My first Jewish Wedding My first Jewish Wedding (Hebrew) My first Jewish Wedding (Arabic)
|
My first Jewish weddingRami Assali JERUSALEM - A week ago I was invited to a Jewish wedding. As a Palestinian from East Jerusalem, this would have been my
first, and I was ambivalent about attending the ceremony. So many questions flooded my mind: how would they react if
they knew that I was a Muslim? Would I be the black sheep? Would they wonder what the hell I was doing there? My
feelings were mixed to the very last moment. It was not until the day of the wedding that I finally decided to go. What
was the worst that could happen? If I was not welcome then I would go home. I thought Muslims and Jews were different, but witnessing this ceremony taught me what we share. Just as we all take the
same steps in our weddings, so we take the same steps in our lives. We bond our histories with marriage, with faith, and
with our shared values. The "holy wars" of the Middle East often cause us to forget that the three religions of Abraham
are almost the same. These faiths teach us deep commitment to peace and brotherhood. It's our ignorance that makes us
different; we need to know the other side before passing judgment. We all believe in the same God, though we write it
differently. Even the messages we teach are almost the same. It is like having the same coat but in different colors.
What difference does the color make? The most important thing is that a coat provides comfort, and keeps us warm in the
winter.
From The New Testament
We need to start listening to the other side.
When we learn more about each other, we'll discover that we are not that different from each other. We all share the
same values and beliefs. |
11 Poems about Lebanon Mitchell Report Jordanian-Egyptian Proposal Poetry of Peace Jerusalem - Naomi Shehab Nye
Subscribe to the PeaceWatch/Viewpoints |
Tell a Friend - If you like what you see, tell a friend (or two or three..) about MidEast Web. You can do more than that. MidEast Web is being built by all of us. We need your help.
Using the Web for Good Causes - Web Site tips
This
Magazines Supporting Middle East Peace Process site owned
by MidEast Web.
[ Previous 5 Sites |
Previous |
Next |
Next 5 Sites |
Random Site |
List Sites ]
Map of Palestine Map of Israel Map of Iran Map of Syria Map of Afghanistan Jerusalem Detail Map Map of Egypt Dictionary Middle East Recipes Jerusalem/Quds to Jericho History of Israel & Palestine - Part I Israel & Palestinian History current since the Oslo accords Middle East Countries Detailed Iraq Map Map of Iraq Baghdad Map Iraq Iran Islam History History of Arabia Egypt History of Israel & Palestine - Part I Israel & Palestinian History current since the Oslo accords Israel-Palestine Timeline History of Zionism Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in a Nutshell Population of Ottoman Palestine Palestinian Parties and armed Groups Middle East Maps Hamas MidEastWeb Middle East Master Reference and External Sources
My First Jewish Wedding - Intercultural Dialogue