By Shauna Snover
Witnessing “salah,” breaking down stereotypes of Muslims, and taking a tour of a mosque were all part of a recent two-hour field trip to the Islamic Center in Getzville.
As both a student in COM 389, Intercultural Communications, and a reporter for Bengal News Online, I participated in this experience outside the limitations of a Buffalo State College classroom.
Faizan Haq, professor at BSC and the University at Buffalo, arranged the field trip, which was designed to get students out of their comfort zones and to experience something new, he said.
During this field trip, I was able to learn about another religion. Islam has been in the media spotlight for years and this trip allowed me to come to my own conclusions, instead of relying on the media.
Prayer Time
Upon arriving at the center in the early afternoon, we were invited to observe salah:
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Salah is the name of the obligatory prayers that are performed five times a day.
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The five ritual prayers contain verses from the Qur’an.
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We went to the center on a Friday, which meant the prayer we attended was an extended session, analogous to a Sunday sermon, lasting about 25 minutes.
Men and women entered the mosque through separate doors and were partitioned off from each other by hanging yellow drapes. On the women’s side, which was considerably smaller than the men’s, were approximately 50 women of all ages. We were not allowed to wear shoes inside the prayer room.
Answers about Islam
After the prayer session ended, we gathered across the lobby from the mosque in the social hall for an informal panel discussion. Along with my fellow students in COM 389, there were students from one of Haq’s UB classes, numbering in total about 30.
The panelists included two men, Hasan Shibly and Amil Sarfraz, and three women, Kathy Ahmed, Annie Majoka and Nada Sharif, who answered questions from students. The kinds of questions ranged from what type of dress was typically worn by Muslims to a breakdown of stereotypes, including the inevitable questions concerning terrorists.
Dress and appearance
I learned that Muslims strive to dress like spiritual leaders and dress in modest, humble clothing, which also acts as a barrier for attracting the opposite sex.
The women explained the meaning of the “hijab,” which means “to cover.”
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The external hijab, or head scarf, is a manifestation of the internal hijab, Ahmed said.
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Internal hijab is the way someone conducts their behavior.
Countering the media and myths
A student asked what the panelists thought about terrorists and whether they had any sympathy for them. All five people adamantly denounced any acts of terror. Islam by definition means “peace and submission,” Shibly said.
“Terrorism is always the first thing they ask about,” Majoka said.
All five panelists were also frustrated with the misconception perpetuated by the media about Muslims.
For example, Ahmed said, when Islamic extremists commit a terrorist act, they are first and foremost labeled as being Muslim. But when westerners, such as David Koresh or Timothy McVeigh, commit terrorist acts, their religion does not play any significant part in the media scrutiny, she said.
“The extremist faction is a small, small minority,” Ahmed said. “But their actions are on such a grand scale that it affects Muslims as a whole.”
Equality of sexes
The question of equality among men and women arose next. A woman can not be an “imam,” or prayer leader, but she can be a scholar leader.
Ahmed is the principal of the Universal School of Buffalo, located on the second story of the Islamic Center, which teaches pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.
Tour of building
After the panel was over, refreshments were served and students were able to mingle with the five panelists, who stayed around to answer any questions that students might have been uncomfortable asking in front of everybody else.
Haq also led a tour of the rest of the ground floor of the building, explaining to students what the various symbols and decorations meant.
Haq, who has taken previous students on similar field trips, wanted to show students something different from a temple or a church. What you see on television is quite different than the actual Muslim community, he said.
“It’s important to sojourn into someone else’s culture and to make an attempt to experience another culture,” Haq said.
Significance of trip
Majoka, a junior at UB who is majoring in anthropology and pre-medicine, said she participated to clear up misconceptions about Muslims.
Majoka was glad she was able to be a part of the discussion and was encouraged that students and youths were able to interact with people at the center. She was impressed with some of the questions asked by the students, particularly concerning the breakdown between Islam and culture. The trip will hopefully change people’s attitudes about Islam, she said.
This was the first time visiting a mosque for Joanna Gerwitz, a sophomore majoring in communications at BSC. She liked observing the prayer the most and was interested in learning something new.
I learned a lot from this trip as well, something that could not be attained by simply being lectured to. I thought venturing out into the community was a great way to learn about Islam and to apply the principles that I have been taught throughout the semester in my Intercultural Communications studies.
The primary thing I learned is that Islam is a way of life. Being Muslim comes before all other forms of identity.
“Islam is who I am,” Shibly said.
Contact Shauna Snover at snovst13@mail.buffalostate.edu
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