Yemen RPCV David Van Hammen teaches beginning Arabic class at Northwestern Michigan College



He says his students tell him they want to learn what's going on in the Mideast. "They say this (language class) is their first step in learning about the region,” he said. Van Hammen thinks the best thing to do is approach the issue with an open mind. Van Hammen often calls his friends in Yemen for reassurance. "I ask them, is the place going to hell or what? But as I talk to people they tell me, life goes on there.” "They say to me, 'you have Virginia Tech and Columbine, TV shows like CSI with all the sex and drugs' and they ask me, 'How can anyone live in America? It's so violent there.' In general,” Van Hammen said. "There's a lot of misunderstanding.”

Yemen RPCV David Van Hammen teaches beginning Arabic class at Northwestern Michigan College

Working toward a better understanding

By Gretchen Murray

[Excerpt]

While some try to get a handle on Islam through theology, others are signing up for David Van Hammen's beginning Arabic class at Northwestern Michigan College. So far, his classes have been full and he hopes to offer another 10-week course this summer.

Van Hammen served in the Peace Corps in Yemen in the 1970's and went back after college to work in private industry from 1983 to 1994. His daughter was born there.

He says his students tell him they want to learn what's going on in the Mideast. "They say this (language class) is their first step in learning about the region,” he said. Van Hammen thinks the best thing to do is approach the issue with an open mind.

Van Hammen often calls his friends in Yemen for reassurance. "I ask them, is the place going to hell or what? But as I talk to people they tell me, life goes on there.”

"They say to me, 'you have Virginia Tech and Columbine, TV shows like CSI with all the sex and drugs' and they ask me, 'How can anyone live in America? It's so violent there.' In general,” Van Hammen said. "There's a lot of misunderstanding.”

Working through the misconceptions might not solve all the problems, but the more we know about each other, the better the chance we'll find a starting point for peace.

Reach Gretchen Murray at gmurray@record-eagle.com.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: May, 2007; Peace Corps Yemen; Directory of Yemen RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Yemen RPCVs; Language; University Education; Michigan

When this story was posted in October 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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