Confronting Islam: How to Have a Change of Heart

I know it’s easy to develop many stereotypes and assumptions based on the type of media or societal attitudes that we consume, just as I know it is even harder to change those biases once they’re firmly ingrained in our minds. Yet I cannot put a limit even further on how much hurt comes from these biases that we have, especially towards the people who are a victim of a story, that isn’t even true. So today, I want to set the page straight, on not just a subject but a people, the Islamic people who have been so affected by the lies the West is telling about them, that some of them have started believing its true.

So, the first thing I want to address and set straight for the West, in particular the United States who are famed for their biased policies towards Muslims, is what really Islam is. For most Americans, Islam is a constant reminder of 9/11, of terrorists, of fear faced towards people who invaded our home and killed our people, these so-called extremists. In fact, you might be surprised to find that these same people who have caused harm, who have killed people, aren’t even Muslim, their own communities don’t even call them true Muslims, for it is a sin in Islam to kill anyone, in fact it’s just common sense.

Just like its common sense to not red letter an entire religion, an entire people, for evil, one person, or one group continues to do. Terrorism be damned yes, but don’t kill off an opportunity to know an entire nation just based on what has happened in the past. In the words of a great friend, it is unsmart to have such thinking, thinking that never changes, never develops, and never goes anywhere but towards more hatred and as such, I want to tell you about the Islam I know, to hopefully put an end to some of this kind of thinking.

I first became familiar with the religion of Islam and Muslim people when I was studying abroad in the South of France and I met my best friend Wafaa, a Moroccan who was studying her master’s degree in France, and we bonded over daily conversations about the treatment she experienced in France due to French misunderstandings about who Muslims really are. Through my conversations with Wafaa, I became aware that the standard concept of Muslim in the West is associated with nothing but trouble, no mentions, bad ratings, and while every moment spent as her friend, helped to prove that wrong for me, I wanted to learn further about Islam and so I came to Morocco to study Arabic this summer and live with a Muslim family; to prove to the world that they are wrong about Islam and about Muslims.

You see, I heard all the standard warnings of family, oh be careful going to Morocco, don’t come back a Muslim, every insulting, racist biased thing, you can believe I heard it from people before coming here, from the news, and still I came, because the world is wrong. When I came to Morocco, I was so afraid to utter the words Alhamdulillah, Bismilliah, Allahu Akbar, having seen them in movies before some terrorist would do some crazy violent thing. These words, do you even know what they mean? I didn’t know what they meant before I came here, these are the words the Muslim people utter on their knees 5 times a day, you wouldn’t believe their dedication to prayer, reaching out with arms to God, these words mean praise be to God, in the name of God, crying out God is most Great, Allahu Akbar.  In the most desperate and humblest moments of their lives, Muslims are saying these words, trusting God with their future, they are not words to be taken lightly.

And yet we have taken some of these words as violence, as someone wants to attack us and take our lives, because we saw some fake actors, extremists in a movie utter them, when these words, are a prayer lifted to God, a last hope for help from God. Most people when they utter stereotypes about Muslims in the West, about how they are all going to blow us up, and are cooking bombs in their houses of prayer, don’t realize what’s going on in those houses of worship. Everyday of my experience in Morocco, I hear the Adhan, the call to prayer at 4am in the morning, at 2pm in the afternoon, even at 10pm at night, and I see dedicated believers rushing to their feet, following the path of the Adhan in the moonlight to these houses of worship called Masjids, where Muslims are on their knees before God, reciting what they know to be his words, in an act of dedication that is better than any religion I have seen so far in the United States.

You see Islam for me since I have come to Morocco, is not just what is happening in the hearts of the Masjids, but it is the smiles of Moroccan people welcoming me to their country, it is in the silence of a girl on a bus as she talks about her disability to me, how she thinks it is a gift from God. It is my host mother crying for me as I leave my last day in Morocco, and me never wanting to let her go as I depart on my final day in Morocco. My host mother’s love and care have been so extraordinary that I found it challenging to say goodbye, as she has surpassed my expectations of what a mother should be, loving me in ways I had longed for from my own mother. Muslims just like her, through their actions, consistently demonstrate a love for one another that leaves no room for doubt. The people of Morocco never once made me feel like I was not loved, and this is the beauty of Islam, of following a religion that is entirely dedicated to God, lives built around God, this is Islam, hearts filled with love and service to God are always Muslims.

