A thought on Christians and facebook...

Let me preface today's blog by telling you that I am a proud Christian married happily to a Muslim man. I lived and worked for three and a half years side by side with Muslims in a Muslim community. They were open, accepting, and genuinely gracious to me about my religion. The image that American media paints of the Muslim world is not the reality that I have seen with my own eyes.

"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,[c] 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him." Acts 17:24-27



If as the Bible says, that all human beings come from one man, and that he created all nations, and that he gives to all mankind life and everything in our lives... then why do do so many Christians in America treat Muslims as if they were not created by the same God that made Christians? Why do Christians feel they have the right to discriminate, judge, put down, harass and ridicule a race of people created by God himself? What makes us so arrogant as a nation to think we are more loved, or better than anyone else that God put on this earth?


This week I've finally gotten back on facebook. I've tried to stay a way for the last two to three months, as every time I got online I would see posts and comments from my fellow Christians about Muslims and Islam. Honestly, it took every ounce of my willpower to just stay off the internet and not fight back. I hate that so many people make assumptions and judgments about millions of people they've never even met before. These human beings who want nothing more than to lead a good life, raise their children to be good people, to live a life dedicated to God (yes the same one that Christians worship, and if you think that is inaccurate maybe you should read Islam for Dummies).  These are people that God created too. It hurts me to know that we are teaching the children of America to hate. We are openly and actively discriminating Muslim exchange students, and our own Muslims who live in America. Whatever happened to love thy neighbor? Do we get to conveniently pick and choose what passages of the bible to believe? Do we no longer believe that racism is against God's desires for us? (IF you don't believe that, here is a list of passages in the Bible that tell us God wants us to love each other, to accept each other, and to coexist together: http://www.openbible.info/topics/racism) 


Look, I know I'm one person. I know that this blog may no longer even be read by anyone. But it hurts my heart to know that there are people I love who have no problem advocating for hatred against other people that I love, in the name of Christianity. The television show West Wing once used an analogy that the Terrorist Muslim groups are to Islam what the KKK is to Christianity. So why are we still acting like all Muslims are terrorists? Stop blaming it on Christianity and saying it is what the Bible says, because it isn't and presuming to know God's mind and heart is offensive. Presuming that God doesn't want us to love the Muslim brothers and sisters he put on the planet with us is offensive. Just stop it and learn to accept those people that God puts on this planet. No one asks to be born. We don't choose to be born. You can't honestly think that there are different Gods who create babies to burn in hell for being born into the wrong region of the world... really, are we that arrogant? Wake up and try living a life by example instead of trying to spend all your time telling everyone else how to live. If Facebook has become a way for Christians to justify their bullying then I want no part of it. We ask our children to not cyber bully, yet we have no problem using Facebook to publicly proclaim superiority. God shows no partiality. ( Romans 2:11 )

1 John 2:9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

Baku State of Mind

One of the best parts of being a Peace Corps volunteer is sharing with the rest of the world all the things you see and do while in Azerbaijan. Two industrious volunteers, Tim McNaught (Az 7) and Brad Kessler  (Az 8) calling themselves the "Baku Dreamers," have produced a video that is set to the tune of Jay-Z and Alicia Key's song Empire State of Mind.... but this one is entitled Baku State of Mind. In 2012, the capital city of Azerbaijan, will host the biggest and most widely televised music contest in Europe, Eurovision. Since Azerbaijan won first place this year, Baku will naturally host the next contest, and Azerbaijan is earning it's place on the map. These two volunteers have made what I feel is one of the best PR pieces I've ever seen for Azerbaijan... showing some of the places that are actually enjoyable for expats, volunteers and foreigners to visit while in the capital. Please watch the video, and if you can, rate it! These volunteers did an amazing job, and my hat is off to the two of them for promoting Peace Corps third goal in one of the most creative ways I've ever seen!

Congratulations!

This morning I nervously opened my friend and former site mate's blog post. Farid and I had been anticipating their trip to Tbilisi for her husband's US visa, and were of course, expecting complications... as being in the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan almost always has something that complicates whatever you are attempting to do. Their visit went similar to our own, in the respects of being over prepared, scoping out the location of the interview, and being asked about every odd item in our bags. Her post can be read here: http://salammeanspeace.blogspot.com/2011/07/notes-from-georgia-part-i-zipper-drama.html

To my great relief, they were approved for the immigrant visa! I just wanted to write my joy and congratulations to them both!

Still Adjusting...

For the few of you who still follow my blog, you'll be happy to know that Farid and I are finally moving out of my parents house! We were approved yesterday for an apartment, and will be moving out around July 7th or 8th. The current tenant moves out July 1st, and then of course the apartment will need to be cleaned... but then it's ours!

We've had a lot of set backs in the last eight months since my service ended. We came home on October 13th, with a nightmare-tale of return (see my posts from October 2010) and ended up spending almost the entire readjustment allowance to get back.  Then, the economy was much worse than I had imagined, and I was unable to find a job for more than three months... I ended up taking a part time position instead (which I am still at.) The car we bought at auction blew up, causing us to spend our entire move-out savings on yet another car (three in the time we've been home!) and now, finally, we are able to move out. I will post pictures of course once we get moved.

I'd like to provide a little advice to any current PCVs that may still read this blog. However much time you think you will need for readjustment, finding a job, getting on your feet, or just feeling normal: double it... heck, triple that. I honestly thought that we'd be moved out and back to life as usual by new years. I was wrong. It took an additional six months on top of that for me to begin to feel normal again. And the reverse culture shock never entirely goes away. Last night I went to the Mariners game in Seattle with Farid, and I had a moment of extreme culture shock that I just couldn't describe. Hearing the national anthem live, sitting in the sun trying to catch practice balls, and eating cheese fries and nachos in the ball park... it felt unreal. There are a lot of times where I feel like I'm in a dream, and that I'm going to wake up in my apartment in Yeni Ganja. Readjustment takes time. It's a slow process and I'm finally getting there, one step at a time.

RPCV Friends of Azerbaijan

Just before the end of my service, I submitted a request to the National Peace Corps Association to form a returned peace corps volunteer group for volunteers who served in Azerbaijan.  It took a few months to get a reply, but the NPCA approved our request and will be giving us official recognition as an RPCV group!  This is great, but also a bit frustrating as well... in true Azerbaijani fashion, the volunteers who served there tend to procrastinate (you know it's true!)  So the burden of creating materials, events and finding information for the group is currently resting primarily on my shoulders.

For now, we have a Facebook group, as well as an email address (friends.of.azerbaijan@gmail.com) and a quarterly newsletter written by yours truly.  It isn't much, but it's a start. So if you are an RPCV from Azerbaijan, please let other members of your group know the news.  It's my goal to keep my blog going as the online publication forum for our quarterly newsletter and RPCV information.  I can't see just deleting it, and want to continue to reach out to those who served.  If you are interested in helping with the quarterly newsletter, have ideas for the group, or comments regarding the Friends of Azerbaijan RPCV group, please contact me at the email address mentioned above.