When I told my cousin I was going to Jordan he was horrified. 'But that's in the Middle East' he said 'It's dangerous you'll get killed.'
I laughed and assured him that Jordan is one of the safest places on Earth.
‘But there are terrorists. A tourist was shot and a bomb went off at a wedding.’ I laughed again, pointed out that terrorists had struck in London recently, not to mention the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre, yet he had not expressed any concern when I went to New York. ‘That’s different,’ he argued ‘everybody knows the Middle East is a dangerous place.’
Unfortunately that attitude towards Middle East travel is typical of the uninformed response I get from so many people. And that’s how terrorism works. It makes people afraid, stops them from flying and traveling to foreign countries. And it makes them fearful of people who don’t look and sound like them, who dress differently and who have a different religion. Yet the truth is that not that many people actually lose their life as a result of terrorism.
In 2001 the terrorist attack in New York killed around 3000 people. In the very same year over 17,000 people were killed on American roads by drunk drivers.
I told my cousin that, statistically, he has a higher chance of getting run down crossing the road than he has of getting killed in a terrorist attack even if he does travel to the Middle East.
Having said that there are places in the Middle East I would not travel too or recommend at the moment. Afghanistan and Iraq are definitely best avoided and there are parts of Israel and Palestine that I would consider dodgy. But the Middle East is a vast area of many countries and there are lots of different places to visit, like Syria and Iran where, despite attempts by the Western media to demonize the people, you’ll find kind, hospitable and welcoming human beings who are interested in much the same things as you and I. Peace, their homes and families, having enough to eat and football.
The copyright of the article Middle East Tourism and Terrorism in Middle East Travel is owned by Hugh Taylor. Permission to republish Middle East Tourism and Terrorism in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Well said. I remember a similar response the first time I went to Belfast
and the rest of Northern Ireland. Cries of horror. Yet no tourist was ever
harmed in all the years of the Troubles. It was just as likely to happen on
the streets of London.
There are dangerous areas everywhere, but
most visitors go nowhere near them. Even the first time I went to Los
Angeles many years ago I was nervous, having seen all the movies and TV cop
shows. The friend I was visiting said 'sure, people get murdered every day
in LA, and almost all of them Downtown. So don't go Downtown.'
Dec 6, 2006 4:26 AM
Hugh Taylor :
Your experience in Ireland reminds me of my first trip there during the
troubles. I got in a taxi and told him I wanted him to drive me along the
Falls Road. Naturally he wanted to know why so I told him that I just
wanted to see for myself how bad things were. He laughed and told me that
nothing was ever as bad as the newspapers and TV made it out to be. And he
was right.
Dec 6, 2006 11:36 AM
Mari Nicholson :
Well said, Hugh. Jordan is one of the most peace-loving countries in the
Middle East with so few terrorist incidences that it can be considered
totally safe. When you look at what it is surrounded by you wonder how it
can survive. Tell everyone you know to go visit: they'll be surprised.
Dec 6, 2006 2:15 PM
Hugh Taylor :
I think they have survived through the pragmatism of King Hussein and King
Abdullah and because they are very nice people.
Aug 22, 2007 7:51 PM
ruby43 :
I recently traveled to Istanbul, Turkey for my 25th anniversary. My husband
is unfortunately working in Iraq, and this was the closest place for him to
get to at the time given what all he had to go through in order to get out
for vacation. On the other hand, Istanbul turned out to be a very nice
place. We did have to adhere to certain respects of some of the customs
there, but it was in no way a detriment to our visit. I carried a
scarf/shawl with me in case I had to cover my head in if I visited a mosque
during prayer time or some other situation. They do not have any pork
products in general there because of the religious beliefs and practices,
so don't go expecting to get your continental breakfast with bacon or ham.
I believe when we visit other countries that one of our goals should be to
try the local food anyway. I rather enjoy the more mediterranean style
there, but my husband being a true born and raised southerner had a little
more difficulty with it! We booked our flight and hotel seperatel through
different online sites to get a better price. We picked a hotel in the
historic district of Sultanhamet. It was a smaller hotel, sort of off the
beaten path not attached to any major chain such as Best Western or Hyatt
Regancy, simply because we wanted clean accomodations with service, but
nothing real expensive. We also waited until we got there to decide what
tours or attractions we wanted to see or do, so we saved money this way
too. The people were wonderful and gracious. They all came out in front of
their shops along the narrow streets in the morning and offered turkish
coffee to one another and to us. The other popular drink is apple tea.
There is a European influence in Istanbul, as well as Asian; the reason
being that it is a country with a European side, and an Asian side. It was
quite interesting learning about the history of the country. We not only
visited the typical Islam and Muslim culture which is predominant there,
but we also took a tour of a couple of churches there and learned much
about the history of the Christians, Ottoman and Sultans, as well as the
Muslims. We visited the Grand Bazaar full of color, culture, smells and all
that middle eastern culture embodies. I could go on and on. It was
definitely a trip that I would recommend.
Aug 25, 2007 3:55 AM
Hugh Taylor :
I'm glad you enjoyed Istanbul. It's one of my favourite cities too. I just
love the mixture of East and West. Next tiime try touring down the Aegean
Coast or head for the Bodrum Peninsula or along the Med iteranean Coast to
the small village of Kalkan.
Dec 5, 2006
