From http://truereligiondebate.wordpress.comLast week I had the great good fortune to see the documentary Koran by Heart at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film tracks the lives of several young people who are contestants in “the world’s preeminent Koran recitation competition in Cairo, where Muslim children come from across the globe to perform in front of a panel of prominent judges. Contestants as young as 7 years old are ranked against kids more than twice their age for both their comprehensive memorization of the 600-page text as well as their improvised melodies.” It is a stunning feat to witness. There is one more screening today at the festival – details here.
The film got me thinking about how little I know about the Muslim world, despite my efforts to consume news until my brain can’t hold any more information. It’s so complex with so many layers. Even classifying it as “the Muslim World” is a disservice. The diversity among Muslims is so vast and spans across so many cultures, languages, nations, and factions. I was reminded of Dr. Lu’s saying that “you can’t understand the Eastern world with a Western mind.” The same is true of understanding Islam. It requires us to shrug off our biases and prejudices, and see the religion and its believers in their own light.
Why? Can’t we pretend that our heads of state will take care of this issue? Can’t we go on just living our U.S. focused lives without delving in to this other complicated part of the world that seems incomprehensible to us at first blush? Sure. You could absolutely pretend it’s not there. However, the world of Islam is increasingly becoming tied to our own national security, indeed our global security as a whole. There are as many as 7 million Muslims living in the U.S., and the number is growing – particularly in urban areas. 1.2 billion people around the world practice Islam. That’s a big, big number.
They are a voice in our society and that voice deserves recognition and understanding, just like yours and just like mine. Additionally, the religion at its core is a beautiful way of living. Too often we associate it with extremism and terrorism. It’s so unfortunate. At its heart, it prescribes a peaceful, harmonious existence and has much to teach us whether we follow its belief or not. Understanding the perspective of another always, always helps create a better world, and isn’t that what we’re all after?
But how? How does a well-intentioned, curious, Western mind begin to understand Islam and its place in the world? I wondered, too, and put this list of resources together in the hopes that it may begin to tear down the wall that for too long has existed between us. I hope you find these resources helpful.
4 Resources to Begin Learning About Islam 1.) Leap of Faith by Queen Noor of Jordan
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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2 thoughts on “Beginning: Why and How to Start Understanding the Muslim World”
Christa,
Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. So, you have hit the hammer right on the head of the nail here. You will find many practictioners of Islam (muslims) living in the Big Apple. You may have crossed paths with these people on your way to work: taxi, bus, subway, etc. they are right there.
Indeed, part of the charm of living in the Big Apple is that you get to interact with people from diverse faiths and cultures. In your area, the Muslim population has been projected to grow.
So, this is a golden opportunity for you and others to interact with Muslims and vice versa. I think we all can learn a lot from inter-faith dialogue. Ignorance is not an option because we make too many mistakes due to our unwillingness to learn about the “other.”
I think if Church and Mosque get together and start throwing parties and invitations and reaching out to each other there is a great scope for dialogue. In this day and age, our biases and prejudices should not define us. We can and must make every effort to understand another’s point of view. Cheers.
Agreed, Archan. We have the chance to share so much with one another and in a city like New York City, literally everyone we meet is a teacher to us, and we are teachers to them. To deny ourselves that experience makes our lives less rich.
Christa Avampato 
Christa,
Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. So, you have hit the hammer right on the head of the nail here. You will find many practictioners of Islam (muslims) living in the Big Apple. You may have crossed paths with these people on your way to work: taxi, bus, subway, etc. they are right there.
Indeed, part of the charm of living in the Big Apple is that you get to interact with people from diverse faiths and cultures. In your area, the Muslim population has been projected to grow.
So, this is a golden opportunity for you and others to interact with Muslims and vice versa. I think we all can learn a lot from inter-faith dialogue. Ignorance is not an option because we make too many mistakes due to our unwillingness to learn about the “other.”
I think if Church and Mosque get together and start throwing parties and invitations and reaching out to each other there is a great scope for dialogue. In this day and age, our biases and prejudices should not define us. We can and must make every effort to understand another’s point of view. Cheers.
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Agreed, Archan. We have the chance to share so much with one another and in a city like New York City, literally everyone we meet is a teacher to us, and we are teachers to them. To deny ourselves that experience makes our lives less rich.
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