Musical Missions: Congregations List

Musical Missions: Iraqi Refugees in USA

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:23:00 GMT

While we were in Syria and Jordan a family of recently arrived Iraqi women stayed in our house in Boulder and our ongoing connections with them leads to an ever-widening network of Iraqi people. An Iraqi woman, a friend of theirs, has been studying in California at Stanford for a few months. She can no longer safely go back home to Iraq. Her family was attacked in Iraq because it was found out that she was associating herself with America. To some people in Iraq anyone who associates with Americans is seen as a traitor, and may be killed for treason. She now needs political asylum or to have someone sponsor her as a refugee. She is in southern California at the moment and will be coming to Denver August 17th. Her visa runs out in September so we must act fast. We need a lawyer to advise us. Who would like to help? The women who stayed in our home lost the husband and father of their family for the same reasons: a brother had worked with the Americans. So they were three of the 500 Iraqi refugees allowed entry into the USA in 2008. Beginning in 2009 the US government will begin accepting more Iraqis, perhaps as many as 5000. Contrast this with the numbers who have been accepted in Syria and Jordan, where by the Iraqi peoples' own count, there are 4 million in Syria and 2 million in Jordan. Yet Syria's native population is only 19 million to begin with. How can this influx of Iraqis find livelihood? That, of course, is why we have begun fund raising through Musical Missions of Peace to support Iraqi refugee musicians in those countries. The situation in Jordan, a country of only 7 million, 75 per cent of whom are already refugees from Palestine, is even more difficult and Iraqis feel increasingly unwelcome there. Our knowledge of traditional Arabic love songs has made us feel very welcome in all Arab countries we have visited and we have personal knowledge about the effectiveness of learning music and languages to engage in what Musical Missions of Peace calls the "Triple Musical Ambassador" project. These exercises guide us into deepening our intuitive abilities and relate from the heart. It is possible for us Americans to begin to walk our talk about spiritual growth and actually show up in the world as beings of light. Aug 15 Concert in Boulder: Unity Stage Presents another Musical Missions of Peace Event: World of Arabic Music Friday, August 15th, 2008 8:00 pm -- 9:30 pm Price: $10 At Unity Church in Boulder 2855 Folsom St. Boulder, CO 80304 Cameron and Kristina will be joined by musicians: Noora, Pete Jacobs, Rachid Halihal, James Messerich, others... We will offer spectacular tastes of the ancient micro-tonal musical modes of Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon. Creating Music Schools for the millions of Iraqi Refugees in Syria and Jordan has been leading to many fascinating adventures as we explore the ancient roots and values of these people and their cultures. Cameron will present information about this project which will hopefully provide insights on levels which go beyond what is available through standard media sources. There is no "Us and Them," only language barriers. Yes, put this event on your calendar if you will be in the area!

Musical Missions of Peace: Ready for Action

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:25:00 GMT

Amman, Jordan Our travels through Syria and Jordan on behalf of Musical Missions of Peace have been a success in both countries. Musical Missions of Peace is now poised to do the work of directly supporting the people and ancient culture of Iraq. We have networks of Iraqi musicians ready and waiting to pass on Iraqi musical heritage to the next generation of Iraqi children and simultaneously provide a means for employment for adult Iraqi refugees. We don't know the future of the US political climate. Anything can happen. But we now guarantee that we can help Iraqis. We will soon be wiring additional support funds to help them. Incoming funds will be divided between: 1) Iraqi Refugee Project 2) Triple Musical Ambassador Scholarships for young American Musicians We are "By, For and Of the People" and our Musical approach guarantees pathways of heart. We can help the world along its path toward turning swords into musical instruments. We are streamlined and ready for action. Please encourage your friends to provide support. Once back in the USA we will devote our time to working with all of you to raise enough funds to make a difference. Many Thanks, Cameron and Kristina To support or read more about our 501c3 non-profit organization: www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org Checks to "Musical Missions of Peace" can also me mailed to: 2090 Grape Ave Boulder, CO 80304 USA Donors will receive receipts for their tax-deductable gifts. Contacts with appropriate Philanthropic organizations or with sympathetic commercial enterprises not involved with political agendas would also be appreciated. Please encourage your friends who may be interested to add their email addresses to our list at: <a href="http://www.musicalmissions.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi">http://www.musicalmissions.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi</a> Or have them just send us an email requesting to be added to the list! Please reply to this email if you are so inclined. We love to hear from you! Cameron and Kristina: www.musicalmissions.com Publishing: www.gldesignpub.com

