A brief rant...

[Nightfall]

Pardon my rant, I'd have posted this under Soapbox but it isn't exactly political...

So since my recent enlistment, I opted to take some classes at my University of subjects I might find useful in the Military, that and to bump me to E3 prior to ship. Most of them are PT related. They consist of Conditioning Through Swimming (a competetion swimming type class), Jogging (for obvious reasons, the more running I do the better), Intro to Military Science (the only open Army class, History, Structure, Land Nav, Rapelling, as well as PT MWF 0530-0730 - ROTC type stuff), SCUBA, Kayaking (for fun and yet more exercise), and finally Arabic (as I'm sure I'll end up over in a sandbox at some point).

Regardless, today I dropped Arabic after only 3 classes. The first class was an intro, you need this book, this is what we'll cover, so on so forth. Second class went over the alphabet and a few phrases. Those phrases when I was called upon to repeat them, I was told more than once I spoke like a Jew (I'm not Jewish, not that it matters). I have relatively thick skin but this still annoyed me, especially since I was sittingin a class of mostly obviously Islamic folk. The Nation of Islam black guys kept getting, "No not like a 'Hey Bro', you say it like this..." I attempted to write all of this off... Third class we watched childrens videos of the Arabic alphabet. Of course you could see the radical Islamic quotes at the bottom of the page in user comments, those I ignored. Another was a child reading from the Quran, which again, not what I signed up for, but was I suppose an example of the speach patterns but with the same viewer comments. But the one video we spent an awful lot of time on was again the alphabet, this time, scrolling across the bottom of the screen like an advertisement was text to the effect of "This will be the last US President and Pope, the quran says the destruction of the imperialistic infidels will soon come, blah, blah, blah." I had had enough at that point. I mean really, and not a comment from a soul in the room about it. I pretty much blew up and left the class. I'd complain to the college, but who would listen? I honestly don't even know how I should have responded. It bothers me to no end that this is allowed in school, especially at the University level. Were this a Christian class talking down about Islam, every pinhead for miles around would be protesting it. Not even sure why I posted this other than to get it off my chest. Not an awful lot chaps my hide more than intollerance, especially under the pretense of education. Maybe I'm the one with the problem. But sitting through videos with little tid bits of anti-Americanism just a couple of months prior to me shipping out didn't sit well with me. It honestly makes me sick. Makes it hard to be accepting when a culture either preaches seperatism, or outright hate. My Nation of Islam friends at least invite me to see Fairkahn when he comes(I don't go, but beside the point), they aren't worried that I'm white-ish, not Muslim or anything of the like. The friends I had in high school who converted to Islam won't have anything to do with me, "Well, you're just not one of us, you drink, you eat pork..." so on so forth. It really makes it hard to not go all out biggoted. I just don't even know what to say about it anymore. I'm flabbergasted. I wasn't raised that way, I've never cared about anything like that. My friends say I'm libertarian, but I think I'm just a "Don't mess with me and mine, and I won't mess with you." kind of person, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to not form an instantaniously hateful opinion of an entire religion. All I see from them is, "We're about love," then the pseudo-silver lining is hate, violence, and more hate... Again, maybe it's just me with the problem. With all the uproar over quran burning, mosques being built, I try to keep an open mind, but they sure are making it hard. All I have to do is turn on the tube and there some Islamic protest burning US colors... Women getting thier noses and ears cut off, public burnings and stonings. I just don't see how any of this is acceptable behaviour for a religion/culture... Now it's bleeding over into my school.

I'm sorry, I'm just venting about today's personal experience. Needed to rant for a second to perhaps a somewhat sympathetic environ. I'll stop now :) I suppose I'll just learn my Arabic from Rosetta Stone and my Pimsleur tapes. Hopefully there will be phrases applicable to the Military. I wonder if the PX sells pig's blood...

[theis223]

:munchin

[Richard]

If the videos weren't given any disclaimer or explanation as to why they were being used by the professor, I'd go to the professor, explain my position, and seek an understanding (there may have been a reason for the videos which you missed).

In my experience, different classes (even when taught by the same professor) can have a different dynamic - maybe a different class would solve the problem.

If unsuccessful, I'd then go to my counselor and tell him/her I was dropping the Arabic class and expected a full refund. When you're asked why, tell him/her what happened.

I'd also write the Dean of whichever college has the program and tell them what you experienced in your so-called 'language' class; be sure to CC the Provost.

If you're involved in ROTC, go to the Dept and tell them what happened; I am sure there are other ROTC students in the same language program you were in and I am sure they would be interested in knowing what their students were experiencing.

