Jaffa, which has since been turned into a small neighborhood in Tel Aviv.

»Mohammad, Jewish gangs want to take all the areas starting on the coast and then spreading,« Sarah told him.

»I laughed but two weeks later, Jew-ish gangs started attacking families, asking most to leave and killing many others. I was expelled by force with my family from the house and many of my relatives were shot on the spot. Then we immigrated to Nablus, then Jordan,« said my grandfather.

»The Israelis occupied us and took our lands. They killed my cousins and other relatives and friends. Sarah might have been different, but the fact, my grandson, is that our homeland is under occupation. Never forget this: our suffering for the past 60 years as refugees,« my grandfather told me.

»I wish I can see Jaffa before I die.«

hoPe and desPaiRI had never discussed the subject with an Israeli until I got to Denmark. I was anxious to know what they were thinking.

»Come back to live in Jaffa, I have no problem with that, but what about me? What's going to happen to me?« These were the first words I heard from the

first Israeli I have ever met – a 26-year old woman called Dana.

I felt for a second that life was rosy. I have the choice to come back easily to live in my homeland, but then I met an Israeli journalist called Doron.

»My family came originally from France to Israel where I live now. I do not want to go back to France and leave Israel. This is my country now,« he said.

no ChoiCeDoron’s family, Dana’s family and people like them came from ghettos all over the world and occupied my homeland. As a refugee living now in Jordan, I definitely want to go back to my original Palestinian city of Jaffa. My right to go back has been stolen by the Israeli occupation and the Israelis who are now living in my grandfa-ther’s house. It is a choice that I have been deprived of.

What I really want to stress is that the highlight and the main benefit and blessing I had from being a participant in this course is meeting the Palestin-ians who hold Israeli IDs, whether they were from beautiful Haifa, Nazareth or elsewhere in occupied Palestine.

I have never felt like a refugee be-fore I met them and talked with them – then I felt what it means to be away from your homeland.

Mohammad Ghazal is a 25-year-old Jordanian. He works as a journalist

for local and regional media.

Generations of Longingmohammad Ghazal reflects on his refugee status wanting to make peace with his past

my right to go back to

the city of Jaffa has been stolen by the israeli occupation

»

when we are hungry, tired,

lost or scared we try to satisfy the most basic human needs

»

15 cb magazine vol. 9 edition no. 36

Sitting outside enjoying the great view of Vallekilde, a girl with long dark curly hair shows up. She looks at me and I see the sadness in her eyes. I feel there is something different about her, but don’t know exactly what it is. She comes towards me and says: »Hello. I want to talk to you«. »Sure. What do you want to talk about?« I answer.

»Do you hate me?« she asks. I am a Muslim, an Arab, an Egyp-tian and a young man. She is an Israeli girl. We met for the first time. I have never met a Jew before.

There was something inside of me that wouldn’t let me go, but all other parts of my mind and soul were pushing me to meet someone from Israel, the people who have had several wars with Egypt. Actually, visiting Occupied Palestine is a dream for all Arabs and Muslims, but someone like me doesn’t have a chance without having really big problems before and after returning back home with the security departments in Egypt. This is why they don’t give you an Israeli Visa on your Passport. They will give you another temporary Passport. This meeting could de-

It’s not easy facing your perceived enemy for the first time – and dia-logue doesn’t always bring peace. an anonymous arab is met by an

Israeli with a suprising question

close encounters

for the first time

▶

generatIons of hate It's not just Palestinians who view Israel as 'the enemy' – here a young Egyptian man describes his first encounter with a friendly Israeli girl, yet still finds it impossible to change his feelings of hatred toward the Jews. His country's peace agreement with Israel exists only on paper, he says. Photo: Inas Mraih


stroy my whole career and also give me a bad reputation as a person who came close to Israeli people, which is why I cannot publish this under my own name.

noT anoTheR doCumenTaRyThe good thing is that I didn’t have to travel to Israel because the meeting is in a neutral place in Denmark. I knew there would be a chance to meet Arabs from Occupied Palestine, which meant I would be able to have a close look at the conflict. I was remem-bering all of this after hearing the question from the Israeli girl I met in Denmark during the course. I told her:

»Of course I don’t hate you, but I hate occupation, and you know that our countries have a very bad history waging wars against each other, but I believe that all humans should live to-gether in peace«. She completely agreed with me like she had the same opinion as me. I continued:

»I will be honest and tell you what I really think because you are not the only one who feels the sadness. I also have a deep sad feeling inside, especially when I think of the future for Egyptian coming generations. I believe we will have another big war with Israel, maybe it will take some time until it happens, but no one can stop it, according to the prophet Mohammed (peace and

blessings be upon him) ‘The Hour will not come to pass until you fight the Jews…’ (from Whole True Small Number, by Abu Hurayrah). This war will be totally religious and all Muslims will be part of it. It’s not the same war that we have now in the Middle East against Israeli occupation. And this makes me feel bad some how, because the war will never end between Muslims and Jews. No one wants war but what are we to do?«

She was surprised by what I said, and she reminded me of the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. I said: »Yes, I have to say that my country has a peace agreement with Israel, but this exists only on paper. This cannot stop Egyptians hating Israeli occupation nor considering Israel the number one enemy – this is what they teach us at schools«. She interrupted me saying: »Re-

ally? You must be kidding!«. »No, it’s true,« I said. This probably will explain why I didn’t ask the ‘Do you hate me?’ question first, and also why I never feel neglected by the Israelis. From my side, the relationship is already broken.

