Embracing community diversity

Allaah Almighty Says what means: "O mankind, indeed We have created
you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may
know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of
Allaahis the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allaah is Knowing and
Acquainted.)" [Quran 49: 13]
The Muslim community is one of the most culturally diverse societies
in the world. This especially holds true in America where Muslim
immigrants, from places like the Middle East and Southeast Asia, among
other places, are living their lives as strange bedfellows in a
country that is foreign to them and, mostimportantly, where the
predominately non-Muslim populace is generally mistrustful of Muslims.
It's unfortunate that the flag of Islam is often times not enough to
unite Muslims from varying cultural backgrounds.
The sleepy suburb of Dayton, Ohiois just one city in America where
many Muslims live but very few connect with their Muslim brethren who
mix in the exact same society as them. They cross paths on a regular
basis but know little outside of their own culturally based
sub-communities. "Our community is clearly split into smaller
international communities," shares Soumy Ana,a Muslim teacher residing
in Dayton. "Moroccans meet with Moroccans, Egyptians meet with
Egyptians and Pakistanis stay amongst Pakistanis. Muslims hereare
clearly more comfortable with people from their birth country, who
speak the same language, have the same profession and follow the same
beliefs ."
The cultural divide
Muslims from varying cultures usually look within their own 'mental'
borders when it comes to socializing with others in the community and
making friends. For example, a Pakistani Muslim will feel unity with
one of their fellow compatriots more so than with a Muslim from
another country who may not even speak the same language as they do.
The scenario plays out in communities across the world and is
prevalent in Mosques where even worshippers, in the congregational
prayer, line themselves up according to their birthplaces. As a result
of this cultural division, there is no viable unity in the Ummah,
whichis still an unfulfilled dream in the Islamic faith.
"Understanding oneanother is sometimes hard because of the cultural
differences. Culture and upbringing play a huge part in
communication," says Ana, "For instance, I like to share my feelings
while my Arab neighbor hides a lot of her feelings. She thinks I am
too bold and I get angry when I do not know what is going on from her
side. I noticethat people from the same country tell almost everything
to each other. They tell me little because they do not feel connected
to me while they feel connected to someone else from the same
country."
Building multicultural bridges
With Islam consistently under firefrom the mass media 'microscope',
now more than ever Muslims must unite under the same banner of "La
ilaaha illa Allaah," regardless of race or socioeconomic standing.
Coming together as Muslims is the best way for communities to create a
sense of brotherhood, which will translate into an improved society by
establishing a commonbond and future goals. It starts with you. There
are three ways toembrace the diversity of Muslims in your community
and bring everyone together:
Self discovery — Examining your own thoughts and feelings towards
different cultures of Muslims will go a long way in laying the
groundwork for acceptance and understanding. Do you feel intimidated
or fearful of other cultures? Are you confused by their customs or
national dress? Is a fear of rejection the only thing holding you back
from extending a hand in friendship? These are all questions that you
must ask yourself, first, in order to discoverany preconceived notions
lingering in your mind .
Social awareness — Exploring your community to find out exactly which
cultures make up the fabric of your society is an essential step you
can take to find out more about their backgrounds. Make a list of all
of the cultures represented in your community as well as any social
organizations specifically created for them. Next, use the power of
the Internet to learn more about their customs and traditions .
Inclusion — It's easy to complain that a certain clique of Muslims
isexcluding you from their gatherings for whatever reason. But what's
a bit more difficult is for you to reach out to include Muslims from
various backgrounds into your own social functions. No one ever said
it would be easy and there is always a risk of rejection. However,
unless Muslims put themselves out there 'come whatmay' the cultural
divide between Muslims will never be bridged .
It's not just about bringing people together, but rather it is also
about giving people a sense of worth and social value which will plant
a seed of trust that can be cultivated for years to come. Encourage
your children to followthe same culturally diverse principles in
school or on the playground. " Children should be given the pride of
being Muslim and no pride at all being Malay or Pakistani or Saudi,
etc," summates Ana, "children should be taught by their parents that
they do not have any nationality. Their nationality is Islam. This
way, they will feel connected with all Muslims." - - ▓███▓
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