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The Friendship Caravan: Animals vs. Animosity By now,
the American campaign to win the hearts and minds of the Arab Street
is past cliché. What about first working on the Yankee Street
and its often distorted view of the Arab world? Kentucky native and
international photojournalist Michael Kirtley has a suggestion: a cultural
caravan across America. Dismayed
by the rift between the United States and the Middle East after September
11, Kirtley wants to remind folks of their "common humanity."
Hence the Friendship Caravan: a traveling cultural exhibit of performers,
academics, Arabian horses and, of course, camels. He envisions this
"nonpolitical" and diverse troupe trekking across the United
States after the fighting in Iraq ends, stopping for photo ops with
politicians and discussions with the locals. To drum up support, Kirtley
held a reception at Bahrain's Washington embassy last month. "It's
a fresh idea," says Sheikh Khalifa Bin Ali Al-Khalifa, Bahrain's
ambassador to the United States. "I [just] do my little part." Some are
concerned that parading camels through the heartland may reinforce stereotypes.
Jean AbiNader, managing director of the Arab American Institute, disagrees.
Sure, the caravan is the brainchild of a "white guy," but,
he says, it can still personalize the experience of Arabs and Muslims
for the American public. "They are going to touch it, they're going
to smell it," says AbiNader. "It has a lot more staying power
than a newspaper ad." If all goes well, the caravan will set out
from Los Angeles, then head east to New York. Humps today, hearts tomorrow. Last updated: August 31, 2003 |
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