Encountering Religions: Interview When I first read about this upcoming project, I had a moment of panic. I was raised Catholic but having abandoned the religion during my teen years, I now consider myself an atheist. Admittedly, I do not have a lot of close friends, or even an acquaintance, who are religious whom I felt comfortable interviewing. So, I find myself quite in a bind. Until one day, while perusing through my phone’s contact list, I came across my friend Sera. Sera is a dear friend of mine, a Muslim and transplant to Atlanta from Saudi Arabia. I suppose the idea of interviewing her did not immediately cross my mind because she is not your “model” Muslim (her words, not mine). Based on appearance, she is not what you would typically …show more content…
However, barring her outside appearance, Sera is proud to be a Muslim and knows the importance of the religion in her life. Because of this I decided that she is the perfect candidate for this interview, as I am greatly interested in her perspective as someone who is not a “model” Muslim but still recognizes the religion as being a part of her. Thankfully, Sera was more than willing to lend her help for this project. On the day of the interview, I asked Sera if she could meet me at one of our favorite restaurants in Buford Highway. We both share a love for Asian cuisine, in fact it is one of the reasons why we bonded as friends, so it is only fitting that we conduct this interview somewhere we are both comfortable in. I started by first asking her a little about her background. Sera was born in Saudi Arabia and raised Muslim. Interestingly, Arab Muslims only make up less than 20 percent of Muslims in the world (Brodd et al. 471). As such, Islam is the second largest religion in the world, right after Christianity (471). There are 1.6 billion …show more content…
Her big, dark eyes instantly sparkle and without any hesitation, she declares “Ramadan! I really enjoy it and still practice it even after moving to the States.” Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, considered very sacred among Muslims around the world as they believe that it is when the Qur’an was “first revealed to Muhammad” (Brodd et al. 485). Muslims take part by fasting from dusk to dawn, abstaining from any sexual activity, and avoiding impure thoughts and any form of negativity. Sera says, “fasting during Ramadan means no food or water, no cussing, no sexual contact, no sexual anything really, no bad mouthing, etc from sunrise to sundown. Growing up if we were too young to fast our parents would let us fast for a couple of hours a day just to appease us.” She also adds, “to a lot of people the thought of no food and water for all the daylight hours is really tough but it’s something we've been doing for so many years we're used to it.” Although, some are exempt from taking part, such as pregnant and nursing women, the elderly, the sick, and of course, children. However, Sera clarifies, “we aren't required to fast and participate in Ramadan until we hit puberty but obviously all kids want to do what their parents do so we beg our parents to let us fast
Ariana Donaville’s article “Muslim American Women on College Campuses” was published in Fashionista on May 13th, 2017. In this article, Donaville explains the changes that Muslim American women on campuses had to face prior and post 9/11. She explained how the Muslims students on college campuses were treated prior to 9/11 and post 9/11. She also elaborates on how most Muslim American women on campus have to hide their true/real identity to “Fit in” with other college students from different races. She also states a proposal/what can be done to make college life safer and more enjoyable for Muslim American students. This article was published by Fashionista, an independently owned magazine that is available to many journalists in the world. Dovaville is currently a college student at the University of Oregon who wants to help the Muslim American women at that institution to have a voice. This article will help me explain a proposal/provide a solution on how to make campuses more comfortable for Muslim American women.
Tucker, Judith E., and University Georgetown. Arab Women: Old Boundaries, New Frontiers .Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1993. eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 4 Nov. 2013.
Religion is a subject that should be treaded on lightly during an interview. Questions regarding religious preference cannot be asked. An interviewer cannot even ask the question of “Which religious holidays do you observe?” instead if the in...
She shares how she was clearly shown that that God is triune, that Jesus is the only way to God, that the Bible is God’s true Word, and that God did, indeed, want to be her Father. She shares the heartbreak of being ignored and shunned by her family (the most important unit in Islamic society), but also the goodness of God in providing her with so much more spiritual family—brothers and sisters in Christ—than the natural family she lost. She tells how her relationships with her servants changed, and how she was led to give up her comfortable house, her lovely gardens, and her privacy and leisure time for the sake of
The lack of knowledge about Muslims by non-Muslims has caused a dangerous and growing unease between the two groups. Therefore, it is important to research care...
Syed, Zara. "Buloogh: A Muslim Girl's Transition to Adulthood." Islamic Insights. N.p., 26 Jan. 2009. Web. 06 Dec. 2013. .
