Salaam, London: Spring 2009 Study Abroad

“Whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed.”

- Elle, Legally Blonde

“Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen-six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery.”

-Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, 1849

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London is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. There is so much going on and so much to see, I fear six months will not be enough. I have been doing as much exploring as I can, but there is so much more to do!

Camden Market—

Camden Market is one of my favorites—it is where I got my beautiful purple jacket from (in response to numerous inquiries from several of my girlfriends) for twenty pounds. Yes, I said twenty pounds…as a result of my Bangladeshi bargaining skills, especially since he told me forty-five at first. (Let me tell you, I am a pro…there are some skills, especially when it comes to shopping, at which you cannot have a Bangladeshi woman beat). Anyway, it has a huge open market, full of the most amazing things you could imagine, amazing, cheap international food, and the most amazing shops full of stuff you probably could get nowhere else. I bought SO much for my room, and it is probably where I will shop for friends and family.

Southhall

I think I was meant to come to London and meet South Asian celebrities, although in that case, I would not mind meeting Rani Mukherjhi or Sharukh Khan next. Southhall is otherwise known as Little India…like the London version of Jackson Heights in New York. It is full of bollywood music and movie stores, Indian and Pakistani restaurants, saris, salwaars, South Asian jewelry, grocery shops, etc.

Anyway, as soon as we got there, we see that there is a huge gathering in front of one of the music stores, and we see that Jay Sean, a very famous Pakistani singer- probably the most famous Desi singer in Britain, I was told, is here signing CDs and whatever else for his fans. One of the two friends with whom I went there, Aqsa, is probably the biggest fan of the guy, so of course we got in line. It was great to see all the Desi girls puffing up their hair, reapplying their lipstick, etc. hahahahhaa. My favorite part was this adorable little baby in the arms of the lady in front of me, who suddenly grabbed my finger and would not let go or stop giggling at me. I fell in love all over again (only twice in my lifetime), and while I melt every time with a smile from my Iranian, this baby’s smile also made me simply go weak at the knees. He was Adorable, and I much preferred him to Jay Sean.

Also, we ate the best food ever while at Southhall at a Pakistani restaurant. I forget the name of it, but I definitely plan on going back, and if you’re ever in London, you Have to eat there!

And finally, I got my nose pierced! It was crazy, but I’m glad I did it…although I have already (somehow, sadly) lost six nose rings…No comments needed, Irene Mathieu. I don’t know WHAT it is or how. I lost two at two different clubs while dancing…I don’t know, I must have been working my nose with the rest of my body, one during a massive snowball fight, and two, God knows where…Embarrassing, it is.

Oxford Circus—

Oxford Street, is equivalent to Fifth Avenue in New York, but I still find it more breathtaking and more dangerous……………………..because of my SHOPPING ADDICTION!!!!! Oh mother and father, forgive me for my sins to my bank account…on desires of want and not need. I cannot help it, it’s London’s fault for having such amazing clothes, and shoes, and scarves, and accessories…and oh, this is becoming critical. I need to be put in the ICU. It does not help that I am accompanied by a number of absolute shopaholics, AKA my friends, especially Miss Amma, who has become my partner in crime in everything from shopping to…everything else. J Anyway, Oxford Street is a Fashionista’s dream…with every shop and designer lining its streets. It’s always so crowded…here is true representation of Darwin’s “Survival of the Fittest”.

Primark

My friends and my dream come true. It is like everyone’s dream come true actually. Primark reminds me a little of Target, in that it has everything, but not, because it is like Target after having gone through a session of Beyonce’s “let me upgrade you”. The clothes at Primark are relatively cheap, but they’re clothes that will probably not have come out yet in the States…they’re just beautiful clothes and accessories, and my friends and I go there at least once a week. Anyway, it is huge, amazing, and unless you want to get stampeded on, do not go there on the weekends.

Other new favorite stores: Topshop and Dorothy Perkins. Dorothy Perkins has got me going bananas. Okay, enough about shopping. Sorry.

“Blind singers earn double. You know that.”

- Slumdog Millionaire

“Only the smallest part of humanity wishes and acts upon the destruction of others. The pluralists are far larger. Those of us who believe in a world where we live together, we’re far larger. The problem is we haven’t made our case compelling across the world yet.”