A letter to the student newspaper can also be productive, especially if there have been other 'issues' with that particular department or program.

Be factual and adopt a neutral (non-emotional) speaking/writing tone when telling your story.

You may be surprised.

Good luck.

Richard

[akv]

FWIW my $.02 it sounds like the guys in your class were jerks, it's been a while since school for me but I wouldn't suspect all Arab courses are that way. You included the detail these guys were blacks and Muslim. However just like you know better than to judge all black folks on the basis of these jerks, all Muslims are not like this either in my experience. Congrats and thank you for enlisting to serve our country.

[Paslode]

If it is any consolation. I work for an atheist Professor from time to time who openly gloats how he makes to the Christian kids look stupid and attempts to turn the other students against the Christian students.

He also admires the work of Pol Pot, Che, Mao and despises Capitalism.

He is an angry lad.

[Richard]

I work for an atheist Professor from time to time who openly gloats how he makes to the Christian kids look stupid and attempts to turn the other students against the Christian students.

Athiests don't bother me - bullies do. :mad:

Richard :munchin

[lindy]

Having been in SEVERAL classes where Soviet propaganda films were watched and then discussed in Russian, and also having watched many an insurgent video from the Northern Caucasus in their native language, I don't see your problem.

Sounds to me like you chose to turn your language class into a Political Science class. Good luck with that Rosette Stone idea (personally, I think it sucks) but I would recommend using anything from DLI (http://fieldsupport.dliflc.edu/index.aspx).

By the way...there is much more to learning a language than just the alphabet, vocab, and grammar: ya gotta learn da culture. It helps with thinking like the native speakers and helps a non-native to understand their viewpoint. Although the entire "bacha bazi" thing...yeah, I don't understand the why on that one & don't care to either.

YMMV.

[Nightfall]

Having been in SEVERAL classes where Soviet propaganda films were watched and then discussed in Russian, and also having watched many an insurgent video from the Northern Caucasus in their native language, I don't see your problem.

Sounds to me like you chose to turn your language class into a Political Science class.

You may be right, as I said, the problem may very well be mine. Heck I'd go so far as a most likely.



Good luck with that Rosette Stone idea (personally, I think it sucks) but I would recommend using anything from DLI (http://fieldsupport.dliflc.edu/index.aspx).

By the way...there is much more to learning a language than just the alphabet, vocab, and grammar: ya gotta learn da culture. It helps with thinking like the native speakers and helps a non-native to understand their viewpoint. Although the entire "bacha bazi" thing...yeah, I don't understand the why on that one & don't care to either.

YMMV.

Thanks, I'll check the DLI ones out. And I concur with the idea of learning the culture. Even after many years of poor Spanish, I learned more actually being in Central America and Spain than I ever did from class or books/tapes.

[Penn]

AKV, what is the geographic location of the picture you use in your avatar.

[lksteve]

I see where speaking Arabic like a Jew could be problematic...it seems to me that learning Arabic isn't a priority of yours...

[dennisw]

I was told more than once I spoke like a Jew

Were they literally saying you spoke Arabic like a Jew, or was this a derisive remark?

[Nightfall]

I took the comments as derogatory, based on his tone, his look, and mannerisms. But much like how Spanish speakers approach you in a certain way depending on your location, in retrospect he may not have meant it that way. As my exposure to Arabic culture is limited to family friends from Egypt, who were some of the sweetest of people towards me, it could have been a culture issue. Heck the Egyptian men would walk holding hands or with their arms around each other, where I grew up that was unheard of. I had issues in New Zealand as well, as I'm a southerner, I'm a very "please and thank you sir/ma'am" and until the Kiwi's realised that, they thought I was being patronizing.

And as far as my priorities, you are absolutely correct lksteve, it was the low one my list. In as much as I want to learn it, my top priorty is my body at this point (that and learning as much as I can about serving in the Army) - PT,PT,PT before I ship. The class according to the sylabus and the instructor wasn't a conversational class, it was mostly alphabet and to serve as an intro to further classes. So, much like my Spanish, I believe I would learn more from immersion. I'll build a base on my own, as I did with Spanish and Haitian Creole. With most subjects I tend to be autodidactic. It is what it is, a rant, with the media cramming crap down our throats about this kind of stuff, the stuff I saw in class, it just bothered me a bit. As opposed to starting a political argument with a group of Arabic folk, I chose to walk away and vent a bit somewhere else to get it off my chest. As my Sensei has always told me, the best technique is not to be there.

Thanks for listening by the way :)

[1stindoor]

I think you missed a good opportunity to study exactly why the U.S. is reviled by some of the Arabic nations.

If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.