Ladies and Gentlemen, residents of the Midwest, I come today with a simple message. My message to you is to “Wake Up!” to assume your role in the new global village.  Today, we are able to see through satellites, hear through the devices in our pockets, and read through instant e-mail messaging from and about people around the world instantaneously.   In a "Star Trek" terms we are the crew of the Enterprise, and we have the wonderful ability of beaming back and forth to any planet on the earth’s global galaxy on a moment notice.

But, how that is related to my title “from the Middle East to the Midwest”? a title that was snickered at by the reference desk librarian at the Northbrook Public Library, IL, when I mentioned to him that I was looking for a reference that could help me explain the similarities and differences. I will try through my speech to explain this connection and how it relates to our global citizenship.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I spent almost all of my adult life between the Middle East and the Midwest. I learned, traveled, conducted business, exercised, taught, published, got mugged, had my cars stolen and found, watched fraud in elections, hated and dated in both middles.

So, I asked myself, who could be more able to speak about the Middle East, convey its values than myself? I asked myself, who could be better able to explain the differences and similarities between the two Middles than myself?

My answer was:    many many people who are more knowledgeable, more qualified and more articulate than I.  However, Ladies and Gentlemen, I came up with this title and you are my captive audience and you have no choice but to listen to me. So, please hold your applause or tomatoes for that matter and enjoy

Let me start from the beginning:

In the beginning…. Yes, really, I was born and raised in Egypt by a businessman and a teacher of English language.  My mother has higher education than my father and still eager to learn in her late 60^th.  My dad is a pragmatic, honest businessman with solid work ethic.  Our family values included honoring the parents and conserving resources.  One of the historical quotes of my mother was “ do not waste food, people in China are starving”.  I am sure that China could be replaced by other countries based on were your mother comes from.

I was also raised to revere justice, education, helping the weak and the poor and honesty in dealings and to abhor politicians.

SOUND FAMILIAR?

Our values, like most of the Egyptians and Middle Eastern are derived from religion, the sense of belonging to the rest of the world and ultimate accountability to the Creator.

SOUND FAMILIAR?

I was raised in an extended loving family of the upper middle class in Cairo; a city that represents the Middle East as much as Chicago represents the Midwest.  Here is Africa (my left hand), Egypt is the Index, and in my right palm, Illinois is in the middle.

But, again is there anything in common between the Middle East and the Midwest. The short and the long answer is … but let us start with the short answer “No”, but the long answer may take more time to explain.  Let us take it one step at a time.

Step1: Definition: what is the Middle East? It is the middle of what is to the East of the USA. It includes countries from Turkey, Egypt to Iran and Lebanon.  People come from different ethnic backgrounds, religions and speak many languages.

Step 2: What is in common to all middles? In the "middle", you can be confused, taken advantage of and undecided.  On the other hand, you are at a crossroad, you are flexible, you are generous, you can develop understanding and knowledge; you may also be good in trade, diplomacy and negotiation. These features were as clear to me in Cairo as they are in Chicago.  I had my first foreign exposure when I was 6 years old, watching “I love Lucy” and “Superman” with my dad, and whenever, Chicago was mentioned, everybody would stretch his two index fingers and thumbs out and make the noise “Bang.. Bang”.  This still exists today, since people in Egypt believed that Al Capon is the mayor of Chicago, as many people in the Midwest thought that people in the Middle East have no disabled ramps for the injured camels in the parking lot and that Ben Laden is the President of Saudi Arabia.  In other words, both middles are/were stereotyped.

Step 3: Who are the Middle Easterners in the Midwest? Where do they come from and why are they here?

I will let Franklin Delano Roosevelt answer part of the question:

“They come to us speaking many tongues, but a single language the universal language of human aspiration” 50^th commemoration of the statue of liberty 10/28/36.

The Middle Easterners arrived in the Midwest in 4 main waves of immigration since the end of the 19^th century. They were Christians and Muslims, mostly Lebanese and Syrians, than recently more from Palestine and North Africa. Today, they are more than 2 millions in the Chicago land area.  Many more are concentrated in Detroit, MI and other midwestern states.  Many joined the US armed forces in WWII and one of them was General Patton’s, first general.  Many have supported the US invasion of Iraq and have never been to the Middle East.

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” The famous quote by an Irish American J.F.K. , who inspired generations, was written by the Author of “The Prophet”, Gibran Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese 80 years ago.

Casey Kasem and Don Bustany, the co-creators of American top 40, American country countdown, Casey’s top 40, Casey’s countdown and Casey’s top 20 are of Lebanese origin.

Pat Donner, Congresswomen of Missouri, Ray Lahood, US Senator (IL) presided graciously over the controversial impeachment of president Clinton, Boby Rahal, the all time earning Champ of the Indy500 car races,  Jack Nasser, ex. CEO of Ford, and Danny Thomas the famous comedian and founder of St. Jude’s children hospital.  In government, Donna Shalala and Spencer Abraham are examples of Middle Eastern personalities with great impact on the Midwest, America and the English-speaking world. The only schoolteacher lost in the tragedy of “The Challenger” in 1986, was Christa McAuliffe, an Arab-American.  Ironically, the only causality of September 11^th from Northbrook, IL was an Arab-American (Robert R. Talhami 1961-2001).

Conclusions

So my fellow Midwesterners, the short answer, which is naïve, stereotyped and hasty that there is no similarity.  However, the long and correct answer is that the Middle East and the Midwest are parts of the same universe. They have the same people with the same values, talents, struggles, stereotypes, and aspirations for justice, a decent living, and freedom and for the prosperity of the future for their children.

Today, we live in the best of times and the worst of times (according to Charles Dickens), but it is all within the same city, and not two cities!  We have the resources, the education, the speed to communicate and to connect globally, and yet we are vulnerable because of these blessings.  We are also threatened by our laziness and reluctances to use these blessings before the evil-doers do.

Let me conclude by asking every one of you to wake up, to work to assume his/her place in the new global village, to realize his/her status as a global citizen, to make the connection and to reach out to other people on earth-who are just like us.

 Let us try to understand them, talk to them, and share our family, work and life stories with them.  Let us expand the old hobby of pen-paling. Pen pals was our primitive way of fulfilling our curiosity about the others, feel important and may be collect some rare stamps.  Today, e-paling is essential for each and every one of us to connect and understand other human beings, and to avoid stereotyping the others and eventually to save lives!  “Theirs and ours.”

I congratulate the Northbrook Star on the article by staff writer Irv Leavitt “Since 9/11, Muslims Sense New Attitude”.  I applaud the Star for its service to North Shore communities.  However, I would like to clarify the following about the reaction of non-Muslims to Muslims around the Chicago area and particularly in the North suburbs.  While there were some incidents driven by hate and bigotry after the disastrous events of 9/11/01, the overall response was supportive and empathetic.  It was mentioned in the above article that: “I rarely encountered bias, because few people think that I am a Muslim.”   I definitely look like an Arab and try to behave like a Muslim. While the looks were enough to stir anger and hate crimes in other parts of the US, I rarely encountered bias. This was the case not because of people’s ignorance, but because the overwhelming majority of the North suburb residents are enlightened, and sensitized to issues of “profiling” and to citizens constitutional rights. The 9/11 events are testing America’s resolve as well as every American’s deep sense of justice and commitment to the truth.  May God help each and every one of us pass this test.

Ashraf Youssef, MD, PhD