-Eboo Patel

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My two favorite classes are Economics of South Asia and Religion and Development. The other two are amazing as well, and gosh, I am just learning so much. I so wish we had a development major at W&M. I will not talk about all of them, however. I will just briefly talk about Econ. of South Asia and R&D.

Econ of South Asia is So close to my heart…it is what I want to focus on in my future; and the amazing thing about Professor Mustaq Khan is that he is the type of scholar who is not a mere quantitative “everything can be simplified into numbers” economist; rather he is a political, socio-cultural economist. I was just reading a review of a book on a poster on a bulletin board that talks about the shift of economics from being a field that is strongly embedded in and affected by cultural, societal, and political factors to a field that has become so mathematical, parochial, and so “strictly market- and profit maximization-driven”.

I probably sound ridiculous right now, especially to anyone who is hardcore neoclassical in their economic approach. But particularly with regards to the developing economies, interventionist and redistributive policies are almost necessary to protect the infant industries and mitigate political instability, especially from the intermediate regime; and I just learned that despite the creation of rents as a result of subsidies, rents do not have solely a negative impact as they are usually shown to have, and the net weight loss to society is usually so small it’s insignificant.

Anyway, in my perspective, one of the biggest hindrances to development, at least to my knowledge in South Asia, is lack of good governance and the prevalence of corruption, especially in my dear motherland, one of the most corrupt countries in the world. This has negative consequences not only internally, but it also deters international aid and investment.

I am also learning so much about Bangladesh in its historical and cultural context mostly through Mustaq’s literature, which, as I already said, is so inclusive of all the different elements that one needs to understand the full picture. One example: the difference between “Bengali” and “Bangladeshi,” which I have always mulled over. I always perceived that Bengali was an umbrella term for both West Bengal and Bangladeshi, and Bangladeshi specifically referred to residents of the country of Bangladesh, and I always presumed, of course, that there was a religious connotation to it as well, as most Bangladeshis are Muslims. Well, from one of Mustaq’s readings [GREAT paper, let me know if you’re interested in reading it!], I learned that initially Bangladeshi referred to Muslim Bengalis, as I thought, but then later, it was embedded in deeper party politics, with Bengalis being those who belonged to the Awami League and Bangladeshis being members of the BNP (Bangladesh National Party). And THEN, there is also the distinction that Bengalis signify more of a unification of the two populations, while Bangladeshis are keener on drawing the religious divide. But essentially, the difference between the two is vague and almost nonexistent…and I, from now on, consider myself a Bangalideshi.

Okay, have you ever sat in class and learned something or had a discussion and you felt like you were having an intellectual eruption? Well, those of you who have taken one of Professor Tamara Sonn’s Islam classes will know what I am talking about.

I initially went to Religion and Development on Wednesday wanting to audit it (since we are only allowed to take a maximum of four class=sixteen credits, and out of those four I HAVE to take three economics classes to fulfill my Econ major…so I was actually planning to take Islamic Law as my fourth…but this class blew me away completely!!), but as soon as I walked in and Professor Linden began talking…I knew this class would be life-changing.

Hanif and Professor Sonn would be especially excited to hear this- but my professor, Ian Linden, is the Director of Faiths Act in the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, and worked with EBOO PATEL at the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC)!!!! He was excited to hear when I told him that Patel had come to lecture at WM last semester. J

And you should hear about the work he has done- mostly in Africa– Malawi and Nigeria. He specializes in the relatively new area, about which there is not yet much research and which lies at the core of my interests within international development, of the role of religion in development issues. Oh my God, by the way, I have finally found a “field” into which my core scholarship interests seem to fit into: the political economy of religion (specifically Islam) in developing countries!!! I stumbled upon the term in a reading, and finally, I am not just steering in a blind direction! (I always struggled to merge my interests in economic development, Islam, human rights, and international relations[hips]).

Ian teaches two classes: Christian-Muslim Relations (again, parallel to Professor Sonn ) and this class, Religion and Development. The most obvious issue is of course the concept of human rights and religion. I am SO excited- many of you know that the question of Islam and human rights—pertaining to the broader question of cultural relativism and the concept of universal human rights- is like my obsession right now. That’s why I went to Cairo- to do a comparative content analysis of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights of Islam…and on my syllabus, one of the in-depth topics we cover is the human rights discourse. And we get to read Amartya Sen (you know, Development as Freedom); he’s like my econ Guru!

