Paradise Found

The film opened up with a very good point, is it right, in these current circumstances, to be producing a film that displays such a close and intimate view of the Islamic world? But as the movie progresses, the wonders of Islamic art speak for the truth and beauty that the media withholds from the public. "To have made this film, would have been utterly dishonest" the host says, perfectly foreshadowing what the view is about to see. The relationship between art and society has always been like the relationship between a person and a mirror. Art never lies, in the way a mirror never lies. It may not always be pretty or exactly what that society wants to see, but there is no better way of knowing the inner workings of a culture. This film was awe-inspiring. The close-ups on the amazing details of every mosque is absolutely mind blowing. The mosque is a paradise, an oasis in the desert, for those who need a place to rest and soothe their souls. The minarets are lighthouses that bring the tired close to heaven, under the domes that rise up to "dizzying heights". This film argues that "Islam gave the world its most beautiful things". And I agree.

Mosques as Metaphors

Readings:" The Architecture of Mosques in the US and Great Britain" by Biondo & “Reading Mosques- Meaning and Architecture in Islam” by Erzen

A house mosque in Redlands, California, attacked and vandilized

Omar ibn al-Khattab Mosque, Expedition, Los Angeles

Many things influence the way a mosque in a certain area will look. The beliefs of the Muslims that attend are considered as well as how the mosque will need to appear to the outside community. The decoration and facade are largely determined by balancing these two different viewpoints. The way an outside community feels towards the Islamic faith is the main concern. Most Muslims just want a place to worship peacefully and freely, so many mosques are just store fronts with no obvious connections to the faith. The more hostile a community is toward the faith, the smaller and less noticeable the mosque. Very ornate mosques are the results of acceptance throughout the outside community, as well as a large amount of funding.  Mosques vary in sizes and styles of ornamentation in the way that many Christian churches vary. The question is how are mosques metaphors?
For Biondo, mosques are an outward reflection of what lies inside. The way a mosque looks on the outside directly relates to the ideas, beliefs, and fears of a particular Muslim community. The mosque embodies the souls of those who attend.
Erzen feels that mosques more reflect the faith directly with symbols found inside through the decor. The decoration of the interior reflect peace and harmony. A mosque is to be a paradise with the presence of water or images of forests. Erzen mentions the projection of the mosque as a "heavenly theater" or a "stage for prayer". The mosques offer guidance for the community.

Each mosque is unique, like each Muslim is unique.

Points to Ponder:

• There are very few who restrict how other faiths construct their places of worship. Is it fair that non-Muslims have so much say in how a mosque will look in their community?
• Many mosques have been attacked or have not been permitted to build since 9/11. Why is this fear of the Monster Muslim related to places of peaceful worship?

Reconsidering Stereotypes: Response to Anthropology Today

This narrative begins by bringing to light a main issue in the Islamic world: modest dress. The speaker paints pictures of radical believers handing out pamphlets discussing how all good Muslims must reject Western ideas of "freedom, equality, liberation" that did nothing for women and went against their beliefs. These leaflets do not necessarily encourage wearing the headscarf or full-length, long-sleeved clothes, but insist that it is a command from Allah as if women were his slaves. This does nothing for the way the world views Islamic culture. The narrator goes on about how these radicals only enhance the hatred for the Muslim peoples of the world because this is all the media portrays. To step back and look at these radicals from an outsider's viewpoint, religion aside, they appear to be dangerous. The fact of the matter is, these people represent such a small portion of the population that, without the media's fuel, would largely go unnoticed, as many radical Christian movements in America go unnoticed. The way that the media portrays these radicals as a significant movement that most Muslims believe in and follow, it's no wonder why the world looks on the Islamic world in fright. If the media would show the truth, the reality of ordinary life in the Islamic world and faith, then perhaps these radicals would seem like less of a threat. How can we say that America is a melting pot, accepting of all cultures and traditions, if we succumb to believing such extremists are the whole embodiment of Islam?
This website offers viewers insight from Muslim voices on how wrongly they are perceived by the world. Stereotypes are created through fear and ignorance. Hopefully, as more and more Muslims speak up to the truth about their beliefs, we can become aware of how our ignorance has really created the Monster Muslim we think we know.
Muslim Voices