AIU is an international community with diverse cultures and religions ranging from Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. with this cultural and religion pluralism, there is the need to study the cultural patterns of most part of the world representing at least some cultural pattern of most of the students here. Thanks to the the administration for introducing Intercultural Communication in the first trimester of this year. With this course being thought i came to understand that not all what is accepted in my culture is accepted else where in the world. But then, the only thing i truly known about myself is that i know nothing. With this what do i mean? As long as my heart continues to beat, i still need to learn because what i know is just an infinitesimal part of what i do not know thus the need to keeping learning.
So with this diverse culture, we are now confronted with a dilemma not only a cultural one but also an ethical one as well; thus the need to choose which one is most suitable in such an environment. Again thumbs up to the administration once more for the introduction of Ethics coordinated by Prof. Evangelos.
what astonishes me most is that unlike in Intercultural Communication where by we did study the religion of almost all the students represented here, in Ethics only Islamic ethics is or was chosen to be studied. I am not to question the approach but my worry is that why chose only Islam; may be because the are the absolute majority (over 90%). I do not not want to look at this an an ethical dilemma. Even with the majority, it is not a sine qua non to study only Islam alone in such a community.May be it could be that the course is so voluminous with respect to the time allocated to teach. However Intercultural Communication had about the same time allocation and is as though it was even more voluminous than Ethics. With this situation, it makes some of us whom are not Muslims to think that we and our own religion are being sidelined. May be there is more to why this is done that is not at the level of us the students to understand let me keep my fingers crossed!
Away from that, Islam is more than just a religion from my understanding of the lecture; but also a way of life. As any religion in the world it has its ethical values that are set for its followers. All these values are to make a harmonious environment not just to those whom are followers of the religion but to the entire mankind. Date some years when i was in my country i regarded Muslims to be the most faithful people on the surface of the earth. Also, I knew that they were very religious may be because i saw them praying five times a day. My perception has not changed that much because i am now here under the full sponsorship of a Muslim man who does not know me in person but is doing EVERYTHING for me. Honestly i have never seen such a favor before. Even when leaving my country my family members where questioning if this was really authentic ?
Muslims are very altruistic in that they belief in equality of all human races and will not only look upon their families but everyone in afflictions and plights. They try to bridge the gab between the poor and the rich through giving to charity (rakat). They try as much as possible to stay away from gratifications that might make them harm the people around them and make then unclean. They abstain from alcoholism which to me is the mother of all evil. They also portray a decent dressing code as it ties with my religious concept that our bodies are the temple of the Lord and so should not be defied.
That not withstanding, every thing in life has both merits and demerits. Religion to me should be consider as a personal opinion and the religious authorities should respect the right of ones opinion as salvation is person. But is the Islamic this is not the case as i was made to know by my Muslim friends here in school that if anyone dares renounces Islam and is called several times to reconsider his/her decision and if adamant her/she is liable to be slain following Islamic rules. My worry is why should religious authority be concern with ones personal opinion . So the question is Islam just a religion or a do or die affair to the people concerned ? May be this could be some kind of dilemma.
All in all, Islam shows good society ethics that makes the environment comfortable to both its followers and others not attributed to Islam
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Despite all the ethical values shown by Muslims why it is that in the world today majority of violence are happening in countries where Muslims are most populated ( Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan,Iraq Yemen, Palestine, Syria etc)?
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