Integration and Identity

Archbishop Gorien of the Armenian Kuwait community (in purple sleeves)

Two enduring images stick in my mind from last week. One was from an event organized by the British Council celebrating its 75th anniversary. In this event Dominic Miller, a renowned guitarist from the West was improvising music opposite the talented Kuwaiti Oud player, Fawzi Al Lingawi. Against a progressive sequence of 6th chords inspired by Chopin played on a classical guitar, the Oud weaved a haunting and magical melody. The unlikely juxtaposition of Western music with Arab music led to a completely unexpected result. It sounded fabulous. Guitar and Oud merged together in an emotional and intense celebration of their different timbres and scales. It worked so well that it bought tears to the eyes of the audience.

Despite the different musical traditions and experiences of the performers, they were able to integrate their styles together while at the same time maintaining their distinctive identities. The second event was a colourful and riotous celebration by Armenian students. Hosted by the Armenian Archbishop, Dr Gorian Babian, the evening unveiled an exuberant program of cultural dancing and music. Over forty students performed dances not only from their own rich and ancient culture but also from the other traditions embracing jazz, rock n roll and ball room dancing. Songs were sung in English, Greek, French, and Armenian. Celebration speeches were in Arabic, English and Armenian. In short, the Armenian community impressively demonstrated their ability to integrate into other cultures while at the same time remaining rooted in their own distinctive culture and faith.

Integration and identity are core skills required for our world today. The failure to integrate results in marginalisation and suspicion . The failure to be rooted in a distinctive identity leads to fear and insecurity. The Armenian community knows this and they have invested deliberately in institutions which maintain and reinforce their identity. Yet at the same time they have integrated into their host country so effectively that at times they seem invisible - so good are they at learning the languages and functioning in a culture not their own. They are confident, secure and successful and everyone benefits. It is troubling therefore to read of election candidates who are threatened by other cultures and faiths and would seek to suppress them. As Kuwait heads into the elections, I pray that God will raise leaders who will continue the rich and long tradition of a country where diverse cultures and faiths not only meet and co-exist but are also celebrated.