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Ground level stories with a fresh lens.
July 23, 2017
Zoe Bios: Preface
The following are photos from my DNA trek and excerpts from the book.
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The Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben asserted that there is a notable distinction between “bare life” (zoe) and “a particular mode of life” or “qualified life” (bios).
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What If: DNA Memory, something so powerful that it influences the very lens through which each of us views the world, transcending (and yet responding to) cultural and immediate experiences. Zoe and bios — presenting as DNA memory — impact the way we perceive everything from politics to religion, community, and family.
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With that goal in mind, I offer the following tool to look at this problem with a clear lens, inspired by Epigenetics:
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Zoe: Stories of real people in Israel and Egypt (collected less than a year before the Arab revolution) who are living a tale different from than the stories you read on the internet or see on TV, and;
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Bios: How the imprints of our grandfathers and grandmothers, war, politics, our environment — not to mention luck — influence who we become; a paradigm shift in terms of how to view the stories of three monolithic religions and their 3,000+ year fight, and;
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DNA memory: A new way to understand people who differ from ourselves, to build our empathy muscle and empower us to make better decisions—from progressive policymaking to informed public fund allocation.
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No doubt the wars in the Middle East have contributed to the avalanche of fear that has been changing political landscapes the world over. It is our responsibility to stop this madness.
Zoe Bios is available on Amazon in print and on Kindle. Get it today!
July 22, 2017
Zoe Bios: Chapter 1 – Our Journey
THE FOLLOWING ARE PHOTOS FROM MY DNA TREK AND EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK.
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In the distance, I got a glimpse of the Old City. I saw new development. Tall cranes like gigantic African birds frozen in place. I perceived something heavy as we got closer, but wasn’t sure at that time if it was my anticipation or something else. I sensed that the peaceful atmosphere obscured the truth.
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Alert faces and heavy energy filled the space. Everyone moved briskly, regardless of age, each determined to exit. Patience was limited; accidental delays were immediately addressed with words to keep moving.
What lives inside the Jewish DNA memory?
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It’s interesting and terribly sad to see where the oppression of the Jews has taken them. Israel’s path, complete with the continued conflict with the Palestinians, has been a painful journey.
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I propose that DNA memory produces the attributes of specific groups of people and that DNA memory is alive and being shaped as I write and you read.
Our DNA memory matters, but what matters more is the next step—understanding why.
Zoe Bios is available on Amazon in print and on Kindle. Get it today!
July 21, 2017
Zoe Bios: Chapter 2 – Common Ground
THE FOLLOWING ARE PHOTOS FROM MY DNA TREK AND EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK.
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After spending three weeks in Tel Aviv, I took the 45-minute bus ride to Jerusalem, the contested capital of Israel and of what has been historically called Palestine.
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Walking up to the Old City made me feel small and keenly alive, like a character in Voltaire’s Micromégas. I was a new micro-element in the ancient ecosystem.
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It seemed to me that the old men working the various trade shops have felt this weight for too long. It showed on their faces like gravity was heavier for them here. I didn’t see many older women but did see young women, many of them soldiers.
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I’d made it to the Western Wall. I took my time walking down the slope to get as close as I could. I found a plaque that provided written context of the sacred site in both Hebrew and English. Interestingly, it framed the Biblical scripture, “My house is a house of prayer for all peoples (Isaiah 56:7).”
Sadly, it is not true for all peoples. Muslims are not allowed to share this site.
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The Temple Mount, the area above the Western Wall, is the location of the Dome of the Rock. It is not a mosque. Rather it is a shrine built for the purpose of showcasing the glory of Islam in hope that the monotheistic religions will unite.
The Foundation Stone is also called “the Rock,” is underneath the dome and although is considered one of the holiest spots for Jews, it is also believed that this is the site of the holy of holies—both Solomon’s Temple and Herod’s Temple. This area is also restricted. Jews are not allowed in for a few reasons but mostly because Muslims believe this was the ultimate destination for Muhammad—the spot where he ascended on his night journey with his horse into the heavens.
They believe it is theirs alone, a sacred spot for Muslims.
This is the real ground zero.
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Architecture is not only beautiful, but it has a voice, and it tattles. The stories and history of a place are told through materials and craftsmanship. The vision and execution are open for all to see. Stones lay on top of stones across pathways, walls, and ceilings. Everything about its construction felt sturdy, the colors and textures telling stories of the past.
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I picked up the pace as I passed more merchant offerings. I was on a mission. Another man, this time in his twenties, walked out of his shop and matched my pace as he called out to me, “You can’t go this way.”
