Lady Montagu's Letter (Formal-Oct. 1)

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s letter, #107 Lady, dated April 1717 is an interesting account of her experience in a Baggio. She not only gives a detailed description of the bathhouse, but also provides wonderful insight to the social lives of Muslim women. Mary Wortley Montagu, being a woman, was able to offer inside accounts of the behavior within this “no boys allowed” atmosphere.

Our Lady describes the Baggio as five domes joined together, with the only window being on the roof for light. She spoke in detail of the magnificent marble floors and benches. The room held fountains that ran to little channels within the floor. She describes the baths that had cool water running in to it for the perfect temperature.

Mary seemed very impressed with the elegance of the Baggio, but more so with the manners of the woman occupying it. She noted the contrasting social tact between these Muslim women and women of her own country. She stated that women did not show the slightest bit of surprise of curiosity with her style of dress. Mary said that, in two hundred women, she could not pick out any “disdainful smiles” or “satylic whispers” as she would of, had she been mingling with the English. They kept repeating, “Uzelle, pek, uzelle” or “Charming, very charming.”

Lady Montagu was also surprised, not only by their genuine kindness and acceptance, but by their natural beauty and grace. Mary paints a scene of a room full of naked women with “fine skins” and “delicate shapes” (of whom earned her greatest admiration) standing and lying is a plethora of poses without shame or apprehension. She told of women lounging around while slaves braided their long hair. These women tried to persuade Mary to join them, but she politely refused. She did however satisfy them by showing off her corset that was believed to be a little box in which English men locked up their wives. (Obviously they had misrepresentations of our culture, just as we had of theirs.)

This kind of social setting was similar to a coffee house, where people, or men for that matter, gathered. Mary actually refers to the Baggio as a “Woman’s coffee house” where they may sit around and gossip about the town’s affairs. This reminds me of a bunch of women sitting around the nail salon getting manicures and pedicures, chatting about this, that and the other thing. This is the first account we have come across that really exposes the female lifestyle. This intimate view of women in their element seems to contradict the familiar stereotype that women of the Muslim faith are oppressed by their patriarchal society, more so than the Western culture. Mary’s visit to the Baggio shows that Muslim women were not slaves, more accurately they were able to enjoy leisurely activities from time to time.

I greatly enjoyed this letter. I felt like I gained so much more knowledge of the role of women in a Muslim society. Prior to this letter, I was under the impression that women stayed in the house all day cleaning and preparing for their husbands arrival. I now understand that Muslim women were allowed to go have their “girls day out” and pamper themselves just like English women. I loved the optimism and admiration that was imbedded in every word that Mary used to describe these women. I think that it was easier for women of different cultures to relate to each other than it is for men, because the role of the woman was similar throughout the world at that time. Women were expected to mind the children and keep up the household chores in every society, so they had something in common. I think that it was easier because women were not involved in the politics that often built walls, separating the different cultures. This letter is great representations of the fact that women did, in fact, have rights, contrary to the common perception.

Are our religious rights in jeopardy?

“Separation of church and state is a political and legal doctrine which states that government and religious institutions are to be kept separate and independent of one another.” This was implemented to ensure a secular government and the freedom of relgious practice. However, more and more it seems that the line that separates these two institutions is blurring. I believe that many people misinterpret the “Separation of Church and State,” and don’t realize that it was established to protect the Church from the State

After reading an article about a Sikh teen, residing in Canada, who was told that he could not wear his kirpan, a ceremonial knive, to school. The teen and his parents honestly felt like he had an obligation to his faith to carry his kirpin at all times. Another part of the article spoke about a Muslim girl who was told that she could not wear a certain kind of clothing because it did not comply with the dress code. She and her parents felt like the dress code clothing was not modest enough dress according to their religion. These schools were ultimately making these teens choose between their school and their religion. On one hand you have your parents and your religious leaders and texts telling you one thing and School officials telling you another. That is a precarious position for anyone, let alone a 14 or 15 year old. Why are we teaching our children intolerance instead of celebrating diversity? Variety, people, it’s the spice of life…

