Others

When I was reading "Jeff Buder" article about Iran, I thought again about concept of "others". I have been thinking about how distance between "they" and "us" can be decreased. I was thinking that this gap is arising from geographical point of view since they are from West and we are from East, as we are Asian as 60 percentage of world population with different culture, religion, history and custom, as our civilization has different foundation with their civilization. However, the question here is why we are "others" and they are not.

Afterward, concept of "global citizenship" facilitated for me to understand that we are strangers not because we are Asian but for the reason that we are just unfamiliar for them. I found out that even for Asian "Muslims" are "others" and for Muslims "Iranians" are "others" as well. I experienced difficult obstacles to integrate with the society they wanted me to be a stranger.

I felt that they want to point me as " strange Muslim" although freedom of religion strains that its my right to have my personal way to approach God. I have been asked several times by them:
- Sorry, may we have a personal question?

- ?!!?

- Are you a Muslim?
Sadly, I haven’t been so brave as they are to tell them that I don’t want to respond their question not because I was not proud of my religion but because I did not want to be pointed as "other". I haven’t been as much as they are individualistic so I thought I should respond them in an interactive way; "I prefer to be pointed as a believer, as a person who respects all of religions and then a Muslim…" And this respond always has made a more interesting creature from me for my own community and others.

Now, I am asking you: have you ever thought that you are a stranger? Have you ever seen yourself as other? If not yet just think about young generation of Iranians. Believe me or not they do not want to be "others".