Muslim Converts to Islam and the difficulties they face

[FAH1223]

I read an article a couple weeks ago about a revert and his difficulties in engaging with the local Muslim community where he lived.

The Masajids he went to didn't have anyone speaking English...it was little Pakistan, little Egypt, ect, wherever he went (I think NY). This revert even talked about how Eid was the loneliest time of the year for him because of the communities being too close-knit and a bit non-inclusive if you will.

Anyway, I stumbled upon a young revert and his experience was in the LA Times recently.

___________

This summer, the 22-year-old Portland State University pre-law student pursued a years-long dream. The young Muslim traveled to Cairo to broaden his understanding of his faith, following the path forged by Malcolm X, whose thinking about race relations changed after he visited Egypt and other parts of the Mideast and Africa.

[…]

But Ali brought his American tendency for criticism and skepticism to a part of the world that values obedience and cohesion above all. He challenged much of what he saw, and ultimately he found himself uncomfortable in the heart of the Muslim world.

“This place went from like cool to weird in the last week,” Ali said in the days before he left. “I’m ready to get back home. I’m kind of tired right now.”

[…]

But Ali belongs to a new group of African American Muslims who have encountered few such obstacles. In California and in college, he counts Arabs, South Asians and Iranians among his closest friends.

“In college we’re all one big group,” he said. “In the mosque we’re all together. Where I come from, there’s no, ‘that’s the black mosque and that’s the Pakistani mosque.’ “

But the petty ways some Egyptians viewed the faith he reveres rattled Ali. Once, he got into a cab with a driver who demanded he prove that he was a Muslim by reciting the fatiha, the opening chapter of the Koran.

After five weeks in the Middle East, he realized he was far more comfortable with the hyphenated American Muslims back home than with those here.

He yearned to head back to the Portland campus for Ramadan. He and his fellow Muslim students are organizing their second annual holiday “fast-a-thon”: Non-Muslims can join in the traditional dawn-to-dusk abstention from food and drink.

________

hmm..discuss

[Ican]

Arabman and co will probably blame secular muslims instead of admitting that some arab muslims have deep hate for black muslims.

[FAH1223]

[quote="Ican"]Arabman and co will probably blame secular muslims instead of admitting that some arab muslims have deep hate for black muslims.[/quote]

People are always trying to divide the world into good and evil. On one hand, you have those clamoring for the West, acting like it hasn't done any wrong (past or present) and everyone needs to be like them and label the Muslims as dirty, backwards part of the world. Then you have the Muslims who see their world without problems and the West is filled with immoral people who fornicate on the streets and a real, "real", Muslim couldn't be from there.

Those who admit that both cultures can learn from each other are the same ones who become rejected by both communities.

[Advocatar]

Man fuk those Pakastani.........they are more racist then aryan nation. I witness their ill actions for 10 years.


Anyways, I use to host New converts at my house back in the days during ramadaan, it's amazing how they are pushed to the side. I'll advise people to do the same.

[FAH1223]

[quote="Advocatar"]Man fuk those Pakastani.........they are more racist then aryan nation. I witness their ill actions for 10 years.


Anyways, I use to host New converts at my house back in the days during ramadaan, it's amazing how they are pushed to the side. I'll advise people to do the same. [/quote]

[*Arabman]

[Arabman and co will probably blame secular muslims instead of admitting that some arab muslims have deep hate for black muslims.]

The article isn't about a case of some Arab Muslims having "deep hate" for black Muslims. The young African American, Ali, didn't mention anything about race or color. "In California and in college, he counts Arabs, South Asians and Iranians among his closest friends." Your analysis is poor, because obviously, you didn't read the article well. It's true there are some Arab Muslims, as well as some non-Arab Muslims, who got racial issues. What kind of Muslims are they? A Muslim who got racial issues with black Muslims cannot be a practicing Muslim. Here's a challenge for you; reread the article and state what it's about.

[shidow1]

[quote="Ican"]Arabman and co will probably blame secular muslims instead of admitting that some arab muslims have deep hate for black muslims.[/quote]
Fok Arabs except the prophet salawatulah alle......

[FAH1223]

[quote="shidow1"][quote="Ican"]Arabman and co will probably blame secular muslims instead of admitting that some arab muslims have deep hate for black muslims.[/quote]
Fok Arabs except the prophet salawatulah alle......[/quote]

HOW ABOUT THE SAHABA? (RA)

[muslim-man]

and the saxabas and the taabiciz and tabici tabiciins and all the good muslims offcourse

[Ican]

Well said FAH.

Arabman

I read the article, and it's clearly about this young man not being welcomed by arabs, Pakistanis and other muslims. "After five weeks in the Middle East, he realized he was far more comfortable with the hyphenated American Muslims back home than with those here"

Who do you think he met in the middle east, some lost Eskimos?

Shidow

Not all arabs are bad. They have good and bad like everyone else, I just get tired of arab apologists who don't acknowledge some of the racist tendencies of Arab Muslims towards African Muslims.

[*Arabman]

[I read the article, and it's clearly about this young man not being welcomed by arabs, Pakistanis and other muslims. "After five weeks in the Middle East, he realized he was far more comfortable with the hyphenated American Muslims back home than with those here"

Who do you think he met in the middle, some lost Eskimos?]

Ali, the young African American, went to Cairo; he didn't go to Pakistan or other Muslim countries. He went to Cairo with a mindset of "criticism and skepticism" that clashed with the local Muslims' mindset of "obedience and cohesion." That and the incident he had with the Egyptian cabdriver are the only two issues (mentioned in the article) he complained about the Middle East.

The part where the "young man not being welcomed by arabs, Pakistanis and other muslims" happened at the the ethnic Masajids in New York, at little Pakistan, little Egypt, ect-- not the Middle East. Few in those Masajids speak English and the communities were being too close-knit and a bit non-inclusive.

This is what the article is about; Ali didn't feel comfortable in the Middle East because of clashing mindsets, he didn't feel comfortable at the ethnic Masajids in New York because of close-knitness and non-inclusiveness, but feels comfortable in his California college, where he counts Arabs, South Asians and Iranians among his closest friends.

[Salahuddiin]

"But Ali brought his American tendency for criticism and skepticism to a part of the world that values obedience and cohesion above all."

This is the part that left me curious. There are western converts who are used to certain lifestyle and when they travel to muslim countries they are not willing to change one part of their routines. Like there are a group of american living and studying in a muslim country. My friend lived in the same apartment than them and he told me that they would eat at McDonalds and even there they would get angry and complain to the clerk because bigmac doesn't taste the same than in US. Same thing with with every other thing, they would just complain about everything and be very disappointed in materialistic sense.

[Kswiss]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL@Advo

Pakistanis giving you hell give them hell and u'll see how they beg and clean the floor u walk on with their tongues

[Hyperactive]

I think the problem here is when the convert who got used to certain way of living. I witnessed a few African Americans who came to learn Islam in dar al quran. they were complaining and objecting in everything we stand, for instant why we make our sisters wear all black in this hot weather and we men wear white.
We finally got tired of them and we stoped invitting them in our houses for meals because they question about our womenfolk and that is a big no in our culture to mention people's womenfolk. hada do ney so in lagu so daweyo respect other people's culture and custom.

[*Arabman]

Ican, as you can see, the article isn't about a case of some Arab Muslims having "deep hate" for black Muslims.