Today I am celebrating the last day of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. During this month, Mulism men and women do not eat, drink (water is allowed), smoke, or have sex during the daylight hours (it's sad that I didn't have to give up a lot in this department...what am I doing wrong here?). They refrain from this in an effort to learn more about patience, humility, and submissiveness towards God. Prayers are increased throughout this month, and Muslims are usually more charitable, as it is seen as more holy during this month to engage in acts of kindness.
When planning this project, I knew that I wanted to try to hit the big three religions. I also knew that this one in particular would be tricky. Our country has had a fear and mistrust of the Islamic faith that extends beyond the extremist attacks of September 11th, 2001. Watch 1940’s “Ali-Baba Bound” starring Porky Pig to see just how indoctrinated we were to hate and distrust Muslims. Say the word “Islam” and a very real and very intense silence will come about, as if your audience is waiting to see just how far you’re going to take the discussion or which way you’re going to lean.
Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that some of these fears are not unfounded. Obviously our country dealt with a great tragedy in 2001, and people all over the world have suffered similar attacks and injustices at the hands of those that are alleging to spread the word of Islam. Yes, Islamic extremists are a dangerous threat to the world, and their tactics are abhorrent to say the least. Yes, Islamic fundamentalists are easy to be afraid of because, well, frankly, they’re scary. They seem like homicidal madmen bent on world destruction.
And I get that. But that’s not what Islam is all about. That’s what extremists are all about. And I’m not just saying Islamic extremists, I’m saying ALL extremists. Anyone who takes a religious view, or any view for that matter, to the extreme poses a threat to society. So I feel like it’s unfair to label the Islamic variety as the worst of the lot.
Because, when you really sit down and think about it, the overwhelming majority of Muslims are not terrorists. They’re not brutal people. They’re not insane jihadists plotting our demise. Instead, they’re just people like you or me. They’re people that want peace (Islam actually translates to “peace”), and they want prosperity for themselves and for their families. They are people who want the freedom to worship their God, without persecution, just like the rest of society. They are people who do not commit acts of violence, but instead proclaim acts of love and friendship.
So to honor that, I went with the Ramadan tradition of fasting all day, and increasing the amount that I prayed. Since I never pray, bumping it up to five times today seemed fair enough. I pointed myself East, towards Mecca, and gave thanks for my family, my friends, my job, my environment, and my life. I didn’t pray to Allah, and I didn’t pray to Jehovah. I didn’t pray to Xenu (we’ll get to him in a few days), and I didn’t pray to the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Instead, I just gave thanks for what I have in my life, and I think at it's core, that’s what Islam is truly all about. Appreciating what you have, because you have so much to be thankful for. That doesn’t seem so different from how we all should act, does it?
really nice.
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