We just covered religion and human rights in the last lecture, and I was bursting with questions! I have asked many people, professors and my friends, about his concept of cultural relativism ad universal human rights…I think for the first time, I have gotten an answer that somehow makes sense to ME (not to discount the answers of my friends and others back home) and seems satisfactory to me. And I may have made up my mind on the matter, though I have to think and read about it a little more. The next two lectures are on Islam and development and then Islam and human rights, I believe…can you now understand why I am so excited?? If not, don’t judge me, please.

As Professor Linden was talking about in class on the first day, I believe, and I have found out from my experiences in Bangladesh and other places, that you cannot strive towards development in any field without understanding religion- particularly under current circumstances after 9/11. The whole notion of the “clash of civilizations” of the “East vs. West” discourse is embedded in this gap that exists because of a lack of emphasis on learning about and understanding the roots of a people’s culture, religion, and traditions.

It is the commonly-held view that religion is the problem of development (and in the early stage of my service-learning work and in my personal life even, being that I am Muslim, I also believed this) and is what held back development…but today, I so strongly embrace the fact that if you don’t develop a religious consciousness, there is no way one could pursue successful development initiatives in any community. Because then you become an outsider imposing your idea of right and wrong on people…it is crucial to develop an understanding of their sense of right and wrong also…whether you believe in relativism or not.

Unless we are naïve realists (which is so often the case, in my personal opinion ;P), everything is an interpretation, because in every situation, there are preconceived notions. So we have to strive to rid ourselves of these notions though broadening our outlook and understanding…which is what I feel education and conversation is all about.

Finally, just a bit about the concept of development…and its origin. So often, we throw around that word so carelessly and take it for granted. It has become such a sexy term today, particularly in the intellectual realm of aspiring activists and scholars hoping to “change the world”. I have also always contemplated about the implication of the world “development”…and its relation to “modernization” and in essence, “Westernization”…so by working towards development of these “underdeveloped” countries, we are essentially trying to make “them” like “us”.

In so many of these developing regions, there is a negative view of these development efforts, because development consisted of those ideas and practices that contradicted their way of living and viewing life— whether this be in the form of religious practices, cultural traditions, notion of human rights, etc. The point at which development can be pursued and religious and cultural differences remain intact and complement the latter, this is the point at which we can hope to make progress (which is not the same thing as development), or a true difference.

“And I can’t determine what exactly the problem is, because, what I may view as illness may be completely foreign to you, and what you view as illness may be completely foreign to me. So when you begin to understand these relationships that the people have with their own perception of illness and with each other, and how the community actually fits— you begin to understand how the community actually works, which is absolutely essential because people don’t choose to be poor, people don’t choose to be sick.”

-Mohammad Torabinejad, SOMOS [WMMMC] field video, 2007

The school system in London is very different from back home, although I am getting used to it. To begin with, there is no syllabus. Instead, you are given a huge reading list for each week from which you pick out the readings you think are important on your own and that you think will help you in your paper and final exam. It is all about self-discipline and taking initiative on your own…”proactive” is a word that was drilled into our heads during registration. J I used to think I had a lot of self-discipline. Well, I do! I tell myself that it is because I am in London…and this is why I feel so lazy. However, this is NOT to say that I have not been reading…just the contrary Sometimes I just get so caught up in one thing that interests the heck out of me, and I start reading about it more, even if it is not an assignment-related. Ultimate nerd-status. Gosh, I cannot get over my readings especially for Economics of South Asia and Religion and Development. J

And also, unlike the class schedule back home, each course here consists of a two hour lecture plus an hour tutorial per week. The lecture solely consists of the lecturer talking, and you don’t normally talk unless you have a question. And even then, it is more often the case that you wait until after class or break to talk to the lecturer. Tutorial is more seminar-style, where you meet with a smaller number of students, sometimes, actually most of the time, with a tutor who is not your lecturer. Tutorial is interesting…I think I talk too much, I honestly do. At least ten percent of the time, it is me talking…I tell myself it is because I am American…or Bangladeshi. Or no, Both! Not a good combination in the keeping quiet sector. It is all very interesting and controversial and I have a lot to share.

