Reda Bedeir, Al-Azhar University, Daqahliya, Egypt
Lecturing/Research: A Sociolinguistic Approach to Arab-American Cultural Dialogue
Host: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
January-May 2004

Bedeir with students

Fostering Communication in the United States About Islam Egyptian linguist Reda Bedeir traveled to Wake Forest University in Greensboro, North Carolina to conduct research on a sociolinguistic approach to Arab-American cultural dialogue. He also lectured in the field while taking every opportunity he had to facilitate discussion about Islam and the Muslim culture. Bedeir is the acting head of the English and Simultaneous Translation Department, Faculty of Humanities for Women at Tafahna Al Ashraf in Daqahliya, Al-Azhar University in Egypt.

Bedeir's first step toward encouraging such a dialogue was to determine the knowledge and beliefs that his American audience already held about Islam. He found that many people in the community had a very poor understanding about the foundations of Islam, yet were eager to learn. Bedeir found it much easier to foster dialogue by starting with all the things that various religions have in common when it comes to faith, rather than focusing immediately on the ideas and images that have served as barriers between people.

During his stay, Bedeir spoke to churches and Islamic communities around the region and gave many lectures to students and faculty at Wake Forest. All of this went toward his research, which he plans to use for a book on Islam intended for the general public.

In addition to conducting research, Bedeir taught undergraduates at Wake Forest. He was very happy to find his students enthusiastic, curious and eager to learn about Islam. He said they were also aware of the current global situation, knew the mass media was not doing a complete job in covering these themes, and wanted to learn about Islam from a practicing Muslim.

During class, Bedeir encouraged the students to share their views and was amazed by the change in their perspectives and knowledge of Islam by the end of the term. A number of students showed an interest in pursuing postgraduate studies in Islam, and many started Arabic language courses.

Bedeir's efforts to foster a cultural dialogue were not without challenges, however. He found that a few students were still reluctant to accept certain tenets of Islam as facts stemming from the theory and instruction of the religion and not personal or cultural views. Bedeir was very happy to see that his instruction had taken hold, as students stepped up and explained correctly the distinction to their classmates.

Perhaps most importantly, Bedeir felt that he learned from his students. As students delved into their term paper topics and related their studies and course materials to current events in ways that Bedeir had not foreseen, he was able to learn much more about American culture and his own biases up to that point.

Bedeir is optimistic about the future of the world despite what is happening across the globe. He thinks that an increase in cross-cultural exchange and constructive international dialogue along with the small steps occurring on an individual basis will hopefully lead to a more progressive social and political movement on a global scale. This, in turn, will help achieve understanding and peaceful coexistence in this widely diversified world of cultures, faiths, and convictions.

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