Jennie Brooks, host of the Unstoppable Together podcast asked five members of Booz Allen's Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Network to join us on the Unstoppable Together Podcast. We asked each of them why this tribute month is important to them and what they wish their colleagues new about their MENA heritage. Learn some fascinating facts about the MENA region, luminaries, and history as we celebrate this relatively new tribute month together.
Jennie Brooks:
Welcome to Booz Allen Hamilton's Unstoppable Together podcast, a series of stories that unite us and empower each of us to change the world. I'm Jennie Brooks with Booz Allen Hamilton, and I'm passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Please join me in conversation with the diverse group of thought leaders to explore what makes them and all of us unstoppable.
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Unstoppable Together podcast. I'm your host, Jennie Brooks, and I'm grateful today to share the voices of five members of Booz Allen's Middle East and North Africa Network in celebration of MENA Heritage Month. MENA Heritage Month is a relatively new tribute month first officially recognized by the federal government in April of 2021. As we work to increase its awareness, we wanted to feature the stories and perspectives of some of Booz Allen's very own MENA Network members.
Booz Allen's Middle East and North African Network was established in 2008, and today in 2023, its goal is still to provide professional development, networking, and community engagement while cultivating an appreciation of the people and societies within this unique and complex region. We asked each of our network members two questions. First, "What does MENA Heritage Month mean to each of you?" And second, "What's something about your MENA heritage that you wish your colleagues knew?" They recorded their responses, and we're sharing them here with you today. In today's episode, you'll hear from Alex Jaja, Elif Esposito, Ben Beames, Sirine Khaled, Umida Hashimova.
Alex Jaja:
Hello, this is Alex Jaja. When I think about MENA Heritage Month, I go back to its origin. 20, 30 years ago, Arab American heritage was celebrated sporadically across the US. After 9/11, we started to hear the term Arab American used more frequently. And when MENA Heritage Month was officially recognized in 2021, it gave me a great sense of pride that the foreign population segment which I relate to has representation and is celebrated towards diversity and richness of culture. It means a lot to me that Arab Americans of all background and industry, whether they be entrepreneurs, politician, educators, and artists, are highlighted and showcased for the services they provide and the joy they bring.
Elif Esposito:
Hi, I'm Sadeet Elif Esposito. I go by Elif. I've been with Booz Allen Hamilton for eight months now. So, MENA Heritage Month is definitely special because of the recent recognition of diversity by the current administration. It certainly is a big step in the right direction. Especially being away from your country, you try to fit in and create a sense of belonging. So I joined the MENA Network around the same time that massive earthquake shook Southeastern Turkey and Northern Syria. At the time, I was looking to connect with others to share experiences and talk about what happened. I really needed that sense of community, that sense of belonging, and I can honestly say I have found that at the MENA community. I'm also particularly grateful for Booz Allen, not only for their recognition of such diversity, but also the entire firm provided so many different types of support mechanisms in addition to the CARES campaign after the devastating earthquakes in the region.
Ben Beames:
Hello. My name is Ben Beames, and the MENA Heritage Month is important because it offers a moment to reflect on the rich traditions and histories of a large and diverse geographic area. Most people in the world have been affected by the region's scientific, religious, and linguistic exports. For example, scientific contributions like algebra, astronomy, and as well as a wealth of knowledge shared via the Silk Road trade routes that facilitated breakthroughs in engineering, as well as material sciences, gunpowder and the like, which were shared with Europe and led to other advancements. The region is also the origin point of three of the world's largest religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. So recognizing our connection to the region and the region's extensive impact on the world is why we should all take the time to consider the MENA Heritage Month.
Sirine Khaled:
Hello, this is Sirine Khaled, a UX designer at Booz Allen. Born and raised in Lebanon, MENA Heritage Month means a variety of different things to me. It's a time to celebrate not just food, music, and culture, but give importance to ethnicity and the different backgrounds people come from. It also highlights the significance of continuing meaningful traditions that people still value.
Umida Hashimova:
Hi, this is Umida Hashimova, and what MENA Heritage Month means to me is time to celebrate our Arabic culture, history, and as well as raise awareness about the region itself. It's also time to recognize contribution of people who trace their heritage from that part of the world to different disciplines.
Alex Jaja:
Hello, this is Alex Jaja. Here are some things I'd like to share about MENA Heritage. First of all, how old and rich the MENA region is. If you look at the earliest traces of human civilization going back approximately 15,000 BC, in the region of the old Mesopotamia, that area actually is presently occupied by MENA countries such as Iraq, Kuwait and Syria. Also, the two oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, which are about six to 7,000 years old approximately, are located in Jericho, which is Palestine, Israel, and Byblos, Lebanon. So the area is very old and rich in traditions, obviously.
The cuisine is actually also very, very diverse. Each country has its own cuisine. And even a tiny country like Lebanon, which is smaller than DMV, has somehow found its cuisines scattered all over the world in major cities. There's also diversity in religious beliefs. These 20 plus countries are scattered across Africa and Asia, and the major religions are Christianity, Islam, and the Jewish religion along with other religions also. Something else that's interesting is what actually constitute MENA countries can be rather open to interpretation. Some people say it's 18 countries, some say 20, some say 22, and that goes about if you include countries such as Turkey, the Comoro Islands and et cetera.
Elif Esposito:
Hi, I'm Elif Esposito. So I'm from Turkey, born and raised. I've moved to US when I was 17 years old. I was on my own from that moment on, and you never really realize how different you are until you move to another country and you're surrounded by people from all sorts of different races, cultures, backgrounds.
Sirine Khaled:
This is Sirine Khaled. Something about my MENA heritage that I wish my colleagues knew is that the act of eating alongside friends and family is really important to our cultural identity. When we all sit down at the table together, we become unified through the meaningful conversation that we share with one another. Born and raised in Lebanon, sharing food is considered an act of generosity. We welcome everyone to join us regardless of their cultural background.
Umida Hashimova:
Hi, this is Umida Hashimova, and when I think about something that I wanted to tell my colleagues about my MENA heritage is the fact that Central Asia, where I was born and was raised, supplied a lot of influential scientists who are introduced as Arabs, and their Central Asian identity is missing. For example, Ibn Sina, he's also known as Avicenna in the Western world. His works were widely taught among medical students in Europe until 17th century. Al-Khwarizmi, he is said to be the founder of algebra, and his name is a origin for the word algorithm. Or Bukhari, al-Bukhari, he is somebody who wrote a book which is second most important book after Quran.
Ben Beames:
My name is Ben Beames. To pivot the second question, I wish more of my colleagues were aware of the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, which was during World War I, and it led to the MENA region that we see on maps today. The haphazard and arbitrary dissection of the MENA region by the British and the French caused significant turmoil, and in fact continues to fuel sectarianism and disagreement in the region. The way in which the map was drawn ignored local identities, religious affiliations, linguistic traditions, and political alignments. The responses to the Sykes-Picot Agreement in recent history have included powerful ideologies like Ba’athism in Iraq and Syria, and also Nasserism in Egypt. So the Sykes-Picot Agreement was a turning point in both MENA and global history, and because of that, it's very much worth knowing and learning the history to understand how it continues to impact the world today.
Jennie Brooks:
We hope you've enjoyed learning more about MENA Heritage Month and thank you again to our MENA Network members for sharing their stories. We look forward to connecting with you again on the next episode of Unstoppable Together.
Thanks for listening. Visit careers.boozallen.com to learn how you can be unstoppable with Booz Allen. Be the future. Work with us. The world can't wait.