Facing our Communities/ Awakenings

"I chose this picture because it means a lot to me. This is one of my best friends. We have been friends for 17 years." Friends are obviously important to Rosaura, the author our our final entry on chapters 16 and 17. Happy reading!

As I read chapters 16 and 17, I realized how important it is for Priscilla, Ranya and Suzanne to have a deep understanding of everything that their religion implies. Priscilla and Suzanne were concerned about the stereotypes and negative comments relating to their religion. By reading these two chapters, I learned that the authors have also experienced moments where their beliefs have been challenged by others.

The authors believe that their religions have been difficult for them because of all the stereotypes. In one of the chapters, Ranya mentions that she was once challenged by a kindergartner who had told her mother that she was fascinated with a female Muslim teacher. The little girl explained to her mother that the Muslim teacher would cover her hair with a headscarf, and told the child she did that so that other men would not be attracted to her.

Ranya, who is Muslim, was asked by the mother of the little girl why she did not cover her hair like other Muslims. Ranya was surprised; she did not know how to respond. The little girl believed that all Muslims are expected to cover their hair. Ranya explained that not all Muslims cover their hair. In other words, not all Muslims like to cover their hair; instead they may follow the religion differently. I thought this was an interesting part in the chapter because I was able to see that Ranya felt bad when she was questioned about not covering her hair.

On the other hand, Priscilla mentions that there is a connection between her religion and other religions. She mentioned that on September 11, 2001, she noticed that people were united in their prayers, asking God to help the victims of the attacks. She feels that no matter what religion someone might follow, we are all united when we pray.

In my personal opinion, God is universal and will respond to anyone’s prayer regardless of the religion one may practice. When we pray, we are all looking for the same answers, and are hoping that our prayers overcome our struggles. I believe that if we educate ourselves about other religions, we will find many similarities between them.

Suzanne mentioned that she felt challenged by a boy during a morning class. The boy asked Suzanne whether she would have to believe that all other religions were wrong in order for her to believe that her religion was the ideal. Suzanne explained to the boy that everyone who does well and helps others is accepted by God. She added that everyone should follow the religion they feel most comfortable with and that it is always better not to judge other religions.

In my opinion, I believe that God is present in the lives of those who believe in him. I feel that we as a society have to learn how to understand the differences and similarities among religions. If we do not learn to respect other religions and beliefs, we might hurt other people’s feelings. In fact, sometimes we may get offended when other people do not understand our practices and values. In other words, people may stereotype or critique the way we follow our religion. Sometimes we may get to the point where we want to prove to others that our religion is the ideal.

I personally identify with how the authors feel about their journey to understand not only their religion, but other religions as well. By reading these chapters, I was able to see how the authors are determined to understand the causes of the many stereotypes about religions. It was also interesting to see how they are trying to educate themselves about other religions. I feel that almost everyone has experienced a moment where their religion has been questioned by others.

I remember when I was growing up that I had to go through a situation in which my family and I had to choose between a family’s friendship and our religion. I remember one day meeting a girl at the bus stop. Since that day, we became best friends. In our early years of friendship, I remember how our mothers would always debate about our religions. My friend and her family practice the Baptist religion and my family and I are Roman Catholics. I recall seeing our mothers with the bible in their hands, comparing what religion was better. At the beginning, it was hard for my friend and me to be real friends. My friend’s mother wanted my family and me to switch to their religion.

My mother eventually told my friend’s mother that we would not change religions because our religion was part of us. My mother also told the lady that we could all be friends, but we needed to respect each other’s religion. At first, my friend and I were confused and did not understand what was happening. Later, we understood that we had different religions, but we decided we were not going to end our friendship based on that. After that conversation, our families were able to have a good friendship.

Now, I can say that I have learned a lot about the Baptist faith. Our families and I have learned to respect one another’s practices and beliefs. Overall, understanding that we had different religions allowed my friend and me to continue with our friendship. It is essential to respect what others believe. It is important to avoid stereotyping other religions and to respect our own religion as well. It is indispensable to learn how to respond to questions others may have about our religion and avoid falling into the stereotypes that others may have about the religion.