First Post. Who am I (poem)
I am a Muslim
I appreciate the diversity of cultures
I live in downtown New York
I play the violin
I see Allah in the people around me
I am a Muslim
I believe in peace
I am devote my life to serving others
I worry about the lack of love I see around me
I let Allah’s light shine through me
I am a Muslim
The question of who a Muslim is has been debated for many years. The result is that the scope of who a Muslim is has been shaped by what professor Asani considers as “Loud Islam”. Furthermore, in the West, the identity of a Muslim has been shaped by the 9-11 bombing. Viewing a Muslim from this framework is limiting and untrue to who a Muslim is.
A very simplistic definition of who a Muslim “is a label for a person who adheres to a religion we call Islam” (Asani pp, 2). Another definition is that a Muslim is one who submits to the will of God. This definition highlights the idea that there is a direct relationship between the participants and God. The third definition of Muslim is grateful to God. These different definitions of who a Muslim is make it impossible to standardize what a Muslim should look like. The prejudice against Muslims arises from the lack of understanding of who a Muslim is. The professor Asani’s piece he quotes Elizabeth,“. . . when we understand with our rational minds what is happening within a religious tradition across time and space, we can also challenge ourselves and others to confront the gut-level prejudices that are often masked by intellectual tolerance” (Asani pp, 5). Therefore is in important to highlight the traits of Muslims to educate non-Muslims on the real nature of Islam.
My creative piece for week one highlights this idea. A Muslim is both a person with the Hijab and a lady who chooses not to cover her hair. The underlying connection between these people is their submission to Allah and their gratefulness to God.