 |
| At the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, men and women pray in the same room separated only by a low partition. Melanie Stetson Freeman – staff |
A mosque in America's heartland
The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, Ohio, has roots going back 75 years has shaped a faith for today.
from the September 6, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
At the same time, the challenge of explaining Islam in the community continues. Imam Farooq speaks frequently at schools and churches. He tells of being invited to a church gathering after a newspaper article included very negative remarks on the prophet Muhammad. "I spoke from my heart and asked, 'Why do we have to insult each other?' "
It turned out that the man who had written the article was present and admitted he really didn't know much about Islam but had gotten those ideas from a book.
The imam values the experience of relating to other religious communities. "Back home I never had that communication. Here you can get together in the house of God, and everyone talks freely about what he or she believes, and debate issues in a civilized manner," he says. "Here we learn how to differ and still maintain respect for each other."
Now, a challenge to moderate Islam
A similar challenge is posed these days within Islam. Some Muslims who consider themselves moderates or progressives face a changing environment.
"Whenever a community feels besieged they turn to religion, and after 9/11, through no fault of their own, American Muslims feel besieged and many become more orthodox and practicing," Hussain explains.
One example is the stronger emphasis put on women wearing the hijab. For many Muslim Americans today, wearing the hijab is not only an expression of modesty but also a way to identify and commit oneself to the faith.
Whereas Khattab gave several sermons showing that the Koran did not mandate the head cover, Kadri says, "that's all anyone likes to talk about today, that a woman should cover. My response is that I can't imagine God put our whole religion to this piece of cloth; it seems my intentions and the way I treat people are a lot more important."
At the center, people aren't expected to think the same, the imam says. Some are strongly committed, some progressive, some in between. "That is their free will that God gifted them with," he says.
The orthodox are just as horrified by terrorism as he is, Hussain says, but he is worried about the creation of "mental ghettos." He sees all three major faiths growing more conservative.
"There's a lot of leeway in how you interpret religion, and it boils down to whether we are trying to have a generation of Muslims who are comfortable with their religion and at the same time comfortable with the world they live in," he adds.
"The moderate stature of the center is still there, and our traditions are wonderful," he emphasizes, but many are concerned that ijtihad continue "so we can trail blaze a path for our children and grandchildren."
RSS feed
