I was wondering if anyone went to the showing and could tell me your thoughts about the documentary. Would you have liked growing up as a Muslim? When I was in Egypt, my lifestyle was incorporated into the Muslim lifestyle. For example, I went to a mosque with an Egyptian family and experienced the specific rituals in the holy place. Before entering the mosque, I had to take off my shoes and had to be fully covered from head to toe in a long shirt and pants. I also had to cover my hair with a Hijab. (A headscarf commonly used by Muslim women.) The mosque had pillars, rugs, and a bath area where people washed their hands and feet for cleansing purposes. My favorite part of the mosque was the opened skylit area. The purpose of this area is for the followers to have a close connection with Allah. With no ceiling in the way, there is no barrier for a person's thoughts and prayers to be heard by Allah. I thought this was a very beautiful concept.
Besides this, it was interesting to witness the extreme Muslims vs the laid-back Muslims. The family I stayed with was religious, but not extremely religious. The mother would take her children to the mosque, but the children would not go by their free will if they weren't forced to. This reminds me of my Catholic adventures when my mother would make me go to Sunday mass. Besides the laid-back Muslims, I also witnessed conservative Muslims. These Muslims included women who would not be seen in public at any time without their Hijab and proper clothing. I once commented on a picture of one of my Muslim friend's beautiful long, flowing hair. She had taken the photograph of herself inside her home. When I commented on it, she became embarrassed because she was not used to showing off her hair in public (even though she was only showing me a picture of her hair and was currently wearing a hijab at the time she showed me the picture.)
I wonder if the Koran By Heart documentary covered any of the experiences I witnessed during my time in Egypt....
Official Koran By Heart Website:
http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/koran-by-heart/index.html
The concept that there are both conservative and more laid-back or liberal Muslims is certainly worth taking note of, as it is both true and woefully unknown amongst many Americans today. Additionally, it raises the idea of extremism in other belief systems. While almost all religions (and lack thereof), I believe, contain valuable advice and information about human nature and how to live one's life, all of them tend to become more negative than positive when followers take them too far. Numerous examples of this pepper contemporary society: Christians who follow Jesus' teachings versus the Westboro Baptist Church, atheists who hold their views due to lack of evidence versus anti-theists disguised as atheists, Muslims who follow Muhammad's teachings versus the 9/11 bombers, agnostics versus... agnostics who claim all other belief systems are silly, perhaps? I'm not certain about the last one, but it seems likely that even agnosticism can go too far. Ultimately, I think that there are very few beliefs which are inherently bad; it is simply fanatic adherents who commit atrocities, falsely, in the name of the belief.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I also posted this on my blog if you'd rather read it there.
I was intrigued by what you mentioned of your experience at a Mosque. I have several friends who go to Mosques but I had never seen nor had the chance to experience the same. I might see if I visit one this summer, I'm very curious now.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can! I loved having a new religious experience and being able to witness how another religion carries on their faith. Make sure to wear a headscarf and proper clothing if you do! Even though I am not Muslim, when I peered up at the sky in the mosque, I felt very calm and peaceful. I think that every faith is connected in the way that we all want to feel and believe in something!
DeleteWow that is awesome you actually traveled to Egypt!
ReplyDeleteI remember when I learned about Islam for the first time in 8th grade, it seemed very interesting. I'm excited about this unit so I can refresh my memory.
The thing I found most interesting was that several times a day, they had to wash their hands and feet. I remember thinking that people who live in the desert with so much sand must have trouble staying clean. But that is not true.
And that is very cool, the open sky lit area in the mosque. That reminds me of my church which holds outdoor services each summer. It's so nice to be outside and closer to nature, I wish all masses could be held outdoors. It's interesting that this is kind of a universal idea.
Sure, there were some Muslims that did not look very clean (For example, the poor people and beggars that rounded the dusty Cairo streets), but a majority of Muslims take pride in their appearance. The family that I stayed with was very fashionable and kept up with their appearance. The teenagers had the latest fashions, while the adults dressed more conservatively. They live just like you and me, except instead of bipolar New England weather, they have the desert and 90 degree heat to keep them company!
DeleteThe washing of the hands and feet is pivotal in the mosque. Immediately after entering, my Egyptian family headed straight to the bath area. This is their way of being clean and pure before coming into contact with Allah.