Running​ ​head:​ ​REFLECTIVE​ ​READING​ ​4 1

Reflective​ ​Reading​ ​4

Taylor​ ​S.​ ​Dugan

Portland​ ​State​ ​University

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“Becoming​ ​a​ ​committed​ ​Muslim​ ​was​ ​a​ ​way​ ​of​ ​being​ ​born​ ​again,​ ​of​ ​wiping​ ​the​ ​slate​ ​clean.​ ​You

could​ ​use​ ​your​ ​new​ ​identity​ ​to​ ​define​ ​yourself​ ​against​ ​the​ ​Western​ ​way​ ​of​ ​life—and​ ​against​ ​your

parents.”​ ​(Taylor​ ​and​ ​Francis,​ ​1999)

I’m​ ​writing​ ​on​ ​this​ ​quote​ ​because​ ​it​ ​struck​ ​a​ ​chord​ ​with​ ​a​ ​specific​ ​memory​ ​of​ ​a​ ​close

friend​ ​of​ ​mine​ ​told​ ​me​ ​she​ ​was​ ​converting​ ​to​ ​Islam.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​at​ ​first​ ​shocked​ ​from​ ​this​ ​news

because​ ​she​ ​was​ ​a​ ​white​ ​woman​ ​dedicating​ ​herself​ ​to​ ​a​ ​religion​ ​that​ ​was​ ​considered​ ​alien​ ​to​ ​my

community.​ ​I​ ​did​ ​not​ ​care​ ​about​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​she​ ​was​ ​Muslim,​ ​but​ ​I​ ​was​ ​concerned​ ​about​ ​the​ ​way

she​ ​would​ ​be​ ​treated​ ​if​ ​she​ ​were​ ​to​ ​announce​ ​it​ ​publicly.​ ​I​ ​didn’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​estrange​ ​her​ ​so​ ​I

questioned​ ​her​ ​about​ ​the​ ​religion,​ ​I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​more​ ​so​ ​I​ ​could​ ​understand​ ​what​ ​was

drawing​ ​her​ ​to​ ​it.

This​ ​led​ ​to​ ​me​ ​studying​ ​Islam​ ​for​ ​a​ ​summer,​ ​not​ ​practicing​ ​it​ ​necessarily,​ ​but​ ​researching

it​ ​and​ ​understanding​ ​the​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​the​ ​religion.​ ​I​ ​had​ ​been​ ​raised​ ​Judeo-Christian​ ​and​ ​Catholic​ ​by

my​ ​mother​ ​and​ ​father​ ​respectively,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​was​ ​raised​ ​to​ ​view​ ​all​ ​other​ ​religions​ ​as​ ​incorrect​ ​and​ ​in

some​ ​cases​ ​evil.​ ​Especially​ ​with​ ​the​ ​stereotyping​ ​of​ ​terrorism​ ​being​ ​related​ ​to​ ​Islam,​ ​I​ ​grew​ ​to​ ​be

much​ ​more​ ​sympathetic​ ​for​ ​the​ ​culture​ ​and​ ​the​ ​dedication​ ​that​ ​those​ ​who​ ​follow​ ​Islam​ ​have.​ ​I

also​ ​began​ ​to​ ​question​ ​religion​ ​with​ ​my​ ​identity.​ ​This​ ​isn’t​ ​the​ ​first​ ​time​ ​this​ ​has​ ​ever​ ​happened,

but​ ​I​ ​would​ ​say​ ​this​ ​exploration​ ​of​ ​religion​ ​and​ ​breaking​ ​the​ ​the​ ​prejudice​ ​that​ ​has​ ​been​ ​so

prevalent​ ​in​ ​my​ ​home​ ​community.​ ​It​ ​isn’t​ ​something​ ​I’d​ ​like​ ​to​ ​decide​ ​on​ ​now,​ ​but​ ​figuring​ ​out

my​ ​spiritual​ ​self​ ​is​ ​something​ ​I​ ​hope​ ​to​ ​achieve​ ​in​ ​the​ ​next​ ​couple​ ​of​ ​years

1. How​ ​does​ ​Religion​ ​affect​ ​the​ ​way​ ​we​ ​view​ ​others​ ​and​ ​what​ ​prejudice​ ​does​ ​that​ ​put​ ​on

opposing​ ​religions?
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2. Can​ ​one​ ​identity​ ​cultivate​ ​a​ ​lifestyle​ ​with​ ​multiple​ ​religions?​ ​How​ ​can​ ​this​ ​change​ ​the

way​ ​we​ ​view​ ​the​ ​barriers​ ​of​ ​religion?

3. Does​ ​religion​ ​define​ ​someone’s​ ​moral​ ​values?​ ​Can​ ​we​ ​assume​ ​exactly​ ​how​ ​someone

feels​ ​about​ ​certain​ ​political​ ​climates​ ​based​ ​on​ ​their​ ​religion?