I lived in Algeria for two years, and in Somalia for two months. I also spent a month in Egypt.
I think my impressions of Islam were more positive before I lived in Algeria and Somalia. I think American Muslims have many Christian friends and know a lot about Christianity and that makes it easy for them to to have respectful and constructive relationships with non-Muslims. I have easy and comfortable relationships with Muslim friends in the United States.
But Algerians and Somalis don't have Christian friends or know about Christianity - they just act on negative stereotypes. I have both Algerians and Somalis say very offensive things to me - I sometimes felt like some of them just saw me as a wicked kafira.
Another thing that contributed to negative impressions is the way that women are treated in the countries I visited or lived in. I observed that many Muslim men are very agressive and disrespectful with women - even ones that are wearing niqab!
I also want to say that after traveling I realized that Islam is very diverse and that there are very many different interpretations and ways of practicing. What Ismailis belive is very different from what Salafis or Hanbalis believe.
I lived in Algeria for two years, and in Somalia for two months. I also spent a month in Egypt.
ReplyDeleteI think my impressions of Islam were more positive before I lived in Algeria and Somalia. I think American Muslims have many Christian friends and know a lot about Christianity and that makes it easy for them to to have respectful and constructive relationships with non-Muslims. I have easy and comfortable relationships with Muslim friends in the United States.
But Algerians and Somalis don't have Christian friends or know about Christianity - they just act on negative stereotypes. I have both Algerians and Somalis say very offensive things to me - I sometimes felt like some of them just saw me as a wicked kafira.
Another thing that contributed to negative impressions is the way that women are treated in the countries I visited or lived in. I observed that many Muslim men are very agressive and disrespectful with women - even ones that are wearing niqab!
I also want to say that after traveling I realized that Islam is very diverse and that there are very many different interpretations and ways of practicing. What Ismailis belive is very different from what Salafis or Hanbalis believe.
Alison
Rwanda