Ashley Lennon

ELED 310.003
April 8, 2014
Community Cultural Event - Obliterating the White, Christian Arrogance
Prior to fulfilling this assignment, my mindset automatically set upon the idea that this
would be quick, easy, and require little to no self-involvement. I had assumed that I would not be
impacted by any of my experiences, and that I would not undergo any sort of revelations. I
expected to attend seminars where lectures would be delivered and I would remain unchanged.
However, the complete opposite happened; from my community cultural event experience, my
learning, respect, and appreciation grew significantly.
To complete the requirements of this assignment, I attended a Muslim Prayer Service at
the Islamic Association of the Shenandoah Valley on March 28, 2014 with three classmates, two
females and one male. Prior to attending the prayer service, I was informed that females must
dress conservatively, as in no exposure of the legs, arms, chest, or hair. Thus, for the first time in
my life, I hid my hair in a scarf within a public setting. When my classmates and I arrived, we
were overwhelmed by the lack of directions and instructions as to where to go and what to do
once inside the House of God. From making our own observations, we gathered that the women
and men had to remove their shoes and place them in cubbies separated by gender. Then, we
entered the carpeted room where the service was to take place. Women were to sit on the carpet
in the back right corner of the room, which was bordered by hanging sheets. Outside of these
makeshift dividers, all of the men conglomerated. There were approximately thirty to forty
females within the curtains; four of them children. As women of all ages entered the curtained
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area throughout the service, they performed a series of prayer rituals that consisted of bowing,
standing, kneeling, sitting, whispering, folding hands, lifting hands, and closed eyes. During the
service, a prayer leader, the Imam, read in Arabic and spoke in English from the Quran. While I
tried to remain attentive to what was said, I was very distracted by the children who were
playing.
After the service was over, my classmates and I joined in a questionnaire session set up
by an EMU class, in which the visitors could ask the Imam any questions they had and the Imam
could answer in full detail. During this valuable time, many of my own misconceptions were
cleared. I was also able to make connections between the Islamic faith and that of my own. The
rituals, traditions, and beliefs were explained in great detail by the Imam with reference to the
Quran.
I had no idea how transformative this event would be. This experience has made great
impacts on my own personal beliefs and understandings. While prior to, during the service, and
throughout the following week, I remained very biased, disrespectful, and guarded against this
belief system, my subconscious slowly mulled over my experience and I gained a greater
appreciation. I slowly began to respect those that adhere to this religion and began to adopt
certain practices for application in my own religious rituals. Rather than this experience having
been short-lived and one that I would never think about again, my experience has radically
changed my outlook on life and my thoughts towards others.
My experience within the Islamic Association of the Shenandoah Valley greatly relates to
the subject of this course. While I do not personally agree with the teachings and beliefs of Islam,
I may encounter individuals who do, such as students, parents, and faculty. As a teacher, I must
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be respectful of Muslims and their rituals like fasting and praying five times a day. Also, I must
educate my students within a safe environment that promotes and foster learning. While I do not
want to advocate for the Islamic faith, I can prevent bullying from occurring and encourage those
that are Muslim to educate those around them. Overall, this experience has taught me to have an
appreciation and respect for Muslims, whereas prior to this experience I was very biased and
disrespectful.
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