Intro
My freshman year at Longwood I ended up
meeting some of the international students at
Longwood and I have become a mentor and a
tutor for them this year. Education on different
cultures and religions has become a topic that I
am very passionate about.
I have been
introduced to may cultures but the area that
piqued my interest was how Islam evolved in
different areas of the globe. Exposure to new
cultures helps to dismantle the stigmas and
stereotypes attached to them.
International Students at Longwood University
There are a variety of international students at
Longwood University from all over the globe.
There are many students from Saudi Arabia.
Another part of my enhancement was to create a
presentation on Islam. I interviewed the students
Ali Alharbi and Riyad Alghamdi to gain a deeper
understanding of Islam from actual Muslims. I
learned that Islam in Saudi Arabia is more strict
than over in certain countries in Central Asia.
Islam has five pillars that must be followed. The
five pillars are Testimony, Prayer, Alms,
Pilgrimage, and Ramadan.
There are also
restriction on alcohol, pork, and anything that is
not healthy for a person, such as smoking. These
are not allowed. Anyone who does not follow
these rules is not considered a real Muslim. When
I interviewed two of the students I asked one of
them how hard it is to stay a “good” Muslim in
America. He told me it was very difficult not
only because he has to adapt to a new culture and
be away from home for a longtime, but there are
many temptations. Alcohol and pork are difficult
to find in Saudi Arabia so it is not an option there.
here. He tries to remain a “good” Muslim by
calling his mother everyday because mothers are
a very important figure in Islam. An important
part of being a “good” is by being polite and
courteous to women. An example of this is if a
man was in line to check out in a store and a
women is in line behind him out of respect the
women will be allowed to check out first. In
Saudi Arabia young boys are taught to respect the
elderly and women so when they got to America
they admitted that it was very easy for them to be
polite to American women.
A Study of Islam in Central Asia and
the Middle East
By: Elizabeth Stoke
Longwood University
My Research
For my History of Central Asia and Afghanistan class I have been exposed to
different article pertaining to the countries of Central Asia and Islam in this
region. I presented two articles to the class as part of my enhancement. The
first article was called The Wedding Feast: Living the New Uzbek Life in the
1930s. It explained the process of a wedding in Central Asia. Central Asia
has a very community based society so weddings involve a huge feast for the
entire community. Gender roles were also interesting in this time period. The
article explains how Soviet rule has influenced the marriage process in Central
Asia. The two people getting married are from a collective farm and the farm
owner vetoes the planned large 3 day feast in favor of a smaller one day feast.
The groom even waits for the bride to finish her education in Tashkent before
he proposes which illustrate the Soviet push for education.
The second article I presented was called The Revival of Islam by Adeeb
Khalid. It elaborated on how the revival of Islam in Central Asia became a
national phenomenon. The Soviet insistence to suppress Islam is what lead to
it’s supported revival. A revival of Islam was seen more as a way to fight of
Soviet power than a spiritual awakening.
For my final presentation for my Central Asian History class I created a
presentation on the country of Kazakhstan. I researched the culture, national
symbols, festivals and events and my knowledge has been vastly expanded.
The rule of the Soviet Union over Kazakhstan internalized and meshed Islam
with the culture into it’s culture. The restrictions placed on Islam lead to the
deterioration of the basic knowledge of Islamic rituals. I found an example of
this in one of the articles I read for my class. The knowledge of a dinner
prayer diminished to the point where the words spoken were forgotten and all
that was muttered was amen. In my research I learned that the focus of Islam
in Kazakhstan is in social interactions. Men will refrain from physical contact
with women when greeting to abide by Islam but alcohol, which is restricted
by Islam, is a popular beverage there.
Conclusion
Educating ourselves on other cultures is not only
important, but it is becoming increasingly
necessary. In light of recent events if we allow our
uneducated fears to take over it could lead to the
mistreatment of other. It is our job to inform
ourselves not only on world events, but the people
and history involved in these events. We cannot
make judgments without having a wealth of
background knowledge. Knowing even a small
piece of information on someone else culture can
come across as an incredibly thoughtful gesture. I
have made some dear friends through my
interviews and by being genuinely interested in
learning about the culture of my international
friends. If you take anything away from my
research take away the fact that just because a
religion or a holiday is practiced in numerous
countries that doesn’t guarantee that they are
celebrated in the same way. Take the time to
immerse yourself in another culture. Talk to an
international student. They are honored and enjoy
when student or faculty express interest in them.
Don’t miss out on relationships you may never
again have the chance to make because you
applied the stereotypes to a person.
Sources
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References
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About Saudi Arabia. (2015). Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://www.saudiembassy.net/about/countryinformation/government/
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Alghamdi, R. (2015, November 21). Understanding Islam. (E. Stoke, Interviewer)
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Alharbi, A. (2015, November 20). Understanding Islam. (E. Stoke, Interviewer)
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Alotaibi, F. (2015, November 30). Understanding Islam. (E. Stoke, Interviewer)
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Alsaif, M. (2015, April 10). Islam. (L. Stoke, Interviewer)
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Arabs in America. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://arabsinamerica.unc.edu/
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Jeff Sahadeo, R. G. (2007). Everyday Life in Central Asia: Past and Present. Iniana University Press.
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Kargar, Z. (2012). Dear Zari. Naperville: Sourcebooks, Inc.
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Khalid, A. (2006). Islam after Communism. University of California Press.
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Life in Black: Why Do Women Wear the Abaya? (2012). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from
https://echodepiction.wordpress.com
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Press, W. T. (2015, December 4). Holidays and Festivals. Retrieved from AtoZ The World:
http://www.atoztheworld.com/