Sadly, France, which has the largest Jewish and Muslim population in Europe, has already forfeited its cultural diversity by banning religious attire and symbols from their public school systems. France, the country known for its liberalness, of all places! Former President of Jacques Chirac stated, "If we are talking about the star of David, the hand of Fatima or a small cross, those are acceptable, but when it's very obvious, in other words, when if they are worn people can immediately see what religious faith they belong to, that should not be accepted.” This doesn’t exactly take into consideration the scarves worn by Muslim women, skullcaps worn by Jewish men, or turbans worn by Sikh men, which are symbols of their faith and piety. Their government is definitely violating the separation of church and state. This law seems to only be targeting the religious minorities, oddly enough. Could it be that the government is afraid of anything that might threaten their Christian views? Hmmm…

The banning of religious texts in U.S. prisons is yet another prejudice act by a governmental establishment, masking it under the premise of the ”Separation of Church and State.” They say this was taken into action in order to prevent religious extremists, especially Muslim, from recruiting for terrorist groups within the prisons. Mark Earley, president of Prison Fellowship, a Christian group, told the Times. “There’s no need to get rid of literally hundreds of thousands of books that are fine simply because you have a problem with an isolated book or piece of literature that presents extremism.” They deny any discrimination of a particular religion stating that they got rid of an equal amount of books from every religion. Because that makes it right… (sarcasm)What happened to the freedom of religious expression? Do we really want to live in a world void of religious and cultural diversity? I know that I do not want to be told by a governmental institution what I may say or do in public. If I matter is not infringing on anyone else’s rights, I feel that I should be able to say what I want to say, act how I want to act, dress how I want to dress and worship (or not worship for that matter) the way that I want. I was born with the capabilities of making my own decisions and would appreciated it if these government establishments would kindly butt out and let me live my life in peace. I can’t even imagine what it must feel like to be a member of a religious minority, constantly targeted for your beliefs because you choose to exalt your faith. Yep, if we're not careful we won't have any rights left...

Where Am I Going? (Formal-Sept 17th)

I will be the first to admit that the extent of knowledge that I have about the Islamic faith comes from what we have read and discussed in class and my experience working in a Middle Eastern Restaurant. I am basically ignorant to many of their views and customs and I hope that by taking this class I am able to overcome the tendency to believe what is fed to me on the news. Althought I try to get my news from MPR and other non-biased organizations, I find it difficult to not have certain expectations of a culture due to the negative images and propaganda spread by the media. I hope that by the end of this class I will better understand the ideals of Islam and learn something that I can use in my everyday life.

I am sad to say that Professor Kietzman had to set me straight on a few issues regarding Islam. I was under the impression that the religion mandated the veiling of women which I felt was oppressive. I didn't understand that it was a personal preference. Kietzman made a good point in saying that Muslims view American's dependence on the importance of appearance, such as weight, make-up and indecent clothing, is oppressive. This statement saddened me because I do not want to be associated with people such as Paris Hilton just because we share U.S. residency, which is how non-radical Muslims must feel. Here we are, basically blaming their religion for the ridiculous and radical views of a small group of people, not even taking in to account that not everyone of that faith is for killing or dying in the name of Allah. Some truely do follow the peaceful teachings of Mohammed.

I am ashamed to say that I held some unfair views of the Islamic faith and the Muslim people due to stories that I heard from my Jewish friends that live in Israel. Of course my friends are going to tell me all the negative aspects of these people considering they have been in conflict with them over the state of Israel and especially the Gaza strip. They told me stories about their relatives dying in bombings of libraries and cafes and also about their experience in the military directly out of High school or whatever they call it in Israel. And in my learning of the religion and culture of Judasim I believe that I may have developed a tendacy of viewing Muslims as the "enemy." I can honestly say that the attack on the World Trade Center and all the special programs devoted to what happened on Septemeber 11th didn't help to correct my biased view.

When I began working at Taboon, I was able to speak with some of the Muslim workers about culture, but was never really able to pick their brains regarding their religious beliefs. I got to learn such things like their rules regarding alcohol and Ramadan and other such surface aspects of the religion, but never the story of Mohammed and the birth of Islam. Looking back, I wish that I would have been allotted that privilege so that I didn't have to live in ignorance all these years. I was lucky enough to accidently stumble in on one of the cooks praying in the back room, and I will say that I was in awe. I never realized how beautiful the ritual is and was very taken by the dedication that they to their faith.

I am proud to say, that my views of the Islam religion have transformed, with the help of Professor Kietzman and the Muslims students in this class. They have helped me to better understand the culture, as well as the religion and for that I give them my deepest thanks.

