Category: Uncategorized

1.) First, I’d like to say that both The Cairo House and The Bridegroom were very enjoyable and engaging reads for me. Obviously there were differences with Cairo House being a full novel as opposed to The Bridegroom being a set of short stories. I would say that I learned more from The Cairo House and the depictions of Gigi. That is partly because I had learned about Chinese culture prior to this class, but it’s also because Serageldin makes Gigi quite relatable and down to Earth while also discussing the political struggles and cultural struggles as well. The Bridegroom was also an excellent read because many of the common cultural characteristics of Chinese culture came out throughout those short stories. Some of which I knew about, others however, I did not, and those were fun to try to figure out and learn about. Both of these fictional stories gave insightful looks into both of these cultures, and I feel that the fictional reads are better looks into the every day common culture of these places over a non-fiction book.

2.) Secondly, I have found the course as a whole to be very beneficial. It was quite disappointing that we were not able to continue this class in person, but the discussions have still been beneficial. The knowledge that I gained about Islam was particularly good about this class for me being that prior I had almost no knowledge in that area. There were also some things about China and their culture that were brand new to me and were interesting to learn. Lastly, I think that the fiction stories were one of my favorite aspects of the course, and when we were in person the discussions were particularly good because they allowed us to collaborate and discuss our perspectives on the cultures we were reading about.

Before coming to Butler I had very little experience with anyone in the Muslim community. Even after being here for a while, I found myself knowing very little about their religion and culture. I took the first step towards learning about Islam last semester, when I took a course titled “Religion in American Politics.” In this class, we learned a lot about Islam and the culture that surrounds it.

For one of my assignments in the class, I had to attend a religious ceremony that I was not familiar with. I decided to visit the Nur-Allah Islamic Center, as I was very curious about how they worship. I know that one of the ICR’s we could have done was through the Nur-Allah Islamic Center, so the people who are involved in that can see if their experience matches up with mine.

I think that there are a very small number of times where I have felt more welcome then when I went there. They immediately welcomed me in and taught me about their worship and showed me what to do and when. Everyone who came was just as welcoming. I was able to talk to a few people after the worship, as I was curious about their experiences of being a Muslim person in a country that seems to harbor distaste for the Muslim community. Everyone was very honest and sincere with there responses, and I learned a lot about them. Attending worship at Nur-Allah Islamic Center was a very interesting an enlightening experience that I recommend to everyone.

One of the main themes of Samia Serageldin’s “The Cairo House” is the fear of “what would people say?” It is something that Gigi struggles with throughout the book, as she learns to balance the expectations of others with what she really wants in her life. She often feels trapped, “that her bed has been made, and she must lay in it.”

The most interesting example of this that I saw was with her cousin, Tamer. His love for her was made instantly apparent to me when he put on Eric Clapton’s, “Layla,” when Gigi was at his apartment. I almost felt silly that I hadn’t realized it sooner, because there were definitely a few moments throughout the book where his love was transparent. Regardless, it was a satisfying moment for me that I was able to make that connection to the story of Layla and Majnun, because of the other content we have studied in this course.

Tamer saw himself as Kais (Majnun), forever destined to love a woman who was unavailable, or could not return his love. It is a touching moment when Tamer finally confesses his love, and it even made me hopeful. Hopeful that maybe, Gigi had found what she was missing: someone who loved her, all of her, and who she felt comfortable around. Hopeful that she could start a new life, that wasn’t determined by the expectations of others or the pressures of needing to adapt… Unfortunately, this all came crashing down because of a rumor. Gigi overhears how Tamer has a “reputation with women,” and the weight of this gossip makes her question if her relationship with Tamer could jeopardize her chance to redefine her relationship with Tarek. Thus, she goes back to her bed that has been made, and continues to live in a state of “what could have been.”

In my life, what do I run away from? Who do I run away from? Are duty and obligation the determining factors of the decisions I make? I hope to use this extended time at home to be introspective and still. To reflect on Gigi’s story, and how it might relate to me as I graduate and move into a new stage of life.

