If Muslim and Israeli leaders came to 716 Clement Hall they could see that a Jew and a Muslim can live together. The simple mechanisms behind it are respect, an open mind and affability.
The August day I moved into my room, I noticed my roommate had already arrived. He wasn't around but his computer was hooked up, his bed was made and his clothes were hung. I'm not a nosy person, but I was too anxious to know more about him than just his name on the door. I began scanning his desk for clues.
The Quran by the side of his computer was my first sight. Right then I knew one of us would be filing for a room change. I personally don't have a problem living with anyone, but I wasn't sure how he would feel living with someone Jewish.
I never expected religion to be one of my worries while living with a person for the first time. Usually tidiness, music and guest sleepovers are issues roommates quarrel about.
The moment finally arrived. My roommate walked in with a friend and greeted me with a handshake. He introduced himself and his friend and I introduced myself in response. My anxiety skyrocketed when I realized his friend was Muslim as well. All I could think of was that all his friends were just Muslims.
As I roamed around in our room awkwardly, my roommate and his friend carried on with a conversation they had picked up earlier on Islam. I couldn't take the lack of comfort I was feeling in my own room so I suddenly interrupted their conversation and asked him his views on Israel.
Their look was enough to depict how rude and tactless my question was. Although it had only been five minutes since he walked in, I felt like a day went by, and I just had to know. I tried to smile as if I was just making conversation, but it never crossed my mind I may come across to them as an indiscreet bigot.
I just figured I would get his honest opinion since I knew he was unaware of my background. He then politely replied to my insinuation by explaining his skepticism of Islamic fundamentalism and their acts of terrorism in Israel.
Unfortunately, my sigh of relief and embarrassment only made the atmosphere even more awkward. I immediately apologized if I came across as a stereotypical jerk. I then explained to him that I was born in Israel to a Jewish mother and that I felt he might have a problem with that.
The awkward phase ended that day. The mood quickly softened as we stayed up all night communicating, finding common traits. We also realized the real worries roommates should have wouldn't exist since we were both R&B fans who preferred tidiness and didn't mind guest sleepovers.
One of the advantages of having a roommate from a different country and a different religion is the amount of new knowledge learned. Our situation may seem unusual, but we both feel privileged to have been placed together.
The thing about religion that we both believe is that it is only something you are born into. Whatever religion we were born into, a reason we hold on to our faith is because it makes us better people.
A person should not be judged on what religious path he or she follows because it is does not reflect one's character. If I were to dislike my roommate, the reasons would have to include his personality, attitude and manners towards me only.
Luckily, that isn't the case with my roommate. But unfortunately Jews and Muslims have based their religious quarrel mainly on the issue of land inheritance.
The reason Jews and Muslims can't get along in Israel isn't because the land is too small (about two-and-a-half times larger than Rhode Island), but rather a matter of interaction. No peace treaty in the world will bring the two sides together as long as their own people choose to disassociate with the other side.
As the bloodshed continues in the Middle East, the potential for interaction deteriorates with an increase in distrust and resentment. I would hope that the example of my roommate and I would counter that perception, even if only on a small-scale basis.
History and religion have no supremacy over friendship. My roommate and I proved that. Our lives continue to intertwine everyday in our room and we both know we have become true friends.
