Welcome to Middle East Harmony

Our reporting goals, orientations, and why it is not called Middle East Peace.

Welcome to Middle East Harmony

Thank you for your visit to this Substack page. Middle East Harmony is dedicated to two goals:

First, to increase understanding about a highly contested region.

Second, to increase understanding among its richly diverse people.

As everywhere in the world, the Middle East suffers from bad actors. But very often the issues that separate one from another are open to multiple approaches. A principle that honorably motivates in one direction may find an opposite principle informing equally honorable convictions.

Notice this project is not entitled Middle East Peace.

This region, as elsewhere, is frequently subject to a concept of peace that imposes stability. Strongmen sell one version, internationalism another. Underneath the rhetoric, global and regional powers jostle to expand their influence. Politicians rally supporters through existential fear of others. Religions divide as they compete over souls, if not simply a slice of the pie.

Peace papers over historic injustices. Peace shuffles the deck of winners and losers. Peace pretends it serves everyone while cementing those in power.

This project does not have suggestions for what to do about the bad actors. Such strategizing returns to the question of competing principles. Rarely is the right path absolutely clear. Middle East Harmony does not intend to be political—in the sense of favoring one party or policy over another. But reporting must reflect reality, and much indeed in the region is wrong.

Even so, the effort to identify bad actors overlooks that we all are—to varying degrees. And sometimes even these individuals can be honored in part. Like them, we pursue our self-interest and that of our group, while clothing ourselves in the language of righteousness. By nature, we—and most others—see ourselves as the good guys.

We are not incorrect. We are just incomplete. Our vision can never encompass the whole. We do not need a forced uniformity. We need harmony.

Harmony looks for the good in others. Harmony preserves relationships through disagreement. Harmony may be forced to fight, but it will fight fairly. And when harmony prevails, peace may come.

The best way to start is to listen. This project will tell stories and share perspectives from the Middle East, so that its diversity of principled approaches can come through. They will not all be right. They cannot be. They will contradict. They will overlook issues. They will misrepresent others. They will be human.

But they can be good.

And thus, the foundation of Middle East Harmony: Seek peace and pursue it.

The phrase is taken from Psalm 34. This project aims to serve all readers regardless of background, believing there are many who desire the well-being of this region. Please join by subscribing. Consider encouraging through a paid subscription. Most posts will be free, so that Middle Eastern voices may be heard. I will put my analysis and reflection behind a paywall, should anyone wish to know what I think.

For those who do, and for the awareness of all, this project is evangelical in orientation. It welcomes contributors from any religion—or none—who share its spirit. But it finds within the Christian tradition the spiritual resources necessary to sustain harmony in times of war and division. It also esteems how similar resources are found in other faiths.

But I will follow Jesus. And others are invited to join me.

As a final word of welcome, take note of the unfortunate acronym: MEH.

We should not take ourselves too seriously. There is little difference anyone can make. This Substack was registered last Friday the 13th. This first post is shared on April 1.

It is a fool’s errand to imagine true peace in the Middle East anytime soon—as it is anywhere. Let us not be content with the incomplete versions offered by the powers that be. Many can be good enough, in their way. Others completely false. We live in a difficult world and idealism avails little.

But we can hope. Thank you for your visit.