The Hopkins Muslim Association hosted The Muslim Mosaic last Tuesday, where students brought awareness to Islam's worldwide impact.
In the U.S. there is a strong association between Islam and the Middle East; however, Muslims in the Middle East are only a part of a larger whole. The Muslim Mosaic revealed the greater picture of Islam's international influence.
Informative posters, varied music, traditional dress and food from Ethiopia, Sudan, Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco, Japan, China, Iran, Kuwait, Egypt, America, Mexico, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Trinidad and Tobago enlivened the Glass Pavilion Tuesday night.
Unique sights, scents, and sounds created a welcoming atmosphere, and students' posters elaborated on the establishment of Islam in each country. They focused on the different Islamic schools of thought and important mosques.
Attire ranged from casual and traditional to formal, embroidered "Shalwar kameez" worn for special occasions, such as weddings or Eid Holidays. Traditional dishes including plantains, kushari, halwà and teas specific to different countries were available to taste test.
Students shared important elements of their faith. "Fridays are my favorite part of the week in Senegal, because everyone floods the streets and prays, it is really special, moving and peaceful," Myriam Kane, a sophomore student representing Senegal, said. Kane explained that Senegal is mostly Muslim but it is not a Muslim country; Christians and Muslims cohabit without any animosity. Spiritual peacefulness characterizes Islam in Senegal. One city in particular, the Holy city of Touba, a place where politics, police and alcohol are forbidden, demonstrates this tranquility. The city poses an interesting social experiment and evidently crime is minimal in Touba.
Another student described the ninety-nine attributes of God, such as "God is the merciful" or "God is the wise" and how it is important to model one's life after these attributes. "No matter your faith, you can take something from Islam and add to your own faith" Ismail ibn Ali, a first year graduate student at the School of Education representing Trinidad and Tobago, said.
For example, the specific and personal nature of prayer emphasized in Islam can be incorporated into one's own faith, or modeling one's life after specific attributes, rather than a generic or vague idea can be applied to anyone's daily life. Islam is not confined to the Middle East, nor is it confined to Muslims themselves sharing aspects of other faiths: "It's hard to break stereotypes that Islam is a boxed thing…it's not so compartmentalized, but rather a continuation of faith throughout time" ibn Ali said.
Islam stretches across other continents as well. There is a strong presence of Muslims in Japan due to the Japanese invasions of South East Asia and China during WWII. It is the official religion of Morocco. In China, the highest concentration of Muslims is found in the Xingjian province. Ethiopia is 33 percent Muslim, and is home to the site of the oldest sultanate in the world. Pakistan split from India in 1947 in order to create a separate Islamic nation and gain political representation for Muslims. America is home to 1.8 million Muslims. Together, these countries weave a colorful and diverse tapestry and the thread that holds them together is their faith, Islam.