Cameron and Kristina: Iraqi Musicians

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:51:00 GMT

Amman, Jordan Asking here and there in our endless searches for live music performances we climb up to the fourth floor open terrace of a restaurant here in Amman. The manager tells us that the regularly employed Jordanian oud player is not there this week but that they have an Iraqi oud player in his place. It's only 10:30, still early, so he hasn't arrived yet. We settle in to a table and order a salad and Arabic coffee. An hour later the table full of Iraqi men sitting next to us are singing along with the oud player who has arrived and plugged into the sound system. When a song comes by which we happen to know we sing along too. This of course is always a surprise and I have to explain to the player something about our background. I also make requests for some of the older Iraqi songs of Nazem al Ghazali and he is delighted to mix them in with his presentations of some of the newer music. I am very happy to be bathed in his elaborate usage of maqamat, the ancient microtonal Arabic scales which I have come to love so well. Our new oud playing friend, like all Iraqis, is here in Jordan under rules and regulations which are not so favorable and the endless question in his mind is of course, "Where should I try and get to from here?" He is very curious to hear my opinions about various possibilities like Sweden or Canada or, should he consider the USA? I have heard a few stories and I pass them on. One of our Iraqi friend's son managed to get into Turkey and on a boat to Greece. But, being required by the boat captain to finish the last part of the journey into Greece by swimming ashore, he was captured and spent some time in a Greek prison before managing to move on, at considerable expense, to Sweden where he is now facing deportation back to Iraq. Not a pretty picture. And of course we have had recent experience with observing the Iraqi support options in America: try living on $330/month until you find a job and get on your feet. "So Canada is good?" he asks me. "Maybe so... Or maybe Brazil..." I respond out of almost complete ignorance on the subject but knowing that going back to Iraq now can mean death for a lot of Iraqis. I look at him playing Iraqi music for the still appreciative group of Iraqis here in Jordan and I think that maybe here is not so bad for him. But the governmental pressures are being raised to make the Iraqis feel less welcome here and increase deportations. Syria maybe? Syria probably offers the best circumstances right now for Iraqis but everyone knows that, having already absorbed 2 million Iraqis into their economy, a ten percent total increase, the potential for employment in Syria is small. Around 2:00 a.m. he thrusts the oud into my hands and very appreciatively sings along with my still very imperfect rendition of "Lamma Anakhu..." ...a musically improvided poetic introduction deeply embedded in older Iraqi musical tradition... Before we leave we explain our work in Jordan and Syria to try and channel money donated in the USA to help support Iraqi refugees by furthering the education of Iraqi refugee children in the old Iraqi maqam music and he is eager, of course, to be a part of it. He gives me his mobile phone number. I put a large Jordanian Dinar bill in his hand. Later, when he has the opportunity to look at it, hopefully he will be pleasantly surprised. I remember a friend in Boulder giving me a $100 bill and saying, "Just walk up and give this to some Iraqi refugee!" Please encourage your friends who may be interested to add their email addresses to our list at: <a href="http://www.musicalmissions.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi">http://www.musicalmissions.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi</a> Or have them just send us an email requesting to be added to the list! Thanks and More Soon, Cameron Please reply to this email if you are so inclined. We love to hear from you! To support or read more about our 501c3 non-profit organization: www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org Cameron and Kristina: www.musicalmissions.com Publishing: www.gldesignpub.com

