“The Israel-Palestinian conflict really has no simple solution. Like, the West Bank kinda belongs to both Jews and Muslims,” Stacey Roberts of Burlington, Minnesota tells her Syrian hairstylist. And Stacey knows all about the Middle East – she just got back from Dubai.
In July, Stacey and her BFF, Stacy, decided to visit Dubai after seeing it on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” Their trip took them to the exotic Hilton Hotel where they dined on local cuisine at Wolfgang Puck’s “CUT” restaurant. After taking an elevator to the top of the Burj Khalifa and riding a waterslide through an aquarium, Stacey returned to the U.S. with a newfound understanding of Middle Eastern culture and conflicts. Stacey, who according to Instagram went indoor skydiving and took a photo with a camel, says she now understands why it’s so difficult to install stable leaders in toppled Middle Eastern theocracies.
Reflecting on her view from the Burj Khalifa, Stacey said, “I could see out past the city to the desert, and I couldn’t help but think, the terrorists are hiding out there somewhere.” But after donning an authentic hijab (or was it a burqa? Stacey always gets them confused), to tour the Grand Mosque for $45, Stacey came to appreciate the religion of Islam and the art it inspires. Art like the Aladdin’s lamp keychain she bought at the gift shop.
Upon returning to Minnesota, she shared her new insights with her sorority sisters over brunch. “Islam is a very complex and beautiful religion,” Stacey explains. “Most of them are peaceful, but some are extremists. There are bad Muslims, like those Taliban guys that attacked us, but then there are good Muslims, like those Taliban guys that helped us.” She then shocked her friends by revealing that “Most of those dudes you see with turbans are actually Sikh.”
