From a Young Muslim’s Perspective
When I was in Portugal I met a 21 year-old young lady that was very articulate. Her name is Sondos. I thought it would be fun to ask her some questions, post them on my blog, and invite college students and others to respond and ask her questions. She’s smart and going places.
I want to encourage everyone to ask questions. If you don’t understand something in Sondos’ answers, ask her. If you are curious about something, ask her a question. If you have an opinion about one or some of her answers, add a comment. Let’s get some really good dialogue going here.
1. What is it like growing up in Egypt?
My status in Facebook this morning was “I LOVE Egypt”. I have been staying in Europe for a month, and I must say, although I loved it there, I could not stay more than that, away from my country, not only because it is my home, but because Egypt has something which attracts me to it. Maybe it is the simplicity of people, the faith people have in God, the love people have for one another, and the tenderness and passion of our neighbors, our family, and the patience of people, despite the very tough circumstances they suffer. Egyptians have good faith in God, but their problem is their rulers. We are not lucky, as far as our rulers are concerned, but as you may be observing from what you hear in the news, we are “on the brink of revolution,” or in other words, the people have had enough, and they have started to feel it is time for change.
I grew up in Egypt and I want to spend the rest of my life in it (of course I would like to travel every once in a while, but come back again), because I know Egypt needs me and needs every single Egyptian to stay in it and work for its welfare.
2. What is your view of young people in the West?
I have many western friends from Europe and the U.S. and I love them all. That is because I love to know and make friends who are different than mine, because I believe that difference in religion or color etc. does not really make sense when one wants to have contact on a human basis.
The young people I know are all very active, positive, friendly, and open minded. I am always curious to get to know friends from the west.
3. What are some goals and dreams of your life?
I would love to serve my country, and have a positive role in change. I don’t want my country to remain a third world country any longer. I also have a dream that the Muslim Brotherhood, to which I belong, will one day be allowed official recognition, and will truly be a partner in the political life, because I do believe that we can offer a lot, should we become an official movement, and should all the unjustified restrictions upon us be lifted.
I would like to become a university professor, then perhaps a politician.
4. What would you like young people in the West to know about you as someone from the Middle-East?
It is important for the young in the west to know that most of the new generation in the Middle East are very open minded, tolerant, and believes in dialogue. So you should take this opportunity as well and try to build bridges of understanding. We are the ones who will bring world peace.
5. What would you like for young people to know about you as a Muslim?
A true Muslim is someone who has strong faith in Allah and all his prophets including Muhammad, Moses and Jesus. I love God and his prophets, I love the holy Qur’an, and I regard anyone who believes in God my brother/sister. Islam urges me to be positive, tolerant, and merciful. I pray five times a day to renew my communication with God. I fast in the holy month of Ramadan, because fasting teaches me patience and reminds me of God’s grace and mercy. I also raise charity money on a regular basis from my pocket money and participate in charity work and social services.
Besides, I have no animosity towards non-Muslims, and I do believe in every individual’s right to freedom of belief. Religion should not be a source of world conflict, on the contrary, it should be the means by which people of good faith should come together for the sake of world peace.
Here is what the holy Qur’an says about Christians:
82 . . .” nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, “We are Christians”: because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant.
83 And when they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger, thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognise the truth: they pray: “Our Lord! we believe; write us down among the witnesses.
84 “What cause can we have not to believe in Allah and the truth which has come to us, seeing that we long for our Lord to admit us to the company of the righteous?”
85 And for this their prayer hath Allah rewarded them with gardens, with rivers flowing underneath,- their eternal home. Such is the recompense of those who do good.”
6. What things would you like to know about young people in the West?
I like to know their political views, their views towards the East and Islam, and their view toward the Palestinian cause. To hear their thoughts on political Islam will also be interesting.
7. What things would like you like to know about young people who follow Jesus in the West?
I want to know the meaning of following Jesus, how they do that? What are the things one should do to be a follower of Jesus, and is Jesus another name for God or is Jesus only a prophet from God like Muhammad is for Muslim.
8. What questions do you have about the West, the world, or anything else?
I want to know how religion is perceived nowadays in the west, and why do people like/or not like religion.