Musical Missions: Kristina on Syria

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:47:00 GMT

When you hear the word "Syria" what thoughts and feelings come to mind? Are they warm and fuzzy thoughts, or thoughts with a bit of fear? If there is some fear in those thoughts where did it come from? Who put it there? Ahmad the hotel owner in Aleppo Syria tells tale after tale of the absurd fears (to his mind) westerners have while traveling in Syria. Yesterday two young American women tried to pretend to be Canadian. "Anyone could see that they were California girls," Ahmad declared. "I took them around in the market and eventually they learned that the shop-keepers gave them just as many treats when they admitted their real nationality as when they claimed to be from elsewhere. "But everything is confused," he continued. "I watched the Western journalists deliberately mistranslate a Lebanese woman's statements on television just the other day. When asked about a local youth organization she replied in Arabic that they provide much charitable aid and are very helpful to the local people. But the English version broadcast on the BBC made it sound as if she was afraid of them and had claimed that they were some kind of terrorist organization. She said nothing like that whatsoever!" The Peruvian woman who is traveling with her German husband tells us, "We were a bit afraid to come, but we wanted to challenge ourselves." They are immersed in the light hearted conversation taking place in the small hotel lobby where tea is always freely served and laughter is the common theme. They now feel a bit foolish that they had any fear at all. "But we are fed the same stories on the news in Germany that are broadcast all over the Western world!" Unspoken unconscious assumptions: how much are these controlling our thoughts and feelings and where did they come from? "Unconscious assumptions create emotions in the body which in turn generate mind activity and/or instant reactions. In this way they create your personal reality. Unexamined thoughts give rise to emotional story telling." --Eckhart Tolle The solution: "Let go of the story and return to the present moment." Easier said than done, but it can't hurt to try. Belief in other peoples' stories seems to be the culprit. And this is just another story. Love, Kristina Please reply to this email if you are so inclined. We love to hear from you! To support or read more about our 501c3 non-profit organization: www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org Cameron and Kristina: www.musicalmissions.com Publishing: www.gldesignpub.com

Cameron and Kristina Now Back in Jordan

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:03:00 GMT

Riding back South across the border into Jordan we arrive in Amman. Our driver jokes every time we pass a picture of the blue-eyed Jordanian King Abdulla that he must be the "King of Denmark." In reality, the king's mother is American. To the north in Syria we had been surrounded by pictures of the Ophthalmologist from London who is now President of Syria, Bashar Assad. As I said, people in these parts of the world know better than to associate people with the governments which rule them. Walking down the early afternoon street in Amman on our way to a coffee shop we look up to the sky as the incredible roar of US fighter jets buzz the city on their way to Iraq, enforcing the rules of the American empire. How many empires have preceded? egyptians, hittites, israelites, assyrians, babylonians, persians, macedonians, romans, byzantines, sassanids, umayads, abbasids, seljuk turks, crusaders, saladin, mongols, ottoman turks, etc... to name a few... Check out the History of Empires in Middle East in 90 Seconds <a href="http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/imperial-history.html">http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/imperial-history.html</a> Notice the Age of Nations and Borders which began under European Colonialism. This animated history of Empires in the Middle East in 90 Seconds is well done but it is actually an extreme simplification of a much more complex history. Each "empire" left a legacy of scattered villages wherein the population preserved certain languages and ways of living. Although taxes were demanded afresh by each new empire and a certain amount of violence erupted as new conquerors confronted old rulers, it wasn't until the age of "Nation States and Borders" appeared in the 20th century that large numbers of people were suddenly trapped, frozen in place, behind artificial borders created by foreign mapmakers in ways that separated brother from brother and tribal member from tribal member. Referring to the nomadic nature of local populations, a member of the Saud family, reportedly in tears, told the Europeans in Paris in 1925 that the seeds for hundreds of years of conflict would be sown if borders were drawn in the Middle East. The European powers went ahead and drew the borders anyway. Are we witnessing the consequences of this border-drawing map-making frenzy? More soon about our current work back here in Jordan. Please encourage your friends who may be interested to add their email addresses to our list at: <a href="http://www.musicalmissions.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi">http://www.musicalmissions.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi</a> Or have them just send us an email requesting to be added to the list! Thanks and More Soon, Cameron Please reply to this email if you are so inclined. We love to hear from you! To support or read more about our 501c3 non-profit organization: www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org Cameron and Kristina: www.musicalmissions.com Publishing: www.gldesignpub.com

