Love Thy [Muslim] Neighbor

The doors of the tiny elevator opened and those of us crammed in - definitely pushing past the weight limit - flooded out; me, caught in the wave. My bare feet landed on hot, marble tile and followed the lead of those who were frequent visitors. The harsh, Burmese sun tested my pale skin, and I could feel a bead of sweat run down my spine. Lifting my right hand in attempt to at least protect my eyes, already hiding behind sun glasses, I looked up at the Shwedagon Pagoda towering above. The plated gold stupa, said to be the oldest in the world, glistened in the late afternoon, guarded by statues of four Buddhas on each side. Burmese people dressed in elaborate costume walked clockwise around it, beginning at the eastern-most Buddha. Smaller temples were filled with people in prayer, chanting together. Some broke away to find the animal relic that matched the day of the week in which they were born, where they offered flowers or poured water over it with a blessing. Monks with shaved heads and deep-red robes walked past in groups.

It was a religious environment unlike any I had ever been in. People asked why I even took the time to visit during my stay in Myanmar, paying a small fee to enter the heart of Buddhism where people worshipped gods I don't believe in. If I wanted to understand Burmese culture and people I would be interacting with, how could I not? Life in Myanmar is heavily influenced by Buddhism.

Shwedagon Pagoda - Yangon, Myanmar

Flying back home, I had a layover in Doha, Qatar in the Middle East. I was in a Muslim country, and it's the first time I had ever, in person, seen men wearing white thawbs and women in black niqaabs, with nothing but their eyes visible. The Hamad International Airport had prayer rooms located wherever a restroom was found. The Qatar Airways flight screens rotated between the flight map, some advertisements for Middle Eastern destinations or products, and a compass pointing to Makkah in neighboring Saudi Arabia. 

Following my Buddhist learning experiences in Myanmar, I became curious about the Muslim traditions of Qatar and other Islamic countries. I wasn't there long, but I could see even more of the influence of Islam on the way of life of the Qataris. 

Islam: a religion I had been conditioned to fear growing up. I was 8 years old when the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 by Islamic extremists occurred, and 10 years old at the beginning of the war on terror as our military deployed to some of the countries I flew over in this journey. I've lived the majority of my life in a country that's been at war against Muslim countries and extremist groups like Al-Queda and ISIS. The majority of the media I've seen about Muslims has been negative, highlighting only violence and acts of evil.

But in Doha I only encountered pleasant looking, kind Muslim people who seemed to be people devoted to prayer. I became aware of my generalizations and felt ashamed of my pre-conceived ideas of a religion and group of people I realized I knew very little about. 

I knew there was a mosque close to where I live, so returning to the United States I looked up their website. They advertised that they love visitors, so I reached out and asked if I could visit. A man named Salah gladly scheduled a time for me to come. 

My visit to my local mosque was a wonderful experience. They were gracious hosts that fed me lunch, shared about their family backgrounds from places like Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, and Afghanistan. Many of them were high school students, and they told me where they were hoping to go to school and what career they dreamed of. They gave a presentation on their Muslim faith - what they believe, how they dress, their worship customs, what they eat, etc. Throughout this portion they continued to come back to how they do not associate themselves with the violent, Islamic extremists. They even talked about how the evil acts of these groups goes against the laws of Islam. It was important to them that I understood this and that they condemn the actions of Islamic terrorist groups. A few shared stories of the hateful things people in our community have said or done to them as they have been wrongly associated with the terrorist organizations. These stories broke my heart, and it was hard to swallow that people were being treated this way in my own city - that these young teenagers and young adults in front of me had these things happen to themselves or their family members.

My visit was on a Friday, which is their mandatory day of prayer. I took my shoes off and left them at the door and followed my hosts into the worship space. We sat in the back to be able to observe and I could ask questions without being disruptive. Salah insisted on sitting by the door. He said if an intruder came with a weapon he wanted to be able to protect the rest of us. This wasn't a joke and made me wonder what kinds of threats they've received. 

The call to prayer sounded and men from what looked like all over the world filled the room, going through the traditional rhythms of bowing and kneeling as they said their prayers facing an eastern corner of the room that was directioned towards Makkah (I asked where the women were, and they apparently prayed in a different room that had the main worship space live-streamed on a television. They said it was to protect women from feeling too revealed and men from being distracted during the kneeling of their prayer). I was inspired by the atmosphere of prayer the room was as they awaited everyone to join and for the imam (Muslim version of a pastor) to enter and lead the prayer and teach. The imam spoke about peace and what it means to be a good neighbor - the vast majority of the message I agreed with as it was very similar to Jesus' teaching to love our neighbors as ourselves and seek peace with everyone.

After prayer, I followed the hosts back to the room where we ate lunch and they answered questions. They also gave me a Qur'an so I could read for myself their sacred text. As I left they told me how grateful they were that I would spend the afternoon with them and learn more about their religion. They said I am welcome back anytime and any of my friends are welcome.

I've learned a lot about Islam and the Muslims in my community and have since realized just how often I encounter Muslims in my city (my city is actually a "hub" for Muslims to come and find community). So, instead of relying on assumptions from limited news sources, I will choose to learn and seek to understand. Just as the imam taught from the Qur'an on loving your neighbor, I've learned a lot about Biblically loving my neighbor, as Jesus instructed, as I've begun to see my Muslim neighbors truly as my neighbors who I will love with the same love Jesus has shown me.

"A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

- John 13:34

Shannan Martin, in her book The Ministry of Ordinary Place, wrote,

"Who is my neighbor?

It's not the one who looks like me. It's not the one I am most comfortable with or the one with whom I share hobbies, talents, or a go-to-Starbucks order. It's not limited to the person next door or my favorite coworker. My neighbor might even be someone I despise.

My neighbor is the one who comes near in mercy.

My neighbor is the one to whom I draw near in mercy."

When the shooting at the mosque in New Zealand happened I sent Salah a message saying I was thinking of and praying for our Muslim community. I stand in unity with them as my neighbors and friends, and I'm grateful they are part of our community. Salah's response was humbling, as he said my message was the best part of a difficult day. He shared gratitude on behalf of the Muslim community and the mosque, as he sent my message to friends. 

As mosques, churches, synagogues, and other places of worship continue to be in the news for deadly attacks against them, we need to work through our fears of people who are different, ridding our hearts of anything that keeps us from seeing each other as neighbors to love. 

"Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up."

- Romans 15:2

We may look different, believe different things, and have different customs, and while I want them to know Jesus as the Lord and Savior whom they do not need to earn affection or acceptance from - it's already theirs to have - Jesus wants and expects nothing but for me to love them as they are. As a people that feels marginalized, rejected, and feared God asks that we extend compassion and kindness to them, seeing them as individuals that He deeply loves, first and foremost. As Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries says, we stand on the margins with the marginalized so the margins will be erased. God is a spacious God who has room for everyone, including those we have deemed as "other." There is no "us" and "them," there is just "us," and we all belong to each other. We must expand our circle of compassion so no one is standing outside of it, and create a community of kinship that God would recognize. 

"The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

- Mark 12:31