Another thing, you may wonder why I keep saying tutor or lecturer…something else I to get used to. Here, you do not call any “professor” a professor! Unless they are really a PROfessor! The thing is, in Europe, a professor is someone who has reached the very height of his or her research/academia/scholarship. He or she has a plethora of published literature, and has been teaching for a number of years, etc, etc. So most of the “professors” here, you just call them by their first names or Dr. It’s funny though, if you call someone a professor (who really is not a professor) he or she is so flattered…hmm, brownie points with the pretense of ignorance? I do have one professor professor who is also my lecturer- Professor Mustaq Khan- my BANGLADESHI, adorable, uncle-like professor of Economics of South Asia. The guy is brilliant, I tell you, my personal hero. He is SO smart and poised and confident, and just brilliant. Here is the link to his page:

http://mercury.soas.ac.uk/users/mk17

Also, my favorite part: the grading system. This is something I think about sometimes in the States, especially with classes that are so subjective, like IR or sociology or philosophy. Here, when you take write a final essay/take an exam with essay questions—you do not get your grade until a few months later. This is because, in the British system, once your lecturer/tutor grades your paper, it is then passed on to another person…most often someone who has not had you in class, for a second grading. This person does not see the grade that the first person gave you. In this way, if there is an inconsistency in grading, they convene and if necessary, bring in a third person to do the final evaluation. That Is So Cool!!! And this makes so much sense, because it ensures that there is no bias in grading…and I just think that is so cool, and very much worth the longer wait for your grades. We should think about doing it this way in the States, for real.

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There are so many Bangladeshis here, it’s crazy! And I love it! My professor of Economics of South Asian Development is from Bangladesh, Mustaq Khan, one of the most brilliant people I have met. You should look him up and take a look at his CV and publications. And his current working literature and research about Bangladesh and India and Pakistan are simply amazing.

Then there are three presidents of the Students Union at SOAS. And of them, Nizam, happens to be from Bangladesh. He is everywhere, always putting up fliers, talking to students…he is pretty intense, reminds me of myself, it must be that Bangladeshi fire.

Then according to my friends, there is at least one Bangladeshi in each of their classes, and they’re always the ones who make the bold comments, etc, etc. I don’t know what this is, but I definitely like it. Bangladesh is taking over, I tell you…we will never drown!

There is an actually Bangla Town in London, in Brick Lane, where there are only Bengali people residing…and there are legit Bangladeshi restaurants everywhere…I am planning to go this week! I cannot wait.

I was so worried about missing William and Mary, I have come to love that place with every bit of my heart. I love my College so so much. But I have had no opportunity to miss it, because when we call WM an internationalized school, No Joke! It really is a global school!

When I went to the SOAS Language Center to sign up for an extra evening language class, I kept hearing “William and Mary” to my left, where two women were talking. I honestly did not mean to eavesdrop, but every time I hear William and Mary, same as how every time I hear Bangladesh or human rights or the name of one of my best friends or Emerald Thai, my heart jumps. So, of course, I say, “Excuse me, did you say William and Mary? I am a study abroad student from there!” The older lady got so excited! As it turned out, she was the volleyball coach at William and Mary for a long time; she had just retired last year and had come to London to stay with her daughter and take Swahili! How cool is that?! She was so nice, and gave me her email address and phone number. What a small, small beautiful world. J Also, I have met other students from Africa, from Southeast Asia, etc. who know some of my friends back at WM…it’s just crazy…I never realized how small of a world it really is until coming here!

My flat: what a small world this is… At Dinwiddy, the apartment-style dorm in which we live, there are flats, with six people in each flat. Well, it just so happens that in my flat, out of the six, one is Bengali, two Indian, and one Pakistani! The other two are Chinese and American, and they’re all girls. Can you believe that I end up in “Little South Asia”? J It’s pretty cool, the hall always smells like curry, , and the girls are super nice! They’re all post-grad, however, which means they are always studying and only leave their rooms to go to the kitchen, which we all share.

Okay, this is probably the coolest thing that has happened to me so far in London, although the list in huge! The Bengali woman, she just happens to be the ex-wife of one of the most famous contemporary singers in Bangladesh, and she is also extremely famous!!!!! A lof of my friends know about her and her husband- I won’t drop names here, because she is trying to keep a low profile after her divorce, which took place a year ago and was really hard on her. That is the reason why she came to SOAS, she wanted to get away from Bangladesh and throw herself into school to take her mind away from it. Guess what she is studying???? Bangla Literature and Music!!! How cool is SOAS to have a degree in that? <sigh> It’s amazing! Anyway, I am getting really close to her, and she is teaching me how to cook a little bit (I have actually been doing pretty well on my own ;P).