Cameron and Kristina: Syria Part Two

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 06:48:00 GMT

Driving down to the Mediterranean coast to Lattakia on the following day we were greeted by our friend Mohammad who is a generous young Sunni Muslim man living in the primarily Allawite part of Syria who takes pride in networking people and their projects in a global web of connections which serve the benefit of all. As is frequently the case in this culture, he has something positive to say about everyone and easily radiates enthusiastic good will. Thanks to him we met Fadhil, the new Iraqi director for our project in Syria to support Iraqi musical teachings. We met Arab music historian Ali Haddad and his son Abd al Wahab Haddad who generously offered to support our work in whatever ways possible. We met Anthony Ham who is researching and writing the Lonely Planet guidebook. He may do a feature about our work for the next edition of the Middle East book. And, again thanks to Mohammad's networking, we did a musical performance at the local Dhikrayat Restaurant in which we fea tured songs from Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. Driving back up into the Northern highlands we arrived in Aleppo where we met with Ibrahim Sukar and discussed methods for providing traditional Arabic musical instruments to the Iraqi music students who become involved with our project. We met an oud player who sings both Syrian and Iraqi maqam music in a local restaurant and joined in the singing with him when our repertoires overlapped. But it was back in Damascus, with Fadhil leading us that we were, as reported in our last email update, able to establish a framework for our program. Visiting the parts of Damascus where most Iraqi refugees live, we walked down "Little Iraq Street", we ate Iraqi food and we visited the incredible Saida Zeinab Mosque. Saida Zeinab is a popular destination for people from all over the Islamic world. It is teeming with multi-ethnic populations and the evening ecstatic activities in the Mosque are unlike anything I have even imagined. A fervor of prayer and singing builds to uproarious devotional proportions. Kristina joined women and children on one side of the internal shrine who romped and prayed while Fadhil and I entered the men's side passing through groups of young men singing vocal chants while striking their bodies as if they themselves were the drums. Sparkling lights reflected in multicolored chandeliers of crystals underneath a golden dome illuminated everything with indescribable brilliance while the men moved and undulated in trance as they rubbed themselves against the shrine. Out in the streets we are again surrounded by an Iraqi majority. Again and again we find that the these people know and adore singers like Nazem al Ghazali whose ecstatic performances of maqam music seventy years ago, at the dawn of the era of recorded music, helped perpetuate this part of the Iraqi soul. They are enchanted to hear that our Musical Mission of Peace aims to help support the teaching of these musical styles so that the younger generations can carry this legacy forward while simultaneously providing employment for these displaced Iraqis. Please encourage your friends who may be interested to add their email addresses to our list at: <a href="http://www.musicalmissions.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi">http://www.musicalmissions.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi</a> Or have them just send us an email requesting to be added to the list! Thanks and More Soon, Cameron Please reply to this email if you are so inclined. We love to hear from you! To support or read more about our 501c3 non-profit organization: www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org Cameron and Kristina: www.musicalmissions.com Publishing: www.gldesignpub.com

