“The key to effective cross-cultural communication is knowledge.”

(Cross-Cultural Communication Strategies, Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado, USA)

Despite of mankind’s longing for world peace and friendly international coexistence, the number of wars and violent conflicts does not seem to decrease even during times of modernization and development. In order to stop the fighting we must learn to understand the lives and fears of others. Unfortunately, trying to understand people from different cultures and backgrounds is more difficult than we think. However, if we want to build a bridge of understanding between cultures through inter-cultural communication we must go beyond our passion for foreign cuisines. I wish to contribute to building such a bridge with my texts from a perspective of a European convert to Islam living in the Middle East.