The SOAS Arcadia group from the U.S. (Arcadia is the program through which I came to SOAS) also consists of six girls. They are all fabulous- Alissa, who is American (although her home is in Switzerland) and who goes to GW, two Koreans names Evaline and Jess, one Vietnamese cutie-pie named Trinh, and finally Amma, who is African-American and Ghanaian. They are all fabulous- fun, smart, funny, open-minded, and incredible. Amma is Crazy…she is just always making me laugh, and she is just so wild and sweet!

And Alissa, who I have gotten very close to, is very similar to me in her passions and personality. She is so passionate about African studies…her dorm room is decorated with beautiful African paintings and art…and she is actually going to – with her mom during spring break.

As for neighborhood friends, I have made some wonderful ones! J I found a Bengali grocery store that falls right on my walk from home to SOAS…the owner helps me with differentiating my spices and all of that. Lol. And then there are my friends at the Pound Store. Don’t be fooled by the name…I miss our Dollar Stores where most things were actually just that, a dollar L. Anyway, the first day, I went with the girls, and we must have spent a lot of money, because the owners who are Indian, gave us all free packs of tissue. And they were pleased when I spoke to them in Hindi (unlike my friends back home who laugh at my grammatical shortcomings. Hmmph). And when I came back next week, the older guy called me aside and told me that his boss scolded him last time, asking him why he sold me the pot that he did. “It was not good enough quality for you,” he tells me. And then he tells me to pick any of the pots on the shelf and take it for free…despite my protests, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. And I end up with a second cooking pot worth nine pounds. It was so sweet. 

I am starting to make more British friends, and more friends at SOAS. It’s a little tough because we came in the middle of the year, and in the middle of classes ( most of them are full-year). But I have met some really cool people, and hope to make more of an effort in that area.

No offense to my Jamestown Mosaic darlings intended.

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must all understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in  value no matter what their color.”

- Maya Angelou 

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SOAS is…I don’t know. I cannot do it justice by describing it in words. It is like I am living in a dream, in which all of my passions- everything I am crazy about in life, have just come into full bloom. For one, the diversity. My typical walk through the halls consist of hearing Bengali among students in one corner, Arabic in another corner; on a daily basis, I hear casual conversations in Hindi, Russian, Chinese, Farsi, you name it. And it is almost unbelievable, but SOAS offers just about every single language spoken in the continents of Asia and Africa, including Sanskrit and Twi. It is like the world and all its diversity squeezed itself into a campus! Everywhere I look, there are so many different faces, I hear so many different accents, languages, so many different styles of dressing…it’s all just crazy and overwhelming and exciting and simply incredible! I see so many students dressed in Burkas, all different kinds, in African headdresses, in Salwaar Kameez…everything. In so many instances, we see tolerance of diversity, recognition of diversity…SOAS is ALL about celebration of diversity. It’s so beautiful. I have fallen in love!

I have already briefly mentioned the student body. The passion and activism here is nothing short of incredible…and so contagious! There are everyday protests about Gaza; there are lectures, etc.

Here is just one other specific example-one of the departments briefly brought an award-winning gallery to SOAS. “The exhibit showcases material gathered by the Ministry of Defence concerning the participation of people from a wide range of ethnic/ religious groups in the defence of the UK over the last 250 years” (soas.ac.uk). Basically, a lot of students and faculty were offended by the implication of African-Americans “voluntarily” joining the army, while in fact, this was not the case. I wish I knew more about it- and I will find out more soon! A lot of students, and professors, and actually student and organization outside of SOAS, were naturally offended (naturally, because I personally was very offended) and a bunch of SOAS students in coordination with the Student Union “occupied” the room where the gallery was and some even spent the night there. The next day security at SOAS locked the main doors to the building, and the students arranged for others to climb in through the window! And you should the notes of support and encouragement from students and faculty both at and outside of SOAS! And it is so amazing, because it was successful, as the administration decided to remove the gallery. J How awesome is that? [and in case you were curious, yes, I did, despite the tight jeans, climb through the window in between classes. Naturally ;P). I took pictures- will be on facebook soon!