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To cut to the point, he said he wants nothing to do with a religious war. He wants to live a life like any other twenty-something kid. He likes to dance. He likes girls. He has dreams, like the rest of us. His big vision is to turn his little shop, with the help of his father, into a profitable business. He doesn’t want to work for somebody else.
Sounds like the American dream to me.
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I was trying to soak it all in when I heard a voice directed at me say, “Are you going to pass me again?” Sure enough, the older man I had so rudely passed earlier was standing to my left and behind me. I immediately greeted him, saying, “Nice to see you again.” He told me he had come there to wait for me.
This is how our friendship began. He told me that he felt it was important for him to show me around the Old City. Then he expressed his wish for peace, to end the war between the Arabs and the Jews. All this before we even exchanged names.
Zoe Bios is available on Amazon in print and on Kindle. Get it today!
July 20, 2017
Zoe Bios: Chapter 3 – Perspective
THE FOLLOWING ARE PHOTOS FROM MY DNA TREK AND EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK.
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A month after my trip to Jerusalem, I traveled to Egypt in pursuit of a deeper understanding of Israel’s relationship with its neighbor. I wanted to get a broader Muslim perspective of what is happening between Israel and the Palestinians.
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When you drive into Cairo, you enter a black and white world. All color is lost in the thick pollution clogging the air (offering one of if not the very worst air quality in the region). It soon chokes your lungs and deposits a dirty film upon just about everything. Hair, skin, buildings, and possessions—everything shows decades of layers. Litter clutters the streets, coupled with unemployed and disadvantaged persons. The upper percent was nowhere to be found outside television and corruption.
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At the time, I remembered that a few years earlier one of Egypt’s most prominent political dissidents and one-time presidential candidate, Ayman Nour, was unexpectedly released from prison after the United States and European governments had pressed for years to have him set free. Mr. Nour’s imprisonment ended Egypt’s brief experiment with opposition politics. His Al Gahd Party was the only legal opposition; it had a thriving anti-establishment following. In 2005, Mr. Nour garnered 600,000 votes in his bid for the presidency, placing a distant second behind Mr. Mubarak in a race controlled by the president’s governing party.
As I explored Egypt, I repeatedly asked myself, “Where are the dissident voices of today?” They were nowhere to be found.
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This relationship is critical, which is why the United States and President Barack Obama leveraged Cairo as the location for an important speech on and directed to the Muslim world.
During this speech, Obama highlighted human rights, taking aim at terrorist organizations that do not represent the majority of Muslims and pledging friendship with peaceful Arab and Muslim nations and communities.
And though I don’t think he lived up to the brilliantly orated rhetoric, I believe he was saying the right things and sending the right signals.
“Mutual interests and respect” were his central points.
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The Muslim men I spoke to unanimously said that more than anything else, Islam is a culture of good people and that the radical fundamentalists did not represent them.
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The British occupied the land of Palestine after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and before handing the rights over to Israel. To say that a different way, Western power colonized Palestine for many decades before making a decision to give it back, and when they relinquished their rights to the land, they did not give it back to the Palestinians. They gave it to the Jewish people.
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To put this in better perspective, let’s take a deeper look into U.S. foreign aid in 2001, again, before the worst terror attack on America.
The top three recipients of financial aid supplied by the United States in 2001 were as follows: Israel with $2.82 billion, followed by two out of three Israeli neighbors; $1.987 billion for Egypt, and $0.227 billion for Jordan.
A third of all foreign aid goes to Israel. Egypt also receives a significant amount of aid, mostly to protect Israel.
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When that didn’t work, the League of Nations cut loose and ran, sending money to Israel whenever needed. They essentially bought themselves a strategic Middle Eastern ally. It was seen as a defense of our oil and economic interests and a defense against the Russian influence in the region.
All of this makes me think of the old adage “you reap what you sow.”
Zoe Bios is available on Amazon in print and on Kindle. Get it today!
July 19, 2017
Zoe Bios: Chapter 4 – Propaganda
THE FOLLOWING ARE PHOTOS FROM MY DNA TREK AND EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK.
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This is how we became friends, with a simple smile and hello, similar to what happened between me and the Catholic woman and me and my guide in Jerusalem.
He asked what I was doing in Sinai. I shared that I was working on a book, researching and studying theory on DNA memory, but also had come to take scuba lessons. He was used to people being there for scuba, clearly, because he smiled and said it’s the best place to see colorful fish (although he admitted he had never taken a dive himself). He then jumped into asking me more questions, surprisingly interested in my project, but most interested in the fact that I was American.