Every year they give a portion of their wealth to charity called Zakat, every day they are constantly giving to the neighbors around them; they are a community united; no one goes hungry, no need is not met by those who practice Islam, you don’t even have to ask, this is just how good Muslim people are. Be they in Morocco, Qatar, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, United States, their example is the example of the future, and before we make stereotypes, you should listen to the words of one who has spent 2 months in their community, learning their language, studying Quran, living to hear their dreams, their dreams are just as real as ours, their struggles the same, the doctrines of their religion, the solution for our world.

I can go on and on about how deeply I feel about Islam, about the Muslims who adhere to this religion, the people of Morocco, and yet I want to bring you even deeper, into their traditions, their history, Eid- al-Adha. When I was in Morocco, I got to celebrate one of the largest Islamic holidays called Eid al-Adha and believe or not it’s not just about sheep being sacrificed, but it’s about remembrance of a historic story for Muslims that is very real. That story is the story of Abraham and Ishmael, where Abraham was visited by God in a dream and told to kill his son Ishmael. As the story goes when it comes time for Abraham to kill Ishmael, the angel Gabriel appears, and instead a ram is used as a sacrifice in place. For thousands of years, Muslims, have honored this story and celebrated Eid al-Adha, which also marks the climax of Hajj or Pilgrimage, the fifth pillar of Islam.

The important fact about Eid al-Adha is not only just the constant remembrance and dedication to a tradition but also, I want those looking in from the outside to realize is the heart involved. The one thing people miss about Muslims is they always do things with every intention being towards God, towards serving other people and their community and the true meaning of Eid al-Adha is charity. After the sheep die honorably, in the name of God, their meat is divided up into three portions, 1 for the family, 1 for the neighbors, and 1 for the poor. Honestly, it seemed like the biggest portion is given to the poor. Every year on this holiday, for one day every person in an Islamic country, like in Morocco can taste the sweetness of meat, and indulge in something that takes them past their problems to God. This selflessness of giving of meat is something Muslims save up for during the entire year, and then give away and Eid al-Adha is really one of the unsurpassed parts about the Islamic community.

For me, it was an honor, and a shock to be served the best quality of meat as a part of my host family in Morocco, and even more it warmed my heart knowing everyone in the city of Rabat that day was being fed, the same way. If you have heard anything of Ramadan, you know Muslims know what it’s like to taste the bitterness of hunger, and the sadness it brings, and they are the only religion in the world I know for a whole month takes time out of their day to fast, so they can share in the solidarity of the poor of the world, and give back thankfulness and gratitude to God. Every action you see a Muslim perform from doing prayers, to wearing the Hijab, all of it has been handed down, generation, after generation all back to the time of Abraham, and for anyone to insult such a beautiful community, due to lies is a tragedy.

Again, I turn back-to-back to my own example, of what I have seen Islam to be, which is a beautiful, trustworthy people that is humble in everything they do. If people had the opportunity, I had to open their hearts, and trusted me that everything written here in this blog post is the truth of my heart, then they might develop their thoughts about their neighbors and fellow Muslims of their community. They will not hate them anymore, they will not be afraid to praise God with them, and most importantly they won’t be afraid of them. Muslims, they are people, Islam is a beautiful religion, open your heart to receive these people the same way you do me your white-skinned neighbor, and please forgive the past.

Let it go, stop punishing innocent people, please West, wherever you are end your bias and embrace the hearts of this world, Muslims.  Do as I am doing, travel, experience, and educate yourselves, for the people I speak of in this post, are worth more than the lies told in a Saturday evening newspaper clipping. As such, I end this blog post with hope, with love, and a new understanding of the Islamic faith. I am proud to be considered an honorary part of it as well. Thank you to all Muslims in the world and all open-minded people reading this.

