Berkley Center

This post begins in the same place as most of my stories from abroad—in the passenger seat of taxi. Beginning with my nationality, and progressing through such topics as my business in Jordan, my reasons for studying Arabic, and my family’s heritage, the driver and I navigate through the routine course of small-talk. Inevitably, we arrive at a simple yes-no question: “Are you Muslim?”

On the streets of Amman, which I have found to be a relatively open-minded city, I have not once felt the need to mask any aspect of my identity when asked about it—whether that be my American citizenship, my political partisanship, or my faith. I reply simply, “No, I am Christian,” but it is the one-word follow-up question which surprises me:

“Why?” asks my driver, who wears a crème-colored taqiyah (a traditional Islamic cap).

Unaccustomed to needing an explanation, I laugh in surprise as my companion—one eye on the road and one eye on me—earnestly awaits my answer. I decide not to pursue a technical discussion of beliefs in prophets and various holy happenings said to have occurred in this region over the past several thousand years, so I opt for the easy answer: “Well, I don’t know…my parents and family are Christian. I was raised Christian.”

“Good, good.” my driver responds, as he turns off the radio and presses "play" on the CD player. “Here, listen to this closely. This is very beautiful Arabic language. If you listen, you will learn Arabic very well!”

I immediately recognize the melodious, elegantly flowing recitation as it blasts through the speakers, but I have to ask to make sure. “This is the Great Qur'an. It is very, very nice,” he explains. When he lets me out at my apartment, he takes care to inform me of the various satellite television channels on which I can find recitations of the holy text and wishes me a warm farewell.

I tell this story to illustrate the religious aspect of my cultural exchanges in Jordan: from the perspective of locals, religious accommodation and peaceful coexistence here is a source of pride and celebration. Islam is not something to be pressed or forced upon others, but it is definitely something to be shared by its believers. Islam may be the official religion of the state, and the king must be Muslim, but I have not in the least experienced it as an imposition upon me. Yes, if I want to marry a Muslim woman—and my host father repeatedly tells me I must find a Jordanian girlfriend if I ever want to get an A in Arabic class—religious law would require me to convert, but this situation seems rather distant at the moment.

At the university I am enrolled in an English-taught class titled "Introduction to Islam," where I have learned about some key aspects of the faith, which I confess I was not entirely clear on beforehand. I am no expert, but from what was explained to us in class, Muslims hold that the three major monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—believe in the same God. Followers of Islam believe in the prophets of God without discrimination, and these prophets include (in addition to Muhammad) the likes of Moses, Abraham, and Jesus. Likewise, Muslims believe in the sanctity and holiness of not just the Qur'an but also the sacred texts which came before it: namely, the Bible and the Torah. From the Islamic viewpoint, the prophets who are venerated by Jews and Christians were messengers of the same God which Muslims, Christians, and Jews each worship today. The difference is that Muslims believe that the word of God revealed to Muhammad in the form of the Qur'an is the most recent and purest path to living in accordance with God’s will, while the other faiths do not. As a result, many consider it a duty to attempt to share the good path of Islam with those who might not know very much about it.

What I have learned in my classes, coupled with my personal experiences in Amman, have not only gone a great way to show me the admirable degree of interfaith respect among Jordanians, but have taught me why this should not be a surprising result in this setting. I wish to share all this because—at least in the case of Jordan—the on-the-ground characteristics of religion’s role in a predominately Muslim society have differed from that which I expected, and certainly differ from the sometimes sensationalist and often stereotypical reports which are frequently found in various Western media outlets. Of course, as is the case almost anywhere, there is room for improvement in terms of respect for religious minorities—especially for those smaller minorities. But as I have noted, there are many positives in these regards as well. Over the course of the final month of my semester, I hope to continue interacting those around me, discussing issues of faith, and building a greater understanding of the interfaith dynamics here in Amman.