The relationship between the Middle East and the West

Before I examine the average life of a Middle Easterner in the West, I wanted to expand on the relationship between the Middle East and the West. The Middle East and the West have had a troubled history. If you follow the link I provided, it will give you an idea of how long feuds between the two societies have been going on. We are aware of the tension between the East and the West and that is where most of out focus lies. Why can't we focus on the improvements being made on the relationship between the East and West? I found a great website that shows how the conflict between the East and the West can provide us with great insight:

"The impact of 11 September on the relationship between the West and the Middle East has not been all negative. The crisis has focused Western minds on the deeply problematic and stagnated nature of politics in the region. It has encouraged some thinking towards differentiating between interpretations of Islam. It has sown doubt in Western minds about Western policies and how they are received in the non-Western world. On the part of the Middle East too, 11 September intensified debate about what Islam is and who can speak on its behalf. It also led to some debate about who 'the West' is and what its role should be in the Middle East. If these benign outcomes are not marginalised in the longer term, they may provide some light at the end of the tunnel for the relationship between the West and the Middle East, and thereby benefit the future course of world politics." (Katerina Dalacoura:The Middle East and the West: Misunderstandings and Stereotypes).

Think of the diversities Middle Easterners who live in the West are facing. They are constantly being judge; not for their actions, but for what their country represents. More precisely, for what we feel their country represents.

To get a better understanding of the Middle East in the West, I'm reading Once in a Promised Land. It's a story about a young couple, Jassim and Salwa, who leave their home in Palestine and move to Arizona. Off to a slow start but I will definitely keep you guys updated.