Now that the elections are approaching, I would love to know, from your part of the world, who will you be happy to vote for, Obama or McCain?
So far, the answers I received from most all Americans I met is Obama, maybe I will hear different answers from you.
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Oct 30, 2008 at 02:46 PM
Wow. We have SO much to learn from those around the world. The more time i spend with International Students, and reading things like you posted above it humbles me, and causes me to realize how arrogant, and silly i am/we are in America to think we have it all figured out. I pray that we can begin to have a more Christ-like attitude towards others who do not live in our country.
Oct 30, 2008 at 04:10 PM
Sondos,
As a recent college graduate from the west, it is refreshing and exciting to read your post! I have been praying and hoping that other people of my generation shared the same thoughts around the world and would be willing to work together.
I have been frustrated by the old ways of thinking and have wanted to communicate directly people around the world instead of relaying on sound bites in the media as my source of news, understanding, and debate.
It seems the new generation in the middle east, in the west, and around the world longs for and seeks open dialog between people of all cultures. Our generation is more connected and travels more than all previous generations. A lot of us grew up on the internet so I think we are more comfortably connecting virtually with people. Perhaps it is our responsibility to be a catalyst for global engagement and change.
Maybe this could be as simple as making friends and initiating conversations with people from around the world. Getting to know them on a personal level. Social networks are making this more and more easy by the day.
I would love to chat more.
Cheers,
David
Oct 30, 2008 at 05:50 PM
Sonos,
Your answers are very thoughtful and interesting. I was in a class at NYU that met every week with students at American University in Cairo and it was very exciting to get to speak with Egyptian students.
I am curious about your view of the seperation between church and state. Tell me about the muslim brotherhood and how they, as a political party, would do things differently than a group that was not overtly religious.
Oct 30, 2008 at 06:35 PM
Hi Sonos,
I am excited about getting to talk to you and know you! I loved reading all of your answers that gave us insight to your life and culture. How has being a part of multiple cultures affected your views and perception of the world? Also, I was wondering what the Muslim Brotherhood was. I have never heard of it before and I'm interested to know about it!
P.S- You can facebook me!
Oct 30, 2008 at 06:36 PM
Hi Sondos! I have a question for you.
How do you feel American girls represent their culture in the way they dress compared to the Muslim culture?
Oct 31, 2008 at 11:03 AM
HI
Iam Marwa Assem , iam 23 years old work in construction project management as iam a civil engineer just graduated this year.
iam really intersted in the discussion , i just want to clarify that muslim brotherhood is a moderate group of people who really believes in the change to the better and seeks a real democracy in egypt and the right for every citizen in egypt in participating in the political life.
we are open minded and deal with the western people freely.
as for me I am wearing veil, but this doesn’t prevent me from wearing modern or even western clothes that do not contradict with my traditions.
we believe in all prophets and we love and live with the Christians in Egypt in peace.
i have many close Christian friends who I love so much and i went with a Christian friend to the church.
i wish there will be a peaceful dialogue between our youth and the American Christian ones.
i like American people and i have American friends and i wish i ican visit it soon, i am just against it's policy in Iraq.
waiting to know who will win in the election
Oct 31, 2008 at 11:06 AM
@Aaron
Yes we need to come out of our shell and get to know others without being victims of bias or ignorance.
Oct 31, 2008 at 11:07 AM
@David
I am sure we have many thoughts in common.
It is very dangerous to rely on the media as the source of information and views because as you know the media is most of the time disseminating biased information that is usually affected by political orientations. Most of anti-American sentiments in the east for example are a result of biased media propaganda which does not make clear distinctions between the U.S. administration and the U.S. people. That is also the same when it comes to Islamophobia. It is the media in its various forms that fuels these sentiments. But as enlightened youth, we have a responsibility to counter hate speeches and start building bridges of mutual understanding and respect. I don’t think Bush's foreign policy or Bin Laden's bombs have solved any problems or offered anything to the world.
I agree with you that friendship on the personal level among people from different cultures, as simple as it might seem, can be the most effective way to initiate real dialogue.
Facebook and other social networking websites are good tools in that regard.