Cameron and Kristina: Syria Part One

Fri, 30 May 2008 10:09:00 GMT

Arriving in Damascus two weeks ago, we were in time to see the last two evening performances of "Women in Arabic Music" headlined at the Azem Palace in the old city. We had already missed the Iraqi and Syrian evenings but were able to attend the Egyptian and Lebanese presentations during the next two nights as parts of tightly packed open-air crowds. Admission was free as the Syrian government sponsored the event. Conversations with Syrian folks in the audience revealed that, yes, they were surprised to discover that we were Americans since they haven't seen as many of us for the last few years, but that they were just as earnestly welcoming as ever. We were frequently reminded that people in this part of the world know better than to associate individual people with the governments which attempt to rule them. We were gratified to see that ongoing love for the ancient maqam music remained predominant with very little influence from modern European and American well-tempered scales. The Lebanese music has been perhaps the most Westernized. Damascus, like Aleppo and Baghdad, claims five thousand years of cultural and musical heritage wherein lyrics have been composed in Arabic, Aramaic, Hebrew, Turkmen, Persian, Armenian and Turkish tongues by mixtures of Assyrian, Armenian, Syrian, Shi'ite, Sunnite, Christian, Jewish, Arab, Kurdish, Turkish, Turkmen and Persian musicians. There are several hundreds of cultural, religious and ethnic groups which have been flocking to the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris and to other Fertile Crescent capitals for ages with a remarkable amount of peace and harmony. We spent an afternoon in Aleppo with a Syrian Jewish friend whom we had met on a previous trip. We met a Sabean Iraqi south of Damascus in Jarmana near Saida Zeinab where the vast majority of the two million exiled Iraqis in Syria are now living. Christian historians sometimes acknowledge Sabean wisdom as having underlain Essene teachings which helped shape those of Jesus. Jarmana was the same neighborhood in which we had sung with Palestinian refugee children in the fall of 2003. After a third evening in Damascus we rented a tiny little car and drove to Ma'alula and Jubadin where Aramaic is still the commonly spoken household language. Ma'alula is now becoming an important destination for Christians interested in hearing the language Jesus spoke. We spent the night in the Christian Convent of Saint Tekla, a female Saint who lived 1800 years ago. We were delighted to discover that the inhabitants of these two towns now take pride in their ancient language and are helping to be certain that it doesn't die out. Of course they are all bilingual in both Aramaic and Arabic. There are also Aramaic-speaking villages still in Iraq. Please encourage your friends who may be interested to add their email addresses to our list at: <a href="http://www.musicalmissions.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi">http://www.musicalmissions.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi</a> Or have them just send us an email requesting to be added to the list! Thanks and More Soon, Cameron Please reply to this email if you are so inclined. We love to hear from you! To support or read more about our 501c3 non-profit organization: www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org Cameron and Kristina: www.musicalmissions.com Publishing: www.gldesignpub.com

Musical Missions: Update From Syria

Wed, 28 May 2008 20:19:00 GMT

May 27, Damascus, Syria After traveling through the Southern, Western, Northern and Central parts of Syria it has become clear that all roads lead to Damascus. It is here that with the help of our new Project Director for Syria, Fadhil M Saleh, we have put together a financial structure for moving money donated in the USA into the hands of Iraqi refugee music teachers who can teach the ancient forms of music to young Iraqi refugee children living in exile here in Syria. Fadhil is himself an Iraqi refugee and a lover of the old Iraqi music styles. We have also met with employees of the United Nations Refugee Agency in Damascus and they have put us in contact with those who administer classroom spaces and other facilities which are needed. Thanks to donations which have already been received we have enough money to begin on a small scale. We are working to accomplish goals which are exact opposite of war. The more we work on setting up this project the more we realize what a perfect vehicle it is for Americans who have felt anguish about the war to give something back to Iraqi people. We are literally able to say, "We find your way of living beautiful, artful and worthy of admiration and support. We are concerned that the disruptions caused by the war have endangered the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia of which music is such a major part. This is a way in which we can make a difference by contributing to the musical education of your children." And of course this leads to employment for Iraqi musicians who were accustomed to being valued in highly respected musical institutes in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq before the current disintegration of social structures took place. And of course members of fundamentalist groups won't be involved because they don't see popular music as a legitimate part of their world. If they open their minds and want to be included then so much the better. Involving one's heart mind and soul with the ancient spirit of this music leads to the spiritual love affairs Sufi poets such as Rumi have written so eloquently about. Thanks and More Soon, Cameron Please reply to this email if you are so inclined. We love to hear from you! To support or read more about our 501c3 non-profit organization: www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org Cameron and Kristina: www.musicalmissions.com Publishing: www.gldesignpub.com