Reflecting always,

Future Translator Katie Fritsche

I know it’s easy to develop many stereotypes and assumptions based on the type of media or societal attitudes that we consume, just as I know it is even harder to change those biases once they’re firmly ingrained in our minds. Yet I cannot put a limit even further on how much hurt comes from these biases that we have, especially towards the people who are a victim of a story, that isn’t even true. So today, I want to set the page straight, on not just a subject but a people, the Islamic people who have been so affected by the lies the West is telling about them, that some of them have started believing its true.

So, the first thing I want to address and set straight for the West, in particular the United States who are famed for their biased policies towards Muslims, is what really Islam is. For most Americans, Islam is a constant reminder of 9/11, of terrorists, of fear faced towards people who invaded our home and killed our people, these so-called extremists. In fact, you might be surprised to find that these same people who have caused harm, who have killed people, aren’t even Muslim, their own communities don’t even call them true Muslims, for it is a sin in Islam to kill anyone, in fact it’s just common sense.

Just like its common sense to not red letter an entire religion, an entire people, for evil, one person, or one group continues to do. Terrorism be damned yes, but don’t kill off an opportunity to know an entire nation just based on what has happened in the past. In the words of a great friend, it is unsmart to have such thinking, thinking that never changes, never develops, and never goes anywhere but towards more hatred and as such, I want to tell you about the Islam I know, to hopefully put an end to some of this kind of thinking.

I first became familiar with the religion of Islam and Muslim people when I was studying abroad in the South of France and I met my best friend Wafaa, a Moroccan who was studying her master’s degree in France, and we bonded over daily conversations about the treatment she experienced in France due to French misunderstandings about who Muslims really are. Through my conversations with Wafaa, I became aware that the standard concept of Muslim in the West is associated with nothing but trouble, no mentions, bad ratings, and while every moment spent as her friend, helped to prove that wrong for me, I wanted to learn further about Islam and so I came to Morocco to study Arabic this summer and live with a Muslim family; to prove to the world that they are wrong about Islam and about Muslims.

You see, I heard all the standard warnings of family, oh be careful going to Morocco, don’t come back a Muslim, every insulting, racist biased thing, you can believe I heard it from people before coming here, from the news, and still I came, because the world is wrong. When I came to Morocco, I was so afraid to utter the words Alhamdulillah, Bismilliah, Allahu Akbar, having seen them in movies before some terrorist would do some crazy violent thing. These words, do you even know what they mean? I didn’t know what they meant before I came here, these are the words the Muslim people utter on their knees 5 times a day, you wouldn’t believe their dedication to prayer, reaching out with arms to God, these words mean praise be to God, in the name of God, crying out God is most Great, Allahu Akbar.  In the most desperate and humblest moments of their lives, Muslims are saying these words, trusting God with their future, they are not words to be taken lightly.

And yet we have taken some of these words as violence, as someone wants to attack us and take our lives, because we saw some fake actors, extremists in a movie utter them, when these words, are a prayer lifted to God, a last hope for help from God. Most people when they utter stereotypes about Muslims in the West, about how they are all going to blow us up, and are cooking bombs in their houses of prayer, don’t realize what’s going on in those houses of worship. Everyday of my experience in Morocco, I hear the Adhan, the call to prayer at 4am in the morning, at 2pm in the afternoon, even at 10pm at night, and I see dedicated believers rushing to their feet, following the path of the Adhan in the moonlight to these houses of worship called Masjids, where Muslims are on their knees before God, reciting what they know to be his words, in an act of dedication that is better than any religion I have seen so far in the United States.

You see Islam for me since I have come to Morocco, is not just what is happening in the hearts of the Masjids, but it is the smiles of Moroccan people welcoming me to their country, it is in the silence of a girl on a bus as she talks about her disability to me, how she thinks it is a gift from God. It is my host mother crying for me as I leave my last day in Morocco, and me never wanting to let her go as I depart on my final day in Morocco. My host mother’s love and care have been so extraordinary that I found it challenging to say goodbye, as she has surpassed my expectations of what a mother should be, loving me in ways I had longed for from my own mother. Muslims just like her, through their actions, consistently demonstrate a love for one another that leaves no room for doubt. The people of Morocco never once made me feel like I was not loved, and this is the beauty of Islam, of following a religion that is entirely dedicated to God, lives built around God, this is Islam, hearts filled with love and service to God are always Muslims.

