It is refreshing to hear such a unique and optimistic story about the middle east in Jared Cohen’s Children of Jihad. Perhaps the very first aspect of the interviews that caught my attention is the picture on the cover of his book. After watching the interviews and listening to Jared Cohen, he reiterates the point that the youth throughout the middle east are simply trying to lead normal lives like any other youth around the world. The picture displayed on the front cover shows a handful of teenagers challenging each other for a soccerball in the air, while a tank looms in the backround. This serves as a perfect representation for the message Cohen is trying to portray in his book. The teens playing soccer (football) are simply trying to have fun amidst political turmoil, violence, and other issues hindering the ability to live lives like any other young person in the world. The element of sport is also an interesting contrast to the increasing use of technology by youths that Cohen describes in the interviews. The idea that youths are not only using the latest in technology to make their voices heard through the internet and enjoy things such as social networking as well as a large number of other priviliges the internet provides. At the same time, youths are using something as simple as sport to brighten their everyday lives.
Cohen’s book seems to have a powerful yet real story, and certainly will be on my summer reading list.