Middle East - Anthony Ham [53]
Islam is not just about prohibitions but also marks the important events of a Muslim’s life. When a baby is born, the first words uttered to it are the call to prayer. A week later follows a ceremony in which the baby’s head is shaved and an animal sacrificed in remembrance of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah. The major event of a boy’s childhood is circumcision, which normally takes place between the ages of seven and 12. When a person dies, a burial service is held at the mosque and the body is buried with the feet facing Mecca.
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If Muslims wish to pray but are not in a mosque and there’s no water available, clean sand (‘wholesome dust’ according to the Quran) suffices; where there’s no sand, they must go through the motions of washing (sura 5:5).
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What’s your religion?
Travelling in the Middle East involves some near-constants: you will be woken by the call to prayer, you will find yourself unable to sleep from all the tea and coffee you drink and you will be asked for your opinion on American foreign policy in the Middle East and the war in Iraq. Just as likely, at some point the conversation will turn to religion. More specifically, you’ll probably be asked, ‘What’s your religion?’ Given that most foreign travellers come from secular Western traditions where religion is a private matter, the level of frankness involved in some of these discussions can come as a surprise. On one level, there’s no better way of getting under the skin of a nation than talking about the things that matter most in life. So how do you go about answering this question?
It’s usually easy to explain that you are Christian or, in some circumstances, Jewish, although in the company of Hamas militants or on the unfamiliar streets of Baghdad is probably not the wisest moment to announce your Jewish faith to the world. However, the overwhelming majority of Muslims won’t bat an eyelid and may even welcome the opportunity to talk about the common origins and doctrines that Judaism and Islam share. Christians and Jews are respected as ‘people of the book’ who share the same God (see the boxed text, opposite). In fact, many a Bedouin encounter begins with a celebration of that fact, with greetings such as ‘Your God, my God same – Salam (Peace)!’
The question of religion gets complicated when it comes to atheists. ‘I don’t believe in God’ can be a difficult answer because it calls into question the very foundation of a Muslim’s existence. If you are concerned that your atheism will cause offence, perhaps say, ‘I’m a seeker,’ suggesting that you haven’t quite made up your mind but may well do so in the future. Be aware that Muslims may respond by explaining the merits of Islam to you. If that’s not how you planned to spend your afternoon, try saying, ‘I’m not religious.’ This will likely lead to understanding nods and then, perhaps on subsequent meetings, an earnest attempt at conversion. Words like ‘You’ll find God soon, God-willing’ are a measure of someone’s affection for you and a reasonable response would be shukran (thank you).
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Keeping the Faith Today
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Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths, by Karen Armstrong, is a comprehensive, unbiased history of a city believed to be holy by the three monotheistic religions.
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It’s close to sunset in a coffeehouse in the shadow of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. The smell of scented tobacco from a dozen nargilehs hangs in the early evening air. Young men in designer jeans pause from their serious-minded conversations to watch respectfully as old men in traditional dress shuffle past. Women speak in conspiratorial whispers as children tumble down the steps. In the background, the latest Lebanese pop diva croons from the TV. Suddenly, the call to prayer rings out across the old city from the