Oct 31, 2008 at 02:06 PM
@Ben
(if you are son of rev. Bob, then u r really lucky to have such a kind father with such strong faith and amazing sense of humour:)
I am also a student at the American University in Cairo so perhaps I can have an opportunity to attend one of those meetings… and perhaps meet u there!!
Concerning my view of the separation between church and state, I view it from a historical perspective.
I believe the separation between church and state has become a democratic necessity in Europe when the interference of the church in politics has turned government into a theocracy with the monarchy having the so called "divine right of kings", which has greatly affected liberal values and turned the ruler into a sort of sacred being who is flawless and no one has to right to oppose or orient him to what is best for his people. This has absolutely resulted in many injustices in the name of religion which is the very negative form of the intersection between religion and politics.
On the other hand, in Islamic history, when the state was an Islamic state (which does not necessarily means a state for Muslims or a theocracy in the European sense), the Muslim nation has witnessed a golden era of prosperity and justice for both Muslims and non-Muslims living under Islamic rule, that is simply because the principle of Shurah {consultation} or democracy in the nearest sense, was strictly implemented, deeming the ruler a citizen like all other citizens, with equal rights and responsibilities, to the extent that during the reign of Omar Ibn El Khattab (second leader of the Muslim nation after the prophet Mohamed) a foreigner headed for Medina (in KSA) to meet the Muslim Caliph (Omar) and while he was walking in the streets he asked one of the passersby where he can reach Omar, and to his surprise the passerby pointed to someone who was sleeping under a tree with his sword hung upon another tree that was a little bit away from where he was sleeping. The person who was sleeping under the tree was Omar, the leader of the Muslim nation which was leading the world at that time. He was feeling very secure, comfortable and satisfied to the extent that he had no fear to sleep in the street under a tree without having his sword and without bodyguards! The man walked to him and said the famous saying "Omar, because you ruled in justice, you felt secure and slept in peace of mind."
Therefore, I believe that the fair rulings of religion should they be implemented in the state (in our case the Islamic Shari'a or jurisprudence) that will bear favorable fruits for all citizens as the principles of justice will prevail. In Egypt, the second article of the constitution reads "Islamic Shari'a is the main source of legislation", but of course the article is not fully implemented and the evidence is the prevailing corruption and despotism. What we call for in the Muslim Brotherhood is the implementation of this article to make Islamic Shari'a the main source of legislation.
Oct 31, 2008 at 02:28 PM
@Marwa, thank you for explaining the Muslim Brotherhood clearly for me.
@Sonos, In the blog you mentiont the Palestinian cause. Unfortunately, I think there are two very different narratives of this story one that is told in the Middle East and one that is told in America.
I want you to know there are Americans who believe that injustice of any kind should not be tolerated, and I believe that the way Palestinians are treated is an enormous injustice. While the west stays so divided from the middle east How do we approach this situation as citizens of our respective regions? It doesn't seem like there is any solution in a situation so complex.
Oct 31, 2008 at 07:44 PM
Ben & Jill
The Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt is an Islamic non-violent socio political movement. We represent the largest opposition group in Egypt and have 20% of the seats in the Egyptian parliament. Also most posts in labor unions and professional syndicates are held by muslim brotherhood members.
We believe in non-violent and gradual reform and would like to establish a civil state that implements Islamic sharia (jurisprudence) as the main source of legislation.
We are a target of nonstop government crackdown on our members and activities because of the government's fear of a possible rival in any elections.
Our third in command (khairat el shatter) is placed now in prison for 7 years because he called for dialogue with the west and established an English language website for the muslim brotherhood. He also published an article in the guardian with the title, "No Need to be Afraid of Us" and he was arrested shortly afterwards.
The muslim brotherhood has the largest charity networks in Egypt and provides many social services and fundraising. That's the reason why it has won much popularity and that is why it usually wins when there are free and fair elections.
We suffer a lot of misconceptions both in the west and inside Egypt. I will say that in a follow up comment.
