At a time when Jews and Muslims are bickering about borders and violence is escalating in the Middle East, Matan Chorev, Karim Bin-Humam, and Kiyan Foroughi are not the most likely set of friends; Chorev is a native of Israel, Bin-Hummam is half-Austrian, half-Yemeni, and Foroughi is Iranian.
But soon after the World Trade Center toppled and part of the Pentagon burst into flames, Chorev looked at his friends and asked, "Why can't our governments get along as well as we can?"
That question sparked the creation of the Middle Eastern Students Association, a non-religious, non-political culture group. The student activities office gave the organization temporary recognition and the group will soon seek official recognition through Tufts Community Union Judiciary. Chorev and Bin-Humam will serve as the club's co-chairs, and Foroughi is its treasurer.
Building from their friendships, the three have attracted 15 other students, mostly of Middle Eastern origin, to their club. They hope to share cultures while trying to ignore the conflicts in their native countries.
"There are a lot of Arab cultures I don't know about," Bin-Humam said, "let alone the Israeli cultures."
The organization plans to introduce members to other cultures with foreign films and food. The founders also want to organize community service projects on campus and in the surrounding areas.
"We are trying to learn from one another's cultures and show that people from different cultures - even opposing ones - can work together," Chorev said.
While they do not plan to address politics, the founders' opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict differ widely. Chorev, citing Palestinian violence, does not favor ceding partial control of Jerusalem to the Palestinians - at least for the time being. Bin-Humam wants the UN to take control of the city, which is presently claimed by Muslims, Jews, and Christians.
"You would expect the three of us to jump immediately into politics," Chorev said. "But never. We've never had the need to analyze the situation."
"The situation" is said to have played a role, at least indirectly, in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. With backgrounds so deeply tied to the attacks, the events had special significance for Chorev, Bin-Humam, and Foroughi.
The three freshmen, who live on the same hall in South, have become close friends since arriving at Tufts almost a month ago. "We were so curious about how well we all got along," Chorev said. "A couple of years ago, I could have never imagined hanging out with a guy from Yemen and a guy from Iran."
"None of us are to blame for the situation," Bin-Humam added. "There is no reason why we can't be good friends, regardless of what our opinion on the situation is." He is originally from Jordan, where many of his friends are descendants of Palestinian refugees.
Chorev, although Jewish, is not a member of Hillel or Friends of Israel, saying that he does not consider himself particularly religious.
"I wanted to approach things from this angle," he said. "I thought that this kind of club would be a lot more special to me."
"Everyone might have their opinion. It does not matter what your particular ideas are," he added. "We are not a forum or discussion group. We are a cultural club."
Chorev questioned the effectiveness of debates on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on campus, where emotions can run high. A group that brings together opposing cultures will ultimately achieve more, he said.
Although the organization does not seek to change the world, it does recognize the merits of bringing together youth from opposing cultures in an non-confrontational manner.
"This is a longer lasting solution," he said. "We are the next generation, the ones that will have to deal with any agreements."
There are skeptics, however, including the president of the Arab Students Association.
"I don't see it as necessary to have a Middle Eastern Society," said Sarah Yamani, who explained that many Middle Eastern countries are represented by the existing Arab society.
She also questioned the effectiveness of an apolitical cultural organization.
"You can't disregard politics when you are talking about culture because politics is a part of culture - especially in the Middle East," she said. "It's a big part of our society."
Bin Humam disagrees.
"Politics simply will never be an issue in our meetings," he said. "There's more than enough culture to go around, without going into the politics."
