12 Credits Tuesday-Thursday
8:30 a.m. Pittsburgh, 4:30 p.m. Doha
Instructors: Professor Laurie Eisenberg (Pittsburgh); Professor Ben Reilly (Doha)


The first class to be offered jointly on both of Carnegie Mellon’s two undergraduate campuses is a true encounter of two global cultures. “American-Arab Encounters” is a history class that examines the American-Arab relationship past and present, especially focusing on the background of current issues.

Using teleconferences, readings, journal writings, short papers, debate and discussion, these students learned from each other about world history, and about respectfully recognizing differences. They also participated in Soliya.net, a Web-based dialogue bringing together university students in the U.S. and those in predominantly Muslim countries.

The topic of this October session, midway through the semester, is the U.S. role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Professor Eisenberg has written widely on this complex topic and she quickly highlights the main ideas from the readings the students have completed to prepare for this discussion.


“As long as there has been conflict,” Eisenberg says, “there have been efforts for peace. Most have failed. But when peace comes, chances are it will look like what has often been suggested in the past, but some contemporary or future event or condition will arise that will make previously unpalatable proposals suddenly acceptable.” She also describes the various roles the U.S. has played or could play in the peacemaking process.

Vigorous discussion begins.

Nora (Qatar): The U.S. motive to mediate is because of oil and because Israel has so much influence on the American government. But the U.S. is too biased in favor of Israel; we need somebody impartial. If you want to referee a football match fairly, you bring in somebody neutral. Why don’t we try something new? Bring in a Chinese mediator or something. So many of the top people in the U.S. government are Jewish....[head shaking at U.S.]

Eisenberg: Nora, do you know why they reacted like that? Who wants to explain this body language here?

J (U.S.): Everyone grimaced, because that is just not true, and it is such a cliché. To claim that the U.S. government is influenced by a Jewish lobby, is just naïve. Besides, at Oslo, we tried to have a 3rd party mediator...

A few minutes later, the Qatari students tackle an American cliché.

S [U.S.]: The U.S. needs to support Israel as a truly democratic government in the region. A goal of the U.S. war on terror is to win Arab hearts and minds away from Al-Qaeda and show that Al-Qaeda has no legitimacy when they say the U.S. is anti-Arab.

N (Q): You say you need to be in the Middle East to show the world Al-Qaeda is bad? You don’t know anything about us if you think we don’t already know that!

Discussion turns to what mediation can really accomplish.

Professor Reilly: Is it really a matter of mediation? It seems the two sides are not willing to make basic concessions. Certain identities—extremist, victim—are driving the two sides apart.

Z (Q): And we are all sterilizing the religious aspects of this conflict. Americans have deep religious ties to Israel, another reason that most Muslims do not trust the U.S. to be impartial.

F (Q): Right! It is much more than economics—it goes to religion, a sense of dignity.

V (U.S.): That is an important point. It is about more than the price of oil, and we Americans don’t get that.

A (U.S.): But you can’t negotiate identity and culture. You can make concessions in economics and politics.... I know I don’t live there, maybe I don’t understand, but let’s try some diplomacy here.

Eisenberg says the discussions became even more probing as the semester went on, and, as the class ended, students at both campuses expressed interest in keeping these connections going.

As these students grappled with these tangled histories, they had their own “Arab-American encounter.” They may not have arrived at agreement, but they certainly came to a richer, more personal understanding of their shared complexities.


Related Links:
Carnegie Mellon in Qatar
Laurie Eisenberg
American-Arab Encounters