Rand Tayih

If we say that culture is something you have, then I am 100% foreign, because I came here with a different culture. But if we say that culture is something we do, then I am zero percent foreign. I come from a Christian Iraqi family, and I have lived most of my life in Denmark. This means that I am often placed in some little boxes where I do not fit in, because I am neither a typical Iraqi nor a typical Danish-Iraqi. It can be rather frustrating at times, but it does give me the opportunity to define myself.

The cross around my neck symbolises God, but not a Christian God as such, because I don’t believe in religion. In most places God is described as someone who gives people the right to use animals as they please, which is something I am beginning to question. Why should God not have empathy with animals, I ask myself? I feel guilty when I eat meat, and I seriously consider dropping it totally.
Also I don’t necessarily believe in hell as described in the Bible, because if people are generous enough to forgive, then I don’t believe that there is someone out there larger than man who would be so small-minded and not being able to do the same. I would like to be better at showing my gratitude to the people around me. I even find it hard to say thank you to someone standing right beside me, or indeed ask this person for help. But if it is God I want to thank, I can do it. I believe that is one of the reasons why faith is so important to me.

23 years / female / single / studies intercultural pedagogy / Glostrup/ from Iraq / came to Denmark in 2000 / residence permit same year