Pitt's: A New Outlook (Formal-Sept. 19th)

Monday night's discussion has given me great insight to Joseph Pitt's, "A True and Faithful Account of the Religion and Manners of the Mahommetans." I would like to apologize for my ignorance of the Muslim culture. My previous blog was a raw reaction to the text as it was, without reading further into it, as I should have. After hearing other students' take on this narrative, I feel I have a better grasp on the material.

I must say that when reading this for the first time, I was under the impression that Joseph Pitt's was angry and resentful at being a slave and living in captivity in a different country with a completely different culture. When reading this piece I did, however, notice that he would speak kindly of many of the people that he met in his travels and came to develop a deep affection for his third and final master. In talking about this in class I noticed how much more it occurred than what I originally remembered. I also believe that his conversion to the Muslim faith made an impact on his life, even though he converted back to Christianity.

It was quite the debate on whether or not he was truly converted to the Muslim faith, and since I believe that this changed his live, I will touch on my thoughts on this issue. I believe that it is perfectly acceptable to say that Joesph Pitt's truly did convert, even though it may have been for a short time in the grand scheme of things. Although he was "forced" to convert (which may just have been an embellishment to make the English sympathize for him; only he knows) he made many references to the devotion of the Muslim people and even went as far as to say that he wished that the English studied their religious text and practiced Christianity with the kind of tenacity in which the Muslims worship. It seems that Pitt's would have been curious about these interesting people with their unique mannerisms, and wanted to learn even more about their culture. I also feel that after so many years of being exposed to a different culture, you have to come to understand it at some point in time which naturally affects one's life. And once you have the knowledge, it is hard to maintain the evil stereotypes that you have about that culture and may even come to realize that there is something to be learned in every situation. For example, I was very much opposed to the idea of polygamy within the Mormon faith, until I met my sister's boyfriend at the time, who was a Mormon and explained to me that it was to protect the women and was not a common practice. This enlightenment changed my whole view of the Mormon faith. As for Pitt's truly being converted to Muslim, yes I do believe that while engulfed in the everyday life of their culture, he was able to see the pureness and the beauty of the religion and most likely found spiritual guidance. Remembering those amazing spiritual experiences and the reasons why you actively practiced a faith when thrust back into a society where the Muslim faith was filled with ugly lies and rumors would have to have been extremely difficult. I am sure that once Pitt's arrived back in England, he was drilled with questions about the cruel things that they did to him, so he was ultimately forced to reestablish the feelings of anger and fear at being taken. I am certain that he was torn between these two completely different lives, it is evident in the text, but I also believe that there is something about the place that you are born that always holds a special place in a person's heart. This feeling of "home" will almost always overshadow beautiful scenery or financial stability or whatever else may try to seduce a traveller to stay on foreign soil. This is the reason I believe that he left a pretty good life to go back to England, not because he was chewing at the bit to get out of dodge. I believe it was a difficult decision for him because he did come to understand and respect the Muslim faith and was able to experience it first hand. That kind of revelation is a hard thing to shake.

In summary, I do feel that Joseph Pitt's was truly converted; I cannot see how he could not have been while living in the midst of such religious dedication. I am sorry that he chose to write a narrative that describes the unfortunate events that occurred because of some group's poor decisions and radical views, which do not necessarily reflect the views of all Muslims and may feed into the stereotypes. I believe that this could have been a great documentation for the cultural history of the Muslim faith due to the painstaking detail of their eating habits and daily activities that he incorporated into this narrative.

Imagine

The air is heavy with sorrow as we remember the great tragedy our country endured six years ago today on this anniversary of 9/11. A tear came to my eye as I observed a moment of silence for all who perished in that heinous act. The radio station that I was listening to played a clip of President Bush addressing the nation after the planes crashed into the World Trade Center. He stated something along the lines that we have been attacked by a faceless coward and that America should rest assured that they will hunt down this enemy and make them pay. When hearing this I was overcome with emotion and wept not only for the countless victims that died that dark day, but also for the countless more that have been willing to give their lives to fulfill this vendetta. Six long years of bloodshed and yet we still live in a world of hatred and fear. What President Bush and so many others fail to realize is that you can't fight violence with violence. By doing so, we have fed into the terror that these radicals so cowardly cling to and have generated an unjustified prejudice towards the Muslim faith in its entirety.

