I do not know anything better than intermingling with people to rid yourself of a grudge or dispel a misunderstanding or stereotype you may have about a certain country. I do not know anything better than tourism and traveling to understand cultural differences, and how other people think and view life. I do not know anything better than traveling the world to gain more experience and to evaluate one's ideas about others.
I strongly believe that Allah the Almighty made us peoples and tribes so that we may know one another, not kill or fight one another. When we delve into our real history, which has been distorted by myths and misconceptions, we find that Islam was spread by people who lived in the Arabian Peninsula and then emigrated to Egypt, Yemen, the Levant and North Africa.
Our battles focused on destroying armies not beliefs. They never forced people to embrace Islam; the sword cannot change the internal beliefs of a person. The living proof of this is how Islam was spread in Africa, the Malay Archipelago, Yemen, etc. No battles were fought nor were swords drawn to propagate Islam. We conquered Spain, Cyprus and the southern parts of France, and the Turks later controlled Eastern Europe for numerous centuries. We never forced people to become Muslim.
Traveling brings many benefits and gives one the chance to meet new people. When I went to the United States to study, I realized that the best way to refute the lies spread by the American media about Arabs and Muslims was to communicate directly with people. If you meet an American, you can dispel all the misconceptions he might have about Islam—misconceptions formed as a result of years of media lies.
One of the reasons I travel is to meet people I became friends with during my student days. I have friends in several countries. A quick Google search on tourism and friends from around the world brings up several results that show the benefits of traveling.
The truth is that traveling widens your cultural horizons and enriches your personal experience. Being frightened of travel can turn you into a narrow-minded person with a superiority complex who hates others. A globetrotter has a better understanding of the world, is open-minded and tolerates people of different cultural backgrounds.
I advise you to open up to the world and travel. You will feel like you are a universal citizen who transcends all racial, cultural and ethnic differences. A person who isolates himself from the world, who is stubborn and bigoted, will never convince others of his beliefs. Never lie to yourself and assume that you possess a unique culture and tradition. Never believe anyone who tells you that our peaceful religion was spread by the sword.
Your good character can destroy lies that have been told for years. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Treat people with good manners.” Take note that he said “people,” which means everyone, not only the people of your tribe. Trust me when I say that whoever has not left his country has misconceptions about others.
