Look and Read for International Surprises

"They're all wearing jeans," a friend said back in 1979, when Iranian militants were storming the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. That observation introduced me to what can be learned by looking at the details in media photos and also by looking for unexpected information in novels and other publications.

The clothes and expressions on people used to illustrate articles say a lot. When criminals or terrorists are captured, we don't see them well-groomed, wearing well-tailored business suits, or smiling at the camera, because pictures are chosen to help tell the same stories as the articles tell.

Some times pictures unexpectedly generate funny ideas instead of the serious ones they are intended to communicate. Draperies/curtains made into clothes is a device we've seen in Gone With the Wind, Sound of Music, and Enchanted. Seeing China's President, Xi Jinping, dwarfed by the enormous red drape behind him at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party, all I could think of was how many gowns could be fashioned from that material.

Then, there is the information that turns up in unexpected places. While reading the class notes about alumni in a secular university's magazine, I saw a former student wrote a book about a Roman Catholic priest, Bernhard Lichtenberg, who was martyred for speaking out on behalf of Jewish citizens against Nazi practices.

When I was listening for stock market tips, Jim Cramer, a stock analyst and the host of "Mad Money" on CNBC, mentioned he once heard a professor say, if you wanted to learn about reality, read novels. Sure enough, I was reading the latest novel, The House of Unexpected Sisters, by Alexander McCall Smith, the British author who writes a series set in Botswana, Africa, when, on page 151, I saw he wrote about a store that sold furniture made from Zambezi teak and mukwa wood, "none of this Chinese rubbish." I hadn't expected the controversial subject of African wood, a subject I discussed in the blog post, "Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels," to turn up in a novel.

What Do Starbucks and ISIS Have in Common?

Whether you're friendless in a big city or big school, you're going to be drawn to a welcoming environment. Baristas who greet you by name and remember your order and organizations that promise boyfriends and a purpose in life have found the secret of success. They are not going to point out the down sides associated with what they offer.

     What can be done to counteract the lure of terrorist groups and gangs? Offer positive alternatives for bonding in sports teams, theater productions, church choirs, robot competitions. Provide classes in school and out that teach skills directly related to landing a good-paying career. Publicize internships that provide experience, not just in taking orders, but in an environment that invites them to contribute ideas and to learn to lead in a way that doesn't offend others.

     Separation of church and state need not be interpreted to rule out studying world religions in schools. Unless myths about Catholics, Muslims, Jewish people, Buddhists, and other religious followers are dispelled, these falsehoods will continue to undercut positive beliefs that can foster tolerance. Just as the Internet can be used to bully and promote violence, techies can use social media to muster posses that post cartoons, jokes, and songs that focus on fun and inclusion. What stylish young woman who works out to keep her figure trim and who keeps up on the latest mascara, nail polish, and hair and skin care advice really wants her boyfriend to demand she wear a burka?

Respect the Faith

In this holy season, while Jewish people are celebrating Passover and Christians are about to recall the Resurrection of Christ on Easter, it might be a good opportunity for children to think about the need to respect the holy days of all religions. Freedom to exercise an individual's religion was considered a right important enough to be written explicitly in and guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Students may know Muslim classmates who are free to attend religious services on Friday, Jewish children who go to their temples on Saturday, or Christian children who attend church on Sunday. They can ask friends about holy days they may not celebrate, such as the beginning of the Muslim holy season, Ramadan, on June 28, 2014, or the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, on October 4, 2014.

     Learning about foreign countries is not complete without learning that followers of different religions are concentrated in certain parts of the world. Africa has both Christians and Muslims; Asia has Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus; most Christians are in Europe, Latin America, and North America; the Jewish population is concentrated in Israel and the United States. It is all too easy for those in the majority who practice one religion in a country to oppress the minority. In Syria, the Christian minority suffers at the hands of the Sunni Muslim majority, and in Egypt Islamist mobs have destroyed Christian churches, orphanages, and businesses, according to TIME magazine (April 21, 2014). While a quarter of the Middle East's population was Christian in 1914; fewer than 5% are now Christian, since Christians left to escape harassment and physical violence. Given the usual inclination of a majority to dominate a minority, it is commendable to see that Pakistan and Sri Lanka recognize their countries' minorities on their flags (See the earlier blog post, "A Salute to Flags.").

More details about major religions can be found in the earlier blog post, "This We Believe."