On May 27, Farah Pandith, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s special representative to Muslim communities, was part of a forum hosted by the Levantine Cultural Center on strengthening diplomatic ties between the United States and the Middle East.
Also participating were Alesia Weston, associate director of the Sundance Feature Film Lab, and Simon Mainwaring, a social media specialist at the event, which took place at the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles. The panelists discussed how movies, theater and literature, along with technology such as social networking sites and smartphone applications, can bridge the divide between the United States and the Middle East.
“Where does Hollywood play a role? Where does Bollywood play a role? Where do musicians play a role? Where do comedians play a role?” Pandith said, stressing the role of young people in connecting U.S. and Arab communities.
More than 45 percent of the world’s population is under 30, Pandith said, calling them the “Facebook generation.”
“Networking makes sense for this generation,” she said.
Mainwaring said social networking tools, like Facebook and Twitter, streamline information sharing, particularly for music, sports and business-related content — three universal interests that “transcend religious and cultural barriers.”
“Who here is on Facebook?” Mainwaring asked. Nearly everybody in the diverse crowd raised a hand.
Such sites increase global consciousness, Mainwaring said. Immediate images of the earthquake’s devastation in Haiti prompted financial donations. Social networking “awakens in us the innate empathy we have for each other,” he said.
Weston spoke of film’s role in creating a positive discourse between the United States and the Middle East. She outlined differences between indie productions such as “Paradise Now” and “Amreeka” — complex, politically minded films nurtured in the Sundance Lab — versus Hollywood blockbusters that cast Muslims in stereotypical roles.
Weston also criticized the cultural boycott of Israel, organized by pro-Palestinian groups, specifically performer Elvis Costello’s recent decision to cancel a concert in Israel.
“You can’t boycott culture,” Weston said.
Documentary filmmaker Justin Mashouf, who was in the audience, believes art can be a tool for increasing social awareness. “We can understand each other through art,” Mashouf said in an interview following the event. “As artists, we’re looking at new ways of reaching people and talking about different problems.”
The forum resonated with a current national discussion. Earlier this month, President Obama unveiled details of his national security strategy, emphasizing diplomatic relations over militancy in the Middle East. The plan also echoes his speech in Cairo — which he delivered one year ago, on June 4, 2009 — in which he criticized the Bush’s administration’s national security strategy use of terms such as “Islamic radicalism” and “Islamic extremism.”
“The vast majority of Muslims don’t use Islam for violent activity,” Pandith said, underscoring Obama’s message.
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