The simPle TRuThThe Israeli girl was surprised even more this time. She really made me feel like I gave her lots of surprises. I thought this strange for a teaching commander in the Israeli army. I expected that she would know what I was talking about, but it seemed as if she was hearing everything I told her for the first time.

It was not a good feeling for me. We’ve lived on the same planet since the moment of birth. I didn’t come from Mars, I am only a normal Egyptian guy who is telling the simple truth of what I know and believe. How could she not know?

It’s not my fault that I was raised holding hate in my mind and bad feelings in my soul to Israeli occupation. It’s also not the Is-raelis’ duty to think different. It’s just a fact that I can neither deny nor change.

This journalist prefers not to have his name and workplace mentioned due to personal and professional reasons.

i believe that egypt will have another big war with israel,

maybe it will take some time until it happens, but no one can stop it

»

This was the first time I ever came in to a class full of Pal-estinians. The last time I saw a Palestinian was six years ego, at the check-points when I was paying my duty to the Israeli defense. In the class a lot of people express them-selves, and everybody tries to defend their opinion. The issue of the Israeli-Palestinan conflict flared-up the winds time after time, despite the rain falling down outside.

Jihan Abdalla (22), a girl from Jerusalem, feels that the conflict is not going be resolved soon. For example, when she got the chance to respond, she spoke loudly and said: »Occupation, borders, we cannot go free anywhere. The soldiers at the check-points are keeping us there for a long time, and behave awful towards us«. I thought to myself that this sentence will be repeated again and again. I would never be able to talk to that girl, I thought to myself.

Common inTeResTs on oPPosiTe sidesDay became night, I tried to tell Jihan that I had been a soldier once. We start to talk over a bottle of beer, and after a couple of hours of conversation, the aggression dropped down, and actually the chat was nice and pleas-ant. We told each other about our personal lives and not just political issues. I asked Jihan: »How long do you stand at the check-point?« She dropped her eyes to the floor and whispered: »Two hours«. I kept looking at her and said: »Do you know that the soldiers at the check-points stand at least eight hours?«. She raise her brown eyes at me, and I asked her ironically: »Who suffers more?« and then we both started to laugh.

At this point I realized that she was a very interesting person – and wise too. Jihan told me that she graduated with a degree in Philosophy in the USA. I’m interested in Philosophy too. We found a common interest. Like in He-gel’s Philosophy: that after thesis comes anti-thesis, and they will combine together in the end in synthesis.

In a one-on-one conversation I got to know her person-ality and about suffering seen through her eyes.

At the end of this course, Crossing Borders, we actually crossed them, and became friends. This teaches us that one-on-one dialogues are more effective than talking in class, protecting positions. I couldn’t believe that I could sit with her and make jokes and laugh.

Mark Shulman is a 27-year-old Israeli. He studies communication and journalism at Sapir College.

1 on 1 dialogues Opening up to your supposed enemy can bring you a world of good. mark shulman faces his fears and is rewarded for it

▶

games The Crossing Borders participants all played a game introduced by the Danish

Defense. Divided into imaginary countries with various resources, each group worked

together in finding creative ways to solve international conflicts. It proved to be

more difficult than first expected – and often the people suffered more than the

politicians. Photo: Andrew Pallett

18 cb magazine vol. 9 edition no. 36 19 cb magazine vol. 9 edition no. 36

children in the midst

of Wareal life in a conflict zone can never be reflected by the media; things you see from there are dif-ferent from here. Concrete barri-cades surround the small build-ing, the place is fenced off and

there is just one entry. There is an iron gate with a small buzzer on the side and an intercom.

If you want to go inside you need to wait for the guard to come and let you in. The concrete barricades are painted with joyful colors with lots of flowers and but-terflies decorate it, trying to hide reality. It looks like an ordinary building in the routine view of the western Negev, Israel.

A small child is trying to climb the fence, »Look, mommy! I can go inside by myself,« he’s saying to his impatient mother who buzzes the intercom for a few minutes, waiting for the guard to come and open the gate.

In the small kindergarten in kibbutz Mefalsim, it’s just another ordinary day in the routine life of the residents living in

a conflict zone. When there are high-risk situations, the children are not allowed to go outside, not even to the playground close to their kindergarten.

The 'qassam' missileFor the last eight years this ‘special’ situa-tion made these people and especially the children become more anxious and men-tally flexible.

According to the directions given by the Home Front Command and the citi-zen defense, each house or building in the conflict zone has to have a Residen-tial Secure Space. For the residents of the western Negev, the destruction of houses to add safety rooms serving as a shared bedroom for a whole family is very nor-mal. The ability to find a safe place in 15

seconds is just part of the routine. The ‘qassam’ missile an important part of ev-ery day life.

The most popular game among the chil-dren is simulating the public announce-ment system ‘red color.’ Three-year-old children are running to the corners of the room and shouting »Red color!« laugh-ing at the echo, and the smaller children imitate them by mumbling out loud »red, red.«

When the real alarm is sounded, they look at each other. The older children run and cry and the smaller ones seem amused, as it's just a game for them. They are shouting with the kindergarten teach-er »red color red tushi,« dancing and sing-ing and playing the colors game, touching all the things that are blue or green.