Cameron and Kristina: Update from Syria

Wed, 21 May 2008 19:47:00 GMT

May 21, Lattakia, Syria An Iraqi refugee whom we have met on the Mediterranean coast here in Syria has offered to meet us back in Damascus later in the week to help carry our project to the attention of the Damascus-based Institute for the Study of High Musical Arts. One of Syria's most prominent Arab music historians and his son have also offered to help publicize our project. Tomorrow we leave for Aleppo to solicit the help one of Syria's most prolific instrument makers. Little by little we are putting the pieces of this project together. Setting up US-funded music schools in both Syria and Jordan to help preserve the most elaborate old music styles of Iraq is the goal. Thanks to those of you who have begun to make tax-deductable contributions through our 501c3 nonprofit organization www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org. Especially we thank those of you who are choosing to become ongoing subscribers so that a steady source of funding can materialize. Tonight we were invited to perform in a local restaurant here in Lattakia which was of course a great pleasure. We offered favorite pieces of music from Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria to an appreciative audience who honored us by singing along, especially when we performed the Syrian music. For those of you who have not studied the mission statement on the home page of our Non-Profit Organization's website, here it is: Vision: Musical Missions of Peace champions a non-violent way to peace worldwide through the power of music. We believe: 1) People who have learned and sung each others' popular love songs together are less likely to war with one another than those who have not. 2) Music fosters sincere, heart-to-heart communication which goes beyond treaties or political agreements. 3) Musicians make ideal international diplomats and ambassadors because they know how to work together in unifying and intuitive ways. 4) International cross-cultural sharing of popular songs easily dissolves fear-based perceptions. 5) Musical sharing promotes a healthy spiritual life, replaces materialistic orientations and is available to all, including children. 6) Musical proficiency opens the door to creating deep and trustworthy friendships across language and cultural boundaries and can heal the wounds of war. Thanks and More Soon, Cameron Please reply to this email if you are so inclined. We love to hear from you! non-profit organization: www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org cameron and kristina: www.musicalmissions.com publishing: www.gldesignpub.com

Iraqi Refugee Musicians Agree To Work With Us In Jordan

Thu, 15 May 2008 09:13:00 GMT

Today we met with Iraqi refugee musicians here in Amman, Jordan who can work with us to begin teaching younger Iraqis the precious old lyrical maqam music and help preserve a deep and vital aspect of currently endangered Iraqi culture. What is the precious old maqam music of Iraq? These songs contain spiritual wisdom handed down from the days of the Silk Road. The full ranges of ancient subtle microtonal musical scales are used and extreme fine tuning of the senses is required. We are talking about a container for the ancient Mesopotamian way of life which dates from the times when the Fertile Crescent was making some of the greatest contributions to civilization ever known. A friend who runs a local music store has offered to allow the lessons to take place in his store until we raise enough money to rent a dedicated location in which these teachings can take place. Also remember: this provides desparately needed employment for these refugees. Tomorrow we go up to Damascus to initiate an identical project there in Syria which has been the most welcoming country to these now homeless Iraqis. If they cannot yet return to their homes in Iraq we can at least provide this way for them to preserve their ancient spirit. This pathway through Musical Missions of Peace is a direct connection through living Iraqi musicians who are eager to pass their traditions to their children. Musicians can be seen as the most trustworthy souls to carry out this mission. They are neither politicians nor military men nor even ambitious in business. When they chose the musical path, they chose the path of the heart and of the poet. Now is the time. Please forward this message far and wide so that the American people can help preserve something precious in the midst of otherwise widespread disruption and destruction. Encourage your friends to join our email list so that they can be kept up to date. To make a donation, or better yet, to become a subscriber, or regular donor to Musical Missions of Peace, go to: <a href="http://www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org">http://www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org</a> and scroll down to the Donate button and use your credit card. We must have help to carry out this project. Or send a check to: Musical Missions of Peace, 2090 Grape Ave, Boulder, CO 80304. Your donations to this non-profit corporation are tax-deductable. Remember that the governments have spent hundreds of billions on the destructive process and shown very little ability to fix the things they have broken. In my opinion it is up to us, the people, to actually make progress in this direction. Thanks and More Soon, Cameron

