Getting to Know Ourselves Better by Knowing Others

This is Jamie, the author of our final entry on chapters 6 and 7, and she's pictured here with her dad and her mom. As you read, you'll see that the reading held special meaning for Jamie with regard to her dad. Enjoy.

Chapter six is centered on the fact that Ranya doesn’t feel like she has a place where she and her family can go worship. It was interesting that she said that, at the time, being American and Muslim didn’t feel like a privilege. Ranya mentioned that her family couldn’t find a Mosque in New York City that worked for them, because most were filled with Muslims who were immigrants and her family wanted a Mosque that also honored their American culture. This reminded me of the importance of cultural competence because people can have the same ethnicity or be put in the same group, but have differences in what they believe and how much their heritage impacts day-to-day life. It must have been hard for Ranya and her family to be Americanized and Muslim in New York around the time of 9/11.

When Suzanne invited Ranya to her church for Easter Sunday I had mixed feelings about the situation. I understood that Suzanne wanted Ranya and her family to be accepted; but I didn’t feel comfortable about how Suzanne initially wanted Ranya to convert to Christianity. At the end of the chapter I loved the fact that Suzanne realized that Ranya wouldn’t want to convert to Christianity because even though there were similarities in the faiths, there were also major differences. Ranya felt connected to her faith and wanted to honor her family and beliefs. I thought Ranya and Suzanne were humble and tolerant to accept each others' differences and still be able to worship their own gods, their own way. When Ranya saw Suzanne’s church congregation worship together with their families, I had a bittersweet feeling because it was so wonderful that she could be a part of this experience, but sad that she herself didn’t have a sanctuary where her family could worship together. It was interesting to me that Ranya’s experience with Suzanne’s church showed her how much she believed in the Muslim faith; it was enlightening to see her gain confidence in her faith by observing another faith. This example taught me that maybe people realize who they are by experiencing situations out of their norm.

In chapter seven Priscilla talks with Ranya and Suzanne about how she is having a tough time dealing with her sister being diagnosed with cancer. This chapter gave me a flashback about how my father died when I was fifteen years old. My father’s death was hard for me but the circumstances strengthened my faith and helped me to express my love to my father. Suzanne told Priscilla about how her sister had died, in hopes of giving Priscilla some comfort in this difficult time. Priscilla’s faith grows from her experience with Ranya and Suzanne, because they share with her about how their faith pulls them through difficult times. I also experienced this, I believe, at the most difficult times of my life; my faith has been strengthened. I also believe sharing situations you’ve been through with others is a great way to heal and help you both feel you are not alone.