Since our arrival in to Tamale, we were advised to purchase and wear a headscarf or veil. It’s has a very practical purpose to keep our heads cool in this astonishing heat, but more so it’s out of respect to the traditions of a mostly Islamic community. Although not everyone in the Tamale area is Muslim, and not every woman wears a head covering, it’s a vast majority.
Nonetheless of the 14 girls in our group only three have chosen to wear the headscarf. Of the other 11, not a single one could tell you they’ve been in any way mistreated or made uncomfortable for their choice. Tamale, land of NGOs, is used to many Westerners, but more so, they are incredibly respectful of everybody’s individual cultures and choices.
I can say, however, that wearing the veil has proved to be an exceedingly bonding experience between myself and the community. Without any words, people recognize that I am not from here, but that I to respect their traditions. They are extraordinarily welcoming to my presence and it just gives warmth to any relationship one may form with anybody in the community.
The second day in Tamale, I grabbed a taxi by myself and the driver, Hassan, was very happy to talk to me. He said that the day before he had picked me up with my friends, but he wasn’t sure we wanted to talk to him. We ended up having a 20 minute discussion on polygamy, divorce, family and even Colombian fauna. Likewise, I have had many of these kinds of conversations and connection with strangers, even on religious topics that one wouldn’t think are everyday conversation things.
The first time someone asked me if I wanted to be Muslim, I thought they were trying to convert me- he wasn’t even Muslim himself, he was just making conversation and was shocked to hear how strongly we hold on to our religious faith titles in America. When I told him I was a Christian, he responded “don’t you believe in freedom of worship?” As if to say; what does it matters what you consider yourself? I just wanted to know your thoughts on Islam.
We learned in our lecture on Islam that the first constitutional provision made by the prophet Mohammed when he moved to Medina and tried to rule a city of Muslims, Christians and Jews was this concept of “freedom of worship” and brotherhood between faiths. Although lost in the extremist communities the American media has so greatly sensationalized, in West Africa this tenet is practiced to an astonishing degree that is just humbling.
In preparation to our visit to a mosque, aware of the ceremonious list of traditions and restrictions associated with mosques, I wanted to learn how to enter and pray properly. So I went with a friend to the home of one of our staff, Fusi, so his mother could teach us. Islam has strict restrictions between men and women, so we needed to learn from a woman.
She taught us how to perform ablution, the obligatory ceremony to purify your body prior to praying. It involves washing different parts of your body in a ritualistic order and fashion. (At some point we found ourselves squatting in this backyard trying to cleanse our private parts, doing so in this little shack outside the actual mosque was quite an experience.) However, learning how to perform ablution or the secrets to keeping the veil from slipping wasn’t the most interesting part of the evening, it was the conversation afterwards.
Fusi’s mom was actually a former Catholic, but because her family was Muslim and her community Muslim, she attended Arabic school growing up- Arabic school Monday to Friday, Catholic mass on Sundays, what a childhood! Interestingly enough, her son Fusi, who is a devout Muslim, refused to go to Arabic school growing up (he didn’t want to be caned by teachers) so he went to a Methodist school. Now he struggles to learn Arabic to be able to read the Quran, but loves his Islamic faith dearly.
There is a strong belief that Islam is a choice and everyone has a choice to how they worship God, even children. Within one family you may find Muslim children and Catholic children, even attending Christian schools, even as their parents are Muslims. Adults are allowed to leave their Islamic requirements behind and become Christian, or traditionalists, and they often do, just as Islam welcomes people of all other religions to learn their faith, pray with them, even if they don’t want to convert.
There is something simply incredible in that amount of religious tolerance. I can’t think of a family in America, of any faith, to not only allow their children to practice a different faith than them, but even attend school of a different religion.
This idea of ‘freedom of worship’ and respect within religions truly solidified for me today when we visited a mosque for Friday service. For many of my female peers it isn’t easy to see the gender separation and restrictions on dress with the eye of tradition. Sure, the feminist in me could flare up at the idea of sitting behind a wall with only my face uncovered, unable to see the man preaching to me.
But I can’t, I am just in awe of a ceremony with so much history behind it, and the unbelievable hospitality of both men and women of the mosque community. I have visited many churches in my life, once even a synagogue and I have never felt more genuinely welcomed by a congregation than in that mosque today. Even with a complete language barrier, a ridiculously obvious cultural barrier, they took their time to welcome us, pray with us, pray for us, our future, our health, our families, for peace in the world, for brotherhood between faiths. Invite us to return and study in their community if we wish, to learn more about Islam, them, or just say hello and have a meal.
There is a something remarkably powerful in praying with a room full of women, the ceremonious movements, the acceptance that with a different prophet, in a different language, we could share a space for God. It’s a something that is just beyond words.
For anybody to claim Islam is not a religion of peace has never studied it or been among Muslims. To look at the extremists who distort Islam to bomb and kill and judge their faith, is like looking at the Westboro Baptist Church, the Crusades, abortion clinic bombings, childhood Mormon polygamy and soo many other examples and judge the Christian faith.
Extremism exists, in every faith. It’s hard to view it and accept it among our own, but that does not mean you judge the ‘others’ simply because their extremism is on TV more often. I don’t plan on ever becoming a Muslim, but I have learned more about faith and tolerance among them than I ever have among Christians. Tomorrow I will leave Tamale, I still haven’t settled on whether I will return for my ISP, but this experience is one I will forever be thankful to God for.
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