Today in English class, only one student (Nabilah) showed up initially. The other volunteer instructor is helping to edit a documentary directed by a professor of hers called “Arabs and Terrorism”, so the 3 of us watched the trailer for the film. The film is mostly interviews with Westerners and Arabs. The trailer showed people like Jeanne Kirkpatrick saying absurd and slightly racist things and people like Hamas leaders saying very reasonable things. So it seems to have some sort of an agenda, though I will have to see the actual film to be sure.

The interesting thing was to see Nabilah’s reaction to what some of the Americans were saying. One of those interviewed was the sheriff of LA county and he said something like “maybe there is a genetic reason that there are so many terrorists in Arab countries”. The other volunteer and I laughed, but the look on Nabilah’s face was one of disbelief. She looked utterly crushed. I thought she was going to cry. I thought I was going to cry.