26-year-old Israeli dana levavy witnessed the emotional fallout of small children in an Israeli kindergarten near the Gaza Strip

»We are in a war against the Arabs; they are trying to kill us with the ‘qassam’ missiles,« says four-year-old Rotem while he is demonstrating fighting methods to me.

ChildRen in shoCKFour months ago a ‘qassam’ missile fell in the entry of the kindergarten.

»The windows shattered, branches from the old oak tree has been scattered all over and the kids were hysterical,« Ruth Polan-ski, the kindergarten teacher, told me.

»We gathered all the children in one room. They were terrified. I felt so bad, why are these innocent children exposed to fear, hate, war and ‘qassam’ missiles?« she asked rhetorically.

»Take Noam for example, a beauti-ful three-year-old, he lives in Sderot and he's experiencing the missiles every day. Any noise makes him jumpy. He is very hyperactive, running and moving all the time. He’s very restless. We are treating him carefully, and he is seeing a psychol-

ogist. In the noon nap he always wakes up crying and wet.«

At the end of the day in the small kin-dergarten everybody gathered around. They were celebrating Alona's birthday. All the children sit in the meeting room,

singing and wishing Alona a happy birthday.

»I wish you to be happy and get a lot of gifts,« says Amir.

»I wish you will eat a lot of candies,« says Nirit and everybody starts to laugh.

»I wish that no ‘qassam’ missile will fall on you,« says Bar with a shy smile.

»I wish you not to die from 'qassam' missile and not to cry when you hear the alarm,« whispers Or.

JusT anoTheR day»Happy birthday,« says the kindergarten teacher, interrupting the special greet-ings. »Be good, healthy and happy,« she continues and then starts to sing »hap-py birthday to you…« All the children join her, shouting and laughing. Just another average day in the protected kindergarten.

Dana Levavy is a 26-year-old Israeli. She studies communication and journalism.

(The names in this article have been changed to protect the people quoted.)

fear The effects of war on children are clearly visible in an Israeli kindergarten

near the Gaza Strip: They play war games, wish for missiles not to hit

them and wet their beds during naptime. Photo: Peter R. Poulsen

i wish you not to die from

�qassam̕ missile and not to cry when you hear the alarm

»


We were dressed for the occa-sion, men in suits and women in skirts. We were heading to attend a conference on The Role of The Media in a World Full of Conflicts at the Univer-

sity of Copenhagen. We sat down in the two front rows, and the hall itself sur-rounded the place with a serious scien-tific atmosphere.

The issue of the ‘famous’ Danish car-toons, that have provoked Muslims all over the world, were raised the first chance we were given to ask questions. However it came in an unexpected form and to much amusement to all of us. Ahamad Sameh – a 29-year-old Egyptian – stood up and said:

»We do the same in our mosques, by criticizing and cursing other religions, but you don’t have the same reaction as we had« – referring to the Europeans vs. the Islamic world.

I could hear my colleagues from dif-ferent parts of the Middle East asking the same questions: »Is he crazy?«, »Does he know what he is saying?«. Those sitting next to me had their mouths open wide, and their eyes had that look of asking a thousand question all at the same time,

and some of them had looks of denial. I saw the Danes with the same look, but with admiration. I could smell aston-ishment and doubt all at the same time. Those few seconds passed but left us with an impression that will last forever.

PeaCe and ReliGionFirst, on a personal level, as a Muslim who is religious, I never knew that there was such provocative material within Is-lam or any other religion. I have always thought that religions call for peace, but still I wanted to learn more.

My friend, Qamar, a Christian, from Haifa, wrote me a small note asking:

»Is this really what you say in mosques?« Now that alone constituted another crisis for me; I live in the same environment as Qamar and we know that we don’t have a religious conflict but a national one and it has always been like this in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I explained to her that what was said might have been

about a specific occasion that took place in Egypt, but the way in which it was presented made it seem so general, and I thought to myself ‘the power of language.’ Still, I needed to get some answers.

The evening ended, but not in the same way as it started; it ended with me feel-

ing the gap between cultures increasing. Something tense was in the air, and it felt like nervousness. I went up to Ahmad. »What were you talking about?« I asked in an angry tone and he explained that he had actually been monitoring the religious

dialogue and different speeches in differ-ent locations besides Egypt, where they do actually criticize other religions. He said: »When people mix political beliefs and re-ligion, religion becomes a headquarters for a political party,« he said. He also believes that religion makes people grow further apart instead of bringing them together.

iGnoRanCe Builds haTRedThe discussion went on, but what I con-cluded that evening, while walking through Copenhagen, is that the problem has nothing to do with religion; it has to do with our ability to know and understand other people. It has to do with how the me-dia portrays other people and our respect for other people’s nationality and tradition. Being ignorant about other people only lights up the fire of hatred and fear.

Nivine Sharaf is a 25-year-old Palestinian. She is a civil society program officer

writing for the British NGO, Oxfam GB.

shoCk A Muslim says that the cartoons depicting Muhammed are comparable to what

Muslims say about other religions in Mosque. The statement is controversial amongst

other Muslims. Photo: Peter R. Poulsen

the PoWer of lanGuaGe

nivine sandouka shares her perspectives on the Crossing Borders experience and fears of being misunderstood due to language limitations

Being ignorant about other

people only lights up the fire of hatred and fear

»

In order to be accepted for this course we all had to write an article on the journalist’s role in society. This pro-duced a rather ideological article where my argument was that the most important role of the journalist is to convey facts and stories even if they are not well-accepted.