E. Anway, Carol, L (Dec 95) Daughters Of Another Path: Experiences Of American Women Choosing Islam. Missouri: Yawna Publications.
she is only 16-year-old from an Islamic country leading the first vital step towards raising the status of women in the Arab region is undoubtedly laudable. Indeed, she deserves to be called an ideal person of all girls in the world, who fight against any obstacles that abuse women’s individual rights. She is raising confidence to all girls and urging them to speak out what they want to be and ask for what they should have
Family, news reports and social media greatly influenced and shaped her perceptions about Muslims being terrorists and feeling unsafe in their presence. After conducting personal research, the writer learned that the Islamic religion appears to be very peaceful. Research also prepared the writer for the difference in clothing or dress types between Muslims and the American population at the convention. Because the Muslim women were warm, kind hearted, and willing to share their culture with visitors, the initial feelings of intimidation by the large group of Muslims immediately subsided. This allowed the writer to truly experience the variety of events going on at the convention without feeling stereotyped herself by the Muslim women.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; it is a time of spiritual reflection, improvement and increased devotion and worship. It is also the month the Quran, the Allah (God's) last testament, has revealed on. As for that, Ramadan is hugely an important experience in the Muslim's life. During the holy month, it is expected from the Muslim to devote his time and effort for Allah, especially on the last 10 days of the month when the most honored worship is to praise Allah for everything he blessed us with. Muslims used to plan their daily life – in general – based on the five Salawat (prayers) they observed every day at prescribed times; but after the industrial revolution, and many other historical and political aspects, the daily
"We Muslim women can walk into the modern world with pride, knowing that the quest for dignity, democracy, and human rights, for full participation in the political and social affairs of our country , stems from no imported Western values, but is a true part of Muslim tradition.
Throughout Ramadan, fasting done from dawn until dusk and known to purify the soul and body. Fasting is a pious practice in Islamic culture that fosters a sense of spirituality in Muslims. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, mandatory acts that form the foundation of Muslim life. Fasting reminds Muslims of the suffering poor; also, it helps Muslims gain self-control and cleanses the body and mind. The meaning of fasting is to be abstained from eating, drinking, and any sinful acts during the daytime. Ramadan is a month of purification, so anything that is done like cursing and backbiting somebody can break the fast, even if it continues till dawn without food or anything entering down the throat this is considered not to be counted. Ramadan is also about intentions. One of the
To begin, I want to introduce the people I chose to interview. For the grandparent generation, I chose to speak with my grandmother. Her name is Marie and her age is about the mid-seventies. She was born and raised strict Roman Catholic. Next I interviewed a close friend of mine and the parent of my best friend, her name is Lynne. Lynne is in her late fifties/ earlier sixties, but she fits the parent category because she is like another mother to me. Lynne is a nondenominational Christian. The third person I spoke with was my best friend, and Lynne’s daughter, Allie. Allie is twenty eight years old so she is between categories, but even though Allie was raised in a Christian household she has chosen to be an atheist. She fits the category of a person from another religion. Lastly I interviewed my brother Frank, who is part of my generation because he is nineteen. He was also raised Roman Catholic, but has a very different outlook from my grandmother, due to being from a very opinionated and open-minded generation. Everyone was interviewed at separate times so no one’s opinions could influence another’s.
Ramadan is a very special month in the Islamic life. It is consider being a blessed month by the muslins. It is practice in the ninth month of every year and it is place on the Islamic Lunar calendar. It is also very important in the Islamic life because it focus on fasting (sawm or siyam) observe from sunset to sunrise. Which the muslin minds are place on reflection and discipline. During this month of fasting helps make it to contribute to God’s blessings, to help the poor and answer their needs, to repent for their sins, to make stronger their moral characters and to remember that all their glory goes to God. The fasting is usually base on abstinence of drink, food and some different physical needs between the daylight hours. Sometimes,
In Islam, Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer, and contemplation. It is the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic year (Ramadan). It is believed that Ramadan is when the Holy Qur’an “was sent down from heaven, a guidance unto men, a declaration of direction, and a means of Salvation” (Fasting in Islam). Muslims take this time to concentrate on their faith. During Ramadan, Muslims are not supposed to eat or drink from sunrise to sunset and steer clear of wrongful thoughts and behaviors. Ramadan celebrates the guiding light in the Qur’an that protects humans from evil and vice and leads them towards good and virtue (The Spirit and Ramadan).