Culture is the way of life of a particular society or group of people, including patterns of thought, beliefs, behavior, customs, traditions, rituals, dress, and language, as well as art, music, and literature. Although there are certain cultural traditions that are stable and have withstood the passage of time and movement in geography, culture is also dynamic and cultural change is not an unfamiliar phenomenon. To introduce Saudi culture to other peoples of the world and present Islam in its real, positive, and untainted picture, as opposed to the negative and extremist images that the Western media has been painting for years, a group of six young Saudi social activists have founded “Call of Culture.” It is a non-profit organization with active branches in five different countries. “Call of Culture” aims to draw bridges of communication between diverse peoples, and it calls for cultural dialogue, understanding, and respect. The idea behind this project started when Mohammad Bakhrieba was studying at the University of Phoenix for a master's degree in information systems. Back then, he was already a volunteer with the World Health Organization, and was appointed as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador to promote peace and cross cultural communication. While studying in the United States, Bakhrieba was often bombarded with the stereotypical questions that are so often interjected toward Muslims in general and Saudis in particular. “People would come up to me and ask me questions‘Do you ride camels?' or ‘Do you have a petrol fountain in your background?' or ‘Do all men wear thobes?' or ‘Why do your women cover up?' It was then I realized that the urgent need to educate others about our culture, about our Prophet (peace be upon him) and to raise awareness about life as a Saudi and a Muslim,” said Bakhrieba. Bakhrieba said that the blame cannot always be thrown on the media for lack of understanding of the Islamic religion and Saudi culture. “Every one of us can do something, we can each add value, and we each have a duty to spread cultural awareness.” The turning point for “Call of Culture” came when they were invited to Naples, Italy, to participate in a competition and speak at a conference organized by the European Committee for Social Innovation. “In Naples, I spoke about traditional and also modern Saudi Arabia. Much to the audience's surprise I informed everyone that we have Internet, skyscrapers, and KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), one of the best graduate universities in the world. We have received international recognition, the United Nations has selected us as organizers for peace, and we have been meeting with celebrities, entrepreneurs, students, professors, and social activists across the world to promote understanding and harmony between different cultures,” Bakhrieba told Saudi Gazette about his experience at the conference. The friendly and fervent youth have been working for over a year now. They organize cultural awareness campaigns in schools, university campuses, shopping centers and malls, public parks, and cultural festivals. Members and volunteers have visited over twenty countries including Malaysia, America, Canada, and Australia to spread the message of Islam and the Arab culture. This year in June, they even organized fashion shows that displayed the traditional Saudi attire. There are over 150,000 Saudi students enrolled in various universities across the United States, and “Call of Culture” hopes to mobilize them to reach a larger circle in their attempts to bring about a better and more accurate understanding of Islam. One of the most difficult challenges and the most heated discussions arise when it comes to women's issues, especially the ‘hijab' (head cover). “Western culture is not connected to religion and spiritual beliefs, for them religion is confined and restricted. For us, we link religion to everything and we rely on its principles to live. My definition of religion is that it is a relationship between you and God and at the same time it organizes your whole life. Most of the times our lives are a reflection of Islamic values. When I patiently and cordially explain it to an average American, he/she ends up understanding and accepting; we always reach a common ground,” explained Bakhrieba. The task adopted by the “Call of Culture” is not new in Islamic history because such tasks have been undertaken by various people from the time of our Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) encouraged his companions to learn foreign languages. He would sent his most trusted and well educated followers to distant lands to learn about other cultures in return teach about Islam. It was a common practice for the Prophet (pbuh) to invite even a non-Muslim, who had deep knowledge in specific sciences or areas that the Muslims were not very skilled at, to teach his companions. “So the Prophet (pbuh) had actually implemented cultural exchange programs over 1,400 years ago,” said Bakhrieba. Did you ever wonder about how the ‘Iqal' (black cord, worn doubled to keep the keffiyeh in place) and the ‘shmagh' (keffiyeh) originated? Bakhrieba said that centuries ago, a white-colored ‘iqal' used to be worn by men to keep the cotton cloth that they draped over they their head in place to protect themselves form the blazing sun. When the Muslims were defeated in Spain, they changed the color of the ‘iqal' from white to black to show sadness and be in mourning; this tradition since then has remained and lingered on. The ‘shmagh' which was previously white was changed to red by the Turks for easily locating one another in case they got lost or separated in the desert. This tradition, too, has been deep-rooted. Whether Bakhrieba is dressed in a white thobe or blue jeans, he is always happy to meet new people; he is proud of his origins, ready to listen to others, and willing to talk about his religion. He calls on more people to join him on this mission of talking to others about culture and bridging the gap.
