race ethnicity culture or religion

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 One major difference I have noticed between my personal life and life in Morocco is religion. I follow Christianity, and it is a major part of my identity. Morocco is a Muslim state where Islam is the most popular religion. I noticed some major differences between the religious practices of Christianity and Islam when we toured the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca. Prayers happen 5 times a day, and it is very structured and planned out. This is very different from Christian prayer because Christian prayer is less timed and planned. I also found it very different how one must take off their shoes before entering the mosque. This is because they pray on the ground to feel more connected to Allah. This was very interesting, as I am used to benches in church. Another thing that really stood out was the lack of pictures or art in the mosque. One source states "Islam is a religion that does not want to distract from the worship of God. Images and statues can, over time, result in the worship of statues and idols. If one enters a church, they are likely to see images of Jesus or Mary" (whyislam.org). Although the mosque had beautiful architecture, it differed from many Christian churches in the form of art. I find it interesting how christianity views art in church as a way to glorify God, but in Islam it is considered a distraction. To conclude, the mosque tour really opened my eyes and I learned a lot about Islam that I might never have known. It inspired me to possibly change my essay topic to a comparison between religion in Morocco and the US. 


Study.com. “Morocco: Ethnic Groups.” Study.com, https://study.com/academy/lesson/morocco-ethnic-groups.html.

Comments

  1. Markeila HowardMay 15, 2025 at 1:25 AM

    Peach, I think you made a great comparison between Christianity and Islam. As a Christian myself, going to the mosque also opened my eyes to learning more about a different religion. I thought it was very interesting that you mentioned how pictures on the wall in a mosque could be considered a distraction. I had assumed they were simply there to showcase the beautiful structure, so that was a great point. I also appreciated how you mentioned the specific prayer times in Islam. That level of structure and consistency really stood out to me. In Christianity, at least in my personal experience, prayer tends to be more flexible. I usually pray whenever I feel moved to do so, whether it's in the morning, before bed, or in moments of stress or gratitude. Seeing a community pause their day to come together in prayer at set times showed me a different kind of devotion and discipline that I really admire. Thank you for sharing your experience.

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