This course anticipates that we should go home and insist that an-other world is possible, even though there are people who want to sabotage these ideas.

I was sitting with one of the male participants, who, with his business look and confidence, seemed as though his future was as shiny as his shoes. For

convenience I will call him ‘Mr. Dark Suit’ in this story. We were small talk-ing about background and our reason for joining this course, when he very honestly admitted that this course is »very ideological but a bubble«. Quite astonished I asked what he meant with that. »Well, you see Kathrine, this is not reality. When I go home I have a job, a family and readers that I need to satisfy«. This comment astonished me completely, and made me feel like a

spoiled Danish girl, blinded by centu-ries of freedom of speech and minimal degrees of censorship.

The thing is that when I wrote my application I was writing as me – a Dane who comes from a part of the world where almost everything can be said and written without sanctions. Talking to Mr. Dark Suit reminded me that this is not the case in many countries. He, for example, cannot ap-pear in a magazine alongside Israeli journalists. Not because he does not like them, or accept their thoughts, but simply because a linkage between him and Israelis would be a very bad career move.

sleePinG wiTh The enemyWhich struggles does reality impose on a course like this? Obviously the true peace-building effects of this course are challenged seriously when our participants face a reality that states that everything is political, and that even friendly relations can be in-terpreted as ‘sleeping with the enemy.’ Still, I believe that courses like Cross-ing Borders offer a space where people do not meet each other as enemies, neighbors, soldiers or terrorists, but as one of the other participants put it, »I am here as me«.

Mr. Dark Suit revealed one of the challenges that we as humans as well as professionals face when we insist that war and conflict are not the only way to choose. But I still insist that we are all obliged to go home, not neces-sarily to propagate a political agenda, but to inform everyone, willing and unwilling, about the human connec-tions we made here. Being young, male or female, dancing, laughing and just being ourselves penetrates normal day boundaries and borders.

Kathrine Tschemerinsky Lund Kirkeby is a 20-year-old Dane. She studies

anthropology at Copenhagen University.

Dark Suit With Bright IdeasEnlightenment comes in the most surprisingdisguises. Kathrine Tschemerinsky lund- Kirkeby sees her bubble burst by a business man

Courses can offer a space

where people do not meet each other as enemies

»


s an Egyptian middle class girl living in down town Cairo, one of the most polluted and crowded cities in the world, I have to wake up every day with the spirit of fighting. Living

with my sister without my family (who lives in Alexandria) gives me the chance to do everything myself. It is a struggle with a society that cannot easily accept such a situation. It begins with preparing my breakfast, or not eating anything in the morning, and ends with taking all the decisions of my life.

My friends consider my house a ‘girls house.’ Every morning I begin the journey of a boring and stressful work day. First, I have to see my house-guard, who asks me daily: »When did you come back last night? Who are the girls who came with you yesterday?« and without answering, I continue my walk, asking myself why he thinks he has the right to ask about de-tails of my life?

avoidinG The sTReeTsTaking a cab to avoid more harassment in the street is another challenge for me in daily life. I do not want to enter into con-versations with people in the streets about why I am wearing such a thing? While I am in the taxi, my taxi driver complains about every thing, prices rising, unem-

29-year-old mozn hassan finds it hard to be a single woman in a patriarchal society but also finds it worth the trouble at the end of the dayployment, traffic and also girls who are walking in the streets with inappropriate clothing then complaining about facing harassment.

When arriving at one of the govern-mental ministries to finish some offi-

cial papers, I found myself in front of a middle-aged woman who, without caring about her actual job, asked me: »How old are you? Why are you not married? Why have your parents left you without mar-riage until now?« I could not answer her. People cannot see you as anything but a single woman who needs to get married.

My work in human rights and espe-cially in women’s rights makes me feel

that I am making a difference but at the same times leaves me feeling helpless. It is hard to work in such a field in Egypt with all the conservative, radical values governing the society, patriarchal norms, poverty and repression. Within all these circumstances, how are we to advocate for women’s rights?

looKinG To The fuTuReAt the end of any working day, which could be at seven pm or later, I meet my friends to see how Cairo treated us that day. I hear their stories about work and their boyfriends and colleagues. This makes me feel that with all the hard circumstances we face in our daily life, there is a chance to be an independent and strong woman living in Cairo be-cause this is a choice. No, we are not be-ing treated well but we can work daily on ourselves to be stronger and achieve some of our rights.

Mozn Hassan is a 29-year-old Egyptian. She has an MA in Human Rights Law and works

for the NGO for feminist studies Nazra.

a day like any

other

People cannot see you as

anything but a single woman who needs to get married

»

I’ve been working for a Palestinian Daily Newspaper called Al-Quds (Je-rusalem) for the last five months. It’s an Arabic newspaper published in East Jerusalem, therefore it is read by the Israeli government before publi-cation. Anything you write might get changed or refused by them.

I was in my office when a 50-year-old man entered the office asking for help to write about his son’s arrest. I brought him a chair and some wa-ter to drink. His face was pale and tired. He started telling me his sto-ry in a messy way. He didn’t know how or where to start. I calmed him down and let him restart.

