A few of those present said they wished they had an opportunity to get to know Emirati families more intimately, and spoke about how it appeared that Arabs seem to be insular and prefer to stick to their own. I told them that as an Arab-American I often heard the very same comments from Arabs about Westerners, and how this was an egregious misconception. Imagine, straddling two civilisations and hearing the very same stereotypical comments from two peoples about each other! I explained to the group at my Australian friend’s home that Emiratis, and other Arabs, are genuinely interested in establishing friendships with people from other lands…and that they would do this with warmth, kindness, and sincerity, and usually within the parameters of their traditions.
I find it fascinating to see how much all humans, regardless of their nationalities, are so similar deep down, and how far we are often tragically divided by the most mundane of things.
Talk to each other, listen well, and be kind –
Sana Bagersh
Managing Editor
