My Story

Hey everyone!


It's crazy how time flies -- I still remember deciding to choose our two topics last year and tirelessly writing the topic synopsis over the summer with Dhruv, but now I will be meeting you all in just 3 DAYS to witness how you guys make my topics come to life through proper debate and fruitful discussion.

Before conference this weekend, I thought it would be interesting to share more about why I decided to choose these two topics for OIC, and hopefully this will provide you insight on politics in the Middle Eastern from a more personable level.

Topic #1: Empowerment of Muslim Women

  • As you all may know, a portion of my topic synopsis is dedicated to the Women2Drive Movement in Saudi Arabia, which was sparked by Manal Al Sharif. I chose to focus on Saudi Arabia's lack of Arab women rights not only because of its strict application of sharia law throughout the country, but also because of my own experience with this issue. Two summers ago, I interned at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations in Washington D.C -- during this experience, I had the chance to meet Manal Al-Sharif herself, and hearing about her story truly changed the way I perceive women's rights in the Middle East. 


  •  The above photo is of me and Manal Al Sharif herself! Even though I was not allowed to, I snuck backstage at that panel event just to get this selfie with Manal Al-Sharif, and I will remember this moment for the rest of my life! Since then, I have conducted extensive research on Arab women rights' in the Middle East and have been fascinated by the occurences in Saudi Arabia.
  • In Manal Al-Sharif's novel, "Daring to Drive: A Saudi Women's Awakening," she opens her story focusing on the time that she posted a Youtube video of herself driving (since she has an American driver's license). Hours later, the video went viral across the world, and Manal Al-Sharif was immediately arrested for breaking Saudi law. My admiration and respect for Manal Al-Sharif derives from her courage to break social norms and serve as a symbol to improve Arab women rights.


Topic #2: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
  • When I was a freshman in high school, my family decided to visit Temple Mount in Israel. Many of the religious sites in Israel have strict clothing regulations--everyone is required to respectfully cover their bodies. On the other hand, my grandfather rebelliously decided to wear a tank-top and short shorts. My feelings of mild embarrassment quickly turned into fear when security guards descended upon my grandpa, speaking rapid-fire Arabic in a heated tone and pointing at his scandalous shorts. Several women from our tour bus rushed to my grandfather's aid, speaking a fervid combination of English and Mandarin. It was chaos. The cultural miscommunication between the Chinese tourists and Arab guards escalated quickly. In my panic, I shouted out in Arabic to apologize for my grandpa's attire. Suddenly, all eyes were on me. In Arabic, I slowly explained the situation, hoping that a courteous conversation would prevent further complications. The guards actually laughed as I promised to buy my grandpa a new pair of shorts to wear. Mainly, they were intrigued by my ability to speak so many languages. By witnessing how quickly the situation turned from chaos to understanding, I realized how easily a dispute could be resolved through empathy and the right kind of communication between to diverse, yet comparable cultures.
  • My experience in Israel is the reason why I became interested in Temple Mount and sacred spaces. In my topic synopsis, I cover the notion of "indivisibility," which has caused severe religious tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. This is because both parties hold significant claims over the Dome of the Rock inside the Temple Mount, but the Dome of the Rock cannot be shared.
  • Fun Fact! My story above eventually turned into my personal essay for college applications, and I am quite confident that it got me into Berkeley! You never know when an exciting adventure can truly change your life!

That is it for today! I hope these two stories allowed you guys to get to know me a little better, and perhaps understand our topics for conference better as well. I am truly excited and honored to meet you all in just a few days -- in the meantime, stay well-rested and get ready for some fun this weekend!

All the best,
-Swang

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