I started this blog in Morocco where the majority of the people are Muslim. It was my first experience being submerged in a culture dominated by Muslims, but it definitely wasn’t my last. For the most part this year, we have been in countries where Islam is the major religion. We’ve been to Morroco, Lebanon (mainly around people from Syria), Jordan, Greece (always around people from Afghanistan; sometimes other Middle Eastern countries), Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
What comes to mind when you hear the word Muslim?
Think about it for a minute……. Muslim.
If the things that came to your mind were negative, I hope to shatter that image of Muslims. Even if they weren’t negative, I’d like to share what I have learned while being in their culture. I’ve been the minority in their territory. Was that scary? Not really.
Culture and religion have a large impact on who a person is, and they seem to be closely knit together. Muslim is a religious term used to describe someone who practices Islam. In several of the countries we visited, Islam is taught throughout school.
Before I get into religion, I want to talk about how they are as people because they are people. These are generalizations across countries from how we have been treated in public and in homes. Most of my interactions have been with women.
They are friendly, helpful, kind, and extremely hospitable. Within minutes of meeting someone, we are usually invited into their home, or somewhere else, where they serve us. Most of the time tea/coffee is involved. They go out of their way to serve and make sure you feel at home. These actions are sometimes tied to their religion. Good deeds get you closer to paradise.
When out in public with them, they are very protective; making sure no one gets lost and helping us not get ripped off by taxi drivers who want to charge us more because we are Americans.
You can ask for just about anything, and they will go out of their way to help you. They seem to put you before themselves.
Though their culture is different, in talking to them, I’ve found out that we have something in common. We are people! We talk about family, marriage, babies, school, food, travel, hobbies and sports, music, books, friends, and God. There is a lot of common ground. They still feel emotions. They can be happy, sad, loving, hateful, fearful, angry, surprised, hurt, disgusted, shamed, bored, and all the things Americans feel. They have dreams and interests and goals. I don’t know why I was so astonished to find out how “normal” they are. I had this idea that Muslims were a group that… I don’t even know what I thought. I just know I see them in a different light after being with them.
As for their religion, Islam, some people are very devout and have read and know the Qur’an. Others are just Muslim because everyone else around them is so they say they are too – they’re cultural Muslims. Then there is everything in between. This really surprised me. I’m not sure why, but I expected all Muslims to know everything about their religion. In actually thinking about it, that is unrealistic. There are some Christians who truly have a heart for Jesus, and others who just say they are Christians without any evidence in their life. Then, of course, everything in between. I don’t know why I expected Muslims to be different.
They believe they worship the one true God, and they believe some true things about God that Christians also believe. They believe in heaven, hell, and judgement. But they believe god weighs your good verses bad. I’m not sure if grace exists in Islam.
Around the city, there are mosques. This is a place where Muslims go to pray and hear the Qur’an. From the mosque, you can hear what’s called the call of prayer five times a day. It’s like an intercom that echos through the whole city.
Muslims are supposed to pray at the certain times when they hear the call of prayer. They must wash their face and hands because they have to be clean for their prayers to be accepted. They also have a rug they pray on while facing a certain direction – the direction of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
They know Jesus as only a prophet, and they see Mohammed as the one who God spoke through in order to get the Qur’an.
If a Muslim choses to accept Jesus as their savior, their life can be at stake. They can be disowned, abused, or killed. It’s shameful for a Muslim to become a Christian which can lead to honor killings.
Muslims can have a reputation for being violent because of jihad, how media portrays them, and other stereotypes. Yes there are people who are violent and kill and who do things in the name of Islam, but those people are not an accurate representation of the entire Muslim community.
Men are head of household. Some husbands are loving, some are abusive. It’s the same in America; some parents are loving, others are not.
When you picture a Muslim woman, do you picture a head covering?
Most do wear them. It’s for respect from men and represents that they are pure and modest and Muslim. Not all of them wear one, but majority do. There are some that wear a head covering just because it’s cultural, and not because they are devout. Others say they are Muslim, but don’t want to commit to covering their head.
Before traveling, if I saw someone who looked Muslim, I would shy away from them. I wasn’t sure how to interact, and I guess I was a bit intimidated because of preconceived ideas and false stereotypes. But now it’s different. I don’t see them as Muslims but as people. And I’m sad that I didn’t realize that before.
Ministry/Life Update
We have been in Mongolia for about a week and have a couple of weeks left. I’m finally back on an all girl’s team of eight! Some of us are helping with SOS children’s village or volunteering at a hospital. I’m currently taking a lot of time to look back and reflect on the ways I saw God throughout the year. We are in the process of applying for Chinese visas!! We will be traveling to China and then I will be with the team until I fly back to the States.
A big question we are all getting asked is WHAT ARE YOU DOING AFTER THE RACE. For me, first things first – be reunited with my best friend and watch her get married! I’m also planning to spend some time with my family before I head to Brazil for a couple of weeks. Then I start school again in August to finish my Master’s in Teaching and I will also get a job. I’ll be in Arkansas for a couple of years getting certified, so I hope to make a few friends who hopefully want to grow closer to the Lord.
I still need about $1,500 to cover the costs of Brazil. If you want to help, please reach out to me and I can give you more details. Above all, I would appreciate your prayers.
Much love.
