My Qur'an Lessons

As Ahmet led me from our meeting place in front of the mosque to a gun store across the street, I was both anxious and excited to begin my first lessons of learning Qur'anic recitation. Admittedly flustered when brought into a gun store to have my lessons, I remained calm (never having touched a gun in my life!) where I was led into the back office with yet, more rifles, on display. This cozy little room surrounded by guns mounted in glass cases and plush black leather couches is where I am delving deeper into both the meaning of the Qur'an and the stereotypes associated both perceptions of Islam by foreigners and perceptions of foreigners by Muslims.

I am fortunate to have an extremely intelligent, open-minded teacher. He is a very devout, respectful and intellectually curious man- and was kind enough to give me, his little blond foreign co-worker, a little more insight into the meanings of the religion that is so frequently splayed across our headlines. He even checked with the higher-ups (religiously speaking) to make sure it was alright to give a non-Muslim lessons in the Qur'an. There are certain rules we must follow, but all in all, they gave us the go ahead.

I have lived in Egypt, Israel and traveled in Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon. I speak Arabic. I have read the Qur'an- chunks at least in both English and Arabic, and yet, my knowledge is slim. I have always wanted to change this, as I feel that, like any other language, the religion is such an integral part of both the culture and the language. I've always had a passion for cultural understanding and religion is one of the biggest factors. Religion is one of the most powerful forces in the world, whether you actually believe in it or not. When I was living in Egypt, I learned the basics. I learned expectations, extreme and moderate view points, and the differences in how a Muslim society functions on a day to day basis. In Israel and Palestine I researched a lot on my own about religious issues. The thing is, Islam doesn't have a "lite" version. There is no orthodox, Protestant, conservative, differentiations. There is no "liberal" version for me to quietly attend services and pick up some information. There is no anonymity and I had to show that I was genuinely interested in order for people to take me seriously. Coming from America, I don't come with the best background to request knowledge and genuine understanding for a religion smattered by US papers and foreign policy. It took time to prove my dedication and seriousness to delve into deep meaning and discussion.

But back to today. Today, my first day of class, we started with the basics. Some letters/pronunciations differ slightly in Qur'anic Arabic as opposed to Modern Standard Arabic or colloquial dialects. We practiced inflections and reading for about an hour, and then sat and drank tea together, engaging in a stimulating conversation pertaining to religious and moral standards- the differences between our countries on these topics. Dating, sex before marriage, religious reasoning for the hijab, heaven and hell, and Islam's perspective of Christ were some of the issues we touched upon. Most interestingly to me, Muslim's believe (if I was told incorrectly someone out there correct me please!) that Jesus did not actually die on a cross, but rather God created a dopple-ganger of sorts to switch places. They tricked the Romans long enough for God to then call Jesus up in his own way, choosing not to subject God to such human practices. I find it highly interesting that such different perceptions of the Christian messiah are portrayed. Always, one of my biggest problems with the roots of Christianity has been its history. Its hidden secrets and power plays.People playing god never comes out quite right.  It is unfortunately true of all religions, of all people. Power never does any good, especially coming from those who want it. But back to the story, two hours and two cups of tea later, I concluded my first lesson, full of ideas and reflection. One of my favorite things in life is being proven wrong. I love a challenge- I love people who challenge me to analyze my own perceptions and provide a new lens from which I can look at life through, even if only to understand. 

LOOK at ME!!!

Inevitably, in every culture there will be things I love and things I hate. Turkey is a glorious country but there is one thing that is driving me nuts. Nuts! Simply stated, men will not make eye contact with me. Don't get me wrong, if you read my earlier blogs, sexual harassment in Egypt was a huge problem for me. It usually is in the Middle East because of the blonde hair, blue eyes thing. In Turkey, it seems that I have the opposite problem.

In Turkey, the men much more respectful of women. I have not once seen a butt grab, someone get felt up, whistled at or cat-called in the streets- even in Istanbul. When I came here the first time from Egypt, I was shocked. And cautious. I kept waiting for it to happen. I'm still waiting. But the truth is, it is much more logical when seen through the perspective of Islam. Sexual harassment is not condoned in any religion, especially Islam. I was always confused at how men could claim piety and feel up foreign women. In Turkey, Islam has a different feel than in Egypt, Jordan and Israel/Palestine. Islam here feels more settled and less constraining, socially speaking. Though, in more conservative parts of Turkey, like my city, the religiosity continues to permeate the social and political realms. The men are so hyper-aware of gender roles and religious respect, the pendulum swings to the complete opposite side.

Egypt=intense sexual frustration with results of sexual harassment which is clearly in direct contradiction of Islamic teachings

vs. 

Turkey= religious respect so much so that no one will make eye contact with me

[Thanks to good 'ole Wikipedia] "In the Islamic faith, Muslims often lower their gaze and try not to focus on the opposite sex's faces and eyes after the initial first eye contact, other than their legitimate partners or family members, in order to avoid potential unwanted desires.  Lustful glances to those of the opposite sex, young or adult, are also prohibited. This means that eye contact between any man and woman is allowed only for a second or two. This is a must in most Islamic schools, with some exceptions depending on the case, like when teaching, testifying, or looking at a girl for marriage. If allowed, it is only allowed under the general rule: "No-Desire", clean eye-contact. Otherwise, it is not allowed, and considered "adultery of the eyes".

For instance, when my roommate and I were in the market for an apartment, when met with a real estate agent to look at another possible apartment. Our other Fulbrighter, Nick, came along as well as a male university representative. The real estate agent got into the car, greeted the men and completely ignored us. No hello. No hand shake. Even though we were the ones buying the apartment! When the real estate agent spoke he spoke to Nick or our university rep. Never us. Even when touring the apartment he wouldn't make eye contact with me. I became so irked that I stared at him...convinced if I stared long enough he'd have no choice but to look at me. Wrong. Only at one point, when I directly addressed him, did he look at me, and it was literally for a second. At the end of our meeting he departed with farewells to the men. Tas and I were not included. I was irked. Our amazingly sweet Turkish girlfriends explained to us, "when a man is there, he is in charge." That pretty much sums it up.