/.Last Thursday, we went to a small Arab Village called En Rafa. This village is located less than a kilometer away from Kibbutz Tzuba. In our opinion, by visiting this village, we were exposed to the coexistence between Muslims and Jews in Israel. When we arrived to En Rafa, we met a man named Mousa. We learned that Musa has Israeli citizenship and we saw that he is able to live in Israel in peace, despite the surrounding conflict between the Jews and Muslims. Mousa gave us a tour around the Arab village and he explained to us that there are not many problems with the Jewish neighbors. He said, if you look to the government, there are issues between Israelis and Arabs, but Arabs and Israelis are capable of living in coexistence. After Israel claimed this area, only a small group of Arabs stayed because they did not want to be under the Israeli government. For this reason, various members of Mousa’s reside in the West Bank due to this issue.
On our trip to this village, we were exposed to a lot of the historical background of Islam and we saw many important aspects of the religion. A women who resides in this village, Yasmin, explained to us significant features of the religion. She told us that Islam literally translates into “submission or surrender to the one God.” Islam was founded through the teachings of Muhammed. Muhammed received a message from the Angel Gabriel saying that there was only one God. Additionally, Muhammad received the Koran, the Islamic holy book, from Allah through Gabriel.
After the Islamic religion was developed, it spread like wildfire. People who followed this religion began to bring it to new areas through trade. However, this new religion spread into many areas of the Middle East, particularly where many Jews resides. In these areas, more and more people adopted the religion. Islamic rulers told non-Muslims that they could remain in their land as long as they paid a tax and respected the Muslim traditions. However, since so many people began to practice this new religion, the Jews in areas that were previously not a minority became one.
A particular place that is incredibly holy to Muslims is in Jerusalem. Muslims consider Jerusalem to be the place where Mohammed ascended into heaven after he died in Mecca. Additionally, the Muslims also built the Dome of the Rock and the Alaska Mosque at this time. These were places that Muslims would go to in order to venerate to the religion.
While we were in En Rafa, Yasmin took us to one of the Mosques in the village. Inside, she explained to us many interesting things about the religion. One of the main things we found to be the most interesting was the reasons behind why women have to wear a headscarf. Women are required to wear this article of clothing so that people can look and understand what they are actually saying, disregarding their looks and personal beauty. Talking to Yasmin helped clarify misinterpretations of this religion. We learned many new things from a Muslim perspective compared to what we thought we knew before.
After visiting this village and the Mosque, what is something you personally found interesting either about Islam in general or about the coexistence between Israelis and Arabs that live in Israel? What is a misconception about Islam and this issue that you were able to better understand? 
Personally, I thought it was very cool how the Muslims in that town were able to coexist with all the jewish villages surrounding them. In today's modern media age, the only thing I hear about is the fighting between the Arabs and the Jews. For a while, I thought that that is what the reality is like. Seeing this coexistence gave me tremendous hope that one day there might be a two state solution. A misconception I had about Islam is that they made women wear Hijab just to oppress them. However, now I understand that they where them so people can focus on the importance of what they are saying, not what they look like.
ReplyDeleteAs a general observation, I really enjoyed how accepting the Muslims educating us were in relation to the questions we were asking, such as those dealing with LGBT matters as well as terrorism related issues. I think it is admirable that they understand the importance of and use patience in accepting questions and clearing up misinformation. It is easy to become frustrated and act irrationally as a result unjustified prejudice, but I really liked their thoughtful replies to our questions. Although I understand that some Muslims have much different views, sometimes less liberal, than that of the people speaking with us, I still feel I better understand Islam. One thing that stuck out to me was the way in which they deal with the media’s association of Muslims with terrorist groups. It was interesting how she said that these terrorists would not be considered truly Muslim, as they are creating a negative connotation with Islam as a result of these acts of terror. I feel I better understand the struggle of many Muslims being associated with this terrorism.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very interesting hearing how the religion is similar to both Judaism and Christianity, and has parts of both in it as well as their own spin on things as well. Hearing their thoughts on different things such as their opinions toward the violence of ISIS and their thought on LGTBQ+ people. I really enjoyed learning about Islam because I was not very educated about it before this tiyul, and now I feel like I have a better understanding of Islam.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really interesting to learn more about the basic Muslim beliefs (such as a comparison with christianity), as I didn't know much about Islam or the concepts of their religion before. I also found it very progressive and cohesive that in modern day it's normal to find Muslim towns living alongside Israeli ones, and I found that their (as well as our ability), to sit exchanging questions and educating ourselves on one another is an example of hope for further peaceful coexistence in the future. A misconception I felt I had was about the women's garment of hijab, I formerly only pictured it as a sign of oppression and never understand a woman's adamant loyalty to it. From hearing the perspective of Yasmin, I saw a different side that made women want to wear it in order to feel more respected and acknowledged as women, rather than wearing it with sexist ideals.