»I woke up in the morning to have my breakfast with my fam-ily. When we were all sitting at the table, Kamal my youngest son (21 years old) wasn’t there, so I asked my wife to call him from his room. When she came back, she was to-tally shocked and afraid. She told me that he wasn’t there, and that the room was a mess!«

The father went out into the streets and asked the neighbors,

who told him that his son had been taken away by soldiers at three am.

»I went to the police office in Jerusalem to ask about Kamal. They didn’t tell me where he was, nor why they ‘arrested’ him. They wouldn’t let me see or talk to him. I felt so humiliated. I called a lawyer. I thought he might help me, but he told me that he couldn’t do any-thing until 48 hours had passed.«

a BRoKen heaRTI wrote a story about this. The next day, it was not in the newspaper. I called the news department asking about it, and they told me that the Israeli censorship wouldn’t allow them to publish it. I had to tell the father that unfortunately the story wouldn’t run.

When I told him, and his face turned red while tears filled his eyes. I apologized to the old man, and told him that it was out of my hands. It really broke my heart. I felt useless. I’m still wondering why do the Israelis have the right to write and say what they want freely while we, the Palestinians, can’t? Why do they have the freedom of speech while we don’t?

Mai Kaloti is a 24-year-old Palestinian. She works as a journalist at

the Arabic daily, Al Quds.

The Story I Never Got to TellCensorship prevents journalists like mai yacoub Kaloti from telling their stories

Challenges Walking the walk of feminism is more challenging in some places than others. Photo: Peter R. Poulsen

After a couple of minutes during my visit to the Danish newspaper Politiken, it seemed that the visit would be a waste of time. How-ever, I left the paper with a good story and feel richer from the experience.

We got to meet Politiken’s ed-itor-in-chief Tøger Seidenfaden and discussed the cartoons pub-lished in a Danish newspaper that were deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him).

But the highlight of the visit was interviewing Kurt Westergaard, the 73-year-old cartoonist who made one of the cartoons that lead to protests and demonstrations across the Islamic world. I never thought that I would be able to talk to him, especially after learning that he is protected around-the-clock by the police. But it was very easy. Politiken helped me to reach him by phone.

a new PeRsPeCTiveAs a professional reporter, I be-lieve Westergaard’s explanation for drawing the cartoon is something that should have coverage in the press.

You don’t have to believe in what he says but at least give him the chance to talk, which I think was not the case amidst the crisis of the cartoons. I would say that talking to him made me look at the situation and the crisis a little bit differently.

Mohammad Ghazal is a 25-year-old Jordanian. He works as a journalist

for local and regional media.

The Scoopmohammad Ghazal has a surprising meeting with one of the famous Danish cartoonists


y first media lesson was called ‘neutrality’ in 2006. Profes-sional journalists know very well what this word means and if it is applied in media or not. I certainly believe in neu-

trality in the media. In Yemen, I always heard journalists say that we are neutral even though they support a specific party, ideas and attitudes, trying to prove and convey them all over the world.

We have three kinds of media: official, partial and independent Yemeni news-papers. I thought the third type, ‘inde-pendent,’ is the neutral side of journal-ism but that is not true. I believe Yemeni media is not yet professional and neu-tral like others. I have been waiting for the good and professional journalism to find neutrality in Yemeni media.

My thoughts on neutrality were con-fined in Yemen but after my participation in the Crossing Borders media program with different nationalities in Denmark, I learned that media needs to be neutral before being professional. In a course on media roles on conflict, Ms. Lotte Dahl-mann told us that to cover and report on the conflict area neutrally you have to be

an honest journalist and to cover it im-partially. It depends on the journalist to cover the conflict professionally but from his/her point of view. One can judge the neutrality of the report save the journal-ist. I believe in that too and I thought that media in Yemen just needs a neutral me-dia outlet to wake itself up.

food foR ThouGhTMr. Nael Jabril gave us a lecture on war and peace journalism and how it is affect-ed by commerce, politics and violence. Mr. Garba Diallo also gave us a lecture on culturally sensitive media.

All these lectures made me form an image of the impartial media in my mind and then Mr. Fathi Abu Hateb’s lecture gave me ideas on how to start my own strong media outlet. I started to compare the image and the reality. I found big gaps between them because there are lots of obstacles, such as editors, newspaper pol-

icies, loyalty to an issue and sensitivity. This also holds true with the press laws in the Arab World, which restrict freedom of speech. And internationally we have loyalty to the country, saving its public advantage and reputation.

So many things let me rethink the ideal image of neutral media in my mind. I to-tally forgot about the ideas of profession-alism and neutrality. The Israeli press is so professional but it cannot be neutral in showing the conflict at home. The same

thing goes for the American press, when covering the war in Iraq.

sPeCifiC PoinTs of viewThese thoughts are not excuses for the journalists to be biased. As a practical solution, I start to put myself in many dif-ferent positions and act as a neutral jour-nalist who is a part of a conflict.

It is difficult because the journalist who has relatives, land, religion or beliefs that pass under conflict will do his best to sup-port what he/she believes and likes. Even if his/her work is just showing bare facts, he/her will show the facts from specific points of view to get support and advo-cacy to the issue. Anyway, I will start my neutral media outlet and it will be anoth-er practical experience.

Fakhria Ali is a 26-year-old Yemeni. She is a project director in the NGO, Media Women Forum.

questIons Can journalists ever really be neutral? Is any press completely unbiased?

