Cultural Immersion – Islamic CulturePreconceptions, Observations, and Dialogue

Steven P. Malm, M.A.June 7, 2013

PRECONCEPTIONS OF MUSLIM PEOPLE

Part 1:

The Chosen GroupFor this cultural immersion project, I

identified the Islamic cultural group.Islam is one of the Abrahamic religions

◦They follow the teachings of the prophet, Muhammad, and believe in the One God, Allah

◦While they acknowledge the existence of Jesus, they believe he is a prophet, not the son of God.

The term “Muslim” is often used to refer to people who follow Islam

The 5 Pillars of IslamIslam is based on 5 key rules, called

“Pillars”1: Believe that there is but One god, Allah,

and that Muhammad is His messenger2: Muslims must pray 5 times per day3: Observe Ramadan

◦Fasting from sunrise to sunset4: Muslims will practice charity to help

those less fortunate5: At least once, Muslims will make a

pilgrimage to Makkah

Additional information about MuslimsMillions of people practice the

Islamic faithTheir holy book is the Qur’anThe language of Islam (In the

Qur’an and spoken in prayers) is Arabic.

The “churches” of Islam are called Mosques

Their religion condemns homosexuality (like the other Abrahamic religions)

Stereotypes about Muslim PeopleThey are all either Middle Eastern or BlackTerrorists are Muslim (definitely false, but

it’s a known belief held by people)◦By extension, Muslims are violent

There has been war between Muslim tribes in the Middle East for thousands of years

The Qur’an preaches death to non-believers (I don’t know why people believe this, but I’ve heard it before)

They are patriarchal and oppressive to women.

My Perceptions of Muslim PeopleIslam is a religion, not a race

◦ An individual from any race can be Muslim◦ That said, many Muslims I know are from the Middle

EastIn general, Muslims are very peaceful and

moral◦ They have extremists, but so does every religion!◦ Their religion teaches love and respect.

There is a power differential between men and women that I do not fully understand◦ It seems that women are beneath men.

I really do not know much about this group going into this project!

Prior Sources of InformationTV and News (Not the best source for

accurate, unbiased information)Psychology of Religion class in my

undergraduate work at Bradley UniversityDiscussions at Church

◦ I am a Missouri Synod LutheranGrowing up next door to a Muslim family

◦ They are good friend of the family◦ The mother of the household explained some

features of Islam to meMy parents – to help me respect other

people, regardless of religious beliefs

Why this Group?I chose this group for a number of reasons:

◦ It is one of the Abrahamic religions There is already some similarity between my religious

upbringing and Islam. That makes it more accessible to me while allowing me to understand the differences

◦ Of the 3 religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism), it is the one I know the least about.

◦ There are a lot of negative stereotypes that I want to investigate I know they’re not true, but I want to know what the truth is

in these areas.◦ The Muslim group is very large and I am likely to have

Muslim clients in the future.◦ Religion is a very impactful type of culture with

specific opportunities for observation

OBSERVATIONPart 2:

Cultural ObservationLocation: Muncie Islamic CenterDate: May 24, 2013Time: 1:30-2:30pActivity Observed: Prayer service

The Muncie Islamic Center functions as a mosque for the Islamic community in/around Muncie

Walking In…Everyone took off their shoes

prior to entering the prayer room.The room was moderately-sized Clear of chairs and pews

◦Except for a single row of chairs along the back wall

In the front, there was a pulpit

Before PrayerThere were some people in the room.Everyone was seated on the floor

◦ Some of the older/larger members sat in chairsSome were reading from the Qur’anOthers prayed silently near the front

◦ These people would occasionally bend forward and touch their forehead to the carpet

People greeted each other warmly with a handshake (and the occasional hug)◦ Several approached me and asked me about who

I was and why I was there.◦ Very polite and accommodating

The PeopleIncredibly diverse

◦Several appeared of Middle Eastern descent

◦Several appeared to be of African descent

◦Some Caucasians.One thing did seem strange:

◦They were ALL MEN

Prayer BeginsDue to my limited understanding of the

terminology used in the Islmaic faith, I will compare what I saw to what I experienced growing up as a Lutheran

