by Salma, 16, Egypt
When I was a little child, I didn’t understand why people around the world were talking so much about Palestine or other occupied lands.

I didn’t understand why those people are suffering occupation. I didn’t understand whether that was a good or a bad thing – this occupation.

I grew up and I began to know that those people are fighting for their rights in their homeland. I knew then that everyone who has a right in something should go for it and take it by all possible means.

Also, until that time, I understood occupation to mean suffering the existence of a foreigner in your country for a military purpose.

I didn’t know that there’s a kind of occupation which may be called “to occupy one’s mind and thoughts.”

This concept was nurtured by some authorities in powerful countries to change people’s ideas or to confirm wrong ones in their minds.

I felt depressed one day when I read in some of our national magazines a conversation with a group of tourists asking about their opinion about my country. I felt depressed when they answered that they thought it was only deserts and camels and that they were also surprised to see cars and huge buildings.

I asked myself: “Is that what the world believes about us Arabs? A group of nomads?”

I should be frank to tell you that I hated other countries and I thought they are all believers of that idea about arabs. Also after wars in the Arab and Islamic region, some ideas about Islam spread internationally that it is a religion of terrorism and torture and that muslims are savages!

I felt like I am unwanted in this big cruel world. I felt that if i went to any country for any purpose I’ll just be unwelcomed.

That all was partially changed when I went to a conference last year. I met there people from about 20 countries worldwide. I figured out that those people don’t hate me as an Arab or don’t fear me as a muslim. They only needed someone who may improve some of their ideas.

I played this role which made me so happy that I felt I’m serving many sides – first my country, region and religion; second I helped those people whose ideas I improved. I helped them to acquire right knowledge. I took the first step on my path to becoming “guide for the right.”

I feel happy now every time when I receive an email from one of them asking me about some information they hear in order to confirm it before they believe in it.

And maybe I’m even playing an important role in improving a whole country’s beliefs – who knows?!

Doesn’t news travel faster than light?!!

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Salma: “I am a girl who loves her world, who wants to live in it happily till the end. My favourite hobby is making pen pals all over the world. My aim is to improve the world’s ideas about my region and religion.”

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