The student union, which is similar to the student assembly at W&M, is always bustling with activity, events, etc, etc. They also have their own version of Student Happenings, and there is so much going on here.

Finally, a little note about the library.

SOAS Library carries every single book- ever written in history, in every language- ever written on or about Asia and Africa. Every.single.book.ever.written.in.any.language. And by law, they have to purchase every single piece of literature that is written about the two continents. Is that not Crazy?! It’s crazy!

I do not care if you laugh at me- feel free to do so! I am in full embracing mode of my Inner Nerd this semester…I really, really care about this stuff- about development and human rights in South Asia and the Middle East- and I want to learn as much as I can…which is especially crucial because there is no way one can go into different region, a different community with different customs and traditions, hoping to make a difference there without learning about and fully understating that community in all of its aesthetics. So this is perfect for me at this stage of my life-I feel like I am vicariously in South Asia and the Middle East without worrying about whether I am coming in as an outsider who has no right to “intervene” or impose as a Western-minded “scholar” or “good-doer”.

“The idea of cultural relativism is nothing but an excuse to violate human rights.”
- Shirin Ebadi

At least two thirds of our miseries spring from human stupidity, human malice and those great motivators and justifiers of malice and stupidity, idealism, dogmatism and proselytizing zeal on behalf of religious or political idols.
- Aldous Huxley

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The weather is London reminds me of my boo, Lamar Shambles: ICE COLD (it’s a reference, and he’s going be shaking his head and laughing at me). It was minus two degrees here the other day!

Okay, I am from Connecticut, but I CANNOT stand the cold! It just gets to me and affects my mood and I just don’t like cold or snow, the prettiness of which wears off very quickly for me after I start feeling its effect. So that is one of the areas in which I was hesitant in coming to London, especially since I get sick very quickly and am not very good at taking care of myself. However, I must say, that is an enemy that I have been able to face and challenge since I’ve come to London!

Another reason why I don’t like the cold is because I never feel like putting effort into how I look, and I hate bundling up. But in London, there is no time or excuse to NOT look good (while at home, cold weather means sweats and messy hair). It is illegal to not look to the nines in London. So, I’ve been bundling up with the cute hats, gloves, jackets, scarves, BOOTS (you gotta have the boots in London)…and whoever said it hurts to look good was obviously naïve. I don’t know, maybe it’s the London kind of cold or it is the warmth of my beautiful scarf and boots, but I feel quite comfortable when I go out on my walk across the street to Starbucks even in the -2 degree weather. J Some of these English girls are completely cray-cray, though. When we went clubbing the other night, so many of them were wearing miniskirts and shorts and 6 inch heels…I’m not quite there yet.

Which brings me to the fashion. The boots. The stockings. The gorgeous coats, hats, and scarves. Since coming here, I have seen I believe two people in sweats, even at SOAS. They always look amazing! I had to make a Starbucks run across the streets, and it was night too, and I walked with my head down the whole time because I was in sweats. Yes, it is that serious. London is SO fashionable! I am trying my best, and hopefully, in six months time, I will come back to the U.S. a very fashionable woman. J

There is an Indian restaurant, a Thai restaurant, Chinese restaurant, and a Kebab place on every single street. They say that chicken tikka masala is the national food of London! At every grocery stores, they have prepackaged chicken tikka sandwiches, samosas, etc, etc. I have been told of amazing Bangladeshi restaurants…basically, I am in food heaven. Although, as most of you know I am learning how to cook! I am getting to be a SICK chef…I’ll feed everyone when I come back, promise.

A few general things…The British approach to religion…your religion is your personal business. There is no “God Bless England” after a political speech. During orientation, one of the directors talked about this and I thought it was so interesting. Don’t get me wrong, it is not a case of religion-blindness; there are churches and synagogues and mosques everywhere, but it is just not to be mixed with politics…and yes, I know some will say that it is the same case in the States. But I have a lot of hijabi friends back home, at William and Mary, in NYC…and I know of the daily struggles they face, even today. Walking down any street in London, I see so many hijabi women, and there is just an aura of “carefree-ness” that I sense here. However, it may just be the case that I study at SOAS- the quintessense of diversity- or because I have yet to converse with some of these women (which I definitely plan to do), I am making assumptions too fast. But so far, this has been my perception.