Prayer began at 2:00pA member stood up and began

chanting in Arabic◦Occasionally, the congregation would chant

back a few words◦Quite unlike Christian hymns

The MessageLed by a man who appeared analogous to a

priest or minister.Much like the sermons I’ve grown up withAll about love/respect for each other and giving

to those less fortunate.◦ Very similar to Christian teachings

Discussed the recent terrorist attacks in England◦ Denounced the “Muslim terrorists.”◦ “They are not Muslim!”◦ The Qur’an teaches only love and good deeds, not

violence◦ The “Muslim terrorists” are enemies of Muslim◦ Pointed out that every religion has terrorists

After the MessageEveryone stood up, shoulder-to-shoulderThe “priest” began praying in Arabic

◦Congregation chanted responses quietly.Then, they fell to their knees and touched

their foreheads to the carpet◦Repeated this a couple of times before rising

The service was then overPeople approached each other and said

something in Arabic while shaking hands◦Seemed like the point in the service when

everyone would say “God’s Peace” or “Peace be with you.”

Comparison to My Religious ExperiencesDifferences

◦Shorter service◦Did not seem to include multiple scripture

readings or hymns◦Prayer seemed more personally driven

Similarities◦Core messages (belief in One God, love

and respect, do good deeds and give to charity, etc.)

◦Racially/Ethnically diverse within the culture

Why did I choose this service?Because the identified cultural group is a

religion, I believed a prayer service would be the best representation of the general practices of this group.◦Also, the times for observation were easily

identifiable and concrete.Furthermore, this activity would allow to

more easily approach someone to engage in a discussion about Islamic culture.

Finally, since I was raised as a Christian, I would have something with which to compare what I observed.

Feelings and Reactions I was confused about the absence of women from the service

and made a note to ask about it (see Part 3). I felt really awkward when everyone else stood around me and

started praying. ◦ I wasn’t sure if I should stand or remain seated

It was really beneficial for me to listen to the message and hear the denouncement of the terrorists’ actions.

I’ve come to realize that, at their core, Christianity and Islam are not all that different◦ As far as teachings and morality.

Some of the rituals (i.e., pressing their foreheads to the ground) seemed a little strange to me◦ I was also not used to conducting services partially in another language

It made it really difficult to understand what was going on. Overall, I felt this experience was very beneficial for my

understanding of Muslim beliefs and how Muslim prayer is conducted

DIALOGUE WITH GROUP MEMBERS

Part 3:

Setting:Location: Muncie Islamic CenterDate: May 24, 2013Time: 2:30-4:00p

Members present:◦Myself◦Caucasian Muslim revert (will explain)◦Middle Eastern (I believe Saudi Arabian)

Muslim man active at the Muncie Islamic Center

The Caucasian ManAppeared to be in his mid 40sVietnam VeteranRaised Christian“Reverted” to Muslim after

returning from Vietnam◦Muslims believe that all people are

born Muslim but that some fall off the path.

◦As a result, coming into the Muslim faith is called reverting instead of converting

The Middle-Eastern ManAppeared to be in mid-late 20sIn the U.S. while his wife studies

at Ball StateIs still learning to speak English

◦His English was very good and generally understandable

◦Had trouble finding words for some concepts

Why Were No Women Present?As I noted in the observation section, I did not

see any women at the prayerThey were there! They were behind me, in

another room watching/listening through a window◦ This is due to space constraints at the Islamic Center.

Physical barriers between the genders is uncommonWomen sit behind the men during prayer

◦ To avoid men staring at the women during prayer Supposed to be focused on Allah Reduces temptation

If she is not your wife, why are you looking at her?NOT an attempt to oppress women

Men, Women, and Family Structure Men and women are equal but different in Islamic culture

◦ They share equal responsibility, but in different areas The man is the head of the family

◦ Responsible for providing and protecting the family The woman is the head of the household

◦ Responsible for raising the children and teaching them to be good people

The mother is one of the most respected family members◦ Do not disrespect the mother!

