The Beauty of Religion

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    I am going to be bold, visiting Morocco, I have definitely been pushed past my comfort zone. Growing up in the south of the US as a Christian, I have been introduced to all kinds of opinions of Islamic Cultures. It is not a surprise that my traditional Methodist church was afraid of cultural or religious differences. Preparing for this study abroad, I heard all types of “warnings” or “concerns” from those around me as I shared my travel plans. I tried my best to not let those opinions feed into my perspective but because I’m human, I started to let them seep in. 


    Contrary to what I had heard, the Islamic religion holds very similar beliefs to those of Christianity. They believe in One God that commands the angels and the divine decree: everything is governed by God and we are to be trusting and faithful to his will. While of course there are many things that differentiate between the two, there are many pieces of our core values that do not. Learning more about Islam and its importance within the lives of Moroccans, It started to become a lot less of a belief to be “feared” and more of an art to be appreciated. After walking through the mask in Casablanca, it is clear that the Islamic religion wants to be understood while also refuses to seek out understanding. For example, the Hassan II Mosque is the only Mosque in Morocco that is open to non-Muslims, and they opened it to the public because the king felt it was important for others to experience the beauty of their religion that they value so much. That being said, I have not seen it plastered all over the cities or advertised on billboards. In comparison, walking through UGA on a given Saturday night or Wednesday afternoon, there will be preachers with signs or groups with flyers sharing their faith. I am by no means saying that one is better or more effective than the other, but I do admire the “living advertisement” that I feel the city embodies. People are living their everyday lives and by doing so: calls to prayer, wearing a hijab, etc., they are showing others their faith. I see a beauty in the idea that living out your beliefs daily is more valued than sharing them to others.



Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). Teachers guide - muslims | teacher center | frontline. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/teach/muslims/beliefs.html 

Comments

  1. Ann Carol DanielMay 31, 2024 at 11:19 AM

    Hi Ally! I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the beauty of religion. I was also blindsided by the Islamic religion. To my surprise, they are similar to Christianity (what I grew up practicing, and still do). It is so beautiful that we are allowed in the Mosque. It shocked me that the king decided to share the lovely idea of religion with the public. During our tour, I gained an entirely new outlook on the religion in Morocco, and it sounds as if you did too!

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