Growing up, there were very few Muslim families in our town. Muslims have two major holidays that they celebrate: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Eids, though we always celebrated them, were an essentially private affair when I was growing up. We celebrated by performing the Eid prayer as a community, eating food, getting money from our parents, going to the houses of our few Muslim friends and getting money from their parents, eating more food, taking off school as long as we didn’t have a test, and then, finally, eating even more food. Come to think of it, I never really knew Eid in the sense of being a highly public or a “community affair” until I was about twenty, when the Muslim community in our area had grown significantly
In the public sense, though, I have always “celebrated” Christmas (my willingness to do so or not being pretty much irrelevant).
We didn’t have a Christmas tree or presents in my home, but outside of our home, we did celebrate. Trips to the mall, local businesses, our friend’s houses, our own neighborhood and our schools offered us the richness of another religion’s culture and practice through decorations, class projects, music, specialty foods and general holiday spirit. Somewhere in there, we may have even learned a little bit about how Jesus came into this world.
I think, for the most part, American Muslims are better for having been exposed to Christmas, and for viewing its public celebration. I probably feel this way because I’m not one of those people that thinks you can be a better Muslim/Christian/Jew/Hindu/Etc. by acting like other religions don’t exist. In the end, that just leads to unhealthy isolation, fear and hatred.
Obviously, though, there were no Eid decorations in downtown nor in our local mall. Truth be told, neither my parents nor I minded much or even thought twice about that. After all, the way my family saw it when I was growing up, Eid was not an American holiday. I don’t feel that way now, but when I was growing up, “diversity” and “inclusion” weren’t as fashionable as they are today.
Imagine my surprise, then, when on a visit to my hometown on Saturday night, I pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store and saw this painted on one of the windows:
Nestled between Christmas, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah panels sits this one, proclaiming, “Happy Eid Al Adha”.
I’m astounded by how much the world had changed since I was a child in this country. I realize in places like New York and Chicago, Eid has to a degree been incorporated into public celebration, but I didn’t grow up in those places. I grew up in a sandy beach town where the most diversity you could find was once a year at an annual Greek Orthodox festival. By the way, I can positively attribute my fanatical love for a good gyros to those events.
I know we have a long way to go as a nation in terms of inclusion, but, really, so what? That doesn’t make where we are right now any less important or amazing.
I’m excited for my daughter’s America, the one that will allow her to be a Muslim without the need for conscious compartmentalization. I’m overjoyed that there are, at the very least, some people in this country who’ve realized they don’t have to be afraid of us. (This had become a serious problem after 9/11, though I never really encountered it when I was growing up).
Most importantly, though, I’m plain ecstatic to find that there are increasingly more people in this nation who see the differences between Americans as a source of pride and a thing of beauty instead of a source of chaos and dissonance.
I’m confident that more will follow suit.
Posted by Faiqa on November 10, 2008 12:05 am • My American Life,Step Aside, I Smell Lightning • 14 comments
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B.E. Earl Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 12:50 am
This is very, very cool. My sister married a man from Syria and they are raising their kids as Muslims. Makes me happy to see the nation becoming more accepting and a place where they can worship and celebrate in public.
We’ve got a ways to go, but it’s a-goin’!!!
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RW Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 7:23 am
I can’t be the only person on Earth who thinks it interesting that a lot of these holidays of different faiths fall in the same general times of the year. I guess I always viewed that as suspiciously communal. Like we’re all of the same mind but are just too egocentric to admit it.
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Avitable Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 8:03 am
Well, I wasn’t going to tell you this, but my goal is to convert your daughter completely to the Church of Holy Avitableness when she gets a bit older.
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Turnbaby Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 8:15 am
RW –you hit the nail on the head and I think many folks are so indoctrinated with fear of the differences that they won’t allow themselves to see the similarities.
I think this is so cool–it’s these little things that add up
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Miss Britt Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 9:24 am
I was all into this diversity and inclusion and how cool it was etc. etc. etc.
And then you mentioned Gyros and Greek Orthodox festivals.
Dude – I’m from CHICAGO! Best. Gyros. EVER!
And also? When my Nana moved from Chicago to FL, she took us to the Corpus Christi festival in Tarpon Springs – SO MUCH GOOD GREEK!!
So. Um. Yeah. I got distracted by my infatuation with gyros.
Sorry.
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Sybil Law Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 11:34 am
What everyone else said, but especially what you and Britt said…
GYROS. Yum. Also, dolmades. Drool….
I made a sing for a new Greek restaurant here and I still haven’t even gone to check out their food! Thanks for the reminder!
Also, lovely post. So true.
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Sybil Law Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 11:34 am
Um, I made a sign. No one wants me to sing at a Greek restaurant. However, I’d be good at hurling dishes to the floor.
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Faiqa Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
@B.E. Earl: Exactly.
@ RW Says: Well, since Islam is on a lunar calendar, when I was a child these holidays occurred in the summer months. Still, I think there is something mystical about the fact that these holidays seems to fall closer together as our civilization is presented with divisiveness. It’s almost as though God is trying to tell us something.
@ Avitable: For the love of all things unholy…
@Turnbaby: Right, it is the little things, we have to make an effort to notice them. Sometimes, getting caught up in the big picture is just …depressing.
@Miss Britt: Love for gyros means never having to say you’re sorry.
@Sybil Law: I’d love to hear you sing at a Greek Restaurant. Next time you’re in town, we have to do that.
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Finn Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 12:16 pm
Mmmm… gyros.
Oh! Anyway… It’s heartening to hear that more people are embracing diversity. It’s so much more interesting than uniformity. Uniformity sucks.
One of the main reasons I’m a city girl is the diversity of the populations there. Always something new to discover.
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Slyde Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 12:25 pm
This is a great post.
I am a christian, but im with you on the celebration of christmas, at least in its spirit of family and giving.
Growing up, i had some orthodox jewish friends, and christmas time was torture for them… seeing all their friends getting great gifts, and them getting a new dradle and some small gift like chocolates.
Im not saying being should disregard their faith, but in the interest of the children, who dont understand the bigger issues, i think it serves everyone well to at least be part of the non-religious aspects of the major holidays..
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Robin Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 2:29 pm
That is awesome – especially in FL. We don’t even really see Eid displays in NYC/LI area unless you are in a heavily muslim area and/or you are amongst muslims that are practicing.
I think diversity is a good thing – knowledge is power, after all. But I am also a firm believer that it begins at home.
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Faiqa Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 5:47 pm
@Finn: Interesting you bring that up (city girl, not gyros). My husband and I have been seriously considering moving to a bigger city for that very reason.
@Slyde: Yeah. BUT DID YOU GUYS GET MAJOR AMOUNTS OF CASH? No, I didn’t THINK so. LOL. No, you have a good point. I think I was lucky that my parents have always been really relaxed about that stuff. Others not so lucky.
@Robin: Well said. I do have to say that my mom always had a Christmas party for her staff, so in a way, we kind of *did* have a tree and decorations.
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Hilly Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 8:19 pm
I was raised as a Christian and was taught that Christianity was the only true way. When I got older, I lived with a Mormon, a Jehova’s Witness and a Jewish girl…my whole world was blown apart. I fully believe that there is no way to truly understand my own faith without learning about the faith of others.
Your post just reminded me that we all need to be open minded about these things. Also? I am so glad you saw that panel!
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Faiqa Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 9:11 pm
@ Hilly: Yes & I’m glad I saw it too! On another note, did you ever come across the Benetton commercials in the mid 80s? Where they had a person from just about every ethnicity known to man wearing their clothes in a group photo? The living situation of your “older” years reminded me of that for some reason.
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