Mumbai terrorism, Obama and Arab youth, and Thanksgiving

My journey in Qatar continues to include increasing depth of understanding about the political, religious, and other strife that seems to abound in the Middle East. The terrorism in Mumbai and the take-over of airports in Thailand represent the dynamics most often associated with the Middle East, only pushing them further into Asia. Why do these incidents continue to occur and what's the way out?

I'm not a political scientist nor an expert in Middle Eastern and/or Asian affairs. However, a letter that I received from a colleague reflected the hope that many young people around the world have as a result of the election of Barack Obama. The Center for Human Emergence Middle East issued An Open Letter on the Middle East to President-Elect Obama. Based on the enthusiasm of Arab youth, the letter proposes that one of the keys to possibility and peace is for the U.S.A. to take a more balanced role in relation to Israel and Palestine. In particular, the letter urges that the U.S.A. join with other countries (including Israel) to build the capacity of Palestine so that it can return to a position as a progessive, economically viable, and independent country. I encounter the angst over Palestine all the time in my casual interactions. Whether it's the black and white version of gotrah worn as a scarf by young Arabs or the music of activist artists, the message is unmistakable - stop privileging only one side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and recognize that there has been plenty of wrong-headedness and wrong-doing among all parties.

On Thanksgiving afternoon, the U.S.A. colleagues with whom I work decided to provide a Thanksgiving dinner for our Arab work colleagues, most of whom did not know much about the purpose and nature of Thanksgiving. I was asked to provide a little background while we feasted on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, candied yams, and pumpkin pie. I focused on the thanks given by religious refugees at the first Thanksgiving of 1621, refugees who had survived in the new world at least partially because native Americans had helped them. Then I offered thanks to our Arab colleagues that as a citizen of the U.S.A. I could worship as I wished in Qatar. In addition to this freedom, I and others have to be thankful for the Arab and other colleagues who have helped us survive a place that at times seemed exotic and strange. It's certainly not as hostile as the new world of 17th century times but I/we still need support.

Strife that surrounds us in a shrinking world... Obama and Arab youth... Thanksgiving for a year in Qatar... It's hard to say if there's a relationship. The core concept that ties them together for me is the importance of working to create peace and prosperity through reaching out to share ourselves and our bounty, even when it may seem that peace is only a distant hope.

Museum of Islamic Art - now open

After a long period of preparation, the new Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, is now open! The New York Times covered it and this is only the beginning. I plan to make this a regular destination on weekends when I have time.

The Museum of Islamic Art is complemented by the unfolding completion of Souk Waqif, the old market area of Doha, which is just a short walk from the Museum. By having both in sight of each other on the Doha Corniche, visitors can see ancient art and artifacts of the Islamic world and walk across the street to browse the alleyways and walking mall of the Souk. The only thing different about Souk Waqif compared with other souks throughout the Arabian Penninsula is that Doha's is cleaner, more artistic, has a variety of great restaurants, and you don't have to fight off the merchants who in many souks lurk around every corner attempting to drag you into their shops.

The Museum and Souk Waqif may seem trivial or commercial. They aren't - they are part of Qatar's statement of pride in its Arab origins and national heritage. A little country sticking out like a thumb off Saudi Arabia, originally inhabited primarily by Bedouin tribes... A progressive Islamic country trying to bring learning and prosperity to its people... A complex interplay of monarchy and empowerment of citizens to fuel the growing cultural, educational, business, and tourism initiatives that will assure Qatar's place as a future world player... In many ways, Qatar defies description because of its complexity and the rapidity of change that all who live here experience. One thing is sure. Even though Qatar may defy easy description, it is a place to watch.

Qatar's National Vision for 2030

The incredible energy and ambition of this little country, Qatar, continues to unfold in amazing ways. Last week the Qatar National Vision for 2030 emerged as a way to put the issues of development on the table and to call all Qatari and ex-patriot citizens in Qatar to the work of building a future. The Vision is well worth reading. I think you will see that it conveys a vision that many developing countries pronounce and that Qatar is deeply committed to achieving.

Joseph Needham -"The man departs - there remains his shadow"

This simple quote is inscribed in Chinese calligraphy to the side of the fireplace mantel of K-1 Caius College, Cambridge University – testament to the lifelong residence of Joseph Needham, brilliant British scientist turned Sinologist. A friend’s father lent me The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester (HarperCollins, 2008) for some unexplainable reason. I dove into it and found a love story coupled with deep and curious intellectual inquiry and political intrigue – all explaining the incredible array of scientific and technological contributions China has made throughout its history.