As for politics and British view of Americans, it is the complete opposite. They want to learn about our stance, they want to talk about it, and they absolutely LOVE Barack Obama. A student was telling of how when they found out, everyone deserted what they were doing and went to join the party in the middle of London, where they drank and celebrated all night. It’s a beautiful thing to see how much our politics and domestic affairs matter to and affect people around the world, especially the young generation. Insha’Allah, I can make some positive contributions in the future when in the Foreign Service.

“Maybe [they’re] right. Maybe there is something the matter with me. I just don’t see how a world that makes such wonderful things…could be bad.”
- Ariel, The Little Mermaid

“[T]he security and well-being of each and every American depend on the security and well-being of those who live beyond our borders. The mission of the United States is to provide global leadership grounded in the understanding that the world shares a common security and a common humanity.”
- President [-Elect]Barack Obama

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I was on my way to a meeting of the South Asia Dance Society today, and I ended up in the wrong room. There was another sort of meeting going on there. It was one of most beautiful wrong doors I walked through.

The meeting was a prayer vigil for Gaza. Different students of different backgrounds read a Muslim prayer, a Hindu prayer, a Christian prayer, a Jewish prayer, and there was also poetry. A Palestinian student read a poem about her home and her people…and another student read a beautiful poem about peace, and our everyday struggle to find it. Two beautiful African females wearing hijabs played the drums and recited def poetry. It was beautiful, and a healing process for me. It has not been easy, not even as a Muslim but as a human being, to watch and read about and talk about what is going on between Israel and Palestine. For some reason, being away from home during this situation makes me feel even more distant from what is happening and what I feel I can do about it…but actually at SOAS, I have been taking part in protests, lecture series, discussions, etc, for the situation in Gaza, and in Israel. This campus, if it is possible, is even more “activist” than WM; the students- Muslim, Jewish, Black, White, Palestinian, Israeli- are SO passionate and feel so strongly about what is going on…it’s amazing being a part of the energy and activism that characterizes SOAS. But I will talk more about this in one of my blogs. First, I want express some of my feelings, something I wrote about Gaza after the prayer vigil on a park bench on the way home. It is short, because as I’m sure you know, London is absolutely freezing, and I was cold. 

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I want my words to come out not from my anger
I want my words to reverberate my sorrow, to arise from my hope
My courage, and my belief that we will overcome.
My hope. My love. I love.
I’m going to keep on loving. I’m going to love the hell out of you
I’m going to love the hell out of until you stop hurting. Hurting yourself and hurting others and the innocent…the children. The innocent children. Please stop hurting the children.
I’m praying.
I’m praying for the suffering in Gaza. The suffering in Israel. In the DR Congo. In Mumbai. I am praying for human suffering everywhere.

I am tired of being a Muslim. I am tired of you being Jewish. My religion is Humanity. Humanity that binds me with my brothers and sisters, all 6.7 billion of them around the world. Those children you are killing are my brothers and sisters. Your brothers and sisters…

I can hear the screams. Oh God, I taste the salt in their tears. And my Heart is screaming. Screaming like they are screaming, squirming on the street in pain, struggling to gasp for their last breath of air, swimming in their blood…there is so much blood.

I cringe because I see the baby’s face digging into her mother’s breasts…But her mother is silent. And then she becomes another number. 1001 killed in Gaza…The new facebook status.

The war of the facebook statuses. This # killed in Gaza versus this # killed in Israel by Hamas. The blame. Can we stop the blame? They blamed me after September 11, but I refuse to blame you for this. Because I see the fear and hurt in your eyes. Because I know you are bleeding on the inside, as much as the man by your feet is bleeding…I bleed like you, the same shade of red as the stains on the Gaza streets. The shade of your blood. The stains are red. There is so much blood.

I feel God inside my heart…he gave me the secret. And it was not Blame.
Or hatred.
Or oppression. Repression.
Or Violence. Anger. Genocide. Or War. It sure as hell was not Tolerance.

It was Love. My weapon of choice, much stronger than the rifle in your hands. I know love. The policies, the aid, the treaties…yes, yes, I know all of that too. Please, my major is International Relations. But only because there was not a major in Human Relations. And my solution is love. I still choose love.

