8/08/2009

Differences

This post should reflect on how I see myself in company of my friends, who are mostly muslims. I respect them fully as they do to me, though there are sometimes discussions on religious questions like why to eat halal these days, where everybody has a fridge or freezer, or how we see Taliban and Peoples Mujahiddin. Sometimes I end up lecture them about the differnces on the latter subject. And most of them never heard about the Satanic Verses by Sir Salman Rushdie, let alone about the Fatwa Khomeini ruled on Rushdie. So some of my friends like Rafiq(e.g.) consider me more muslimic than catholic, which is funny to me, since I argument strictly from a catholic piont of view, another one even aked me once, if I were a Sunnite! Of course not, I only read the Qur´an with the confidence of not becoming influenced by it. They, on the other hand, rarerly know the Bible nor the Qur´an, that they only read in their Mosques. They call my name in the arab version, I get invited to liberal as well to more conservative families on Bayram, while we also hang out toghether, blading, some even drink alcohol when I drink Coke. And only few of them take Ramadhan serious, while I take Lent as it was meant. You see, all in all we are not so different at all, when you have the chance to become real friends. In this sense Sala´am Aleikum, have all a nice weekend, Inch Allah! Laters Pilgrim

5 comments:

naturgesetz said...

Those must be interesting discussions. Of course there are many points on which the "Abrahamic faiths" are in agreement, so it's understandable that if they know only Islam they think you are taking a Muslim position.

Dr Mandragora said...

There are many tenets of the Muslim faith that have counterparts in the Christian. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there is even a story in the Muslim faith about Mohammad visiting with Moses about how often the Muslim people should pray per day. Though I haven't studied Islam in detail, I find that the two faiths are not exclusive.

You can't be too hard on your friends, though, for not knowing their own faith well and only knowing what their religious leaders teach in Mosque; there are many Christians who follow what their pastors tell them about Christ rather than reading his teachings for themselves.

Dean Grey said...

Pilgrim!

I think the fact that you and your friends are of different religious backgrounds and yet still can be good friends is a great thing!

That should give the rest of the world hope that we all can have different views and beliefs and still exist peacefully.

I know, I know, that sounds so goody-two-shoes!

-Dean

Randy said...

I have a few muslim friends as well, and you are right, it seems most of them only take second hand knowledge, or dogmatic tradition, rather than reading and learning from their own holy book. I seem to have more debates with them over religion simply b/c the listen, when christians normally disregard me as a "lost soul who needs jesus" and outright dismiss me and my point a view.

A TRAVESTY I TELL YA!

y78ilm said...

All differences are what makes this world so colourful. I'm convinced it'd definitely be a much more dull place if we all had the same view on everything. Respect for those differences, most of them differences we're born into, THAT is what I miss.