internationalcalamitymiddleeast:
The link above will take you to the web page of Ashley Miller, a fellow blogger and student at American University, who is posting from the 2011 Episcopal Leadership Institute for Young Adults in conjunction with the Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) conference.
In order to begin to understand the Middle East, it is essential to know about the various religions which coexist, intermingle, and vie for influence and simple survival in the region. Islam, Christianity, and Judaism have their own competing sects, so there is tension not only between religions, but also within religions.
Americans have a long history of religious outreach to Middle Eastern peoples through their churches. I encourage readers to take a look at her blog because she is insightful and will be sharing her thoughts from this conference. Follow Ashley and feel free to post your thoughts, feelings, and reactions to her observations either here or on her web page!