Cameron and Kristina Arrive in Jordan

Sun, 11 May 2008 23:26:00 GMT

Cameron Writes: We spent last night surrounded by 30 Iraqi refugees singing the "old music" for us: this gathering had been organized to honor our return. Our host works diligently with his violin to magnetize us all into the unified field of the music. Tonight is not a night for discussion. Underlying all the singing voices are the instruments: two ouds, two drums, a violin and a nay (flute) and as the night grew later more people were drawn to dance. Two of the women present are accomplished singers and their leads are given appreciative space. One of these women is also a fine percussionist. After midnight the most revered Iraqi maqam singer began to weave the poetic lines of his "mawals," or arrhythmic incantations, which truly give voice to the old spiritual wisdoms of Iraq. "Sama'i!" "Listen carefully!" is repeated to encourage absolute focus on the poetry and the musical scales. As I look at the faces around me, all men and women who are now exiled from their homeland, I can see the different mixes of hardships and suffering. And I see the childlike joy with which the music emerges from their souls. We have begun dialogue with the owner of a music shop regarding our Musical Mission of Peace designed to offer support to Iraqi refugees here in Jordan by financially encouraging their children's musical education. We will soon make a loop through Syria where an even larger number of Iraqi refugees are currently in residence. It is said that at least two million Iraqis have fled to Jordan and Syria to escape the disorder and violence in their homeland. But neither Jordan nor Syria has the infrastructure to offer employment to so many. That is why we are here. We will do what we can, in our own musical way, to provide a pipeline of financial support from sympathetic Americans. Kristina Writes: May 9, 08 Day one As I walked down the street today in Amman, Jordan, tears came to my eyes. I felt like I had come home. This feels like home to me not because the sights are familiar or particularly beautiful. The buildings are mostly grey concrete colors. The streets are dirty. Many people smoke and I dislike the smell of tobacco inside the shops. It's just that there is something else in the air that feels more powerful than the smoke. So how do I explain to you what it is? Maybe security is a part of it. If I should fall down everyone around me would come to my rescue. If I should get lost someone would personally guide me back to my hotel. No one is trying to steal my purse. Every shopkeeper and almost every other person I meet on the street is saying a sincere "Welcome" or "Hi." Maybe it is that there is less fear. I have very little fear here. My heart is so open, because every other heart it meets is so open to me. I guess another word might be "relief." I don't have to be an island. Women in the lobby of the hotel, whom I have never met before, motion for me to sit down next to them. I am welcomed. I don't have to be alone. Relief to know you're surrounded by loving beings. Isn't that what home is? I've heard that there is no word in Arabic for "alone", the closest word means "lonely". I wonder why I, an American, need "retreat time" or "personal space" or "time to collect my thoughts" or "time to regroup" or just time to shut out the world and rest? For an Arab, time alone is just "lonely." Do we Americans tend to stress each other out? Why do we need a break from each other? Here they just like to sit close to each other and feel the connection. The air is filled with the currents of acceptance, less judgment, more connection. Like Fayez the hotel owner here says, "Arabs are your friend immediately." You don't have to "earn their trust." It's just so much easier this way. www.musicalmissionsofpeace.org www.musicalmissions.com If you find yourself receiving duplicate messages from both the Congregation List and either the Worldwide List or the Colorado List you may unsubscribe from one of them.