30 days as a Muslim.

I watched this program last night on FX channel about a 34 yr old Christian white guy who goes and lives with a Muslim family for 30 days. Have you guys seen this show? I think it is called "30 days." They are advertising the next one where some black people get a makeover to live as white for 30 days and some white people do the reverse. I bet that was interesting. I can't wait to see it.

Anyway, I was kind of surprised by how much the Christian guy didn't know about the roots of Christianity and that he didn't know that Allah was the same "God" that we worship (according to their beliefs) The show was interesting and I think the Christian guy did come away with a desire to defend peaceful Muslims against those who equate the entire religion with terrorism.

He did ask the Muslim family why they don't come out more against terrorism that is done in the name of Islam and one Muslim man basically said why should they apologize for what fanatics do? I thought he might have a bit of a point there. When I think of those few that have set off bombs in abortion clinics, I don't consider them pro-life, I consider them insane. They aren't what pro-life is about. In fact, they are the complete opposite, so maybe Muslims see the terrorists in the same way?

The Christian man said that he admired the Muslim's discipline. And it does take a lot of discipline to live a Muslim lifestyle. The dress, the prayer five times a day (done in an exact physical way), fasting, and the meal preparation must follow strict rules. For example, the meat they eat must be slaughtered facing east (toward Mecca) and the religiously trained slaughterer must recite the name of Allah when doing so. These types of restrictions and rules are common throughout every aspect of a Muslim's life, from sexual issues to washing to death. I noticed at one point a cleric asks the Christian man if the way he was sitting was proper. The man seemed confused. It seems when putting one leg up on the other knee and showing the bottom of the shoe to the person you are speaking with is rude. (or rude to Allah, I wasn't sure which)

I found the life so restrictive that I wondered how they ever have fun at all. This summer I posted about seeing 2 Muslim women at a waterpark. They were dressed head to toe in black. They went into the water with their children that way as well. But I noticed that their husbands were bare chested with regular swimsuits on. If the women are suppose to be keeping men from lusting after them by dressing this way, then do the men not worry about that as well? It just seemed so oppressive and unfair to me.

I think that such discipline is actually something that draws people to Islam as well as keeping the children in the faith. Living in a part of the world where nothing is stable and everything seems out of control, it is probably a relief to them to have something that is so rigid and controlled define their life. There is a lot of comfort in structure.

On the cul-de-sac where I live I have neighbors who are practicing Baptists, Hindus, Jews, and Evangelicals. One is a non-practicing Muslim. Our kids play together and we all get along well. But none of these faiths have such a restrictive lifestyle where it would interfere in the normal course of a day in a kid's life. None require a certain dress that would make them stand apart from the other kids. It is in this way that I can see why it would be difficult for a Muslim family to fit in with people of other faiths.

After watching the "30 days as a Muslim" show, I only felt what I felt that day at the waterpark watching the two women covered in black on a hot Texas day..... a sadness I couldn't explain.