Oct 31, 2008 at 07:47 PM
jill
i am also excited to get to know you since i met rev. Bob
it would be great to meet you in real life as well
my name on facebook is sondos asem
i tried to find u but i couldnt
Nov 1, 2008 at 07:56 PM
@ Meranda
the way people dress represents their cultures and traditions, as well as personal preferences.
but in america, there is a great diversity of backgrounds and there is a level of freedom that allows all to dress according to what they feel most suitable for their cultures and backgrounds, and each person's favourite style as well.
as for Islam, it orders Muslims (men and women)to dress in chastity, and orders the muslim women to cover her body and hair, except for the hands and the face.
at the same time, those who are not stricly abiding by the rules of dressing in Islam are given the freedom of choice.
muslim women who are wearing the hijab in the way mentioned above are representing the chastity which islam encourages.
the veil is also not a value exclusive for Islam, it is a value encouraged by all divine religions, that is why Nuns in christianity also wear the veil as a religious value.
any thoughts??
Nov 1, 2008 at 08:22 PM
Ben,
the palestinian cause will remain complex until those who call legitimate resistance "terrorism" understand the difference between terrorism and defending ones lands from illegitimate occupation.
it is very important to acknowledge the palestinian people's right to resist israeli occupation, besides rejecting the injustices that they suffer as a result of that military occupation and siege.
also, insisting on excluding the democratically elected government of Hamas and targetting its leaders will make things more complex.
no one can challenge the will of a whole nation
Nov 2, 2008 at 06:36 AM
i would like to stress also that when i mentioned my opinion about church and state i was mentioning a historical instance that only has to do with the monarchy in Europe in at a certain stage in history, of course not Christianity or the church in general. this is important to clarify.
i believe that Christianity has the moral values of liberty and justice that are important for both social and political institutions.
but what we should all unite against is the oppression and tyranny in the name of religion.
i would like here to know how a chrictian (or a northwoodian) views church and state, because in the East we are not familiar with the meaning of a religious state in the Christian sense.
Nov 2, 2008 at 08:31 AM
Sondos around July 4th the past two years I've done a sermon on it - two separate ones. You can go to northwoodchurch.org and listen. Go to "hear sermons" to get it. Around that time I also blogged about religious freedom. You might search for the words "religious freedom" and/or "separation of church and state." Thanks for all your sharing - this is really good.
Nov 2, 2008 at 04:35 PM
Hi Sondos,
I really enjoyed reading your answers to Bob's questions. I wanted to respond to your question about Jesus and what it means to follow him. After a person comes to the point of deciding is Jesus who he says he is...is he more than a prophet? Is he the son of God? Then we decide to either follow him or not. I decided young in life to surrender my entire life to Jesus- because I was convinced that he is the way to eternal life.
Jesus supernaturally makes us a new creation- a process of death and resurrection.... I am daily choosing to die to my selfish, worldly desires, and follow his counter cultural and radical teachings of simplicity, love, forgiveness, generosity, self control. None of this is done by my own strength, but supernaturally by the power of what we call the "holy spirit" who now lives in me, who is daily making me more like Jesus as I yield to His voice. In his word- Jesus is called the Good Shepherd, those that belong to him, hear his voice and obey it.... I listen closely to hear his voice and obey it all during the day.
It is a relationship with a loving, awesome, God.... who speaks to me and I listen and obey... sometimes I think it would be easier if I just had a set of rules to follow instead of having to listen and seek him... but it is so worth it.
Blessings my friend,
Beth Burkhalter
Fort Worth, TX
Nov 2, 2008 at 10:01 PM
Sondos:
So neat to read some of your answers above in the blog. From what I've read, it seems to me that you are very motivated and passionate. I wanted to comment on the meaning of following Jesus. For Christians, we view Jesus Christ as being God's son. I don't know if you are familiar with what Christians refer to as the Holy trinity? I'm not theologically educated, but essentially we believe Jesus to be one aspect of the Trinity, so we consider him equal with God, not merely a prophet. To follow Jesus Christ, is simply to live our life as he did. Belief, then faith, then actions. I believe in God and the Holy Trinity, and I believe HE is actively working in my life, so that glory can be brought to him. I have faith in God, knowing that because of my acknowledgment and belief in Him, I will one day be united with him in his kingdom in Heaven. My actions then stem from my belief and faith in God. Theoretically, my actions are a reflection of what I believe, NOT the other way around. It is also important to note that actions are not completely removed from the big picture: a verse in James says "faith without works is dead."
How much of this compare to your beliefs in Allah and Muhammad?
PS. I didn't vote for Obama...
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