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rug

(82,333 posts)
Mon Sep 3, 2012, 10:54 AM Sep 2012

Muslims From Abroad Are Thriving in Catholic Colleges



From left, Hadil Issa and Nada and Marwa Alsaif at the University of Dayton, a Roman Catholic university.

By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA
Published: September 2, 2012

DAYTON, Ohio — Arriving from Kuwait to attend college here, Mai Alhamad wondered how Americans would receive a Muslim, especially one whose head scarf broadcasts her religious identity.

At any of the countless secular universities she might have chosen, religion — at least in theory — would be beside the point. But she picked one that would seem to underline her status as a member of a religious minority. She enrolled at the University of Dayton, a Roman Catholic school, and she says it suits her well.

“Here, people are more religious, even if they’re not Muslim, and I am comfortable with that,” said Ms. Alhamad, an undergraduate in civil engineering, as several other Muslim women gathered in the student center nodded in agreement. “I’m more comfortable talking to a Christian than an atheist.”

A decade ago, the University of Dayton, with 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students, had just 12 from predominantly Muslim countries, all of them men, said Amy Anderson, the director of the school’s Center for International Programs. Last year, she said, there were 78, and about one-third of them were women.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/03/education/muslims-enroll-at-catholic-colleges-in-growing-numbers.html
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Jim__

(14,045 posts)
1. “I’m more comfortable talking to a Christian than an atheist.”
Mon Sep 3, 2012, 04:36 PM
Sep 2012

I never talk to a woman in Islamic dress. My understanding is that it is against their religion for them to talk to strange men, at least if they are not accompanied by a male from their family. I'm not sure exactly how to take what she says:

“Here, people are more religious, even if they’re not Muslim, and I am comfortable with that,” said Ms. Alhamad, an undergraduate in civil engineering, as several other Muslim women gathered in the student center nodded in agreement. “I’m more comfortable talking to a Christian than an atheist.”

onager

(9,356 posts)
5. I've been propositioned by hookers in full Islamic dress...
Mon Sep 3, 2012, 06:17 PM
Sep 2012

Right on the streets of Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt. In broad daylight.

Maybe they were really atheists who put on the hijab and abaya just to make Islam look bad...



My understanding is that it is against their religion for them to talk to strange men, at least if they are not accompanied by a male from their family.

That all depends, based on living in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Though both are Muslim countries, the attitudes were a lot different. Compared to Saudi Arabia, with its Wahhabist insanity, Egypt was downright liberal. For one thing many Egyptian women work outside the home. They have to talk to strange men.

One thing I noticed in both countries - when I ran into a Muslim co-worker and his wife out in town, the husband usually wouldn't introduce his wife, the way Westerners routinely do. She stayed in the background. And quiet.

I don't think they would be too offended if a non-Muslim insisted on introducing himself to her.

It's sort of like the old taboo about showing the bottoms of your feet to a Muslim. No matter what the imams/priests/preachers say, it's not the 12th century anymore. Even in their native countries, most Muslims have TV sets and stuff. They KNOW we're not Muslims, they know we are mostly ignorant of their ways, and they're usually pretty tolerant about it. At least in my experience.

Their tolerance probably only goes so far, though. My favorite tour guide in Alexandria was a thirtysomething woman who was a devout Muslim. (She knew I was a devout atheist and didn't have any trouble with that.) So whenever she acted as my tour guide, she was wearing the hijab. More than once, young men yelled at her and asked if we were married.

In my Alexandria neighborhood it wasn't at all unusual for women to cheerfully greet me out on the street. They were my neighbors, after all. We saw each other every day.

One of those women who also may have broken the Tolerance Meter was named Asma. She lived in the 'hood and worked in the hotel where I lived for 2 years. Hotel employees had to wear a uniform, so many women came to work in full Islamic dress, then changed into the uniform inside the hotel. Asma was Muslim but usually came to work in tight jeans and form-fitting tops. She was 19 years old and in excellent form, so to speak.

Since I was outside waiting for my ride to work in the morning when she came to work, she would often stop and chat with me.

One morning she did that near the hotel entrance, where a bunch of old men were sitting around smoking, drinking tea and gossiping. One of the men yelled at her. I'm guessing something like: "Stop talking to that kwaji (foreigner) on the street! And dress modestly! You're a disgrace!"

Asma yelled right back at him, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't "Good morning, sir." Again, just guessing, I think it was something more like "Mind your own fucking business, old man!"

Local Update: here in Los Angeles I'm always running into Islamically-dressed women in the grocery stores etc. There's an Islamic Center just a couple blocks from my home. I sometimes speak to them using my 8.5 words of Arabic. AFAIK, none of them have taken offense, based on their reactions. They often laugh at my attempts to speak Arabic, but I don't blame them.

rexcat

(3,622 posts)
6. Like she could tell...
Mon Sep 3, 2012, 10:21 PM
Sep 2012

an atheist from a non-atheist. Good grief.

UD is only 35 miles from where I live. It is a Marianist catholic university which is over priced and not any better than the State Universities nearby.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
3. This makes sense and I am glad it is working out for them.
Mon Sep 3, 2012, 04:54 PM
Sep 2012

I am not surprised that they find Catholic universities welcoming.

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