During Ramadan, people are a little more pious than usual. They attend the mosque with more frequency, read the Qur'an, and wear what some consider to be a more reverent attire. More men put on their skull-caps and dust off their ankle-length white tunics. People turn even more nocturnal than usual as circadian rhythms and blood-sugar levels are thrown out of whack by the sunrise to sunset fast and the late night meals. The other day as I walked around Rabat just before the break of fast, I was taken aback by how people sat in front of a hot, delicious serving of Morocco's famous harira, fat, juicy dates, sugary fried dough delicacies, and a glass of juice or milk, but none took a bite or one sip until the imam called out the end of the fast by proclaiming that "God is the greatest". It was remarkable to witness this degree of self-control.
Religion can also be in your face, literally. During our pre-service training, we were warned that many people would approach us to speak to us about Islam with the goal of converting us. According to our cross-cultural presenter, he stated that the Qur'an speaks of a reward in paradise for those that bring someone into Islam. Most people have been cordial when speaking about Islam while some, perhaps by nature are belligerent and judgmental, speak about their faith in a forceful and absolutist way. Others are really sly and attempt to convert you by having you repeat the shahada, the declaration of faith, without explaining to you what you're about to say--I think most volunteers have probably inadvertently converted, but supposedly according to Muslim scholars, if one does not say the shahada knowing fully what one is saying and in earnest, then it doesn’t count. Most everyone asks if I fast and how many times I pray. When I tell them that in my old church we were not required to fast and that we did pray during church services and before meals, some have said that they like the prayer before meals idea, but found it odd that we were not asked to fast. What was absent in most of our conversations was the question of what I believed. In the U.S., there's such a variety of denominations that often what one believes is central to one's identity, but in Morocco, only a handful of people asked me what exactly did I believe. When I read Seyyed Hossein Nasr's Heart of Islam, I began to understand the questions or the absence of some questions from my Moroccan friends and colleagues. He said that Muslims are not concerned with orthodoxy, but rather orthopraxy. It's not about what you believe, but what you do. Hence, what they say throughout the day, what they wear, the number of times they pray, the slaughtering of the sacrificial lamb, complying with Shari'a law, fasting, making the pilgrimage to Mecca, and zakat(almsgiving) are a daily demonstration of their devotion and submission to God.
Having worked with previous volunteers, my tutor knew that I would be confronted about my Christian affiliation. He gave me some phrases that would help to diffuse the tension and would call to question the actions of the often self-righteous and presumptuous proselytizer. Basically, he told me to do the following: first, one shouldn't be speaking about Islam with complete strangers so one can call out people for being impertinent; second, once the person has apologized and invited you and your friends over for lunch or tea, but should they persist, one should tell them that should one decide to become a Muslim, one need not only to hear about the faith, but also to see living examples of the faith where the principles (mabadi), values (qiyam), and manners/behaviors (axlaq) are in full display; thirdly, if that doesn't prompt the proselytizer to reflect on their own lives and conduct, one can appeal to them to respect (Htrm) one's faith or call them out for being judgmental, which according to the Qur'an should only be God’s prerogative.
With religion being ever-present, it is hard not to think about one’s beliefs. Seeking to understand where people around me were coming from, I read a number of books that gave me some insight into my neighbors’ faith and how that faith shaped their values. I went through Karen Armstrong’s History of God
, which chronicled the evolution of Abrahamic faiths. Ms. Armstrong’s detailed account of the birth, expansion, inner struggles, outside influences, and future challenges helped me understand the context in which the divine scriptures were written and how over the centuries different people in different regions with different influences read or heard the scriptures, which helped them determine a course of action for their lives and the lives of others. Long before coming to Morocco and before I even applied to the Peace Corps, a dear mentor of mine recommended Ms. Armstrong’s Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today’s World
, which documented the interaction between East and West and Christianity and Islam crusade by crusade.
, which chronicled the evolution of Abrahamic faiths. Ms. Armstrong’s detailed account of the birth, expansion, inner struggles, outside influences, and future challenges helped me understand the context in which the divine scriptures were written and how over the centuries different people in different regions with different influences read or heard the scriptures, which helped them determine a course of action for their lives and the lives of others. Long before coming to Morocco and before I even applied to the Peace Corps, a dear mentor of mine recommended Ms. Armstrong’s Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today’s World, which documented the interaction between East and West and Christianity and Islam crusade by crusade.I also read Mr. Nasr’s Heart of Islam
, which was written shortly after 9/11 in the hopes of creating an interfaith dialogue and to counter the media’s negative portrayals of his faith. It’s a contrast to Ms. Armstrong who as a religious historian attempts to remain objective in her narrative. Mr. Nasr makes no excuses about what he believes and has little regard for the work of Enlightenment scholars who first attempted to describe his faith. In fact, in his preface he goes on to say that the Age of Enlightenment was “an age of the darkening of the soul and eclipse of the intellect”. Like Ms. Armstrong, he compares and contrasts various passages in the Torah, Bible, and Qur’an to show how the scriptures resemble one another. He counters the media critics who allege that Islam is a violent religion or that it supposedly endorses violence by pointing to other verses in the Qur’an that speak of tolerance, forgiveness, and peace.