First of all, I come from a small town in Michigan, so my interaction with Muslims and Muslim culture has been somewhat limited, however, there are some parts of Michigan around me that are very heavily populated by Muslims. So, before coming to Butler I had not much, but a little contact with Muslim people, and even at Butler there are not a great majority of Muslim people, but I have had some interactions with Muslims at Butler, all of which have been delightful. One of the stereotypes that I have heard throughout my life is that Muslim women are oppressed, coerced, and beaten throughout their lives, and that they are not treated as equals. However, the article PBS Global Connections article directly refutes that claim, as would conversations I have had with Muslim people in the communities around my home. Muslim women are supposed to be treated like equals, and the great majority of them are happy to follow the teachings of the Quran and Islam. It is the uncommon, bad cases that get captured by news outlets and blown up because it is out of the norm, and we all need to do some more research around the world to make sure we are avoiding anti-Muslim stereotypes at all times.

Today, I met with several students over the phone to conduct another virtual tutoring session. We went through several exercises that helped the students apply the material they learned about the three branches of government. We also learned about state government specific to Indiana. We shared discussions about how we were doing at home amidst the coronavirus chaos. This season is important in many faiths, so we discussed how our experiences were changing without being able to carry on with typical traditions.

Through the interfaith discussions about how we were spending our time during this season, I developed a deeper understanding for what this season means for people of other faiths. Developing this deeper cultural understanding is important to relate to members of my community and be respectful as well as more knowledgeable. Additionally, I did not attend K-12 school in Indiana. Learning about the Indiana state government was also new to me. Both the informal discussions and the formal lesson about the government helped me understand more about both the community I live in as well as other cultural groups. Blending community groups is a topic that has been touched on several times throughout this course and is extremely important.

I learned that there are many ways to build your knowledge and broaden your understanding about different communities or cultures. Having simple discussions with the students helped me broaden my understanding about different cultures. Sometimes these personal perspectives are the most beneficial because it offers a safe space for asking questions and understanding someone’s culture at a personal level. I realized how valued the students felt when I took time to learn about their personal culture and experiences.

In virtual ICR service, I tutored two students over the phone. Our discussion and lesson were centered around the three branches of government. This included who made up each branch, the purpose of each branch, where each branch was located, and current issues related to each branch of government. This information is important for these students to learn because they are studying for the citizenship test.

In Cairo House on page 138, Samia Serageldin writes, “Sometimes the sea changes in life can be sudden, and at the time, can seem temporary.” Although this thought relates to Gigi’s choices at the time in the novel, this quote can be applied to the current situation we are living. Our society has undergone a significant change in a very sudden manner. Some of these changes will be temporary and some will be more permanent. It would be easy for both students and tutors to give up on continuing ESL classes because of the sudden “sea changes” that have occurred. However, it is inspiring that the students are so dedicated to learning English and trying to better understand the new culture they are apart of. The students are busy, have children at home, and have jobs as well. The tutors are dealing with technical difficulties and schedules of their own. The head of the tutoring program at Washington Township said I won the award for tutoring from the furthest away from Indianapolis. Like Serageldin writes, the changes are sudden, but it is important to adapt and continue to stay focused.

As I do more virtual tutoring sessions, I am learning how to become more effective at delivering material over the phone. Effective communication is a very important skill to possess and continue to develop. Communicating over the phone can pose a challenge, especially with the language barrier that exists. However, I have learned different methods that help me deliver the material effectively to the students. This includes using tone of voice more than I normally would as well as describing in more simple terms. This virtual tutoring is not the most ideal way to deliver material to students learning English. However, this is a time where everyone is learning to adapt. I have learned how to adapt to this situation and still communicate effectively and help students learn.