Call me a naïve fool. I’m used to it…though I prefer being called a dreamer! Just like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And I think about that in a few days we are swearing in the first African-American president of United States of America. Insha’Allah, in a few days, weeks, preferably days, we will also see a ceasefire and negotiation of peace. I have full faith.

Yeah, I choose to love. And in the depth of my bleeding heart, I know peace will come. And until then, I will not lose hope, and I will hold on.
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I know we are all greatly affected by what is going on…and it is so nice to see so many of my friends and family speaking out, fighting for what is right, doing good work…doing their part. I am so proud of everyone!

“My experience suggests that scholarship that is situated at the center of compelling human problems and in the context of a desire to help magnifies opportunities for teaching, learning, and all of the kinds of scholarship that [Ernest] Boyer identified.”
- Dr. David Aday

“I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We’ve been taught that silence would save us, but it won’t.”
- Audre Lorde
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Hi! Greetings from…Connecticut! I wanted to send an email out before I leave for London, especially since today is the culmination of 2008! I am pretty sure that all of you know I am studying abroad at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS at the University of London) for spring of 2009. All of you are very special to me, and I wanted to keep you updated with my experience in London; but if you would prefer not receiving these emails, please let me know. (I promise I will not be in any offended, we’ll keep in touch in some other way! )

I want to make this one short and sweet. First of all, I have to warn that these blogs may be all over the place…I am going to London with so many questions in my heart, a completely open mind, and a deep hope for transformation within myself. Every experience is absolutely incomplete without reflection (just ask Drew Stelljes) and internalization of the changes one goes through during that experience. I realized the extent to which this is true through my involvement in Project Mexico and my time spent in Bangladesh…but for some reason during my past experiences abroad— I always felt so overwhelmed with my emotions, with the number of questions racing through my mind, with the burning desire I felt to translate my thoughts into action— that I often became lost in my reflections. And as a result, I was unable to effectively articulate them, especially in writing. They seemed too disorganized and too complex to capture and translate into the simplicity of words.

However, this time it will be different! For a few reasons:

1. I feel so different and excited! A huge source of my inspiration has been the recent election of President-elect Barack Obama. I don’t care if some people call it mere rhetoric, “blind optimism”– I believe so strongly in hope, in change, in progress…and I FEEL it taking place in the world, and within myself. I want to capture every one of those changes, and I think for that reason I feel this incredible drive to start writing.

2. Unlike Mexico, Egypt, or Bangladesh, I will be in Europe for a good, long six months! I always feel so incomplete after a week in Reynosa, Mexico, or a month in Bangladesh. Because I felt that there was so much to get done in such short a time, I never had time to sit down and really think and write to my heart’s content.

3. I bought four journals from Barnes and Noble at the end of the semester…they’re all gorgeous and were also gorgeously priced…so I plan to fully utilize my money’s worth. Especially since I’m going to have to face the pound in London.

Finally, many of you guys were surprised at my having chosen London to study abroad. Latin America or the Middle East seems more up my alley– definitely more exciting with regards to foreign language immersion and food (although I am not complaining- London is the haven for ethnic foods!), and more challenging in the cultural spectrum. While I was initially leaning towards those regions, I ended up choosing London for several reasons. One, SOAS itself has been described as a mini-United Nations. It is SO diverse, full of students studying from countries all around the world (over 40 percent from outside of the UK), and offers more than fifty languages!!! (I can’t make up my mind which language to study!)

More importantly, and this is ideally captured by Dr. Aday’s quote above, before striving to make progress in any field, I believe that one needs to develop an awareness of the region and issues that shape the structure and well-being of the community in that field. Through my international experiences, I gained a strong understanding of the ways in which culture, religion, social hierarchies, etc., factor into the development issues that characterize the communities in which I have worked. The personal interactions I had, the bridges of cross-cultural understanding that I built, and the profound knowledge that I gained are all reasons why I wish to translate my awareness into a deeper academic experience. One means by which I can make a tangible difference is by initially challenging myself on the basis of scholarship and disciplinary expertise of the two regions in which I intend to work. Prior to going out on the field to work towards addressing development issues, I think it is crucial that I have the intellectual preparation and professional resources to make the maximum amount of difference. As one of the world’s leading developmental economics programs and home to the Center of Near and Middle Eastern Studies and the Center of South Asian Studies, I believe SOAS will provide me with the preparation and resources I need to make this difference.

I think that is about it!

HAPPY 2009!!

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