Reflecting...
I've been having a side conversation with Dody about what I'll call the positives of Islam. I'm stuck. I've been pondering it for a day or so. Maybe the negative stuff has been inbedded into my mind. And it all comes from the media, anti-islamic sites, and people. How do I step away from the political aspects of it and focus on the good things Islam has contributed to society? I've been asking other Muslims this question. The typical type of things pop up include women rights and equal rights. That's all great and dandy but there has to be some other attributes to society.
I think I'm sort of stuck because of I often see myself as a representative and defender of my religion. I often feel like I have to show people what Islam is and what it isn't. It's like I'm always defensive about it. But, wouldn't that make me a victim. I don't want to be a victim. I don't want to be on the defensive. I would rather openly share all the positive things.
It is a challenge to see the positive side of Islam, but it is there. I see it in all the Muslims I know. I see it in their kindness and readiness to help one another.
I'm up to the challenge.
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Why be a part of something if nothing positive comes of it?
10 Comments:
You can make a top ten list of the positive things that Islam has to offer, contribute, or does for the world. Then you can write another top ten list of the challenges/issues it must face with being in the 21st century. Just like the Catholic church has faced modern issues with changing attitudes (abortion, birth control, decrease in numbers, I'm not an expert, etc…). You can take the same angle with Islam on how it can change itself in a positive light to adapt to the changing times. Maybe talk about what you think the religion needs to do to face the current challenges in the world.
I think all the monothesist religions just need to focus. Gay rights, abortion, women rights...are important issues for society, but religion should focus only on the important parts of religion: How to treat your fellow man, how to love and accept others, how to give and support those less fortunate. These are the beautiful parts of religion, but they are over shadowed by the fundamental/extreme elements in favor of much less important minutia that, I believe, contradicts the important stuff (love thy neighbor, but hate thy gay? If god really thinks gay is haraam, than its his business to deal with it, at least thats what christians supposedly should believe).
i agree with trent that we should leave the judging up to God, and we should focus on the values that make us live in peace.
I think the positive thing in Islam is that it creates a balance between everything in life. By fasting and praying you give time for your creator, for spirituality and for reflecting on life. Islam also urges you to work, thus you can achieve your self-esteem and self actualization needs and make you a happy individual. It urges you to be friendly to all people and treat them with respect and love, thus helping you create social bonds that make you feel emotionally secure. It encourages you to build a family and have kids and raise them well that way you have a contribution to society and you have continuity and you have a sense of security and belonging to a family. It encourages you to learn saying " ask for science even if it's in China" . it encourages you to do all great human worldly which in return make you a better individual and a better worshiper of god.
The special thing about islam is also that it creates a balance between the actual practices of religion and the reflective emotional part. you have to pray 5 times a day and fast - yes practices, yet through these acts you get to feel god's presence and his love for his children - human beings.
i think it's hard for a lot of people to see many positive things about Islam, but i think it's because people are not educated enough to see religion far from the traditional ways that are too rigid to accept change. It's a pahse like the one that christianity suffered from in Europe in the Medival times.
I see and understand all the positive things that religion tries to instill in people like values and beliefs.
I want to step away from that for a moment. What concrete things have various religions given humanity? I'm not talking about values and beliefs. I'm talking about the physical stuff.
nisrin,
why are you trying to put religion and beliefs into something concrete? ..something physical? that's not really what any religion is about. i am christian and may be missing the point by not being part of a misunderstood-in-my-country religion, but every muslim/arab person that i know are some of the kindest, most generous people out there. that's the important part in my mind. being open in your heart and giving and understanding.
It's not your responsibility to defend Islam against the criticisms that are thrown at it everyday from every place, that would be too large of a burden. You want to make people respect Muslims and Islam? Just be a good person. Those who only focus on terrorism and theocratic countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia will have their own view of Islam. Many times their view will be too hard to change unless they actually meet a nice Muslim person. And many times their views will be impossible to change, oh well, who really cares? There are bigots out there, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish, and you can't really do anything to change their minds sometimes...
Connie, I understand that is not what religion is about. It is supposed to be a spiritual thing and something between a person and their creator.
But it goes beyond that relationship. Religion is dragged into everything including politics. Religion is manipulated and used for gaining things that do not involve religion.
All the physical concrete things do not exist because of religion. Yes, god (or whatever creator you believe in) gave us a mind to think with. But it's people that enabled you to be able to comment on this blog and it's people that created that computer you're sitting at. But it is also people that start wars and fight for materialistic things. It is people that drag religion through the mud. It is people that make it more than a spiritual thing.
I wouldn't say I'm defending it from criticism. Maybe my situation is different. I grew up in a small town and we were the only muslim family. I went to a not so diverse univ. with about 5-10 muslims. I'm surrounded by people that aren't that familiar with Islam. I'm questioned about the negative stuff. I feel like I'm a representative of my religion and I think I'm a good person. It goes beyond that. Even if I'm good, it doesn't stop the questions of why extremist exist in the world. It doesn't stop all the negative things from happening.
I also feel like I'm a representative of Americans when I'm around people that are not Americans. And the same goes for people that aren't Arab, Lebanese, or Syrian.
I don't see it as a burden being a "representative." In some ways, I see myself as being lucky. Having an understanding of what it means to be American, Arab, Muslim, Lebanese, Syrian etc. helps me to portray it to others who aren't familiar with those identities. I just don't want to be on the defensive about it.
here's the problem that I've observed in talking about Islam in the US.
Ordinary people here ("the American Street") are understandably having a hard time to reconcile the declaration of Islam as a religion of peace to the graphic videos of people beheaded under some Arabic banners that no one understand. The fact that suicide is declared a terrible sin in Islam contrasted with suicide bombers praised as martyrs.
I think what's missing is the dialog about the experience of Islam(which humanize it), instead of the theology or politics of Islam.
The question needs to be asked more is "what does Islam means to you" instead of "what is Islam"
well since the Koraan was recorded instantly and consolidated into one book only a few years after that it left very little room for changes and alterations. and as it has many historical stories written in them, they are quite reliable, so that's something that adds your knowledge. it also has explanations of very scientific stuff like how a baby develops from the beginning till the end in the womans's womb.
so maybe it has given us knowledge as well.
i think history has proven that religion and state do not go together - the problem is that Humans too often do not learn from their own mistakes.
"what does Islam means to you"
I've never been asked that question before.
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