Reading Response #9

The reading for this week by Ara Guzelimian, which is essentially a series of conversations between the narrator and Edward Said and Daniel Barenboim, has been my favorite reading in the course so far. For the first time since we have started this class, I actually felt like I could relate to what the authors were saying and that I took something away from it. I believe that the reason is because this reading was not a list of facts, cultural symbols, religious critiques or historical events; it was the thoughts and feelings of two very different yet very similar men on the idea of identity and overcoming boundaries. The reason I felt that I could relate is because although it was primarily focused on Middle Eastern cultures and identities (as well as how this relates to the conflict and nationalism), it was more generally focused on the humanness of things.

I appreciated reading what both of these men had to say on the topic of "home" and "homeland" because it is a concept that plays a very big role in the way in which people define themselves and others. And, like Barenboim and Said, there are a lot of associations with it that I do not care for. I think that people focus too much on "where" they call home. Yes, I think that it is good to feel a sense of belonging to a particular place or culture, but I think that when that pride overrides empathy towards others, it becomes a problem. I also liked what Barenboim said about being happiest when he can be at peace with the idea of fluidity. Things (including identities) do change and evolve as we have new experiences and meet new people with different backgrounds and perspectives from our own. Or at least they should. Having an open mind is easier said than done, but I think the point both of them were making over and over again was that identity on a superficial level is perceived, and that when we are able to put those perceptions aside and actually focus on the person, that's when conflicts are solved and peace is possible.

It was amazing to read about the experiences that they had with the Weimar workshop. When they talked about all of the different people from different cultures, backgrounds, ages and how they were able to find that through a shared experience they found solidarity; it was very uplifting. The musicians came into the concert with their own ideas about each other and ended up finding that the were not so dissimilar after all. As Barenboim put it, "they were trying to do something together. It's as simple as that." Obviously, the conflict is not that simple. If people could accept that identity is fluid and home is relative, then who knows what would be possible..