Women are not to be alone with another man other than her husband.◦ A male family member must be present

Elderly family members are seen as wise and are sought for advice.

MarriageIslam looks down on divorce

◦ The family needs both parents to function correctly◦ When you get married, you are bonded for life

Homosexual marriage is strictly prohibitedInter-racial marriage is not an issue

◦ All people are equal in the eyes of Allah, regardless of race

Inter-religious marriages are a little more complicated◦ Muslim men can marry a non-Muslim woman◦ Muslim women can not marry a non-Muslim man,

unless he reverts to Islam

Education and WorkingIslam teaches that education is

everyone’s right.Girls and boys both need to be

educatedWhile the man is traditionally the

provider for the family, women are allowed to work◦As long as it does not interfere with

her duties of raising the children.

Resolving ConflictsMen are NOT to beat their wives!

◦Doing so is a perversion of Islam◦Women are not the property of the

husbandConflicts are to be handled

through the inclusion of a neutral third-party who mediates and helps resolve the conflict◦Usually the local religious leader, if

availableSupposed to maintain respect for

all parties involved

CopingPray about itThe Islamic community is very

close and offers each other guidance, advice, and support through difficult times.

View on Physical/Mental HealthPray for people with physical or

mental ailmentsHowever, these people do need

to seek help from trained professionals◦They are encouraged to get help!

All acquaintances should visit the ill individual to show support and to pray for them

FoodNo pork!Meat should only be consumed if

the animal was slaughtered in a certain way◦Often not the case with food sold in

restaurants and stores

The Role of ReligionGiven that the culture selected is

defined by its religion, the role of religion is critical in understanding this culture

The 5 pillars of Islam are very important

View of Other GroupsEveryone should coexist in peaceMuslims have good relations with Jews

and ChristiansAll races are equal under IslamLess was said about Eastern religions,

but they assured me that Islam teaches love for everyone, regardless of religion

In short, they stated that there were no specific groups that Islam has a problem with

Feelings of DiscriminationCaucasian Muslim

Revert◦ Caught a lot of flak

from friends and neighbors for taking a “foreign” religion

◦ Makes people visibly uncomfortable when he says he is Muslim

◦ Has difficulty with the de-emphasis on nationalism that Islam teaches (especially since he is a veteran)

Middle-Eastern Muslim◦ Occasionally feels

outright discrimination based on his looks

◦ Hears a lot of anti-Muslim statements

◦ Says he copes by reminding himself that these people are ignorant of the truth

Personal Feelings on CultureBoth members believe they are

doing well living up to the expectations of their culture◦Both have trouble from time to time,

but it “is expected”The Caucasian revert mentioned he

wished he could eat baconOtherwise, both held that they

wished to retain all of the foundations of their culture.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Part 4:

Conclusions A lot of my preconceptions of Islam were corrected through

this experience in addition to shattering many of the negative stereotypes◦ Islam teaches that violence in any form is bad◦ Men are NOT supposed to beat their wives◦ Though filling different roles, men and women have equal

responsibility in Islam culture Anyone can be Muslim.

◦ There are no key physical features of this cultural group◦ It is a group defined by religion

Islam is not so different from the other major monotheistic religions◦ Definitely not enough to warrant the animosity towards Muslims

often seen in the media Though Muslim extremists exist, so do extremists from every

religion. This project was extremely helpful for my own knowledge

about Islam and also gives me some ideas on how to interact with future Muslim clients (to be discussed on the next slide)

Clinical Implications When working with children of Muslim families, I

should address the father first (as head of the family), but he will likely have me talk to the mother about the child

As a male, I cannot be in a room alone with a Muslim woman. A male family member must be present.◦ I will be unable to do personal therapy with Muslim females

May have to stick to couples or family therapy with this◦ If interviewing about a child, either a son or the husband

would have to be present. The Muslim community is very supportive of its

members in regards to seeking mental health services.◦ Encourage the client to reach out to community for support

A special thanks to the

Muncie Islamic CenterFor allowing me to come and observe their prayers and to help me better understand Islamic culture.