Religious Revelations - Islam

On this very unproductive of first days back from the holidays, I shall attempt to write about something actually quite serious and close to my heart in more ways than one.


The holiday, as full of drinks and games and reunions as it was had its own tiny glimpses of enlightenment. What started off as a bid to cover at least some of the tourist attractions in Penang led us to walk into the Keling Kapitan mosque - admittedly the first mosque i have stepped foot in in our own Muslim nation of Malaysia. Did anyone else, like me for the longest time, think that non-Muslims weren't allowed in mosques?


Yes we put on the hijab to cover our modesty. Yes, fatimah looked more like fatimah. (What a wasted photo op!) Yes, Aaron had to wear one too because he was baring his sexay knees...

While the tour itself was not very informative - we saw how to wash before prayers, where to wash before prayers (but weren't allowed in the main hall itself - a shame since the ceiling art looked v beautiful in the pictures) i was very taken by the guides at the mosque. Right next to it is an information centre where they sit and talk to you (my dearest veron playing interviewer at that point) and also provide lots of interesting reading material.



Parts that Impressed Me:

The fact that the guide stressed that Islam and Christianity need not be mutually exclusive. They acknowledge that Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus, etc. DID exist and that they have special significance in religious history. After all, the major religions merely preach that there is one God. Noone ever said he isn't the same God - just with different names.


The welcoming attitude of the guides. They were open to questions, acknowledging the fact that Islam has a bad rep and that the world thinks they are all terrorists.



Parts that Weren't so Impressive:

I picked up a book called '20 Most Common Questions About Islam' and I think it's books like that help perpetuate Islam's bad rep. Question 1: Why are men allowed to have many wives but women not allowed many husbands?

a) Because if 1 man sleeps with many women you will know that their babies are his. But if 1 woman sleeps with many men, you will not know who the father of her baby is (but now technology makes this possible). Logical, but still kind of weak to me.

b) Because there are more women in the world than men except in China and India where female infanticide is practised. By that justification, shouldn't the women in China and India be able to have many husbands?

Mmm... no big moral revelation.

Question 20: Why do Muslims abuse non-Muslims by calling them Kafirs?

Kafirs refer to non-believers therefore Muslims call the non-Muslims Kafirs. If non-Muslims do not want to be called Kafirs, then they should convert to Islam and they will not be called Kafirs.

What? I thought that was a funny statement. If you don't want me to call you stupid, you should just become smart. (something like that) Cos it's so easy, right?


Okay, books aside though. I did feel that amongst all the stories we hear about Islamic fundamentalists and pushing their religion and being uncompromising, the people we spoke to at the mosque were very open and patient in their explanations.
I guess most importantly i didn't feel like there was any agenda behind their interaction with us. Just so that we would understand and appreciate their beliefs.