Joseph Needham started a brilliant academic career in the early 20^th century, contributing primarily through scientific discovery and publication of his findings which resulted in his invitation to join the Caius faculty as a young intellectual. He was eccentric to say the least and was supported by his wife, Dorothy, for over 70 years until her death, although he traveled extensively, had another lifetime lover, and many other encounters along the way. His love of Lu Gwei-djen (begun in 1937 and resulting in their eventual marriage in 1989) caused him to abandon the direct study of science to begin a journey of understanding how China had contributed so much across the ages. His series of books, Science and Civilization in China, are considered the essential documented record of Chinese innovation. In addition to documenting this history, Needham helped to preserve Chinese universities during the spread of Japanese dominance in the 1930s, he helped found UNESCO, and he created several Chinese-Western intellectual and friendship exchanges and partnerships.

Needham’s story is beautifully written and so enjoyable that it’s hard to put down. Aside from the biographical detail that drew me in, I was fascinated to have a first introduction to China, its past glories, and its growing role in our contemporary world. The “Needham question” that lingers throughout the book is how, after so many centuries of sustained contributions to scientific creativity, could China have fallen asleep in the 16^th century when the Western world began to rise? Ultimately, there is no answer to the question other than one speculated to simply be that China “stopped trying” (p. 260). Maybe it was the lack of a mercantile class, perhaps political and bureaucratic systems that thwarted individual effort, or the sheer size of the country and its people. Regardless, Needham lived to see the beginnings of what we now know will be one of the greatest economic and political forces of the 21^st century. Testament to China’s aspiration is a billboard posted on the outskirts of Jiuquan, the new city exploding at the border of the Gobi Desert and home to China’s space program. The billboard reads in both Chinese and English – Without Haste. Without Fear. We Conquer the World.

Chilling? Maybe… More than anything, Needham's testament and scholarship is a call for Westerners to understand and embrace the role that China is beginning to play in the 21st century. Needham’s story, and his lifelong mission of understanding China, provides a model seldom matched in academe but hopefully increasingly found in everyday life as we seek to understand the global community we are becoming.

Debut of the Qatar Philharmonic

Qatar has a symphonic orchestra - and a very, very good one. This weekend marked the beginning of a new artistic era for Qatar and the Arabian Gulf as a result of two concerts by the newly formed Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. The two concerts had the same program but different conductors. The first and official debut concert was conducted by Lorin Maazel, a conductor of monumental stature and current Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. The second concert was under the direction of Andreas Weiser, who assists Maazel in his duties with the New York Philharmonic and is the Managing Director of the Qatar Philharmonic.

The program included Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Ravel's Bolero, and the world premiere of Marcel Khalife's Arabian Concerto. The final piece was the shorter Salute also by Khalife. The musicians are young, energetic, and obviously prepared and committed to the vision of building a world-class orchestra. Lorin Maazel showed obvious enthusiasm and deep pleasure in bringing this new artistic powerhouse into being. Although the first couple of Beethoven movement were a bit restrained (which caused me to wonder for a moment), by the time the final movements were on their roll toward ecstasy, I could hardly contain myself.

It really is hard to describe how technically accurate this group of young musicians was. The ensemble playing was perfection with no instruments inappropriately sticking out. The pitch was impeccable. The solo performances were extraordinary; there was not one error among the many solo wind and brass solos in the Bolero. As an audience, we could see Maazel growing in his flair as he began to swing, dance, and thrust his baton into the air during the new and exciting sounds of the Khalife pieces. The Khalife Arabian Concerto and Salute are sure to make an international stir as pieces that can bring the exotic sounds of the Arab world to people around the globe. Whether the new Qatar Philharmonic takes these sounds to the world in tours or if other orchestras attempt to play them on their own, the message is coming... The Arab world has a new artistic voice and it is one that will delight and hopefully connect us in significant ways. I can't help but imagine what it would be like if President Obama were to choose to produce an inaugural concert of world music that might include this amazing new Qatar Philharmonic playing Khalife's Arabian Concert. Wouldn't it be fun!

For those who know of my love of the music, my artistic soul is being fed again. One of the things I regretted most when I left Ohio was interrupting our commitment to the annual Cincinnati Symphony season. With any luck, there will be a Qatar Philharmonic season that will soon be coming our way.

The next step in Qatar's rising prominence as the Arabian Gulf's artistic center will the the opening of the Islamic Art Museum in Doha in December. More to come...