Traveling extensively this past month in talks about Mideast Youth

You may have noticed my lack of communication during much of the previous month since I was all around the USA with the most hectic schedule anyone can ask for, but it was a very rewarding opportunity. I do not go to the USA ever so this was pretty much my first “real” experience there. I have to admit, I didn’t know what to expect, or how I would be treated because of the numerous controversies we cover here.

Why I was there:

I was on a speaking tour organized and sponsored by the Highest Common Denominator (HCD), whose co-founder saw my presentation in Oman in 2007 and really respects our work here and what we’ve built from scratch. She also values our independence and has organized this trip with her colleagues as a way to generate more awareness and support about the issues we extensively cover with our projects as well as our sincere commitment for change in the Middle East as people who rely on ourselves for our future and not on foreign intervention or foreign NGOs.

I was initially invited to be a panelist for the Clinton Global Initiative University to be a part of a panel called “Leveraging Technology to Alleviate Poverty.” The co-panelists were the founders of CellBazaar and Frontline SMS. So it was a real honor being a part of that panel represeting MideastYouth.com and FreeKareem.org

But HCD felt it was important for me to take advantage of my trip to the USA and be a part of things beyond this panel, hence why I was gone for 3 weeks and not just the 2 days I was scheduled to be there for.

Where I was:

I had speaking engagements in educational institutions throughout the country, making appearances in all of the following schools and universities:

While in CA I also had useful meetings with:
YouTube
Flip
The co-founder of what is the revolutionary (in my opinion) DotSpots
Some employees from Facebook
And a few students working on their tech startups in San Francisco.

I was supposed to also speak at Northwest High School in Justin, Texas, but the school district withdrew the request for participation. Apparently one parent thought I was anti-American, dangerous, and inappropriate, and felt it was more appropriate to censor me and refuse my communication to the students who were actually excited to have me there, according to one of the teachers. Some students have contacted me expressing their concern, that one parent can make a decision like that affecting the entire student body and preventing them from such events. I agree, and I hope some students will take action.

When we requested further information on my ban from the school, apparently the parent has visited the site and the content did not appeal to him, as some members, including myself, were criticizing U.S foreign policy (like millions of Americans do on a daily basis, including the current U.S President) and specifically my concern over AIPAC’s impact on American politics. I have no idea why something like this makes me anti-American and prevents me from entering a high school, would I make an attempt to even visit them if I was hateful and dangerous?

My talks to the high school students were not political, I should add, they were purely educational and dealt exclusively with digital media and culture in general and had nothing to do with my personal opinions. The majority of students really liked it and I felt really excited to be there.

In any case that was not representative of Texas. That was one bad experience out of 5 really great ones in high schools throughout the state. The students were appreciative and eager to help and learn more, that’s all that matters to me.

In summary, there’s been a lot of traveling back and fourth, and it wasn’t easy getting around the USA with my Bahraini passport. We were meeting with absolutely anyone we can think of and I think every stop we made was worth it despite how exhausting it was. At some point I’ve been giving as much as 2 or 3 talks per day, for more than an hour each, while jetlagged and a bit car sick. But I’ve learned and gained so much experience and feel I’m prepared to do anything now.

I wasn’t surprised by the amount of Arabs and Iranians in New York and California in particular but the amount was higher than I expected. I’m glad I had the opportunity to meet some of them.

I want to thank everyone involved in making this possible, and all the great students I had the opportunity to meet. I want to also thank Bita for hosting me at her family’s home in Texas, where I experienced the first Baha’i prayer when her family prayed for my safety was as well as the 7 Baha’i leaders currently on trial in Iran. As a Muslim this meant a lot to me. I had no idea I’d end up with Iranian Baha’is in Texas of all places but it’s a memory I’ll cherish and I’m inspired to work harder for Baha’i human rights.

I want to thank YouTube and Flip for expressing their support and willingness to help us, and for being willing to hear about our needs when it comes to circumventing censorship.

I feel empowered and inspired with all the encouragement and I know I met some lasting contacts. Now I’m back home in Bahrain and ready to work hard on our upcoming projects.

PS. Our minority map was very timely and allowed me to easily express how diverse we are, and how different (culturally, politically, socially and otherwise) each country within the region is, and how we ourselves experience culture shocks too when we cross the borders to different places.

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