I’ve posted in prayers section a few months ago about me hating to live in this neighborhood where mostly are Muslims. They never do anything wrong though, as far as I know.
I guess I complained too much… I don’t know, I just feel wrong to live here… I don’t know why.
I don’t feel like I want to interact with them… Maybe I think too much, because the Muslims stance of not to be friends with Christians (in one of the passages in their Quran). But in general, they seem to be quite nice I think.
In one area I lived, there were women from Malaysia that dressed very differently from how we dressed. I remember they were SO nice and SO friendly to me…very kind.
It’s been decades, but you know, I never forgot their kindness towards me. At the time, I didn’t even know anything about Islam, but their kindness alone would have made me more receptive, both towards them (as friends) and Islam, in general. I sometimes wonder if, due to such fanaticism within it, that all Muslims have ended up getting a bad rap, and unfairly, so.
I don´t know if I’ve ever had a Muslim as a friend, because most of the time, I have lived in areas where there weren’t many. However, I know the ones I came across in college wered always VERY kind, even sweet to me. During the International Day, they gave us these jelly beans woven in palm leaves. It was so different, cute, sweet.
I also have seen some Muslim women dress, and I admit I think they can be SO incredibly beautiful! I remember seeing one in the library once in Islamic dress. I even told her she was beautiful, because she was, the way she dressed…so different, exotic, for us…beautiful in the extreme.
I admit I like crossing paths with foreign people. In fact, I live in Mexico…going on 11 years, but I remember from little liking other cultures. Once, we had a boy in our class from Nigeria, and the teacher told him he was from another country, to be very nice to him. I tried to speak to him after class, but he still couldn’t understand English.
Later, I played checkers with him, and for a time, he was my best friend.
I have also had friends from China…different places.
I’ve taught ESL. I have friends in Costa Rica, the US, Mexico, and from Colombia and all over the country, and world.
I don’t think I know any Muslims here, but if I did, I think I’d actually go out of my way to be nice to them, to make them feel included. If they didn’t want to associate with me, so be it.
I wouldn’t talk about religion, unless it was to ask questions, learn more, but not to bring it up to divide…rather to unify.
I know Mother Teresa had friends from all kinds of faiths, worked side by side with faiths…Hindu, Muslim, etc. I’m no expert, but there were times in my life I used my faith to divide, but now, I try not to do that any more.
I focus on what we share in common, go on my path, let them go on theirs. I would be friendly, and kind to them. If it’s true they don’t want to be friends with Christians, or Catholics, that’s unfortunate for all concerned. I would, as I say, be nice to them, kind, approachable, and if it still didn’t work, I’d allow them to live in peace. Realize, too, they have probably had a lot of bad experiences, and might also be gun shy.
