Race, Identity, Culture: religion

 One of the biggest parts of Moroccan culture and many Moroccan’s identity is their religion: Islam. Over 99% of Moroccans are Muslim (People who practice Islam). Islam translates to surrender; Muslims believe in free will and actively surrender to their God, Allah. Allah communicated to Mohammed which led to their holy book, the Quran. Islam is built on The Five Pillars: declaration of faith, prayer, charity, fasting during Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca. (Mahdi, et al.) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islam Muslims are very devout. They pray 5 times a day. They do a ceremonial cleansing before each prayer. They fast from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan. From my American Christian perspective it seems intensive, but for them that’s heir life and it shoes what they value. 

I thought getting Islamic practices shown to us in detail by our tour guide on the first day was such a special and intimate experience. Hearing a Muslim woman talk to me about how she feels about her religion and her for the first time opened my eyes to how beautiful and personal faith is. I don’t know if it’s an American thing or just the circles I run in, but religion seems to be presented to me as like a thorn in someone’s side. It is either a burden or a source of guilt or trauma, and I think if there were as many steps and traditions to Christianity as their are to being Muslim, I would know a lot less Christians.

Above is a photo I took at the Hassan II Mosque of the cleansing station that our guide showed us. She thoughtfully went through the whole process showing us each step they have to carry out before they can pray. She spoke about Islam specifically in Morocco, and how Moroccan government does not force Islam on its citizens. They understand that faith and spirituality is personal between you and your God. This to me sounds like egalitarianism because there is a single supervisor, God, and everyone else is equal. One of the pillars of Islam is charity, so they absolutely subscribe to the idea of working together for the greater good, and Morocco is a very familial and community based culture. 

I think what leaders can do to be more respectful to Muslims is educate themselves. Asking questions and showing interest goes a long way. Then, understand that Moroccan culture is egalitarian and embedded, so be prepared for that team member’s family and community to come first. Also, show respect by giving them the space and materials they need to do their prayers with no push back. Understand that that is as much a part of the their person as their gender or upbringing.