Making a Difference No. 1

So, I'm sure after you've seen all these amazing pictures of refugees, you're probably like me and wanting to do something to help. But all of these people are half way around the world out of our reach, right??

NO!

There is a large community of refugees living all over the United States who have come to start new, hopefully better lives for themselves and for their children. In fact, right in Salt Lake City, there is a huge community of refugees.

I've been researching Bhutanese refugees in particular for the past couple weeks. Hundreds of thousands of Bhutanese refugees, due to an prejudiced government, were forced to leave their homes and go to Nepalese refugee camps back in the 1990's. There government still hasn't allowed for any to return to their home country. Now, sixty thousand of those refugees have come to America, and many of them have come to Salt Lake to build higher quality lives

You can volunteer there in any number of centers and start making a difference in the lives of refugees today. I particularly recommend the Hser Ner Moo Community and Welcome Center; they do great things for the SLC refugee community, although they are certainly not the only ones.

Look around you--there are people around that could use your help. I found this quote the other day: "There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save."

I love this quote. It inspires in me questions that I want to ask myself every day for the rest of my life: Am I doing all I can? Have I kept my eyes open for those that need my help? I know that if I live my life striving to always be able to answer "yes" to these questions, I will be living a happy life.

Salgado Photo No. 9

Shown here is the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, the largest Mosque in Southeast Asia. Ten thousand men can fit on the ground floor shown. The women worship in a separate part of the temple where the men cannot see them (Perlez). 

Ever since I visited a mosque in Salt Lake last semester, I have been fascinated with the Muslim method of worship. When I visited the mosque, I wore a scarf over my hair to be respectful; Muslims view hair as the most sexy part of the body, which is why their women cover their heads. I also took off my shoes as another sign of respect. I went with the other women to a balcony-type floor above the main floor of the mosque. There, the women could worship privately but still hear the Imam on the ground floor. 

Before going to the mosque, I thought the separation of women and men in this way was sexist and out of date. After watching the women pray however, I realized that it the separation of the women and men is actually a show of reverence towards the women; The Muslim mode of prayer is very active--worshippers will kneel and stand sometimes many times--and it might not be completely appropriate if a man was standing watching behind a women in prayer. The women and men, by being separated, can focus solely on their communion with Allah instead of worrying about who is watching you.

I am also extremely impressed by the commitment to prayer that Muslims have. While I believe that I should pray as often as possible, and always have a prayer in my heart, Muslims exhibit a level of physical dedication that isn't often seen in other religions. Muslim prayer, called Salah, is one of the five pillars of Islam, and is practiced five times a day at specific times. Muslims have to set apart that time, whether at work, home, or elsewhere, for prayer every day. Muslim dedication to communicating with God inspires me to be more diligent in my own prayers.

So much can be gained from learning more about the world around you. Whether it's understanding or experiencing someone else's belief system, like I did, or learning about the hardships that people all around the world face, like I've been writing about all semester, being aware of other peoples and cultures can greatly enrich your life--I know because my own life has been enriched and changed this semester.

Works Cited 

Perlez, Jane. "Jakarta Journal; A TV Preacher to Satisfy the Taste for Islam Lite." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 23 Aug. 2002. Web. 5 Apr. 2013. 

Salgado, Sebastião. Migrations. New York: Aperture. 396-7. Print.