Al- Azhar

Today MESP went to Al Azhar to break fast with the students. Al Azhar is the most prestigious school of Islamic learning in the Middle East. It took Dr D 2 years to get things worked out of students to visit there, so this trip was a very unique and rare opportunity. I decided to fast the day to make the breaking fast more meaningful and because I felt like I needed to fast (I'll write more about it later, but I'm starting to see the importance of prayer and fasting and how it's absence from my life has robbed me of blessing) so I did and boy was it difficult.. I asked my new friend Jami if it was difficult for her and she said it wasn't because she's been doing it since she was little. I envy her a little. A Muslim's life seems so much more devoted than mine. I wish I could say that I pray 5 times a day and am a religiously disciplined person, but I'm not. Not right now, anyways. Things are changing and I'm working to become a more disciplined person in my spiritual life, but still, I wish it was instilled in me since I was a child. We arrived at Al-Azhar at 3:30 and sat down at this long table in this conference-type room. We were told to sit away from each other, with empty seats by us so that the students could sit among us. Then the students came in. They seemed to be our age... from 18-23 years old.. The women were in conservative dress, which means higab and long sleeves and skirts. Some girls had their face covered. The girl next to me was completely covered. The men were dressed formaly. We were told to dress our best and our most conservative. I wore a purple long sleeved shirt and black dress pants. After they came in and the speaker, one of the directors of the school, was introduced and properly thanked for the opportunity for us to be there, there was a time of questions. We asked different things: the school's opinion of the role of women in Islam, the different sects of Islam, how Islam is being "misinterpreted" by the West, and how Al-Azhar is engaging Egypt's youth. It was not very interesting, honestly. Nothing surprised me about what he said. He said a lot that Christianity and Islam were very similar and there needed to be peace and tolerance (Can I just say that that word is SO overused and misused. It frusterates me a little. It's a loaded word.) and that the Koran teaches that women are equal to men and that that's how it was when the prophet was alive and that's how it should be now (Yeah. That's why women now are allowed to pray with men in the mosque. Oh wait. No they're not.) . He totally ran around the question of the sects of Islam, saying something about... peace and tolerance. I mean, I shouldn't be so critical. Juliana, don't be so critical. At least it's a moderate school, teaching moderate Islam and trying to spread a peaceful kind of Islam around the world. But, really. Is that what is truly taught at that school? I cannot accept that Islam is all about peace. That Jihad is only for defensive purposes and that all Muslims want things to be like they were in the prophet's time. Um, no that's not true. I feel like I've been fed a bunch of modernist propaganda, while the Moderates are the solution, not the problem. I want to hear some of the problem. The fundamentalists and traditionalists... Ok they're a minority but they are out there and I want to know more about them. I know we can't meet with them, I'm tired of being told Moderates are all there is. Ok I guess I'm just spoiled. I've met a number of Moderates and now I wanna meet Fundamentalists. Or at least Traditionalists. Maybe Fundamentalists would be more interested in killing me than meeting me. Anyway, after the questioning time there was a "small group" time where we got together with who ever was around us and talked in smaller groups. I LOVED this method. I'm scared spit less of asking a question in a group of 60 super smart people but get me into a small group and I thrive. I talked with two girls and we talked about the differences between Christanity and Islam and it was so eye-openning to me. One girl thought that our Trinity was Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Mary. I was like, "What?". She wanted to know what it meant when Christians crossed themselves. Then I had to explain the difference between Catholics and Protestants and between Americans and Christians and that not all 18 years old were automatically "free" from their parents and that "free sex" wasnt a truly Christian thing... My gosh, I hate it that the US is looked at as a Christian nation. I was so embarrassed at some of the things I had to explain to her. Shakira is NOT a true believer. I am NOT Shakira. I do not do "free sex". Yes I read the Bible, no I'm not Catholic, yes I believe Jesus died. Yes I believe Jesus is God. No I can't explain the Trinity. Yes three can be one. No there arn't three gods. No Mary is not a God. No I don't fast regularly. No I'm not Shakira. No I wasn't "free" at 18! haha. YES I like Avril Lavigne. You too? Cool. Who else do you like to listen to?... haha. We became friends. Music. It trancends cultures and brings rockers together.
Anyways, at 6:00 after the call to prayer we broke fast. It was amazing but I ate too fast I guess and got a belly ache. And the girl next to me took off her face veil and I about passed out. I didn't notice that she had taken it off and I looked away then when I looked back I was like, holy cow who are you? =) Not really but it took me off guard. It was good to finally see her smile though. And see her mouth as she talked. I rely so much on watching lips to understand people. She spoke English fairly well... enough to talk religion. I really dont mind talking to people who don't speak English. I like using my hands and face and noises to get my message across. We laughed a lot. Words are so over-rated.

So I broke my first Ramadan fast today in an Islamic school and made new Muslim friends whom I hope to get to know better and bond with in the future. Right now I'm in the Columbus café with Rachel, Alli and Sarah. I love this café. Its classy and it has couches. There's a soccer game going on right now. It's a bit more noisy than when we got here. Feels a little like home..

Happy Ramadan!