The previous title of this thread was, upon a second reading, more misleading than funny. It's a topic I really want people to read and get into, so I've changed it in the interest of honesty. For the record, I do still think Ahsen was kind of a dick about sharing this same kind of information with me, though.
I've spent the last two weeks frequenting the Islamic Cultural Center here in Washington D.C.
The Islamic Center Washington DC - Home
I signed up to take some classes, including Arabic, and have found the people there to be as friendly and helpful as any I've ever met. This doesn't surprise me in the least, and it doesn't surprise me that they have very few inhibitions about sharing their experiences of home. I thought I'd share some of the stories they've told, and in the interest of keeping things as non-political as I can, I'm not going to give any names. As a side note, we haven't discussed politics at all, and I neither know where they stand on big issues, nor what they believe about the domestic situation.
My first Arabic Language class was the most impressive experience there by far. I walked in on the class eight or nine lessons late, and I have a lot of catch up to play, so the teacher there had me spend my time primarily copying the alphabet and numbers and learning to write a few basic sentences so I'd begin to recognize the differences in the letters as they appear at the beginning, middle, and end of words. He taught me the vowel sounds and explained that they are not independent letters in Arabic, but what we westerners might call "accent marks" that denote which vowel to pronounce after a given consanant. The class paused at prayer time, and I stayed at my desk writing while he excused himself for fifteen minutes or so to pray. He then came back and tutored me privately so that I might have an easier time catching up. We talked about how tough Arabic is to learn, and he gave me some pointers. He also talked about the kind of discipline that is used in Arab/Islamic schools. He said that most often when children fail to do their work or misbehave, the teachers either beat them on the hands and fingers or place them in what we might call "stress positions" for a given length of time. They'll be made to lean awkwardly over bent knees or stand with arms extended up over their heads while facing the wall for five or ten minutes. Sort of their version of "Time Out." The teacher of the class recommended a few books, apart from the language textbook I am supposed to pick up. One that I bought today is called "The Great Theft" by Khaled Abou El Fadl. That the author is an American Muslim didn't dent his credibility in the least.
I have to say that I am far more impressed with these people and their willingness to share than my experiences with people like Ahsen prepared me for. Ahsen was such a stubborn, cynical ass about sharing information, it really did make me wonder what I'd find when I visited such a huge Mosque and cultural center. Walking in as a Western white-boy, I wasn't sure what to expect. I have been very, very pleasantly surprised, though. Things such as the teacher's willingness to privately tutor me (these are free classes, by the way) made me very grateful. When I expressed my gratitude, it was met with humility and dismissal. "You are new. I owe it to you to help you learn." Was the reply from the teacher.
My classmates are a diverse and helpful group as well. Made up of a cross section that ranges from elderly white woman to twenty-something Nigerian, they're all equally helpful and eager to learn. I haven't gotten into any serious discussions about Islamism and radicalism as yet, but I've put in a few formal requests of the Director of the Center expressing my desire to ask him about these things. He has apparently been very, very busy. But as open and willing to share as these folks have been so far, I'm looking forward to the chance to discuss it with him.
So Ahsen's decision to act all righteous and holier-than-thou, while decidedly irritating, is really of no consequence. His decision to talk down to me and call me a bigot and a fear-monger haven't hindered right-minded Muslims from sharing their faith. Apparently, the Muslims here have read from a different book than he, and have welcomed questions with open arms and more importantly - open minds.
I'll post more in the weeks to come. In the mean time, a heartfelt thanks to the teachers and staff at the Islamic Center for sharing so far.