Children of Jihad: A Young American's Travels Among the Youth of the Middle East (30 page)

While young and old alike use and enjoy satellite television, radio, Internet, and mobile phones, the generations are using them in completely different ways. For young people, technology is first and foremost a means to express themselves, interact, generate their own media, and shape a digital identity that may or may not be in sync with real life. They rely on this technology for their autonomy and as a result, it is through this digital means that the youth have been emancipated from the rest of the population. They are incredibly proficient at learning the innovative uses of technology, in part because of what technology brings them and in part because they actually read the instruction manual.

The youth are not only using technology to communicate with one another; they are using it to communicate with the rest of the world. And that’s the most significant difference between the young people and the older generations: Unless they have deliberately shielded themselves from technology, nearly every single youth in the Middle East is accessible.

Middle Eastern youth are just an e-mail or text message away. However, their thoughts, opinions, and feelings are very much in contention. When I left the Middle East, it wasn’t clear who was winning this fierce battle of ideas. It seemed then, as it does now, that extremists and ideologues have already made tremendous inroads into shaping the opinions of these young people. I can say from my own experience, living and traveling in this volatile part of the world, that reaching this under-thirty generation is our best hope for greater communication—but only if we engage with them on their own terms. Amid the despair of war, poverty, and oppression, they are the ones who respond to creativity. Could it be that they will also find creative solutions for peace someday? In a world of unremitting grimness brought on by lack of opportunity, they are the ones who delight in entertainment and the allure of adventure. Could it be that they will be able to rise above their despotic regimes to live interesting and successful lives? And, finally, they are the ones who can be reached by breaking down the traditional means of communication and speaking a language that appeals to them. Could it be that we will truly find a common language so that this generation everywhere can communicate their hopes and ideals? Or, is it possible that we will fail and the extremists and ideologues will hijack the hearts and minds of this entire generation?

What I have discovered is that the language they speak is not exclusively the language of politics. Instead, it is more about a common set of norms and values that are characteristic of young people around the world regardless of their religion, nationality, or ethnicity. Like us, young people in the Middle East all desire better education; they all have a fascination with innovative uses of technology; they all get bored and crave adventure and entertainment; they all seek interaction and global connectivity; and more than anything, they all want to feel as though they belong, have a purpose in this world, and can have a better life. Those were the things that mattered to the young people I met, and this is the common ground on which we can appeal to them.

Young people in the Middle East
are
reachable—and they could be waiting to hear from us.

This book would not have been possible without the support, guidance, hospitality, and generosity of family, colleagues, mentors, friends, and informants.

I am first and foremost grateful to the young people from the Middle East who made this book possible. These brave souls took tremendous risks in speaking with me, arranging for meetings, and guiding me in the right direction. As most of my interactions with young people took place above the grids of the various police-state apparatuses that comprise the Middle East, I choose to not thank anyone from the Middle East by name. To all of you who talked to me, protected me, sheltered me, fed me, transported me, and aided me in my research, I give you my thanks. You know who you are.

I would next like to thank my family, in particular my parents. Despite your concerns about my safety, you remained supportive and let me follow my passion. My sister, Emily, has always been a major support and source of encouragement. To my granparents, Max, Paul, and Annette, I am so glad that you have been a part of these experiences. I owe a particular thanks to my great-uncle Alan Mirken, whose pearls of wisdom about what it takes to write a good book kept me focused and motivated.

I was fortunate to have worked with a number of mentors from Stanford who have had a tremendous impact on me in writing this book. These include Larry Diamond, Stephen Krasner, James Lowell Gibbs, Michael McFaul, David Kennedy, Norman Naimark, Stephen Stedman, Lynn Eden, Abbas Milani.

The travel for this book would not have been possible without the generosity of the Rhodes Trust, whose stipend enabled me to trek about the Middle East to do this research.

Working with Gotham Books proved to be a remarkable experience and there are a number of people that made this book possible: my publisher, Bill Shinker, who believed in the manuscript from the very beginning and gave me a chance to share the story with the world; my editor, Brett Valley, for really working through the manuscript and imparting his creative wisdom upon me. I also owe my thanks to Brendan Cahill, Patrick Mulligan, Lisa Johnson, and Amanda Walker. And, at Trident Media, thanks also to Claire Roberts and Randall Klein.

I never realized how complex the publishing world can be and as a result, I owe a particular debt of gratitude to my agent, Mel Parker, at Mel Parker Books. You believed in the book from the very beginning and pushed me to write the best manuscript possible. Thank you for the countless hours you have put into this project. I would also like to thank David Parker, who worked very closely with me to find my voice, shape the manuscript, and produce an early draft. I am grateful for having benefited from his guidance and expertise.

My housemates at Oxford—Alex Pollen, Dov Fox, Decker Walker, Trevor Thompson, and Jeff McLean—thank you for giving me your feedback and for your support as I traveled from Oxford to the Middle East. You all kept me sane during the writing process and helped keep me motivated. I would also like to thank some of my dear friends who read parts of the manuscript and gave me feedback: Parag Khanna, Zahra Almufti, Souha Charbel, Haifa al-Bedrawi, Erik Kramon, Pete Blaustein, Tarek Hamman, and Tamara al-Gabbani.

Finally, to my colleagues in and out of government: You have all been an amazing support network and source of inspiration. Thank you for all that you have taught me.

The individuals I met throughout the Middle East took a tremendous risk in speaking to me and making this research possible. This story is as much theirs as it is mine. My two obligations were to give these young people a voice and to protect their identity. Without changing the content of my experiences, I adjusted names and minor personal details in some cases in order to ensure that none of the stories can be traced back to any particular individuals.