Getting along with people in the U.S.A. who are from the Mddle East

[ett]

I am someone who always tends to trust people first, no matter where they are from or their religion or anything. I am Catholic, and I have been singing in the parish choir since around 2007 or so, including quite a few years when I was doing Gregorian chant in the traditional mass.

Ok, so I am also a musician, and church music isn’t all I play, I play the saxophone. I have played it since I was in the 4th grade. SO only the last year or so, I have been going out and playing in bars and brewery tasting rooms on Open Mic nights, and have met many new friends who are musicians, many of these friends not Catholic.

In particular, some of the music I have found myself playing with only lately has sounded very Middle Eastern, I believe it is Kurdish. From briefly asking what the songs are about since I don’t understand the language, I have been told they are love songs, so I feel it’s ok and innocent to play along, even though it seems a key signature and instrument (I believe the instrumet he plays is called a saas, like a 3-strings guitar).

Does this make me more of a peace-maker to want to play music with other people of other cultures/religions since in this country we are innocent until proven guilty and since Jesus spread his love around to all of the people, or am I stepping into a place where I am stepping away or endangering myself and those who have been so great as to invite me in to sing at my parish?

I want to be friends with people of all areas of this earth, but I can’t ignore the goings-on that really are happening in the world. At the same time I can not assume that this new friend is connected to the people doing violent acts against our religion simply because he is of Middle Eastern descent and plays the music he grew up with

 

[ShrodingersCat]

In my opinion, you are behaving as we all should.

It would be abnormal to be afraid of someone purely because of their race. That is the definition of xenophobia.

Like you said, innocent until proven guilty

 

[Billy112]

We’re never obliged not to spend time with people because bad things happen in their native culture or country. The list would be endless if that were so. You’re contributing to the healing of divisions by interacting with people instead of hiding from them.

Speaking of world music, playing in a Juju band (think West Africa) would be a lot of fun.

 

[Redkite]

I worked for a devout Muslim boss for some years and he was a great man to work for, very considerate and kind, he even asked us what booze he should buy us for christmas as he had never bought any in his life. I was working for him when 9/11
happened and he and all the muslim staff were appalled and as shaken as we were.
Last year we were on vacation in Tunisia a week after the shootings and the people were lovely, an Immam in a mountain village took my wife aside and explained all about his robes and some meanings of Islam whilst posing for photos.
People are people and most just want to live peacefully and raise a family, a minority of fanatics want to destroy those values and freedoms.
Incidentally we discovered in Tunisia that the traditional belly dancers are fully covered and not half naked…I was gutted ! ! …only joking.

 

[ett]

These are great replies. Thank you. More are always welcome. I feel in agreement.

 

[Allegra]

When I was a kid, I sang in a children’s choir and we had this anthem that we sang at each performance. It was sort of the mission of the program. The lyrics were,

“We gather here together with joyful heart and mind.
We raise our voices ever, our distant souls to bind.
To remember in this moment of friendship, love, and joy,
That music made together may one day heal mankind.”