Fahkria Ali feels it’s worth striving for, anyway and sets up a hard task for

herself. Photo: Peter R. Poulsen

26-year-old fakhria ali longs for an independent press in her home country of Yemen and makes a promise to start her own neutral media outlet

Journalists face obstacles, such

as editors, newspaper policies, loyalty to issues and sensitivity

»

neutrality of the Press

During the game I am struck with emotions of all sorts. Isolation – a feel-ing that has been growing since the first day of the course. Frustration – due to the language barriers, which I have been trying to overcome but not yet succeeded in doing.

A lack of communication – two very opinionated men from my team tak-ing charge of the game without con-sulting the three female participants in the team. I am left with a feeling of being overruled and ignored by my teammates. These things build up, and

in the end I feel that I have to leave the game.

BReaTh of fResh aiREveryone I know considers me to be a strong independent female journalist who is going to be successful working with foreign affairs, reporting from hot spots of the world. But I cannot even participate in a conflict game, without becoming this sensitive about it. It is just a game, after all. Catching my breath on the train to Copenha-gen, escaping the countryside where we are staying, I cannot help but won-der: am I really fit to work with con-flict journalism?

I have had my own personal and professional boundaries crossed by the other participants time and time again during this course. But if I think about it, after excessive amounts of expensive red wine, the company of good friends and many hours of sleep during the weekend in Copenhagen, I see that the experience has actually been good for me and it has changed my own perception of journalism and my role as a journalist aspiring to work in conflict areas.

Naimah Hussain is 25-year-old, Dane. She is studying Journalism at

the Danish University RUC.

It’s Just a Game. Isn’t it?Doubts start creeping in on naimah hussain as she is confronted with journalists with different backgrounds

i had my own personal and

professional bound-aries crossed by the other participants

»


ove is like a small jasmine tree that grows from attention and care. While growing and flour-ishing, it faces economic, social and even political challenges sometimes. If love is left without

proper care and attention it will die, as will the jasmine tree.

In Palestine, love faces obstacles that prevent it from growing and prosper-ing. Israeli law prohibits the granting of any residency or citizenship status to Palestinians from the Occupied Palestin-ian territories, and since an amendment made in March 2007, residency will not be granted to anyone from Lebanon, Syr-ia, Iran or Iraq, even if they are married to Israeli Palestinian citizens.

It has forced thousands of affected families to separate, live outside Israel, or live illegally within Israel under constant risk of arrest and deportation. The article itself does not directly prevent Palestin-ians inside Israel from getting married to Palestinians in the Palestinian territories or any Arab in other Arab countries, but the couple will never be allowed to live inside Israel.

GloRious GRaffiTiFor some, graffiti is annoying, uncivi-lized and unacceptable, but as far as the Palestinians are concerned, this is not so. Many Palestinians send messages to their loved ones by writing on the apartheid barrier, which Israel began building on June 16, 2002. The barrier wall divides

the Palestinian territories. Its width is be-tween 60-150 meters in some lands, with a height of up to 8 meters.

My friend Dalal, a Palestinian from Haifa who works as a reporter, met her lover Shadi from Bethlehem, who works as a nurse. Their first meeting was a coin-cidence at the check-point number 300 in

Bethlehem. When the two were crossing the check-point, the soldiers there could not hear the pulse of their loving hearts. I was closely following Dalal’s and Sha-di’s sad eyes, expressing lost hope and publicly admitting their love, especially aware that there was no hope of getting married and starting a family. Since the first meeting they pledged not to be sepa-rated until death.

»Barriers, military check points and a separation barrier that is surrounded

by bombs are all preventing me from reaching out to you my love,« Shadi wrote on the separation wall for his true love Dalal.

woRds of love»Guide me how can I reach you … I call for our love to have the right to live and grow. I keep moving from one dark place to another under this occupation. I want to see you, touch you and tell you what I feel without barriers between us,« Shadi added in his letter written on the wall.

On the other side of the wall, Dalal wrote: »Can you stand up with me in my prison until we see the daylight? Can you stand by me so that these barriers and re-strictions are broken so we walk free until the tops of our mountains?«

Shadi and Dalal are not the only two people who have been kept apart by the Israeli occupation and its unjust laws. Love cries in Palestine due to the Israeli occupation and thousands of lovers have been separated without even getting the chance to say goodbye.

Inas Mraih is a Palestinian. She works as a journalist for the

Arabic newspaper, Má Alhadath.

Palestinians separated by a wall in Israel face physical separation due to laws. inas mraih explains the barriers Palestinian love can face

Beyond Borderslove

love cries in Palestine due to

israeli occupation and thousands of lovers have been separated

»

♥

separatIon Inas Mraih has seen friends and lovers separated not only by the wall but also by law. Photo: Peter R. Poulsen


our pm on a windy spring day, in the Hebrew university of Je-rusalem. I was sitting in a lecture hall with huge glass windows overlooking a set of palm trees. I passed my sight along the view

until I finally saw my own reflection in the glass. The reflection that I saw was go-ing to change my life for good. I had to make a decision: should I stay here as a Palestinian in a Hebrew university, or go back to living among my own people?

At the end of high school no one was sure about their future plans. We were like little kids trying to choose wheth-er to play football or basketball, not knowing that we were about to decide what our future lives would look like. Strangely, I was the only one who was confident about his decision; going to the Hebrew university was my dream, as it was a world-renowned higher education institution.