It is an innate characteristic of the human race to fear the unknown, especially when it may pose a threat to our individual system of beliefs or way of life. We tend to simplify and generalize until the stereotypes infest our minds and blacken our hearts to our fellow man. We are a species of self-righteousness and intolerance, with ideals that have spawned from eons of ignorance and trepidation. Lies and propaganda run rampant, while we fail to heed the warnings of the eventual annihilation of mankind.

Unfortunately, both sides of this war feel justified in their rationale of the sacrifice of innocent lives. I however, cannot justify war for any reason. I choose creation over destruction, love over hate, and hope in our future. I believe in a Utopian society where every race, religion and sex can co-exist with an appreciation of each others diversity. I can see a day where people tear down their walls of apprehension, open their minds and try to learn from one another. I await the day when good will transcends evil and peace will reign. In the famous words of John Lennon, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us and the world can live as one."

Venting in the name of

I have just completed my first day of English 307. I must admit that I am truly excited about this class. There is such a diverse group of people with a plethora of different majors and cultural backgrounds, which I feel will spice up some of our discussions. I do worry, however, that my unenthusiastic view on theology and the institutions of religion and government may come out in our discussions and leave a sour taste in the mouths of some of my peers.

I have always thought that religion has been a tool of controlling the masses. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, to name a few, all follow manuscripts that were supposedly inspired by “God,” yet written by man. Man, the only creature on this earth able to lie, and deceive. Even if the "prophets" of the Bible, Torah, and the Quran were truly inspired by a higher being, Man has taken the good and the pure and the beauty of these sacred texts and manipulated the meanings to better suit their individual needs, specifically regarding politics.

It sickens me that the government of this nation, for example, is able to implement laws based on moral issues, when we are supposed to have a little thing called, “the separation of church and state.” Not to mention the fact that in this country, most laws in effect, are based on Christian theology, not taking into consideration the ideologies of other religions. I do not feel that any institution, be it government or a religious affiliation, has the right to tell me what I may or may not do with my body, or my life, for that matter. These organizations feel that they have some "God"-given duty to police the people and protect us from ourselves. Well I don’t need protection from any establishment that I neither like nor trust.

This is the one thing that I do not understand about the Islamic faith, or any faith for that matter. They have let politics get in the way of the true meaning of their religion. From the beginning, violence and foul play has surrounded the Islamic establishment. And although, I do not believe in the kind of higher being that is commonly referred to in this faith, I respect the freedom of choice and give kudos to anything that makes people strive to better themselves and humanity as a whole, if that is indeed what it does. Because of this, I find it ironic that the religion viewed worldwide as the most frightening and violent, was born from the heart of a very peaceful and pious man. A man that wanted his people to live prosperously and by “God’s will” in order to establish peace in a conflict-stricken world. This I find to be very interesting, and almost awe-inspiring, however, I cannot accept most of the ideals behind Islam or many other faiths, for that matter, being that within their theology stands more contradictions than truths.

I also cannot understand why Muslim women continue to cover their heads. I have been told that it is an act of piety, yet I was under the impression that God viewed all men and women equally. As a feminist, I find it rather disturbing to think that women have been fighting for years to gain equal status as men in our society and yet women of this faith, in particular, submit themselves to this patriarchal non-sense. It upsets me that all women have been lied to and led to believe that it is their duty to more or less live in servitude to their husbands. I will give the benefit of the doubt, however, and consider this misinterpretation rather than brainwashing.

I also have a problem with people making war in the name of their God. How idiotic is that? And almost every relgion is guilty of this. Don’t most faiths preach peace and love and the betterment of mankind? Yet here they are, killing in the name of a God whom either does not exist or no longer cares. I am a strong believer that religious institutions and the invisible lines that are only prevalent on a map breed hatred, hypocrisy and prejudice, and I want no part of it.

I do not want my views to be misrepresented or to come across as some sort of Santanist, which would be asinine considering I have no faith that such an entity exists. Don't let the name "Devil Woman" fool you, it is merely a playful nickname. I am a very spiritual person, however, my views more closely reflect those of the ancient pagan religions in regards to their love and respect for Mother Earth. I believe that any religion can give people something to hold onto when the world seems cold and dismal if they embrace the good and shun the evil. Faith should inspire and promote love and acceptance and empathy for the human race, not justify oppression, hatred and racism. Oh this is going to be an interesting class…