A Retro Entry

This is Toua and his girlfriend, Yer, in traditional Hmong clothing before going to the Hmong New Year's celebration. Toua included this picture because he did an entry on chapter 10 and 11 that involved prayers and rituals, and Hmong New Year is certainly and important part of culture and tradition for many Hmong families.

And I know...you're wondering why he did an entry on chapters 10 and 11 when we've just finished entries on chapters 16 and 17...well, that's my fault! He sent his entry and photo a very, VERY long time ago, and I let them get lost in the shuffle of my blog files. So, my apologies to Toua for this "retro entry," but I'm certain you'll all still enjoy it!

In Chapters 10 and 11, the values of prayers and rituals were the main focus. Priscilla describes to Suzanne and Ranya her first memories of using prayers to God. She explains how she "turned to prayer in desperation and fear" (p.146) when she was a teenager experiencing pain and suffering. In believing that her body could not survive on its own, Priscilla had to believe that there was someone bigger than herself, someone who had control over the whole universe. Throughout her life, it seemed her prayers had been granted, as she had many blessings. Knowing so, Priscilla takes nothing for granted and holds onto all her blessings. Over a period of time, she said there was not much to ask god for; she only asked him for the safety and good health of the ones she loves.

I can relate to turning to prayers in hardship and in times of need. Throughout my life prayers were always my last action when I felt like there was no more hope. Growing up I knew nothing about the Christian religion, yet I still prayed to a God I didn’t believe in nor have knowledge about. In praying to God, I gain hope that everything is going to be okay. I also feel more relief after praying because I’m no longer the only one burdened with pain and suffering; this someone named God who millions of people believe in is probably next to me also.

In my early teens, I became more curious of the Christian faith because I felt like God had helped me and blessed me. I began to explore Christianity through friends of mine to get a better understanding and found this religion to have many positive effects on those who believe in God. I was invited many times to attend church with my friends and even asked to convert to Christianity, but because of my family’s strong beliefs and pride in Shamanism, I could not let go of my own religion for another. Even though my religion does not have the practice of prayers, I still find praying to be a very great way of releasing stress and pain instead of bottling up feelings and burdens.

The women also talked about the practice of rituals. When talking about rituals, Ranya explained why she did not like the idea that she has to wear a cover over her head and act a certain way just to be considered Muslim. She also explained how she does not believe in a religion that has the belief that you have to do so many things in a certain way in order to get to heaven. Suzanne later replies “the fact that some people are like that should not affect Rayna’s relationship with God” (p.162).

I agreed with Ranya and also dislike how people have to act a certain way and do things in a certain way just to be accepted. I believe there is always more than one way of doing something like there is more than one answer to any open-minded question. If God is the creator of the universe, I believe he will accept everyone for their differences because we are all children of God. He will not choose us by the way we pray to him, the way we dress in the house of god, the way we eat, and the way we praise his name. I also agree with what Suzanne has to say about how other people’s ideas and actions should not have an effect on your relationship with God. I believe that everyone has their own beliefs of how to do things correctly or how the world came about. We all have our own beliefs, and we all should have the right to choose which religion best fits us instead of being told to do things in a certain way in order to be accepted.

After talking to Suzanne and Priscilla through their Faith Club, Ranya felt more confident and secure about her Muslim identity. Ranya contacted the ASMA (American Society for Muslim Advancement) and attended the next meeting. Ranya is happy and excited to have met a group of people who she can relate to and work with to “improve relations between Muslim Americans and the larger American society” (p.178).

Rituals and prayers are both related and can be a big part of our identity. Just as Suzanne said, rituals help create communities, and prayers are a way of asking to be blessed by someone bigger than us. Doing things one way to show respect is a good ritual, but doing things in a certain way to be accepted is never the only way. Ranya was once affected by the fact that some people want things done in a certain way. After taking the time to think and accept her own beliefs, she was able to make contact with others who can relate to her as Muslim American, and is more confident about her Muslim identity.