, which was written shortly after 9/11 in the hopes of creating an interfaith dialogue and to counter the media’s negative portrayals of his faith. It’s a contrast to Ms. Armstrong who as a religious historian attempts to remain objective in her narrative. Mr. Nasr makes no excuses about what he believes and has little regard for the work of Enlightenment scholars who first attempted to describe his faith. In fact, in his preface he goes on to say that the Age of Enlightenment was “an age of the darkening of the soul and eclipse of the intellect”. Like Ms. Armstrong, he compares and contrasts various passages in the Torah, Bible, and Qur’an to show how the scriptures resemble one another. He counters the media critics who allege that Islam is a violent religion or that it supposedly endorses violence by pointing to other verses in the Qur’an that speak of tolerance, forgiveness, and peace.Later on, I came across a copy of Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Infidel
, a book that supposedly is banned in Morocco Somalia , her brief stint in Saudi Arabia , living as a refugee in Ethiopia , her courageous escape to Europe , and her spiritual transformations make for an exciting read. Even if one objects to the characterizations about Islam, her life story is a remarkable journey. I found it insightful to read about how different people with distinctive cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds from the various countries she lived in, within and outside of the Abode of Islam, interpreted the scriptures and then applied them to their daily lives. Throughout most of the book I believe she is demonstrating how someone's culture can frame the faith, but then towards the end, she seems to forget that point and as a bold atheist resorts to gross generalizations about the role of the faith in various aspects of Muslim society. She picks and chooses verses to show that the Qur'an endorses oppression and calls out some Muslism for not being true Muslims because they don't adhere to a literal interpretation. While that may be, I can't help but think about the cultural and socioeconomics that have brought on oppressive regimes.
Just recently, I read a blurb on a recent copy of The Economist magazine about the curse of oil. According to the author, one of the reasons why the U.S. has made strides in gender equality is partly due to world events that prompted change. The world wars forced women to the workforce and in the process they gained skills and political clout in the dynamics of the family. Also, in our market-driven economy, we are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to generate domestic demand; therefore, ignoring the needs, aspirations, and ideas of 50% of the population would be bad for business. On the other hand, oil-rich countries who also happen to make up a large portion of Islamic World are export driven, state-controlled, so flush with cash that they don't feel the need to diversify their economy, and men earn enough to feed the family. As a result, women, aside from consumption, are nearly absent in many of those economies.
I think that logic rings somewhat true in Morocco. Because they lack the oil deposits, they have a much more diversified economy where women play a much bigger role in government and business. The dynamics in a family where the wife is an income contributor is remarkably different. When our CBT group asked a cooperative about gender expectations relating to work within Islam, they reminded us that the Prophet's wife, Khadija, was the head of a large caravan trade business. Thus, before I blame any scriptures, I'd much rather examine the environment where it is being interpreted and applied. I'm not saying that petrodollars are the cause, but they can certainly prop the ruling class. Towards the end of the book, Ms. Ali leaves us with some interesting questions about the role of Islam in a secular society. Ms. Ali believes they are incompatible; I don't have enough exposure or knowledge of the faith to comment on the matter.
, a book that supposedly is banned in Just recently, I read a blurb on a recent copy of The Economist magazine about the curse of oil. According to the author, one of the reasons why the U.S. has made strides in gender equality is partly due to world events that prompted change. The world wars forced women to the workforce and in the process they gained skills and political clout in the dynamics of the family. Also, in our market-driven economy, we are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to generate domestic demand; therefore, ignoring the needs, aspirations, and ideas of 50% of the population would be bad for business. On the other hand, oil-rich countries who also happen to make up a large portion of Islamic World are export driven, state-controlled, so flush with cash that they don't feel the need to diversify their economy, and men earn enough to feed the family. As a result, women, aside from consumption, are nearly absent in many of those economies.
I think that logic rings somewhat true in Morocco. Because they lack the oil deposits, they have a much more diversified economy where women play a much bigger role in government and business. The dynamics in a family where the wife is an income contributor is remarkably different. When our CBT group asked a cooperative about gender expectations relating to work within Islam, they reminded us that the Prophet's wife, Khadija, was the head of a large caravan trade business. Thus, before I blame any scriptures, I'd much rather examine the environment where it is being interpreted and applied. I'm not saying that petrodollars are the cause, but they can certainly prop the ruling class. Towards the end of the book, Ms. Ali leaves us with some interesting questions about the role of Islam in a secular society. Ms. Ali believes they are incompatible; I don't have enough exposure or knowledge of the faith to comment on the matter.
