Reaction #8 Islam

On Wednesday November 3^rd, I and my culture class visited the Cultural Muslim Center called Omar located in Calle Blancos, San José, Costa Rica. One of its members gave a speech about their religion. On this day, topics like the five pillars of Islam, the role of the women and men, weddings, among others were discussed.

The five pillars of the Islam are Iman, Salah, Zakah, Sawm, and Hajj. The first pillar is Iman or faith and it is based on the fact that the only purpose of a Muslim´s life is to serve and obey God. As well, the second pillar is Salah which is the name of the five prayers a Muslim must performed during the day.  Prayers are said at dawn, mid-day, late-afternoon, sunset and nightfall. By the way, we had the opportunity to observe them while they were praying.  The third pillar is Zakah which is the 2.5% of a Muslim’s annual capital. Muslims give this money to people who may need it. They help their families first, if they do not need the money, they give it to their neighbors, if no neighbor needs the money,  then, they must find someone in need. The fourth pillar is Sawn. Muslims every year in the month of Ramadan fast from dawn to dusk. Pregnant women, elderly people and women who are menstruating are permitted to break the fast. The last pillar is Hajj which is the pilgrimage. The pilgrimage to Makkah or Mecca is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to do so and must be done at least once during a Muslim lifetime. 

 

Women must use a veil to cover their hair. The veil gives a sense of dignity to a woman. When women are in their house, they do not have to use the veil. Also, when a woman is going to get married, the husband must pay for the wedding expenses and he must buy all the furniture, electronic and so on for the house. It is important for a bride to receive an insurance policy in case of divorce and to ensure her financial independence. Men are able to have multiple wives but they must deal with their wives justly. Something appealing to me that was discussed is that abortion is permitted if continuing the pregnancy would put the mother's life in real danger. Also, it is not very common to adopt a child but if you do so, you can not change the child´s last names. You must keep his or her real name. 

 

Going to this cultural center was a very interesting experience because by listening to them, you can have a total different point of view. Almost all the times what you see on television is not the whole truth about something and you can have a wrong idea of Muslims. All religions are different and that is part of each person´s culture. We have to be tolerant and respect them. If we do so, we can have a better and peaceful world.