So a dear friend from the Muddle East sent me a birthday note, calling me
"Akhi." Kind of caught me off guard. It's a term that is not used loosely in the region.
The thing about friendship is that it's hard to come by --- but it lasts a lifetime.
(I suppose you could say that about almost any region).
To hear anyone call you (especially if you're a gringo) akhi ---- is humbling.
In any event - here's a video that touches on the mindset of the Gulf region. If you use the "CC" button, there's modestly accurate translation (there's some things that simply don't match with western words and concepts)
Why am I sharing --- it shows a very different side of Arabia and Islam, compared to what the media is feeding you.
Thank you for sharing that bb, that was beautiful.
I know the translation is rough, but based on what's sung it's easy to see how deeply important personal relationships are, and how easily they can become twisted for destructive reasons (thinking of the extremists only, and acknowledging that that is a minority of the religion and also that the deeply spiritual relationships, are in my mind, a strength of the religion, not a weakness).
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
