From Turmoil to Tourism

Pre-Listening Questions

1. What are the objectives of the Abraham Path Initiative? How does drawing on the common ancestry of Judaism, Christianity and Islam contribute to these objectives?
2. Per your analysis and understanding, why have traditional negotiation processes in the Middle East failed in the past?
3. Do you think the new approach of the Abraham Path Initiative will be more successful than past peace-building strategies? Why?

Mark Sommer

1. What about Sommer’s introduction surprised you, piqued your interest, or raised questions for you?
2. What are the similarities and differences between Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
3. What would it mean to ‘depoliticize’ religion?
4. What are the tangible and symbolic goals of the Abraham Path Initiative?

William Ury

1. Ury describes the Path Initiative as a ‘new approach’ to addressing the issues in the Middle East. What aspects of the Path Initiative might be considered ‘new’ and to what extent do you think it is a worthwhile strategy to pursue?
2. In brief, describe the story of Abraham’s pilgrimage through the Middle East, and its meaning. How does the role of Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic, Avram in Hebrew) differ as it appears in the narratives of Christianity, Islam and Judaism?

3. Should politics and religion be kept separate as they are in secular societies or integrated as they are in theocratic governments? What are the implications of trying to ‘depoliticize’ religion? Is it realistic to separate politics from religion in societies where religion plays such a central role in the life of the people or is it all the more important to do so in such societies? How can the principles of freedom of religion and religious pluralism be effectively introduced into societies and governments that have long been dominated by one or another faith?
4. The Abraham Path Initiative anticipates that tourism along the route will provide a long-term inducement to cooperation between cultures. In your view, how likely is mutual economic benefit to succeed where diplomacy and armed conflict have failed? Cite an example of a conflict or a former war zone which became a zone of stable peace as a result of establishing institutions of economic interdependence

5. Ury discusses the importance of historical narratives and stories as carriers of culture, myths that can reshape the way peoples see themselves in relation to one another. Think of a conflict or problem in your own experience in which a story, myth, or historical event became a vehicle to address and/or resolve it. What were the benefits, risks, and outcomes of that experience? What might the reinterpretation and retelling of ancient stories emphasizing common roots or more current stories of successful cooperation do to give the conflicting parties confidence in the practicality of working together towards common goals?
6. One focus of the Abraham Path Initiative is to create spaces and occasions along the route where people of widely varying backgrounds and beliefs can meet and safely interact. What do you think of the founders’ premise that walking together in the same direction is a more effective means of aligning interests and perspectives than sitting face to face in fixed positions? What is the role of creating spaces and places in resolving and/or addressing conflict? Describe a historical event or personal experience where changing the physical dynamics helped facilitate a breakthrough.

Father Paolo Dall'Oglio

1. 1)What does Father Paolo mean when he speaks of “dialogue” and what role does it play in his work?
2. In Father Paolo’s view, what does living in peace mean and how does his definition compare to others’?

3. Many who practice religion do so only with people of their own faith. In your view, how effective are regular interfaith gatherings like those described by Father Paolo in building trust between clashing faiths? Do they attract only those already persuaded of their value? How can those suspicious of direct interaction be brought into the process?
4. Father Paolo asserts that politics tends to oversimplify complex ideas, nations, and people. What do you think? Provide evidence to support your position.

5. Father Paolo describes symbols of devotion in his work. What kinds of symbols are at play in the relationship between people of the West and Muslim world, and how are those symbols differently defined by different faiths?

Amir Mahallati

1. Mahallati discusses the ‘main struggle’ and the ‘biggest enemy’ is living within oneself. What does he mean by the enemy within? What is the relationship, if any, between an external enemy and the enemy within?
2. How does Mahallati characterize the main divisions between peoples of faith? What does he mean and what do you think of his position?

3. Given its emphasis on small-scale personal interactions, what do you think is the Abraham Path Initiative’s potential to influence the broader political and social conflicts in the Middle East? How much can “citizen diplomacy” and interfaith dialogue affect a political process that has long remained impervious to pressure from the international community?
4. Some argue that the differences between Christianity and Islam are so significant that there is no room for coexistence among them, while others insist that despite their differences they share certain core values and have gotten along with one another in practice for hundreds of years. How and why have the two cultures and faiths coexisted without great difficulty for long periods while clashing with one another at others?

5. Mahallati suggests that the main struggle within Islam is with oneself. Either within your faith or the larger context of your experience, describe what the struggle with the self means to you, how you address it, and what implications it has on your work or personal life.
6. What are some examples of ‘bridging’ in your own life akin to Mahallati’s experience of bridging the Muslim world (Iran) and the Western world (the United States)? How does bridging worlds affect one’s understanding of other cultures? How would you go about bridging between cultures? Have you ever spent time in a different culture? What did you find different about it and what the same?

Tova Hartman Halbertal

1. According to Dr. Halbertal, what is the Jewish perspective on the legacy of Abraham? How does it differ from the Islamic and Christian views of Abraham?
2. What does she believe is the Initiative’s potential contribution to reconciliation and coexistence between the three faiths?

3. What does the phrase ‘good fences make good neighbors’ mean to you? Why would you build a fence between neighbors as a means of improving relations between them? What roles have walls and fences played in world affairs, from the Cold War’s Berlin Wall to the fence Israel is building between itself and the West Bank? Do walls and fences always make for good neighbors? In what kinds of situations do they work and in what circumstances do they not?
4. What role do conflicting emotions like love, hate, fear, and suspicion play in the Middle East conflict? In what ways can emotion help and hinder efforts at understanding and resolving problems?

5. Think of a conflict within an organization or group with which you are familiar and imagine two or three innovative ways of breaking the stalemate. Assess the pros and cons of each approach and suggest how you would go about implementing your strategies.
6. Dr. Halbertal suggests that in certain situations Muslims, Christians, and Jews have demonstrated an affinity for one another. Can you describe or imagine an example from your own experience where people or groups that appear divergent discover they actually have an affinity for each other? What lessons can be learned from such situations?

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

1. What similarities does Imam Rauf see between Islam’s Sharia law and American beliefs? Assess his argument.
2. How does Imam Rauf’s position fit within the Abrahamic tradition?

3. How did the events of September 11th shift the role of Islam and the United States in the world?
4. Imam Rauf suggests ways in which the conflict between Islam and the West can be reframed. What needs reframing and what do you think are the most promising strategies to do so?

5. On the basis of what you’ve heard in this series, what specific actions are you prepared to take to help improve understanding between the peoples of the West and the Muslim world?
6. Compare the concept of ethics the Imam Rauf describes with your own moral and ethical principles. What do the two conceptions have in common and how do they differ? In your view, what is the relationship between ethics and religion? What, if any, contribution can ethics make to resolving the conflicts between Islam and the West?

Mark Sommer

1. Given that in many families, as within many religious traditions, relations between siblings can often be quite bitter, how effective do you believe it will be to appeal to Abraham as the common father of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism?
2. What did you learn from this set of conversations? What did you find persuasive and what left you unpersuaded?
3. What questions remain or emerged after listening?
4. What common themes appeared in most or all the interviews?
5. What might you do in your daily practice – as a student, in an organization, in your community, or as an individual citizen – to act on what you learned from this program?
6. How, if at all, has your perspective on the issues shifted? What issues do you wish to pursue in greater depth? How will you go about it?