Speaker for January 28 – Husam Hishmeh
Last December, Husam had the opportunity to visit Cuba along with 20 other individuals from across the US with Bill Hendricks, a teacher at Ventura College. Mr. Hendricks under the disguise of a religious and photography tour is able each year to take a few select individuals to the communist island annually. You may recall that Bob and Wendy Pazen visited over a year ago as well. In less than a one hour flight from Miami, Husam arrived in Cuba to a virtual time warp into the 1950’s, where the population still drive vehicles from the 1950’s from when Fidel took office.
Most of the building’s architecture appear to belong in the streets of Italy or Spain not Cuba. Many older homes have been converted to hotels, in which the local Cuban’s welcome tourists and American’s alike into their homes for home cooked Cuban meals. The locals fluently speak English and have college educations that include extensive post graduate internships. Cubans appear to enjoy attending theatre’s, museums and local restaurants and bars for music. Arts are highly appreciated and thus artists are highly compensated. Artists in fact, are one of the highest compensated careers in Cuba. It is not uncommon for a Cuban to have multiple homes in the States.
Contrary to a typical communist political environment, the Cuban’s welcome many different religions into their culture such as the Catholic, Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths. In fact, Castro allows those of the Jewish faith a more substantial ration of chicken and fish given their dietary restrictions. Also of note is the large Mason population. There are over 65,000 Mason’s in Cuba.
Signs of communism are obviously still apparent, such as the governmental control over which television shows are aired, billboards that are only allowed to depict the “good” quality of life of living in Cuba, and the inability to own your own home. Husam said there is most definitely two economies in Cuba, that of the locals and that of the visitors. A particular good or service may cost 0.70 cents for a Cuban, but for a visitor the same good may cost $15.00, negotiating gets you no where. Most all goods and services are still bartered. Other signs of communism include the local neighborhood watches, that keep on record individual files that document what truths, lies and gossip you may have spoken. You might ask, in such a society how do you motivate yourself to strive for advancement and prosperity? Husam believes the Cuban’s are driven by love not money.
Though many people assume that Cuba is neither safe nor welcomes Americans, Husam discovered that is quite the contrary. Police were visible at every location and kept the beggars and not to mention prostitutes from bothering any tourists. There have been discussions for many years that speculates upon Fidel’s death, will Cuba and the US development an amicable relationship and further allow entry and exit into the country more freely?
Best Regards,
Nikki Sloan
