“You know that feeling when you walk past a fellow human being and you gaze at each other momentarily? You may wonder what their story is, why the lines on their face are where they are or why they are dressed the way they are.
Our curiosity is justifiable, because without it we’re in the dark, we can’t learn anything about the world or each other. It is the nature of being human.
It is why we’ve made the advancements we’ve made in civilisation, in technology and in medicine. Our curiosity prompts us to ask, explore, learn and grow.
It is this wonderful inbuilt curiosity we have that led people to the Australian Muslim Human Library events in Sydney on Tuesday 6 September at The Bryan Brown Theatre and again on Thursday 8t September at Shepherd’s Bay.
It was a great opportunity for open discussion between Muslims and non-Muslims to build an understanding of the unknown.
For some of us, we’ve never had a conversation or even met a Muslim person. Generally speaking, what we know is what we’ve been told by others or the media.
Hence, it’s easy to have solid stereotypes and misconceptions about a religious section of the community that we know very little about, lurking in the back of our heads.
But how do we grow or transform into unified, harmonious communities if we sit in our own enclaves and don’t bother exploring? Discovery, enlightenment, understanding, empathy and hope can only arise from that wonderful curiosity.
Building bridges between people takes guts and continual effort. There are times in life where we have to get out of our comfort zones, let our guard down, challenge our perceptions and unravel the knots, one by one.
I was lucky enough to be a part of the Australian Muslim Human Library event, and let me tell you, the conversations had on the night were nothing short of extraordinary.
There’s joy, laughter, tears and hope in every one of us. We’re all human with different stories, interesting stories that touch our hearts and challenge our minds.
I do hope other Australian cities get the chance to experience this wonderful concept of opening up to a pure stranger, only to realise that our similarities outweigh anything else we thought in the past.
The most beautiful thing about Australian society is our cultural diversity, so start a conversation today and open a door to the world we live in.”
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