The Differences Between Egyptian Mosques and American Mosques- By Mohammed Farooqui and Kush Pathak
By: Mohammed Farooqui
and Kush Pathak
(Note: the consent for
the interviews conducted with Imam Ismail Essa and Noor Alseginy are at the end
of their respective videos. And consent from Ayesha Awad is on a separate audio
clip)
To
many, a mosque is simply a place of prayer, where Muslims go to congregate,
pray, and leave. Though a closer examination shows that not all mosques are the
same, and this is especially apparent when comparing them across countries,
where ideologies, ethnicities, and values can differ. Comparing the different
mosque cultures of USA and Egypt can provide some insight on how the
environment around the mosques can influence the environment within. This was
apparent through our interview with the esteemed Imam Ismael Essa, whose first
impression of the United States was that it was much more outgoing and colorful
than what he was used to in Egypt.
The
biggest difference he noted, interestingly, was the exorbitant amount of
fundraising done. It is no surprise that mosques in the United States, as with
any religious establishment, rely on donations and people’s contributions to
exist and function. So it is natural that the mosque would spend a great deal
of time trying to collect funds, which can be especially time-consuming. This
is clearly different than in Egypt, where most of the mosques are run by the
state and therefore do not spend time fundraising. For someone like Imam
Ismail, who is not used this sort of activity; this can be annoying, since it
detracts from the spiritual aspect of prayer. Even I (Mohammed) feel as though
sometimes the fundraising and extra activities can become burdensome at my
local mosque. But no matter how much people complain about activities like
fundraising, they are still necessary for the functioning and unity of the
institution.
The
administration of the mosques in Egypt is also different from the United
States. The perspectives and tendencies of Egyptian mosques can be skewed to
the state’s preference since the state controls funding for religious
institutions. Therefore, we can conclude that mosques in Egypt can be a mode
for inscribing reality for the state. By having control over the mosques, the
government can influence the way citizens think and behave using religion. Imam
Ismail Essa highlights this in the interview, showing how most mosques in Egypt
are under the supervision of Al-Azhar, which is the largest religious
institution in the country. Al-Azhar is financed by the government, emphasizing
the government’s influence in religious matters. This is completely
opposite to what occurs in the United States, where mosques are forbidden from
supporting any one political side. I (Mohammed) have observed many diverse
political figures come to my local mosque, the Islamic Society of Central
Jersey (ISCJ), to advocate their causes. There is a saying at my mosque that
the mihrab and microphone are open to anyone wishing to speak or advocate their
beliefs. Because of this, I feel as though people are given a choice in
terms of what they want to believe and do in the United States. This therefore
leads to a very diverse set of ideologies at the mosque, which are capable of
coexisting in harmony.
The
composition of the leadership usually differs in Egyptian mosques and American
mosques, illustrating how social tendencies influence the establishments. Like
we showed before, the state runs the mosques in Egypt so it is mainly men that
oversee the operations of individual mosques. This is not case in America,
especially in ISCJ, where women play a vital role in the mosque. In fact, in
ISCJ, the first female chairperson was elected in 2012, Sister Atiya Aftab, who
continues to be an influential member of the community. In addition, mosques in
the United States tend to incorporate the voice of youth in their operations
much more. As Imam Ismail Essa stated in the interview, the mosques in Egypt
tend to be dominated by the elders, who may not even necessarily be qualified
to act as leaders. This is different than mosques in America, where youth’s
voices are prioritized, since they are viewed as the future of the Muslim
community in America. Although the mosques in Egypt incorporate youth in many
different activities, leadership does not seem to be one of them. Therefore,
the culture in mosques in America tends to favor diversity, whereas in Egypt it
is more homogeneous.
Despite
there being several key differences between the atmospheres of the mosques in
the United States and Egypt, some similarities still exist showing the
universal aspects of mosques. One aspect that is stressed in many mosques, both
in Egypt and in America, is youth involvement in certain activities like
education and youth groups. In fact, in our interviews with Noor and Ayesha, we
saw this with the youth group and private school that are affiliated with the
mosque, which focus on creating social environments and attracting youth to
come to the mosque. Imam Ismail Essa also has had direct involvement with the
youth in both Egypt and America, showing how the development of youth is
prioritized in both countries. In both Egypt and America, he taught recitation
and memorization of the Quran. This shows how education is a major focus of
mosques all around the world, regardless of the culture that surrounds it.
Through
our interviews with Noor, Ayesha and Imam Ismail, we learned that the role of a
mosque can differ slightly between cultures and countries. Based on the values
that they encourage, mosques can either be strictly religious, as is mostly the
case in Egypt, or they can be community-oriented and focus on social work,
which is the case with most mosques in the United States. To be socially
active, it is apparent that many mosques in the United States take on a
somewhat liberal attitude. This is definitely the case with Noor, considering
the private school he attends is just like any other regular school in the
United States, despite incorporating some religious studies in its curriculum.
The school, which is called Noor Ul-Iman, is completely co-ed and is actually
reputed for its distinguished academics and performance in clubs. After
learning about these key differences, we came to the conclusion that although
the goal of every mosque is to promote an Islamic environment, the means by
which they do this can differ based on the customs of the society surrounding
it.
It
is important to note that even though the mosques in Egypt tend to be stricter
with the gender divide between men and women, this is not necessarily a form of
“oppression.” Similar to how Lila Abu-Lughod talks about how the veil and the
burqa are not forms of tyranny in her article titled “Do Muslim Women Really
Need Saving?”, the partition that are in mosques should not be considered
oppressive either. Even in the United States, where the partition is much more
relaxed, men and women still observe customs of modesty and try their best to
maintain this separation. In our interview with Ayesha, we saw these
traditional values through the fact that men primarily come to the mosque, even
in America. Thus, when people assume that the partition in mosques is a form of
oppression, they are inevitably partaking in colonial feminism and fail to note
the critical differences between the values of Middle-Eastern and Western
cultures. As observers from different countries and backgrounds, it is
important to acknowledge and respect these differences, without making blind
presumptions.
Links for Further
Information:
·
Facebook page of the Islamic Society of
Central Jersey (ISCJ): https://www.facebook.com/ISCJ1/?fref=ts
·
Role of women in ISCJ’s development and
administration: http://iscj.org/AboutISCJWomenHist.aspx
·
Location and directions to ISCJ:
·
Website for Noor Ul-Iman School:
·
Lila Abu-Lughod’s article titled “Do
Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural
Relativism and Its Others”:
Mohammed Farooqui is a freshman
at Rutgers University and a member of the Honors Program. He is currently
studying Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and plans to attend medical school.
Apart from academics, Mohammed spends his time reading novels, playing and
following basketball, and hanging out with friends.
Kush Pathak is currently in his second year at Rutgers University. He is pursuing his bachelors in Accounting and Finance through the Rutgers Business School at New Brunswick. Born in India, he moved to America at the age of 9 and has grown up in New Jersey. In his leisure time he enjoys watching football and other comedy shows.
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