He wanted some answers.
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I told him that the ignorance that divides us is shaped by what people see in the news about the wars happening in the Middle East. It’s not easy to keep up with the facts when all you’re hearing is sound bites. To the detriment of our world at large, few people read the details written by qualified journalists in respectful newspapers. And few people travel so they could have contact and real experiences. These are mostly people trying, as he is, to survive, which requires working very hard each day. When we are simply trying to survive, we don’t pay as much attention to issues unrelated to our daily lives.
As a result, stereotypes take hold. This is true for all of us, regardless of what country we call home.
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From here we see the roots of modern terrorism. We see how the Muslim brother felt cornered and why he fought back. We also see that the Jewish brother, who have been oppressed, feels he has the right to the land and peace at long last, and why the Jewish brother fights back.
Extreme measures are taken to secure the Jewish state. The war not only continues to this day but also it is evolving into something earth-shattering.
Zoe Bios is available on Amazon in print and on Kindle. Get it today!
July 17, 2017
Zoe Bios: Chapter 5 – Provocateurs
THE FOLLOWING ARE PHOTOS FROM MY DNA TREK AND EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK.
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He had been studying the Hebrew text, which he said is the only believable version (though he used a translation tool). He believed to have discovered a way to map various Biblical events precisely. That was why he was in Jerusalem. I assume this newly understood map is what his book is all about, but he didn’t want to say.
Our conversation continued through the security line, which was nice because talking with him helped pass the time.
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It was the first time on this journey where I felt like my hope was fading because an absolute point of view is hard to penetrate with fresh thinking.
He was so different from the Catholic nun, my Muslim guide, or my Egyptian friend. All the other people I had the pleasure to spend time within the Old City and beyond resisted the use of absolutist words, instead preferring or focusing on the desire for peace.
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When I shared this story with the service worker in Egypt, I explained to him that the Christian man spoke about third world war in absolute terms. And after a pause, I answered his question about destiny. “I rather believe that each of us controls our destiny.”
Zoe Bios is available on Amazon in print and on Kindle. Get it today!
July 16, 2017
Zoe Bios: Conclusion
THE FOLLOWING ARE PHOTOS FROM MY DNA TREK AND EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK.
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People in power in the United States and across Western society have twisted what it means to be Christian. The Muslims are not alone in fighting back the infection of fear and hate in their communities. Israel is struggling as well.
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But pointing fingers and telling people they are wrong for seeing the world the way they do is not only insulting, but also futile. Making people feel inferior is self-defeating. It’s a tragic expression of our own ancient resentment.
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As I write this, there are ICE raids happening in Los Angeles creating panic and terror in families, too many of whom have no criminal background and who simply entered our golden door because, like my immigrant family, they sought liberty and prosperity.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit unanimously denied the government’s request to lift a nationwide injection on what amounts to a Muslim ban. Not only are we traumatizing American Muslims, but we’re also reinforcing the enemies’ narrative in the hearts and minds of Muslims around the world.
As all of this happens, we seem to ignore once again that police are killing unarmed black and brown men and woman at grossly disproportionate rates. White privilege and racism continues to strike and strike hard.
What DNA memory are we imprinting when we emotionally bomb these communities? What result do we expect?
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Therefore, it is my hope that we can use this theory of DNA memory to fight for a unifying understanding of different religions as we support different multiracial cultures and lifestyles.
The foundational question is: how can we imprint peace instead of instigating terrorism?
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My wish is they resist nationalistic thinking and come to heal themselves of the infection of war, all the while recognizing each new settlement is a move toward one state, fully integrated with the Palestinians—not fostering more segregation.
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So, I leave you with this. Mahatma Gandhi said something that turned into a bumper sticker, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I argue that is not all he said and not enough in this pivotal moment.
We must understand why people do what they do before we can make a change in the world. It’s not enough to model or ask for change because modern society currently lives in an echo chamber and within our ideological social media bubbles.
The rules of engagement have changed. We must accept the new tensions, push forward, and take action in new ways. We must accept that the needs of the most vulnerable communities require more than a peace agreement.
This effort is about our culture, the zoe in which we live, and our bios, the matter we want to share with our kids.
The responsibility is on us because it’s our decision to make. Will we let terrorism dominate our DNA memory and define our quality of life now and in the future? Or will we come to realize that true peace requires an equitable chance at life for all of us?
I vote for the latter.