I have been helping explain things about this culture to the other Americans here from my observations and understandings. I am fascinated by the way we all see things through our own specific lens. And how often, those lenses don’t understand the full picture and so our judgments or thoughts are actually quite misguided.
For example, here you will see people pray wherever they are. If they are a shop owner or work in the theatre, they find a spot for their rug, anywhere, in the corner, on the street, they face Mecca and take the time (five times a day) to acknowledge God in their lives. They wash their arms and ears and mouth and bend their knees and bow with their whole selves as they recite their favorite part of the Koran, which is a spoken book so all have memorized it’s text. They acknowledge the teachings of their prophet Mohammed and weave it into their thoughts and activities. Their prayer is a beautiful thing to behold either of the individual or the masses. Oh my, have you seen the videos of the demonstrations in the Middle East and when these hundreds of men prayer together? (Maybe its not shown on CNN or your local news, but Al Jeezera shows it) In person it is even more astonishing. It’s mind body and spirit connection practiced five times a day!!
One day, backstage, Steve, the wonderful musician of the choir, said something like, “Yeah, I saw them praying to their…their…” “To God,” I said, “they are praying to God.” “No,” he said, “they’re praying to their Allah or something like that.” “Allah is God, it’s their word for God, they actually have 99 names for God.” “Oh, he said, “I thought it was their guy, Mohammed that they are praying to.” “No, I said,” it’s to God they pray, the same God. Mohammed is their prophet, they don’t pray to him, it’s more like they pray with him as their guide.” I then went on to explain how Muslims often also have a misunderstanding of Christians as they don’t understand the Holy Trinity. There is one God to them, not three.
He was so beautiful in his response of “Thanks, I just learned something, I didn’t know.” This is what travel is all about. And religion is very hard to comprehend from outside – as are countries and all the circumstances and lessons and lives that it encompasses. Lenses. It’s important to take off the glasses or put them on once in a while and realize, everyone doesn’t think like we do and their worlds operate differently and we can’t judge based on our concepts or perceptions as they are often misaligned with the full realities.
