Abdel-hamid Murci
Literacy Narrative
09/19/2023
1. I can’t say that I have a bad relationship with literacy. Literacy, to my best understanding, is the practice of reading, writing, or speaking. Something that I have been engaged in for as long as I can remember. Since my first days, more specifically in my academic years, I have been developing my level of literacy on a daily basis. Not only that, but in two languages I was studying and engaging in different forms of literacy. I didn’t grow up in a Muslim community, but my two parents did their best to place me in an Islamic environment in order to help base my foundations or daily practices off of Islamic studies. So they thought it was best fit to send to me to a school involved in both Islamic teachings and academics. If it wasn’t obvious, throughout my years of school I was living a double life. Starting my day in an Islamic environment and ending it in a non-Islamic community.
2. In my younger years and up to my late teens, I never really thought of the differences in my double life. I would start my day on Quranic recitations (verses from the Holy Quran being read and memorized) to listening to the latest mixtape made by my neighbors. But still, since I was in a Muslim household, I never thought anything off it. I never thought, why or what is everyone doing in their household. It wasn’t until later in my late teens, that I had gotten a small taste of what is on the other side of my walls. After I graduated high school, I went on to take the same route of any other 18 year old American and attend college. That is when I had been exposed to the vast umbrella of diversity, culture, and religious practices. My college being more non-Muslims, I had made friends with non-Muslims a lot earlier and faster than any other Muslims on campus. It was then that I realized that, even though Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the only monotheistic religions in the world, with the same forefathers, while also worshipping the same God, they do not have the same practices, beliefs, and even God.
3. Even though I grew up in a Muslim household, I still didn’t know enough to justify, teach, or argue for Islam in any kind of way. Let alone talk about not one but two whole other religions. Slowly I became more and more curious as to why these religions differed the way they do. I went on to ask around as much as I can, why our religion is what it is and why the other two are their own ideas and practices. I would never really get accurate answers, it would just be, “this is what I was raised on,” or “this is what my teacher taught.” Now I still took whatever I was told into consideration, but I was not able to rest assure with what everyone had to say. Growing up in a Muslim household and going to a Muslim school, I was raised with the understanding that everything that we do, in this life, is for God and the acceptance into heaven. So why wouldn’t everyone want to go to heaven? Why wouldn’t everyone want to please God? Why are we not all one in religion as we are a country? That is when I took it into my own hands to read and develop my understandings on religions, and when the time comes to settle with the best fit practice I find. I didn’t have to enroll into school/college, I didn’t need any type of tutor, and I didn’t have to spend any excessive amount of money. All it took was some commitment, and a little investment. Being a Muslim, I thought it would be kind of bias to start with Islam, so I went to learn about the next closest religion Christianity and continued to other religions from there. Since I also had somewhat of a basis in regards to Islam, I thought I could use that as my comparison between it and whatever the other religion I am reading on is.
4. As I got more and more engaged in Bible study, I learned more and more that this Americanized Christian faith or lifestyle is far different from what I have read in the bible. And the more and more I had open discussions with Christian followers, whether it is the casual household Christian, active Church Member, or even Christian leader, the more and more confused faces I seen. That is when I had come to an idea that all these different practices and beliefs aren’t from self judgements or understandings, but a lack of motive to really see if what ones self is practicing is according to what was originally taught. When growing up, the first people you are taught to trust are your parents/guardians, and whoever comes to closest to them. So when you grow up trusting and believing in what your parents persuaded on you, and they believe in what they believe because their parents persuaded it on them, the idea of going out to see what you should be doing in regards to religious practices or what other religions have to offer isn’t something that is seen as a priority. Especially, since your parents are your first teachers. I can only speak on the Christian faith and as far as what I know from the Bible. But this is just the beginning of my vast study.
5. Even though I am just beginning to get engaged in this vast study, and open discussion, many problems are practically inevitable. Even though when I open any type of religious discussion, it is in a way of showing me why ,if your book says to do this, why do you do things differently. Just the idea of their way, practice, or belief could be wrong is very triggering. It’s almost as if it is impossible for a human being to make such a mistake. There are times when some would even raise their hands and make threats. Now even though this isn’t a specific moment that represents the entire communities association with religious literacy, it definitely is a growing epidemic, not only in my community but world wide.
6. One thing I did realize though throughout this short time period engaging in open discussions, was that as the age group I am engaging with gets younger, the more open minded they got. The youth would come off more ready to listen and learn, the teenagers to pre-adults would be more understanding, open minded, but at the same time a little defensive, while the older generations would either be completely uninterested or some extent even offended.
7. I am not saying I am right and know what is good for everyone, but religion is a particular system of faith and worship in a higher power. And by default this high power sends it’s guidelines through it’s religious texts. Shouldn’t we just use our common sense and wisdom to comprehend the rights from the worngs?