»We don’t fit there, just apply for an Arab university,« is what all my friends used to tell me. I knew that it wasn’t going

to be a piece of cake to be a Palestinian studying among Israelis in an Israeli uni-versity, but I was determined and confi-dent. Nothing was going to stop me and I was ready for the challenge.

Wind at your back»May the road rise to meet you, may

the wind be always at your back.« This is what my mother mumbled in my ears when I set out on my first day at the uni-versity. I still remember taking the first step in the vast campus. The first obstacle that I faced was the language, but it was nothing compared to the sharp looks that I had when I spoke in Arabic.

I was talking on the telephone when a Palestinian guy approached me and whispered in my ears, »You better not speak Arabic here. Go find some isolated place where nobody can hear you,« and

then he disappeared. A sorrowful feeling filled my soul and somewhere deep down I knew that a gap was starting to grow

between that place and me. Yet I was not going to give up without a fight.

The first semester ended, and the sec-ond started. My first step this time was less confident, less motivated and more reluctant. I was heading towards the li-

brary when I saw dozens of students demonstrating. They were cursing and shouting in Hebrew words I didn’t un-derstand. But from where I was standing I saw someone holding a big flag with English words: We Hate Arabs. At that exact moment I felt someone nudge me on the shoulder. »Don’t you just love Is-rael?« he asked.

From bad to worseI stared at him for more than a whole

minute not saying a single word, then I turned around and found myself literally running out of the university. After that day, I started skipping classes and my grades went from bad to worse.

The reflection of me in the glass was so clear. The hall was filled with 300 stu-dents, but I only saw one, alone in a small room that was narrowing more and more. Finally, I held my books and exited the Hebrew university and never went back.

Baha Samara is a 22-year-old Palestinian. He is studying business and media

at Bethlehem University.

mIsfIt Baha Samara wanted to study at the best university in his region. This meant attending a preodminantly Jewish university in Israel. The obstacles were, however, larger than those of an average freshman. Photo: Peter R. Poulsen

22-year-old Baha samara wanted to study Chemistry at the best university around. His studies proved to be the least of his worries

on the other side

deep down i knew that a

gap was starting to grow between that place and me

»

Krogerup College in Denmark is launching a new Crossing Borders Global Stud-ies (CB Global Studies) study program for international students. The course starts in January 2009 and will be taught in English.

The target group is young people (minimum age 18) from anywhere in the world. The program is especially designed for students with a strong interest in the global dimension of social issues. The CB Global Studies offers the op-portunity to acquire theoretical and practical competencies for the analysis and understanding of social problems and the development of concrete ac-tion projects by working in international teams.

Contents

CB Global Studies will give you a unique chance to:live, study and develop concrete projects with fellow students from around • the world.examine globalization in the context of fair trade and the free movement of • people, freedom of speech and religious fundamentalism, climate change and global warming, post-September-11 wars and conflict management tools.understand how globalization is experienced in different parts of the world.• participate in study tours in Europe.• prepare yourself for higher university education and/or work in interna-• tional organizations.receive basic introduction to Denmark and Scandinavia.• briefly visit and interact with Danish civil society organizations (NGOs).•

MethoDs

The method of the program is multidisciplinary, combining:Lectures, discussions and workshops by experts.• Project-based modules leading to concrete outputs by the students.• Relevant award-winning documentaries.• Short field trips to and placements with Danish civil society organizations.• Each module/unit will integrate relevant films, photos and music.• Option for joint activities with Crossing Borders short courses.•

Cost

The price for the spring 2009 course is 34.050 kroner (4.564 Euros). This fee includes: accommodation in double room, tuition, all meals – except during the study tour in Europe, one week introduction, three day trips around Den-mark, and a 10-day study tour to Paris and Rome.

Students from the EU member countries that joined the union from 2004 onward can apply for an EU scholarship. If accepted, you need to pay only a symbolic fee of 500 Euros.

Students from Africa, Asia and Latin America can apply for partial scholar-ship. If accepted, you will only have to pay partial price.

For further information or questions, contact us by e-mail: [email protected] or phone: (+45) 4919 0380

Join the Next Global StudiesBe the first to join the new Crossing Borders Global Studies at Krogerup College in Denmark


very one of us remembers the issue with the cartoons in Den-mark. The controversy began after twelve editorial cartoons – most of which depicted the Prophet Muhammad, published

in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005. The newspaper announced that this publication was an attempt to contribute to the debate regarding criticism of Islam and self-censorship.

Danish Muslim organizations, who objected to the depictions, responded by holding public protests attempting to raise awareness of Jyllands-Posten’s pub-lication. The controversy deepened when further examples of the cartoons were re-printed in newspapers in more than fifty other countries. As a result of this pub-lishing, protests have been held across the Muslim world. In addition, most of the Muslim countries called for boycotting Danish products.

The cartoons were published again two years later in many other newspapers throughout the whole world. Most Mus-lims, who justified the first publishing as a freedom of speech, considered the republishing as a kind of Islamaphobia,

which is based on terminology of Islamic verses as comparable to terror.

