the mosque, music, and ramblings (not necessarily in that order)
our group visited one of the largest/the largest (can't recall!) mosque in the area on friday. in retrospect i should have taken in my camera so i could post pictures, but hindsight is 20/20.
it was beautiful. the auburn gallipoli mosque is a turkish style mosque, meaning the inside was covered with detailed calligraphy and designs in vibrant whites, reds, blues, and golds. we were given a tour by a very progressive/liberal muslim who was very informative and stressed the similarities between our religions before the differences--what with abraham and all. we were then ushered into a room and met a scholar in muslim theology, who took many of our questions about being islamic in australia in stride. one of my favorite things he said was towards the end, and, bearing in mind post factum translation, can be summed up like this:
the era of domination is over. peoples can't make peace with each other by sheer force any more. wars against whole countries are effective on small scales, but it is impossible to control a whole nation. the only way we'll get along is if we learn how we are similar, and respect how we are different. through that education process we'll learn that the "other" is uniquely human and respect each other.
it reminded me of a robert frost poem i read once, mending wall. the main idea is that "good fences make good neighbors", because the fence, although it separates the neighbors and keeps ones property from another's, forces the two to get together every spring to mend the fence. through being sure that your side isn't on my side, i get to hear about how your year has been and how things are going, and vice versa. it brings us together. it was quite encouraging and full of grace. my kind of outing.
headcovering worked out great. someone actually told me it suited me a little. i am currently considering a social experiment of wearing one for a day, but am not sure i want to invite that kind of attention as i already get some of it every time i open my mouth.
fellow americans still surprise me. sometimes it's negative (asking questions about praying to Muhammad even after being told, no, we don't do that, it's actually majorly offensive if anyone tries to, or watching a peer ask a scholar a question with headphones still on), sometimes it's positive (the grace i'm given when i mess up too).
passing forward free music! the robbie seay band has made their latest album available for free when you sign up for a relevant magazine newsletter. now, i have no clue who the robbie seay band is, but i've been listening to the album today and it's not bad. kind of straight up pop-rock with sort of ho-hum lyrics, but the song "shine your light on us" has a few lines that are relevant to me right now. check it out, but move quick! i don't know how much longer it will be available.
heaps of work. lots of opportunity. prayers, thoughts, challenges, encouragements welcome.
3 comments:
Hi! Jenny again! I love the Robbie Seay Band!
One more thing, could not resist. You should ponder the deliciousness of naming this Australian mosque the "Gallipoli" mosque. If you're Aussie or New Zealander, this can't feel very good. Gallipoli was one of the worst military defeats in history for ANZAC, a horrible bruising of national pride, and the Turks' shining moment of resistance to the Allied advance of WWI. While Aussies are proud of fighting bravely at Gallipoli, they can't find much warm feelings in the TURKS reminding them they kicked the Aussie's butts. What if the Methodist Church went to the Dakota Sioux reservation as built the "Wounded Knee Chapel"? How about the Cubans building a "Bay of Pigs" Cuban Cultural Center in Miami? To the Methodists and Cubans, this would be a big time thumbing of their noses toward those they defeated. To the Sioux or the Cuban exiles, it would feel like a continual reminder of failure. To me, this is another reminder that in the end Islam is about domination, not holiness.
But I did meet some really nice Muslims in Turkey!
even though it's been a year since this was posted, need to follow up on what the mike said in his comment. he and i have discussed this in private, but in case someone comes here and gets the wrong idea, i want to clarify.
it is true, gallipoli was one of the worst military defeats for ANZAC troops, and to my mind, nothing to be that proud of. BUT--the importance of cultural values cannot be stressed more in this situation.
by and large, australians are not ashamed of their defeat at gallipoli. in fact, the fact that they were defeated is a tangential point to national pride it stirs up. it was the ANZACs first opportunity to serve in a large war effort, and they were proud to get out there and do it. most austrailans i know would say of gallipoli, "yeah, it was a loss, but at least we had a go at it!" they are proud that they were able to support the war and it is nothing they are ashamed of.
from what i can recall, the austrailans, new zealanders, and and turks alike have united in memorializing the battle as a battle in which both sides lost men that are to be honored, are and now at peace with each other.
so, when you think on the auburn gallipoli mosque, do not think of it as a intended jab at the australians for their loss. rather, think of it as a uniting piece of collective memory. both sides point to this battle and claim the sadness of lost men (sons, brothers, husbands, fathers), and a reminder that they are no longer at war.
what that says about Islam and domination, i'll let you judge. BUT REMEMBER. cultures are different. you don't know what something like gallipoli means to a place before you get there and start asking questions. your culture is a lens through which you see the world, and sometimes it's hard to remember that you're wearing glasses at all. try on a different pair before making a decision.
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