Sarah Erwin
Johns Hopkins University/Harvard College
Standing on the banks of the Jordan River in Bethany as the guide explained that our location had been unanimously confirmed as the spot of Jesus' baptism by Christian churches was one of those moments when struggling to maintain my composure was simply out of the question. This was where it all began for my religion, and to be looking at the very spot where Christianity came into being was utterly surreal. He walked here, and here I was now. Plucked from extravagant, cosmopolitan Dubai and deposited suddenly in a still developing, poverty-stricken country was enough of a shock, but to be standing there and thinking about how countries in which Christianity either does not exist or has a very small presence had worked to protect and preserve this sight was even more mind-boggling. Immediately, I had fallen in love with Jordan.
As we continued along the Jordan River to a spot illustrating the close Jordanian border with Israel, our guide, Zuhair, showed us many indications of the former high levels of the river. It was difficult to believe that such an important water source had been reduced to a murky body of water that Zuhair somewhat jokingly called a creek. Our conversation on the way out of Bethany consisted of one of our first in depth exchanges of information and ideas about our respective religions. We asked each other questions about traditions, ceremonies, symbols, and other aspects of our forms of worship. I truly appreciated how respectful we all were of one another, and how reverent and curious the whole group was about Bethany and the Jordan River despite me being the only Catholic in the group. It was powerful to consider the interfaith cooperation and participation that took place and persists in order to uncover and protect a site so sacred to Christianity.
After our visit to Bethany, we were given a spectacular view of Amman from atop The Citadel, where we were able to see the city for miles in all directions, along with an enormous and proud Jordanian flag flying from a hilltop in the distance. We examined the ancient artifacts in the Archeological Museum, gaining a better idea of the extent of the history of the region we were now in. Standing atop The Citadel and looking at Roman ruins after having stood atop the Burj Khalifa and looking at a rapidly growing city just a few days before made the cultural difference between Jordan and Dubai even clearer.
After checking in at the American Center of Oriental Research Hostel, we met up with a middle school classmate of Winston Ibrahim's, Molly Hunter, to have dinner. Molly, a graduate of Williams College, works at Reclaim Childhood, which promotes the involvement of Iraqi refugee women and their children in sports such as soccer and basketball. The girls and their translators were bright, intelligent, and enlightening to talk to about their experiences adjusting to life in a new country. Most of them said they were ready to leave Jordan to find a prosperous job elsewhere, and their courage and motivation to learn and make a better life for themselves was inspiring.
Wednesday morning we met with representatives from the United States Embassy in Amman, one of whom was also from the great state of Maine, and traveled together to the University of Jordan to speak with Dr. Mohammad Majali, the Dean of Sharia and Islamic Studies. Dr. Majali talked with us about efforts to exchange and establish ties with Western universities in order to improve the image of Islam in the West. Many students come from abroad to study at the university, and he and other faculty members push them to speak in Arabic as much as possible so that language barriers do not prevent them from getting to know students from other countries. Although all of us were taken aback by his insistence that Jews had been responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the United States, we felt comfortable asking provocative questions and pushing Dr. Majali to explain his stances. From our meeting with the dean, we were able to learn about the idea of interfaith cooperation and the concept of democracy in the world of Islam from a new perspective, and it opened our eyes to yet another valuable point of view.
After our time at the University of Jordan, we went on to Al Isra University to meet with Dr. Wajih Mahmoud, several other faculty members, and a group of students to learn about their involvement in cross-cultural dialogue. Although we all wished we could have had more time to talk with the students about our perceptions and stereotypes of each others’ countries, the questions we were able to ask and address were thoughtful and eye-opening. We all agreed that hearing them speak about their views of the United States was extremely important in helping us to understand how our country is thought about by the rest of the world. The students also ate lunch with us and provided us with copies of an English translation of the Qur’an and a book of poetry written by a few of the students to help us learn about their culture. The book of poetry in particular revealed to me how no matter where someone comes from, their struggles and joys are something anyone can relate to. Spending time with people our own age from Jordan was enjoyable for all of us, and we wished it could have lasted longer.
Our last meeting of the day was with Dr. Munjed Al Sharif, a coordinator of projects working to adapt to climate change in Jordan, particularly concerning the issue of water scarcity in the region. He explained to us how access to water is extremely limited due to the geography of Jordan and the lack and expense of necessary technologies. Historically, many plans about the distribution of water among the countries surrounding the Jordan River have been agreed upon but never enacted successfully, and Dr. Al Sharif explained to us that cooperation is critical. It was incredible to understand that while I don’t think twice about turning on a faucet in my home in Maine, the people of Jordan are given water in a container on the roofs of their houses once a week and must make it last until the next delivery. Up until our meeting with Dr. Al Sharif, we had been discussing mainly the political and cultural aspects of the conflict in the Middle East, but it became clear that the environmental issues in the region are equally as influential in relations between the countries. Currently, Israel, with the most sophisticated water systems, has agreements with Jordan to share its technologies, and the two countries also have plans for an infrastructural project called the Red-Dead Canal, which will use the Red Sea and the Dead Sea to improve water supply to the region. Dr. Al Sharif summed up the situation best when he told us simply that water has now also acquired a strategic value, and it makes cooperation necessary now more than ever. This meeting provided yet another perspective of the situation in the Middle East, and although I am not one of the students in the group studying environmental sciences I was extremely interested and enlightened by our discussion.
Our last day in Jordan was spent exploring the mind-boggling, ancient sites in Petra. We had seen many pictures of the unbelievable monuments before our trip, but seeing in person the intricately decorated and carved Treasury, the massive Monastery, and the hundreds of carvings along our walk in the Siq gorge was truly indescribable. With Zuhair leading the way as a fountain of information about the meanings and significance of each rock formation we passed, the depth of the history of Petra became increasingly more astounding. Adding on a camel ride with Glennis in which we attempted to communicate with the camels’ owner in our limited Arabic made the day that much more memorable. Being surrounded by so much history for an entire day was truly inexplicable, and it is something I will never forget. The rich culture of Jordan became increasingly clearer the more time we spent in the country, and Petra completed the picture perfectly.
There is another important aspect of Jordanian culture our group was able to experience several times: the insane taxi drivers. Crossing the Allenby Bridge proved to be nothing in comparison to being flung around in the backseat of a cab as the driver rocketed through the streets of Amman and simultaneously tried to decipher our complicated directions through the language barrier. Upon each surprisingly safe landing at our destination after these rides, most of us seemed compelled to sink to our knees and kiss the ground. I was very fortunate to be able to see a dear Jordanian friend on our last night in Amman from an international, interfaith summer camp I have gone to for several years called Seeds of Peace. My friend, Laith, described the roads of Jordan perfectly. “In Jordan, you don’t drive,” he said, with a serious and slightly foreboding look on his face. “You fight for your existence.” Yet despite our life-threatening journeys through Amman, Jordan proved to be a remarkable place from which I learned invaluable lessons, and I sincerely hope to return for a much longer amount of time in the future.
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