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Palestinian Student Encounters Violence in U.S.
By Brandon Johnson
Osama Sabbah |
Throwing rocks. That’s what Osama Sabbah said he would be doing
if he weren’t in the United States attending college.
Sabbah came to Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., on a Bonner Scholarship
so he could go back to his native Palestine and teach people that education
is essential. But in America -- the place he came in an effort to combat
violence -- he experienced the worst America has to offer.
One day last January, Sabbah and two of his Palestinian friends were taunted
and attacked outside a residence hall at Guilford by a group of fellow students,
most of them football players. The outnumbered Palestinian students were surrounded
and punched, kicked, and beaten. Sabbah says he and one of his friends
removed their belts to fight back. And they did their best to do so until
the attack was broken up.
Six students were arrested for assault and ethnic intimidation, but the charges
were recently dropped. Sabbah said that because of his actions of self-defense,
he faces dismissal from Guilford. Through his struggle he
found comfort in the Bonner Foundation, and particular support from Bonner
President Wayne Meisel.
Sabbah presenting
map of shrinking Palestine |
This was why Sabbah was a speaker and a presenter at the recent Bonner conference
held at Mars Hill: Crossing the Divides: A Conference Exploring Diversity. The
weekend event On March 23-25 included Bonner students from 23 colleges around
the country.
The Bonner Foundation has a long history of working on diversity issues, and
the Bonner leadership knew of Stan Dotson's work at Mars Hill
College with the Difficult Dialogues Project, which also focuses on diversity. A
conference on diversity at Mars Hill was a perfect fit. Along
with Mars Hill College, the College of New Jersey also acted as hosts.
The theme of the conference was Crossing the Divides, but in
the opening Plenary, Mars Hill College Vice President Nina Pollard quoted subway
signs often found in the United Kingdom. She urged students to “mind
the gap(s),” not only when stepping onto a train, but also when working
to cross cultural and racial divides. This was the focus of many of the workshops
that followed during the next two days.
The workshops focused on issues of diversity from local and national perspectives.
One session also featured LifeWorks community partners.
Sabbah’s workshop was created to bring perspective on the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict. It featured Sabbah and Caryn Goldenberg, a Jewish-American
who has lived in Israel. The two gave their own accounts of what has
been happening and why, and then took questions.
Sabbah told the group that most of his friends were Jewish. Even as
the conflict is experienced between governments, many citizens of both factions
maintain good relations, he said. “We always went to Israel to
go to clubs.”
Nevertheless, as Sabbah and Goldenberg gave their accounts, it was clear that
there are great differences between the Israeli perspective versus the Palestinian
perspective. What was most striking was both Sabbah's and Goldenberg’s
inabilities to dispose of the feeling of the nations, while still longing for
change and admitting wrongdoing from both sides.
Crossing
the Divides Workshop |
All the workshops, relationships, and experiences of the conference were variations
on a single theme, but Sabbah tied together the threads of the conference during
the Saturday Plenary. This was where he told his story.
He told about wanting to return to his country with an education to show people
that education is essential to end the conflict. What was most striking
about Sabbah’s ordeal in the United States was that
he and his friends organized a public ceremony to display their forgiveness. His
reaction to the crimes against him was precisely what the conference was intended
for.
After being assaulted and degraded solely because of his appearance, Sabbah
now travels to high schools and other venues to tell his story and how you
must "mind the gap" while maintaining respect. The understanding
of differences, and respect for them, are what the conference urged, and as
Sabbah showed, they are key to successfully Crossing
the Divides.
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