The Ostrich Feather Pillow of Saudi Arabia 
The Middle East and the world are living an extremely worrying and disturbing moment, yet it seems the international community is either unable or unwilling to try to put a stop to the carnage. We Arabs continue to increase the pressure in attempting to bring the world to its senses, but perhaps we too need to rethink our approach, for it has not been very effective these past months. I chose to take a little time off, laying my head on the ostrich feather pillow of rest and reflection to find some answers.
Until quite recently, ostriches were an important resident of the vast Arabian Peninsula, despite its lack of water and vegetation. The world’s largest bird shared the desert with many other animals, including the camel, one of the world’s largest mammals, which remains present here today. This wide, empty desert is fundamental to who we are as Saudi Arabians because we all feel the power of this empty space, the loneliness but also the magnetism it holds.
One must see the desert to feel its power. There is no better place for a human being to remove all unnecessary thoughts, as the empty space invites one to reflect on what truly matters. And, at the same time, the gentleness and pliability of the ostrich feather can help us find our way in this space that is half dream, half wakeful.
I evoke the desert of Saudi Arabia because I want more people to understand the character and authenticity of our people. Awareness of empty space is not essential only to the character of the desert Bedouin but to all Saudi Arabians.
The gentleness and pliability of the ostrich feather can help us find our way in this space that is half dream, half wakeful.
When we see a lush forest or the opulence of the art hanging in the Louvre, we are able to appreciate it all the more because it is counterbalanced in our minds by the emptiness that is also a part of the beauty of our world and the universe.
The greeting we Arabs give to each other is well known, but not necessarily well understood. Many people are familiar with the greeting that is often translated as “Peace be upon you,” but the full greeting “As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatu Allahi wa Barakatuh” means “May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be with you.” If we stop to think for a moment, it is really quite different from other common greetings around the world, different from “hi,” different from “bonjour,” different from “guten tag.” It is a sincere wish of peace, mercy and blessings to the person we meet, in every sense. It is like the ostrich feather of the mind.
As the United Nations General Assembly readies to meet in New York in less than two weeks, I want to bring this Arabian spirit to an institution that has been extremely disunited while witnessing death and destruction, through recent conflicts but also through our war on the environment. We need to come together and understand why this is happening and how we can escape this deathly trap.
In an age where we can modify crops to produce more, create babies in test tubes, find distant planets and learn the history of the universe, let us finally look at the desert and reflect on how we can improve humankind by ending these disputes and developing more empathy. We must seek the ostrich feather of coexistence and wish peace upon every being on this earth.
We are all tired, the world is tired, but the invitation of the desert and the gentleness of the ostrich feather can allow us to remember what is truly important and how we can be useful and learn empathy for all. This is the basis of peace, and I believe the landscape of my country holds some important pointers to inspire and achieve it.
• Hassan bin Youssef Yassin worked closely with Saudi Arabia’s petroleum ministers Abdullah Tariki and Ahmed Zaki Yamani from 1959-1967. He led the Saudi Information Office in Washington from 1972-1981 and served with the Arab League’s observer delegation to the UN from 1981-1983.