Now, the question is: Is it really a free-dom of speech issue or is it another kind of racism and discrimination, which targeted the minorities in Denmark, ap-proximately 6.5 per cent of the popula-tion there?

human RiGhTsFreedom of speech means being able to speak freely without censorship. Free-dom of speech is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which recognizes the right to freedom of speech as »the right to hold opinions without interference…«. Freedom of speech is mentioned also under the line 77 in the Danish constitution: »Anyone is entitled in print, writing and speech to publish his or hers thoughts…«.

According to Radwan Abassi, a 41-year-old Lebanese immigrant, Den-

mark is considered the »first Racist coun-try and not as the advocator of the free-dom of speech«. In his opinion the real problem is ‘color’. If you are dark skinned or have a Middle Eastern appearance you cannot »enter a disco and you shouldn’t

protest if someone takes your place while you’re waiting to pay at the cashier’s desk in a supermarket«.

Abassi believes there is freedom of speech in Denmark, but also that it only applies to the Danes themselves. The newspaper called Ekstra Bladet tar-

gets minorities, Abassi says, especially Muslims.

»They ran a story of a father who raped his daughter and they made sure to men-tion that he was a Muslim – as if there is a connection between religious beliefs and abuse.«

afRaid of The PRessAbassi says that if one day there is free education and a welfare policy in Leba-non he will absolutely go back to his homeland.

Abassi was the only one I met who was willing to do this interview. All of the others were afraid. When they learned that I was writing an article, they refused to continue their conver-sation with me. My other question is, what are they afraid of?

Kholod Abuzraki is a 29-year-old Palestinian. She works for the media

center Ilam – a Palestinian NGO.

raCIsm A Palestinian journalist meets a Lebanese immigrant in Denmark who describes the Danish society as racist,

biased and discriminatory against people from the Middle East. Photo: Peter R. Poulsen

land of cartoons

»Freedom of speech applies only to Danes,« one Muslim immigrant told Kholod massahla on her visit to a Danish immigrant neighborhood

freedom of speech means

being able to speak freely without censorship

»

»I am Danish. I have studied interna-tional development and journalism. I want to use journalism as a tool to do development work. Mainly in Third World countries.«

It is the first day of the Crossing Bor-ders Course, and I have just presented myself to a group of 30 strangers from the Middle East. I have presented my-self many times before so I am not nervous. I know what to say. I don’t even have to think anymore.

»We always see the world from our own cultural and geographical back-ground,« says Garba, the leader of Crossing Borders. »One of you just said ‘third world country’. That person may not be aware that it is associated with a colonialistic view, that people from developing countries are third class citizens.«

I never realized that by taking the words ‘third world country’ in my mouth I let out vivid images of poor, victimized third class citizens soaked in the blood of colonial repression.

exPlosive woRdsNone of my Middle Eastern colleagues seem to care. The only person I man-aged to insult is Garba who is from Mauritania. I suppose linguistic sen-sitivity is also rooted in cultural and geographic background?

The rest of the group is way too busy discussing the use of other way more explosive words such as ‘terrorist’, ‘martyr’ and ‘freedom fighter’.

»They say that we are terrorists! How can they say that? There is no

such thing as Palestinian terrorism,« one of the girls says. »Freedom fighters are not terrorist«.

I have read about suicide bombers, martyrs and terrorist in the newspa-pers. But have I ever really thought about the difference between them? My colleagues seem scarily conscious about their choice of words. Especially when someone from the ‘other side’ uses a word they don’t agree with.

»Of course suicide bombers are ter-rorists. They call them Martyrs. But they really are terrorists,« is the an-swer to the Palestinian girl.

ResPonsiBiliTyAs journalists it is our responsibility to transmit facts to the public as correct-ly as possible. As journalists we must therefore be aware that our words have the power to twist or change these facts. Because our words are rooted in our cultural and geographi-cal background.

»Of course you are allowed to say ‘third world country’,« says Garba, when I later explain to him that I did not mean to insult anyone. »You just have to realise, what you are saying«.

I am nodding, grateful that some-one finally told me that there is no such place as ‘the third world’. After all, that is where I was planning to work for the rest of my life.

Signe H. Damkjær is a 27-year-old Dane. She is studying Journalism

at the Danish university RUC.

mind your languageCulture and geography play a part in the words we use – and sometimes we’re unintentionally insensitive. signe h. damkjær makes amends

Journalists must be

aware that words have the power to twist the facts

»

DEMENA

MS Danish Association forInternational Co-operation

»The Peace and Conflict Game made me realize that journalists who believe in freedom of speech and democracy should make people aware of what is going on with their leaders.« MARwAN ATHAMNEH

»we (the Palestinians) exist, but only as traces of our own hi-story. we are but the remnants of what was, witnesses of our own extinction, and that of our cause.« JIHAN ABDALLA

»i hated the cartoons but admire that danish newspapers preserveand respect freedom of speech. This freedom is hated in our arab world, though it is desperately needed.« MAHMOUD BASUONY

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Become active in CB by becoming a member, voluntary and/or writer. Annual membership is 150 DKK, 200 DKK for a family, 100 DKK for students. Institutions and companies are welcome to support CB activities at their own discretion.

As a member, you will receive the CB magazine sent to your private address, be invited to CB arrangements and courses and above all support a meaningful dialogue within the Middle East and across the Euromed region.

cb magazine vol. 9 ed. 36

Documents

anja gustavsen email

editorshawna kenney

denmark tel

middle eastern conflict

conflict zonelove

anja gustavsen chair

dorit maor tel

khaled shorman tel