Essay On Muslims In America
Muslims in America
America today is made up of many different cultures as well as people that are in them. Not only is America diverse by the different races of people but also by their culture. In America we have many different cultures and from those cultures come subcultures. Which is a group in society which does not follow the main stream of things? Some of the more famous ones would be gays and lesbians, bikers, farmers and homeless. It's not just in America where you can find subcultures like these. But only in America will you find as many subcultures as you do.
The subculture I chose is Muslims in America. Since September 11th this subculture has almost popped out and is now seen more by the American people. Because the attack on …show more content…
the Towers was by Muslims everyone that is American wants to know an answer to their biggest question "Why did they do that to us?" As Muslims they almost have to fend for their people but at the same time they ARE Americans and are just as hurt as the next person walking down the street. So to the average American you have to look at their components of their subculture to really understand where they are coming from and why such a horrible thing had happened. These components are symbols, language, values, and a norm.
A symbol is anything that stands for something else.
Some symbols in the Muslim community are the Koran, Sunnah and prayers. The Koran and Sunnah are
Symbols because they stand for what the people believe in. They are the story behind what had happened or didn't happen. Also it is what they believe or what they follow. Another symbol is the church bells that go off at least 5 times a day. When they go off it is meant for the Muslims to go and pray. Which leads to the next symbol of prayer?
Prayer is probably one of the biggest symbols that there is in the Muslim Society. Prayer is also know as the Sujud. Since it is so important you have no choice but to do it when it is time. As for the Christian American they usually pray on Sundays and depending on how much they are into their religion pray at meals. The Muslim Society is much stricter with their ways of prayer. You pray five times a day and are required to do them. The way you pray is displayed as different ways you put your body. For example when you are kneeling and almost kissing the floor there is a certain prayer that is supposes to be said. If you do not say the prayer right you might be disrespecting the entire
community.
There is one man who is a Muslim and lives in an American society. He is a well known doctor in his community and a devote Muslim which shows. At the hospital when it is time to pray he goes into his office pulls out his rug and prays. Even though his co-workers were not Muslims they respected his religious beliefs and went on about their work while he prayed in his office. (http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/muslimlife/)
The next component of subcultures is language. For the most part Muslims speak English in America but when they pray or go the they mosque they speak Arabic. A difference from the American culture that they have is some sign language. You can't just give someone the peace symbol because they might think that it is giving them the finger.
The next component is values. Values are shared beliefs about what is good or bad what is wrong or right and what is desirable and undesirable. The most obvious value that the Muslims have is their religion. Their religion is what they live by. They are praying all the time they are dressing the way they are because of this. Their religion is monotheistic. What most people don't know is that they believe in God just like Christians but they way their story goes are different. Also their religion is very strict in the since that if you don't follow the rule to key that you may be exiled. But also in retrospect it can be lenient. Such as women working in the Americas. But back in the home land they are not allowed to work. By being an American that allows the women to work and also have a part in supporting her family. And since they are Americans now they have that freedom which is a very important value to them.
The next and last component is a norm. A norm is the shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations. A norm as explained earlier is the prayers and how they are suppose to do them five times a day and through the whole prayer ways. Also another example of a norm is the way the women dress. They can either be dressed fully with just their face showing or they can wear the American clothes
Such as jeans and a shirt. Some women will tell you that they wear the usual Muslim outfit because it is what God wants her to do. And others believe that by wearing regular clothes they feel more comfortable and they have the right to choose to do that. But also wearing the Muslim outfit may cause for some controversy in the average American society because of September 11th people are now keen to thinking that if you are wearing that then you support what went on that day. Also the children for the most part can choose if they want to wear the regular outfit or American clothes. Since the parents and children are Americans as well they feel as though they should be allowed to choose what they wear since that is the American way.
Another norm would be that the men are not allowed to shave their facial hair. They are allowed to trim it but they must have a beard for the most part. Another aspect of their culture is that there are still some arranged marriages. Even though it is America and you have the right for the most part to choose your mate they still believe in picking the groom for the bride. Now not all Muslim American families do this because there are mixed marriages but there is still some who believe as much as having arranged marriages.
Over all the Muslim Americans just have their religious background that makes them different from the American society. Yet even though they do make up the mixed culture that America is all about they do separate themselves from the average American ways. Also one might not know that most of the mosques and the people that go there
Are turned into Muslims they are not true Muslims. Or for better understand they are people that have converted to Islam from another religion and want to follow Allah and God.
Even though they may look different such as have darker skin or dress different they are still Americans no matter what happened. Even though they are the same religion as the people that hit the tower they do not believe that it was right nor should they (Muslim Americans) be blamed for the actions that someone else had committed.
1.) Islam way. (n.d.). Retrieved Feb. 26, 2006, from The Right Way to Pray Web site: http://www.islamway.com/english/images/prayer/pray8.htm.
2.) Usinfo.state.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved Feb. 26, 2006, from Muslim Life in America Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/muslimlife/.
