Saturday, February 11, 2006
Bridging the gap
The posts at Bridge the Gap are in English. Although the navigational instructions are in Dutch if you know your way around a blog you can figure out the links. The objective of the blog, founded by a Dutch MD who is completing his residency in psychiatry, is spelled out in the call for volunteers:
After receiving this email from Ayman I posted it on my blog. Fellow VK-Blogger Helena responded immediately and suggested that more people ought to start communicating with bloggers abroad.
Ayman is a guy from Syria, a country that, in the Dutch public opinion seems about ready to unleash the Muslim hordes on the western world.
Why on earth are we thinking that?
Because a few fundamentalist and extremist Imams try to gain the right to speak for all Muslim people in the world? And seem to succeed?
Because by doing so they willingly try and drive a wedge between the Muslims abroad and their new home-countries?
Because our populist politicians need the attention and tensions just as badly as the Imams do? As well as any excuse to start their old familiar rants again?
Because our TV-Networks are much more interested in showing us the scary images that will keep the ratings up and everybody glued to their TV-sets, than they are in showing footage of a billion people not setting fire to embassies? (See ‘Bowling for Columbine’...)
Whatever the reasons, we always fear what we do not know.
And the only medium that could help us gain eye-witness knowledge seems more interested in scaring us than in informing us.
Ayman, Helena and me stumbled upon the effects the incredible power of the Internet might have on getting the real information across. Because what better way to find how and what people are really thinking and feeling than by a virtual visit to their home?
That’s why we would like to call every Blogger that is willing to start an open dialogue, based on mutual respect and understanding with someone from an entirely different culture to come forward!
Much has been said about the power of the Internet to accelerate crises. Islamic extremists are clearly better at deploying the Internet's distributed power toward their nefarious ends than men and women of greater good will. But Bridge the Gap is a new example of a better tradition in blogging: cross-border and cross-cultural communication between individuals who want to do some good in the world. Notwithstanding my last post, I wish them well.
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*Perhaps even Glenn Reynolds will forgive a Palestinian who does not immediately embrace the Army of Davids
metaphor...2 Comments:
By 
, at
Sat Feb 11, 07:08:00 PM:
Tiger Hawk, thank you so much for your kind comments. It is incredible to see how many people are now starting to realize that the internet can have the power to do good as well. I have linked to your article if you don't mind. And err, added to our list of people to talk to... Thanks for the effort Tiger.
By , at
Sat Feb 11, 07:16:00 PM:
And why should that last post have been a problem. My sister was very angry about the cartoon I made about both jesus and mohammed smoking a joint. She finally calmed down when she realized that it was going to be me facing the wrath of the eventual not-very-amused God, and therefore my responsibility.
That should be the only reason someone should not publish a cartoon with religious background, imho. If that artist himself could not show his cartoon to his own personal God, only then should he refrain from publishing.
We should never fear publishing something because 'that other guy will probably be offended. Again'. That is worse than ethinc profiling, it is downright patronizing. And a partner we respect we do not patronize. We just ask for his or her opinion.