To continue my ICR from my remote home I was asked to do three projects in relation to the IACA. My first project was to develop a one-page flyer  in order to share with Butler community as well as wider community and other community partners. At first, I was unsure how to approach this project as there is not an official website for the IACA. After some addition research through other online platforms such as news articles, other Chinese association websites, and the ICR site leaders (Benny and Kwans) emails I was able to find out some events that the IACA does to give back to the community.  I was interested to see all of the things the organization does such as having speakers come into the Indianapolis Children’s Museum to educate the youth. I wanted to highlight these things in the flyer to show the community how much of an impact the organization makes. In addition, I wanted to include a photo of the IACA doing something in the community so I chose to include a picture of one of their drum performances. Below I have attached the flyer the I made the organization.

When I first heard the words “Islamic Lunar Calendar” I assumed it was a calendar that showed the phases of the moon. After some research, I learned this calendar consisted of much more than I thought. The calendar consists of the 12 lunar months which determines the right days for the holidays. Each day of the week has a different meaning. For example, Friday is considered “the gathering” and Saturday is considered the “rest”. The months follow this same concept. For example on of the months is named “Safar” which means void. Four out of these 12 months is shown to be “sacred”.The number of days in the months are determined by the conditions, the position of the Earth, and how well the moon is seen.

The calendar adds all of the Islamic holidays that many countries follow. Specifically Iraq, Jordan, Palestine and other primarily Muslim countries follow this calendar as their holidays correspond with the calendar days. Even though most countries follow the same calendar as the United States, but this calendar is still special to the Islamic religion.

The New Renaissance is an article written by Hasan Al-Bannã in which he counters an article written by Taha Husayn.  Hasan argues that Egypt is born again in its Islamic identity.  He says that a “western tint” is no longer an option for Egyptians. He starts out his article with is ideas on how we currently view the political, social, and moral spheres of people.  Specifically, he talks about how more people are constantly proclaiming the necessity to return to the principles and ways of Islam.

Many others attribute this shift to the following factors.  Some explain this shift as a reaction to present day economic and political pressures. While others attribute it to the growth of extremist organizations.  However, he believes it comes down to one of the following three: The failure of the West, the Perfection of Islam, and the development of social conditions.

When talking about the failure of the west he mentions how the current Western way of life is bounded on knowledge, discovery, and invention.  He says that man is not an instrument and that naturally, we become tired of materialistic conditions and desires.  This was a viewpoint that I had never thought about before.

The other cause I found interesting was when he talked about the development of social conditions.  He points out that the world has long been ruled by democratic systems and has glorified the idea of democracy.  He talks about German Nazism and Italian Fascism and their effects on peoples’ mindsets.  All of these different regimes and events led to the conlcusion that to free onself from exisitng states of affairs, it is necessary to allow people to return to Islam.  This article gave me a unique perspective on the return of Islam.

Today I read both the How to Perform Salah and the step by step guide to Hajj articles that Dr. McGrath posted on the schedule.  Hajj is the Muslim pilgrimage following the actions of Muhammad nearly 1,377 years ago.  It occurs in the 12th month of the Islamic calendar between the eigth and thirteenth days.  All healthy and financially capable Muslims feel the obligation to take part in this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.  One shocking part to me is the large amount of people who attend.  Millions of Muslims from all over the world gather to attend.  With all of the travel restrictions with the coronavirus I was curious to see if it had been postponed or cancelled.  I did some research and if it were to be cancelled it would be the first closure of the event in Mecca since 1798.  Obviously no one wants an event such as this one to be cancelled, but with how many people who attend I feel like it is necessary.

As I continued to read the article it gave a more detailed description of what each day looks like.  For example, on day 2 the spend the day at Arafat.  Mount Mercy at Arafat was where Muhammad had his final sermon. After sunset, they travel 9 km to Muzdalifah.  I was very interested in the details of each day and how they relate to their religious beliefs.

In the other article, I learned more about Salah.  To start you have to make sure you are clean and in the right attire.  For males, it is anything that covers from the naval to the knees, and for women it is covering the whole body except for the face and hands.  The article was very descriptive on what to say and what positions to say it in.  It was very fascinating to learn about how they pray compared to how my family prays.