Sandstone

In 2012, Bana and her family bought round trip tickets to the United States, planning to return to Syria once the war ended. But things didn’t get better, and they didn’t go home. With time, they made a new home in West Virginia, opening a restaurant called Beity, the Arabic word for “my home.” I had the pleasure to work at Beity with Bana and her husband. Every shift I would come in smiling and go out smiling. If you’ve ever worked in a service job, you know that’s rare. Meet Bana, hear her story, and enjoy the last full episode of Sandstone!

When I first began my explorations in the Arab world, I was a dedicated Spy Cluber with big dreams and closed mind. I was searching for good and bad. East and West. Right and wrong. And I looked. I looked hard. But I just found people … and stories. And the deeper I went, the more uncertain I was. In this final mini episode, I share some of the feels that I’ve felt throughout this journey - how I’ve changed and what I’ve learned. Tune in and hear the behind the scenes of Sandstone!

Air strikes. Denied permits. Restricted freedoms. This is Gaza. Gaza is a Palestinian territory occupied by the state of Israel. In Episode 10, we’ll meet a Palestinian family from Gaza who will tell us what life is really like on the ground.

It’s said that this land is holy; it’s said that this land is home. Yet both Israelis and Palestinians claim this land and they both call it home. Nearly a century since the establishment of the state of Israel, hostilities and injustice remain. So what’s up with the Holy Land? Tune in and find out!

Poverty in Appalachia. Protests in the Middle East. In both regions, conflict and struggle have been defined as cultural problems, self-inflicted and incurable. But are we in Appalachia just behind the times? And is the Middle East inherently prone to conflict? The answers are more complicated than we might think. And when we attempt to explain the headlines of today, history might be worth considering.

Ted is Syrian, a refugee from a war torn country. But that’s just one of his stories, and it’s not the story you’ll hear today. Ted might be a refugee, but he’s an engineer, too. He’s a musician, an Uber Driver, and a Wendy’s Manager. He’s a friend and a fellow mountaineer. Tune in to meet the man named Solidarity!

Stay alert. Lock the doors. Keep your eyes peeled, your phone on, and text me when you get home. Safety is important, but what happens when precaution is informed by prejudice? And when that prejudice is determined by color or culture? In Episode 6 of Sandstone, we'll hear real stories and real talk about prejudice and how it affects the world around us. Tune in!

Mohammed was devoutly Muslim. Emma was devoutly Christian. Yet after years of devotion to their respective religions, they are both confronted with doubts and questions. Ultimately, they must choose to either make-up or break-up with the religions that they knew to be true. Tune in to hear the full story!

In Episode 4 of Sandstone, we'll hear the story of Kip, a young Alabamian who converted to Islam and eventually became the religious leader of a Muslim community in West Virginia.

"Brother from Another Mother" is the first of a three part series on Islam, featuring three individuals and their distinct religious experiences. In this episode, Pastor Joseph Cumming joins us from Yale University to share his experience in the Muslim world and answer some of our questions about Islam. Why are we talking with an Evangelical Christian about Islam? Great question! Evangelical Christianity remains a prominent feature in the cultural fabric of Appalachia. So before we begin to understand Islam, we'll first reflect on our own religious identity. Islam and Christianity are brothers, and if we look closely, we might just find some brotherly resemblance. Music by: Bama Country Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ZigZag Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Windswept Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Thinking Music Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Unanswered Questions Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In Episode 2 of Sandstone, we meet Kafa, a Yemeni woman who spent a year studying abroad in West Virginia. During her time in West Virginia, she befriended a West Virginia gentleman, Andrew. But by the time Kafa and Andrew realized that they were falling for each other, it was too late. Kafa had already gone back to Yemen. Confronted with war, a travel ban, and an arranged marriage, will their love triumph? Listen to find out!

In this first episode of Sandstone, I'll give you a sneak peek into my West Virginia upbringing - a childhood guided by the values of God, family, and country. This patriotic trinity, however, was in danger. Across the ocean, men in turbans had waged war on my God, my family, and my country. And my middle-school self was determined to stop them. Inspired by an active imagination and a spoonful of spite, I resolved to join the FBI, take down Osama bin Laden, and save the world from evil. This plan was golden - until I met Kafa, a Yemeni woman and the kindest person I had ever met. As we sat pajama-clad in my bedroom and she tenderly decorated my hands with henna dye, my extravagant plan began to fall apart. Music: “Policy King” by Heftone Banjo Orchestra From the Free Music Archive CC BY SA "Parisian" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Fife and Drum" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ NotDrunk-mix-full-band-no-vocal by The Joy Drops From the Free Music Archive CC BY "Semi-Funk” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ “Travel Light” by Jason Shaw From the Free Music Archive CC BY “Words” by Jason Shaw From the Free Music Archive CC BY "River Meditation” by Jason Shaw From the Free Music Archive CC BY

Let’s face it, the Arab world doesn’t have the best rep in town. Then again, neither does Appalachia. Sandstone chronicles the story of West Virginian native Clara Haizlett as she explores the nuance of the Arab world and encounters humans who are surprisingly… human. Tune into Clara’s peculiar pursuit of understanding and meet the individuals that rocked her West Virginia world. Music: “Hoedown” by Jason Shaw From the Free Music Archive CC BY “Travel Light” by Jason Shaw From the Free Music Archive CC BY “Back to the Woods” by Jason Shaw From the Free Music Archive CC BY