Every year they give a portion of their wealth to charity called Zakat, every day they are constantly giving to the neighbors around them; they are a community united; no one goes hungry, no need is not met by those who practice Islam, you don’t even have to ask, this is just how good Muslim people are. Be they in Morocco, Qatar, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, United States, their example is the example of the future, and before we make stereotypes, you should listen to the words of one who has spent 2 months in their community, learning their language, studying Quran, living to hear their dreams, their dreams are just as real as ours, their struggles the same, the doctrines of their religion, the solution for our world.

I can go on and on about how deeply I feel about Islam, about the Muslims who adhere to this religion, the people of Morocco, and yet I want to bring you even deeper, into their traditions, their history, Eid- al-Adha. When I was in Morocco, I got to celebrate one of the largest Islamic holidays called Eid al-Adha and believe or not it’s not just about sheep being sacrificed, but it’s about remembrance of a historic story for Muslims that is very real. That story is the story of Abraham and Ishmael, where Abraham was visited by God in a dream and told to kill his son Ishmael. As the story goes when it comes time for Abraham to kill Ishmael, the angel Gabriel appears, and instead a ram is used as a sacrifice in place. For thousands of years, Muslims, have honored this story and celebrated Eid al-Adha, which also marks the climax of Hajj or Pilgrimage, the fifth pillar of Islam.

The important fact about Eid al-Adha is not only just the constant remembrance and dedication to a tradition but also, I want those looking in from the outside to realize is the heart involved. The one thing people miss about Muslims is they always do things with every intention being towards God, towards serving other people and their community and the true meaning of Eid al-Adha is charity. After the sheep die honorably, in the name of God, their meat is divided up into three portions, 1 for the family, 1 for the neighbors, and 1 for the poor. Honestly, it seemed like the biggest portion is given to the poor. Every year on this holiday, for one day every person in an Islamic country, like in Morocco can taste the sweetness of meat, and indulge in something that takes them past their problems to God. This selflessness of giving of meat is something Muslims save up for during the entire year, and then give away and Eid al-Adha is really one of the unsurpassed parts about the Islamic community.

For me, it was an honor, and a shock to be served the best quality of meat as a part of my host family in Morocco, and even more it warmed my heart knowing everyone in the city of Rabat that day was being fed, the same way. If you have heard anything of Ramadan, you know Muslims know what it’s like to taste the bitterness of hunger, and the sadness it brings, and they are the only religion in the world I know for a whole month takes time out of their day to fast, so they can share in the solidarity of the poor of the world, and give back thankfulness and gratitude to God. Every action you see a Muslim perform from doing prayers, to wearing the Hijab, all of it has been handed down, generation, after generation all back to the time of Abraham, and for anyone to insult such a beautiful community, due to lies is a tragedy.

Again, I turn back-to-back to my own example, of what I have seen Islam to be, which is a beautiful, trustworthy people that is humble in everything they do. If people had the opportunity, I had to open their hearts, and trusted me that everything written here in this blog post is the truth of my heart, then they might develop their thoughts about their neighbors and fellow Muslims of their community. They will not hate them anymore, they will not be afraid to praise God with them, and most importantly they won’t be afraid of them. Muslims, they are people, Islam is a beautiful religion, open your heart to receive these people the same way you do me your white-skinned neighbor, and please forgive the past.

Let it go, stop punishing innocent people, please West, wherever you are end your bias and embrace the hearts of this world, Muslims.  Do as I am doing, travel, experience, and educate yourselves, for the people I speak of in this post, are worth more than the lies told in a Saturday evening newspaper clipping. As such, I end this blog post with hope, with love, and a new understanding of the Islamic faith. I am proud to be considered an honorary part of it as well. Thank you to all Muslims in the world and all open-minded people reading this.

Reflecting always,

Future Translator Katie Fritsche