During week six, we discussed the mosque, its importance and its diversity. Throughout the world, mosques have various different architectural themes and cultural importance but one thing rings true: mosques are a place for community and worship. The Mosque within a community is intended to be a safe place for individuals to not only connect with Allah, but to also connect with their community. As shown through the readings, class presentations and Islamic Art: Mirror of an Invisible World, mosques themselves differ greatly based on the community. I feel that entering a mosque is a unique experience for each individual. Depending on the community, one could hold more dear a mosque that represents personal history, yet stare in awe at ornate mosques like those created during the time of the Ottoman Empire.
When thinking about mosques, though I cannot help thinking of their diversity, I also remember their universal similarities. One particular similarity is the call to prayer. Each mosque is a welcoming place for individuals to show their devotion to Allah and complete one of their five pillars: Salah. When I first heard the call to prayer, I was completely entranced. Though every call is different depending on the voice, tone and rhythm of the caller, its beauty remains constant.
Recognizing that I am incapable in producing a call to prayer, for this weeks project I thought about my own family traditions. In my family and with my friends, we frequently produce short limericks about other individuals. Thus, I decided to write a limerick about mosques. Though they are usually nonsensical and humorous, I wrote this particular limerick with the utmost reverence and respect for the mosque and Islamic traditions. Just to be clear, I chose a limerick over a poem because it was a way for me to connect my own traditions to the study of other traditions.
In the first, second and fourth stanzas, I chose to write generally about the mosque and its various characteristics. However, especially after reading Sells article “Erasing Culture: Wahhabism, Buddhism, Balkan Mosques” I was shocked to read in detail about the “de-glorification” of various mosques by the Taliban. This article lead me to think of Swat Valley specifically. Last semester, I did a report on the rise of the Taliban in Pakistan, specifically Swat Valley. When doing research for this report, I discovered similar findings to Sells. The Taliban entered Swat Valley and not only “de-glorified” the mosques, but also destroyed ancient Buddhist relics. Because the North Western Frontier Provence in Pakistan once contained the “Old Sink Route,” it was a crossroads for individuals to bring a variety of religious beliefs and traditions. Thus, a area formally prided on diversity and coexistence, has been “de-glorified.” Though this is a harsh stanza of the limerick, I believe it is an important movement that must be recognized and hopefully counteracted.
The Mosque:
“All mosques are exceedingly different,
Establishments all Muslims do frequent,
They stand firm and tall,
with their minarets – usually five in all,
You’ll find in them worship so reverent.”
“From Istanbul, Turkey to Senegal,
and New York City, not to name them all,
jewels, gold and clay,
facing Mecca, Muslims pray,
from the mosque all Muslims hear a call.”
“The Taliban stripped mosques of their glory,
and tore down Buddha statues in a hurry.
Swat Valley lost ground,
on coexistence it was once found,
though now it is in a state of flurry”
“The call to prayer is inspiring,
recitation leaves individuals crying,
Husayniyahs foster emotion,
Jamatkhana for devotion,
In the mosque, for Allah the heart is pining.”