America today is made up of many different cultures as well as people that are in them. Not only is America diverse by the different races of people but also by their culture. In America we have many different cultures and from those cultures come subcultures. Which is a group in society which does not follow the main stream of things? Some of the more famous ones would be gays and lesbians, bikers, farmers and homeless. It's not just in America where you can find subcultures like these. But only in America will you find as many subcultures as you do.
The subculture I chose is Muslims in America. Since September 11th this subculture has almost popped out and is now seen more by the American people. Because the attack on …show more content…
the Towers was by Muslims everyone that is American wants to know an answer to their biggest question "Why did they do that to us?" As Muslims they almost have to fend for their people but at the same time they ARE Americans and are just as hurt as the next person walking down the street. So to the average American you have to look at their components of their subculture to really understand where they are coming from and why such a horrible thing had happened. These components are symbols, language, values, and a norm.
A symbol is anything that stands for something else.
Some symbols in the Muslim community are the Koran, Sunnah and prayers. The Koran and Sunnah are
Symbols because they stand for what the people believe in. They are the story behind what had happened or didn't happen. Also it is what they believe or what they follow. Another symbol is the church bells that go off at least 5 times a day. When they go off it is meant for the Muslims to go and pray. Which leads to the next symbol of prayer?
Prayer is probably one of the biggest symbols that there is in the Muslim Society. Prayer is also know as the Sujud. Since it is so important you have no choice but to do it when it is time. As for the Christian American they usually pray on Sundays and depending on how much they are into their religion pray at meals. The Muslim Society is much stricter with their ways of prayer. You pray five times a day and are required to do them. The way you pray is displayed as different ways you put your body. For example when you are kneeling and almost kissing the floor there is a certain prayer that is supposes to be said. If you do not say the prayer right you might be disrespecting the entire
community.
There is one man who is a Muslim and lives in an American society. He is a well known doctor in his community and a devote Muslim which shows. At the hospital when it is time to pray he goes into his office pulls out his rug and prays. Even though his co-workers were not Muslims they respected his religious beliefs and went on about their work while he prayed in his office. (http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/muslimlife/)
The next component of subcultures is language. For the most part Muslims speak English in America but when they pray or go the they mosque they speak Arabic. A difference from the American culture that they have is some sign language. You can't just give someone the peace symbol because they might think that it is giving them the finger.
The next component is values. Values are shared beliefs about what is good or bad what is wrong or right and what is desirable and undesirable. The most obvious value that the Muslims have is their religion. Their religion is what they live by. They are praying all the time they are dressing the way they are because of this. Their religion is monotheistic. What most people don't know is that they believe in God just like Christians but they way their story goes are different. Also their religion is very strict in the since that if you don't follow the rule to key that you may be exiled. But also in retrospect it can be lenient. Such as women working in the Americas. But back in the home land they are not allowed to work. By being an American that allows the women to work and also have a part in supporting her family. And since they are Americans now they have that freedom which is a very important value to them.
The next and last component is a norm. A norm is the shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations. A norm as explained earlier is the prayers and how they are suppose to do them five times a day and through the whole prayer ways. Also another example of a norm is the way the women dress. They can either be dressed fully with just their face showing or they can wear the American clothes
Such as jeans and a shirt. Some women will tell you that they wear the usual Muslim outfit because it is what God wants her to do. And others believe that by wearing regular clothes they feel more comfortable and they have the right to choose to do that. But also wearing the Muslim outfit may cause for some controversy in the average American society because of September 11th people are now keen to thinking that if you are wearing that then you support what went on that day. Also the children for the most part can choose if they want to wear the regular outfit or American clothes. Since the parents and children are Americans as well they feel as though they should be allowed to choose what they wear since that is the American way.
Another norm would be that the men are not allowed to shave their facial hair. They are allowed to trim it but they must have a beard for the most part. Another aspect of their culture is that there are still some arranged marriages. Even though it is America and you have the right for the most part to choose your mate they still believe in picking the groom for the bride. Now not all Muslim American families do this because there are mixed marriages but there is still some who believe as much as having arranged marriages.
Over all the Muslim Americans just have their religious background that makes them different from the American society. Yet even though they do make up the mixed culture that America is all about they do separate themselves from the average American ways. Also one might not know that most of the mosques and the people that go there
Are turned into Muslims they are not true Muslims. Or for better understand they are people that have converted to Islam from another religion and want to follow Allah and God.
Even though they may look different such as have darker skin or dress different they are still Americans no matter what happened. Even though they are the same religion as the people that hit the tower they do not believe that it was right nor should they (Muslim Americans) be blamed for the actions that someone else had committed.
1.) Islam way. (n.d.). Retrieved Feb. 26, 2006, from The Right Way to Pray Web site: http://www.islamway.com/english/images/prayer/pray8.htm.
2.) Usinfo.state.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved Feb. 26, 2006, from Muslim Life in America Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/muslimlife/.