Who Are We? What Are We?: An Educational and Identity Crisis

(From left) Alexander-Smith Academy seniors Abdullah Dowaihy, Mika Kol, Rebecca Stetzer and Joe Schwartzberg enjoying Western Day.

Today, we live in the 21st century, which is centuries away from the Middle Ages and the Stone Age. Why am I making this rather obvious point? Well, because everyone both young and old are living under the illusion that they are something instead of someone. For instance, I am a Saudi Muslim and for some people this is it; that is my whole biography from A to Z. That is wrong because being obsessed with your nationality, religion or ethnicity could drive one to insanity as these notions are actually backwards and could cause one to feel the need to revive a corrupt fundamentalist ideology that will likely spread around, infecting young minds. Therefore, we need an overhaul of the education systems and the platforms that appeal to and affect young minds. 

We ask ourselves two questions in life: Who are we? And what are we? People tell you that you are just an American, just a black man or just a Jew. I asked myself that question a lot of times throughout my life because growing up in Saudi Arabia, I was told that I am just a Saudi Muslim and we did not have critical thinking. As my mom once said, “Son, in this life, you wear a mask because that is how we live.”

As a result, I started living inside my own head by creating an imaginary world where I can create my own preferred environment and societal norms, which allowed me to further and properly develop my own character and become more dynamic in the process, eventually causing me to become a cocktail of personalities and characteristics that would prove beneficial later in my life. Afterwards, I came to America and I took off my mask, but I saw nothing. I discovered that I might have successfully lied to myself all my life. I used to isolate myself from everyone, observing the American students wishing I could live in an open and free society without playing what famous Muslim politician Maajid Nawaz calls the “not Muslim enough” game.

Abdullah Dowaihy working diligently to produce the perfect essay. 

However, I was given the education I always needed when I joined ASA; I finally not only discovered who I am, but all the people I can be in the future. I met students and teachers such as Ms. Demmer, my English teacher freshman and junior year, who helped me open my mind to explore new ideas and take the time to reflect on myself. When she taught me about authenticity and how people are sometimes authentic and inauthentic, I realized that I hadn’t really developed myself at all. In other words, it is very imperative for all schools and teachers to teach today’s youth to reflect on themselves personally and emotionally as it would help them in developing multiple characteristics rather than telling them what they are subjectively. 

Therefore, if we are going to solve this daunting issue, we have to understand two things beforehand. First and foremost, we must acknowledge that there is a problem without feeling guilty or sad because the moment of realization is always painful, as it is the moment you come to grips with the fact that you have been wrong all the time, which is absolutely fine because everyone is susceptible to errors and mistakes. Second, we are all human beings no matter what we identify as religiously, ethnically or nationally. Afterwards, we should remember that there are bigger problems in life than not being American enough or not being Muslim enough, such as finding a cure for diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Also, we have problems hurting the economy, such as poverty and starvation, which is causing a spike in mortality rates in the world. Most importantly, we have a lack of education, which is the main reason why I am writing this topic, because people should pay attention to what is really plaguing us today instead of living under false and damaging illusions.