You were born in Al-Andalus, a land that was the crossroads of diverse cultures, faiths, and traditions. A land that brought Muslims, Christians, and Jews together in a spirit of tolerance and harmony. A land where Arabic, Castillano, and Hebrew were spoken side by side. A land where the pursuit of knowledge was prized above all. A land that witnessed the rise and fall of some of the world’s greatest civilizations.
Where
are you from?
Your
father hails from Egypt and your mother from Spain, two lands on diametrically opposite
ends of the Mediterranean. Despite both being parts of the same Roman and
Islamic empires, Egypt is now Arab and Muslim and Spain is now Western and Catholic.
Your father speaks Arabic and your mother speaks Spanish. When they talk to one
another, they speak English.
What
is your nationality and what is your native language?
You
are spending the first years of your life in the United Arab Emirates, a young
and ambitious country. Even though you are a foreigner here, you are part of
the multicultural majority. You have friends from every corner of the world
here. You and everyone who lives here belong.
Where
is your home?
You
are a child of the East and the West. They are not separate. They might seem
like opposite directions on a compass, but they are united in you. They might
appear to have different cultures, faiths, and traditions, but they need one
another to survive and thrive. They are like the yin and the yang. While they
can clash at times, they ultimately complement and enrich one another. Transcend
the differences and strive for unity. You were brought into this world to be a
bridge between the East and the West, the past and the future. You were brought
into this world to bring peace. Go beyond the superficial and strive for the
universal and the eternal.
You
are a citizen of the world.
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