After reading the Heart of Islam and Infidel, I felt I needed to formulate my own opinion about the Qur’an so I started reading it. As of November 5, I am only about a quarter of the way through it. It’s a tough book to read with a lot of complicated passages that I believe are lost in translation. Other passages are quite clear especially when speaking of the Five Pillars of Islam and I can see why many Moroccans feel comfortable telling me that I’m going to hell because I decided not to fast, but then again from what I have read, Surah 5 v. 47 of the Qur’an also states, “Let the People of the Gospel judge by that which Allah hath revealed therein.” Mid-way through verse 48 it adds, “Had Allah willed he could have made you one community. But that He may try you by that which He hath given you. So vie one another in good works. Unto Allah ye will all return, and He will then inform you of that wherein ye differ.” The first sentence of Surah 2 v. 256 says, “There is no compulsion in religion.” These passages I’m sure could be interpreted in a number of ways and should be read with as much historical context and commentary. For me, given my background, limited knowledge, and my miniscule capacity to understand religious scriptures, they mean that Allah has revealed Himself in different ways, He alone is the judge, and people should stop forcing others to do something in the name of religion. But don't take it from me. Read it for yourself!
Be mindful that even after reading through several Surahs, these were the verses and passages that stood out to me. Why did they stand out? Because these were the verses that my innately biased mind searched for. Back in college, we had a name for this bias. It was called selective attention. We all practice it, but few acknowledge it. My selective attention derives from growing up in an all-women household in Latin America under tough economic conditions in a conservative Christian environment where educating oneself was paramount to success. I also moved around quite a bit, and every time we moved, I heard from a different pastor who quite often focused on different passages of the Bible or interpreted various verses in his own peculiar way. Different people with different backgrounds read the Qur'an and other scriptures, and it speaks to them in different ways. They pick out verses that give them meaning or justifies their behavior and sometimes overlook or place less emphasis on other passages that may run contradictory to their absolutist or legalistic ideology. Some people are aware of their biases, but others are not. In an ideal world, I would have any would-be interpreter of religious scriptures add a disclaimer, similar to the pharmaceutical commercials, about their cultural and socioeconomic background and even the natural environment he/she grew up in before he/she utters one word of interpretation or offers a selection of verses. This would safeguard us all from that individual's deliberate and unconscious distortions.
Be mindful that even after reading through several Surahs, these were the verses and passages that stood out to me. Why did they stand out? Because these were the verses that my innately biased mind searched for. Back in college, we had a name for this bias. It was called selective attention. We all practice it, but few acknowledge it. My selective attention derives from growing up in an all-women household in Latin America under tough economic conditions in a conservative Christian environment where educating oneself was paramount to success. I also moved around quite a bit, and every time we moved, I heard from a different pastor who quite often focused on different passages of the Bible or interpreted various verses in his own peculiar way. Different people with different backgrounds read the Qur'an and other scriptures, and it speaks to them in different ways. They pick out verses that give them meaning or justifies their behavior and sometimes overlook or place less emphasis on other passages that may run contradictory to their absolutist or legalistic ideology. Some people are aware of their biases, but others are not. In an ideal world, I would have any would-be interpreter of religious scriptures add a disclaimer, similar to the pharmaceutical commercials, about their cultural and socioeconomic background and even the natural environment he/she grew up in before he/she utters one word of interpretation or offers a selection of verses. This would safeguard us all from that individual's deliberate and unconscious distortions.
Like I said, I’m only a quarter of the way through the Qur'an. I’m still making up my mind about what has been said. At the same time, I don’t think I will ever get to the point where I’ll have a clear understanding of anything written in any of the Divine Scriptures. Ms. Armstrong tells stories of scholars of the Abrahamic faiths who gave up trying to make sense of the Scriptures and just began to recite and sing them believing that their meaning was beyond human comprehension. I would agree with her. Unfortunately though, many are not humble enough to accept that. My prayer is that those who are aware of their inability to fully understand the Divine Scriptures will have the fortitude to stand up to those that claim to know it all or purport to carry out God’s will. In the words of one who I believe received a wisp of divine inspiration, Hector Lavoe says in his song “El Todopoderoso” (The All-Powerful).
Si viéramos bien al mundo
y a nuestros pueblos hermanos no existiera lo rotundo
ni existiera la creencia
cada cabeza es un mundo.
My translation with help from Webster’s:
If we would look deeply/well at the world
and at our people/nations, brothers, there would not exist the categorical/absolute
neither would there exist belief
every head/mind is different/a world of its own
Those lines along with a number of other passages from a number of other Salsa songs and other religious teachings form the creed that I believe today. I will expand on the Salsa bit on my next blog. Stay tuned. Until then, when it comes to matters of faith, I’m going to continue to mind my own.
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For your viewing pleasure and to better understand Hector Lavoe's singing the poetry derived from the profound insight of his writer and composer Willie Colon, here's a YouTube of his "El Todo Poderoso":
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