"We are so small between the stars"

We arrived back in Cairo after a month of travelling, and studying, and listening, and playing. Much heard, much seen, much to be done.

Since we work on an off the record rule, I can't use many names of those we spoke to and those who spoke to us, but here are a few words from the journey:

Turkey: "Trust me, I do realize that defending Islam today is like defending Christianity in the Middle Ages" - Muslim Turkish journalist

Syria: "You'd never see this in Egypt - it would never be allowed" - an Egyptian Christian in Damascus, commenting on the parades of Christians (marching bands and all) crowding the streets on Palm Sunday

Jordan: "If [the late] King Hussein [of Jordan] ran for Prime Minister of Israel, he would win" - Israeli government spokesperson

Israel-Palestine: "[Hezbollah leader] Hassan Nasrallah said to [Christian missionary] Brother Andrew: 'You have a problem: your people don't do according to your book. We [Muslims] have a problem too: we don't do according to our book either'" - as quoted by a Dutch NGO worker

And from the eminently quotable (and not off the record) Melkite Archbishop Elias Chacour (a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship):

• "I refuse to use religious arguments to justify political/national existence"
• "You want me to give you an easy spiritual answer? That I put my hope in God? Or do you want the truth? I put my hope in you - that's where I see God"
• "Land does not belong to people - people must learn how to belong to the land"
• "Sometimes I think that George Herbert Walker climbed so high into a tree, he forgot he was only a Bush"

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Three weeks until I meet "little" sister Rianne in Jerusalem. Right now, she's following my tracks through Turkey, Syria, and Jordan.