ReplyDeleteThis is lovely Ben
ReplyDeletePersonally, I was really interested in Yasmin's explanation of the significance of the hijab. I loved that according to her, the hijab is a way to give women their own personal space, and to feel more comfortable in front of men because they're not being judged on their beauty. It's a message to the community to value what the women have to say rather than how they look. The hijab is not oppressive, rather it gives women a platform for expression.
ReplyDeleteI actually really loved this tiyul because I was constantly being taught something that challenged my prior beliefs. It made me think deeper about how similar our faiths really are and that at the end of the day we really are all just people. I found it really cool how Moosa was able to turn someone's question around when they asked, “how does your family in the West Bank think of you staying in here?” by saying, “How do they think I feel that they left our home.” those obviously weren’t the exact words, but the message was very powerful, that all though he loves his family, he doesn’t feel he needs to get up and leave because he is comfortable where he lives, under Israeli government.
ReplyDeleteI thought Yasmin’s feminist approach to explaining why women sit behind men as well as why women wear a hijab to be very eye opening. I always thought these types of things were required of women because they were thought lesser of, however Yasmin explained that it is just the opposite. Women are told to sit behind men out of respect so no one feels insecure by the mens wandering eyes, and that they wear a hijab to express that what they are saying is more important than what they look like.
It was interesting and eye opening to learn about Islam. First of all I love how they sit on the ground and take off their shoes while preying its so relaxing. Its funny to see how similar all the religions are to each other because I had no idea before this tiyul. I asked how islam feels about gay people and I wasn't very surprised about the answer honestly. A misconception I had about islam is that I didn't realize how strict they are about romantic relations.
ReplyDeleteI found it very enticing that Islam is viewed as the continuation of monotheism, after judaism and christianity. Personally, I don't believe, or support strongly, religion. But this view does seem to be the most logical approach to religion that I have heard about. It also interested me to hear a women speak about the empowerment of her modest dress, in comparison to the world's general criticism and assumption of women's oppression in Islam. I'm still not sure I see Islam as a religion that empowers women, because there are certainly muslim countries that treat women horribly, but I will take into account this idea before judging other religions.
ReplyDeleteI personally thought that this Tiyul was absolutely amazing and I thought it was so interesting. I think that what surprised me the most was the amount of respect that the religion gives to women, when it is commonly thought that it oppresses women. I think the strength in the idea that women shouldn't be viewed as objects is really interesting. There is a huge misconception about Jihad and the most people think that a huge part of Islam is the violent aspect that we hear in the news, even though its barely enough of a percentage to speak for the religion at all.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I did not find the Tiyul so interesting because I missed half of it because I was sick and did not get the background information about Islam so as they were talking about Islam, I did not completely understand the full story. However, I found it interesting when we talked in the Mosque about the history of Islam and the difference in beliefs between Islam and Judaism. One of the better misconception about Islam is that people believe that there is only one sect of Islam which is very not true. In addition, people believe there are many tensions between Islam and Judaism and that is true, however, the relationship between Judaism and Islam is slowly getting better.
ReplyDeleteI found it very compelling to learn that Islam accepts Jesus Christ as their messiah. I always thought they denied Christ and all other figures from other religions. I also think a major misconception is islams views on homosexuality. I disagree with the thought process. However I understand how one might try to justify a need for heterosexuality by talking about how there are more women than men. This also justifies the multiple wives law.
ReplyDeleteI found it extremely interesting to hear the respect Muslims have for other "people of the book". Also, I was surprised Muslims do not blame the Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus, and the believe in Jesus being the Messiah. I believe one major misconception of Islam is that the women don't like wearing the hijabs. Jasmine said wearing a hijab empowered her, and took away the idea of women being seen as a sex object.
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