Student: Grant Mitchell

Student ID: C9901028

Subject: Culture and Ministry - LCB120

Lecturers: Mr Bruce Pederson

Title: Plan and present a 15 minute tutorial on a cultural group different from your own.

No. Words: 1486

Due Date: Tuesday 13^th July 1999

Submission Date:

7pm Wed 23-6-1999. Punchbowl, home of Ala'a Awad.

Length 2.5 hours. Interview and Dinner.

Ala'a Awad

Born in Nablus (then Jordan, now Palestine, W of Jordan River), whilst parents on a holiday to homeland (parents are Palestinian). 1965.

Young life and schooling in Nugra, Kuwait (though not his nationality) - a nice and rich area.

1992 married - late for an Arabic - related to money.

Studied in USA. Returned to Kuwait, then left during the Gulf War 1990-1 - very difficult to get a job not being a Kuwaiti. Tried to get serious work in Jordan but failed. Finally left for Australia for a job, but also it was a place that attracted him personally.

1994 moved to Australia. Lived in Punchbowl area since - "little Lebanon" - so integration was easier.

There are similar cultures in different Islamic countries.

When friends are over, men are in one room, women are in another.

Activities - all men and children OR all women and children.

Time of puberty is the time when a child becomes a man or woman - responsible for their sins and good deeds.

Dress - Men - must cover knee to navel, inclusive.

Dress - Women - must cover all, except face and hands.

(except between wife and husband)

(Thus. showering at the pool with other men forbidden).

Family and Celebrations - eid

• At the end of Ramadan each year;
• At the end of the time of the pilgrimage to Mecca each year;
• Don't celebrate birthdays (although some do - it isn't prohibited);
• No music at celebrations, except drums.

Freedom of religious practice in Australia makes living similar to Jordan, but there is a fear for the children due to the ease of access to drugs, alcohol, pornography, and a very different dating culture.

Arabic food - no curries or spices - very plain

Traditional food - oakra.

Pork is prohibited. Food must be Halal - slaughtered, not suffocated nor found dead.

Man

• work
• an obligation to look out for female relatives (e.g. sister, mother, aunts).

Woman

• house jobs, care and teaching of children.
• work (if husband allows), but only in a female-only or children environment (eg. doctor, teacher).

Fanatic terrorists - against the core of Islam.

Jordanian and Australian citizenship.

Friends

• from a social soccer club;
• some from prayer place (no mosque in the area).

Social life - BBQs, socials in parks. Less now than when he first arrived in Australia. Friends helped a lot when they first arrived.

No socials at the beach due to mixed atmosphere (of males and females)

Sometimes they rent a public pool for all men and children.

Arabic - the Quran was written in this language.

Very generous in nature - especially to guests.

6.45pm Fri 9-7-1999. Punchbowl. Length 2.5 hours. Dinner and Interview.

There is a weekly meeting of Muslims that occurs, but Ala'a doesn't go every week; and the family tends to only go together once a month.

Man's obligation to look out for female relatives (e.g. sister, mother, aunts).

What distinguishes Muslims?

• Their conservative nature due to their principles - their "don't do's", e.g. public swimming pool (clothes and dressing standards), bar/pub (no alcohol), music (although music is a grey area in Islam), parties, food (no pork, hooved animals, animals of prey, or food with blood remaining or found dead).
• The separation of men and women.
• No boy /girl-friends (marriage is not arranged, but the man chooses from a selection of girls, and then it is mostly finalised at engagement)
• Burials (no autopsies, unless under suspicious circumstances).

What motivates a Muslim?

Life is limited - treat it as a visitor. Always be prepared for the Day of Judgment - doing what you have to do. Money is unimportant - if you have enough for the day you should be happy. Allah will provide, but there is still a call to work (poverty is not sought after - don't expect money from anyone, work for it). Life is predestined, but unknown.

Their priests (Aalim or Imam?) still work for a living.

How are children brought up?

There is an age up to which you teach them the prayer and do not hit them for disobedience (approximately 9 years old). You do not hit the face at all (it is precious).

There is a separation of children's sleeping beds at 7 years old.

There is a collection of wisdom sayings taught to children - Hadith, sayings of the prophet. The main teaching is "do not lie".

What is the general thrust of Muslim faith?

All prophets (e.g. Moses, Jesus, Mohammed) came with the same message:

One God, and the prophets are His messengers for teaching.

There is a great respect for all the prophets, even to the point of verbalising this when saying their names ("peace be upon him").

Ala'a claimed that Muslims know more about Jews and Christians then they possibly knew about themselves.

What is the ideal goal of Islam?

To worship one God.

Believe in all the prophets.

Islam says Christianity was specific to the Jews - Jesus was sent only to the Jews.

Mohammed was sent to the whole world, and he was the last prophet until the Day of Judgment.

Aim of having good deeds outweigh their bad deeds so to minimise their punishment (there is an angel on the right shoulder recording all the good deeds, and one on the left shoulder recordingll the bad deeds). The final judgment is up to Allah (so there is some uncertainty as to the level of punishment), but all true Muslims will go to heaven eventually; however, they still want to avoid even just a little bit of punishment. There is a hell for those who are not Muslims and not saved.

What are the attributes of Allah?

There are 99 names that describe his attributes, e.g. The Almighty, The Generous, The Merciful, Above All, The Forgiver.

Quran - the sacred book of the Muslims, is the reciting of revelations five to Mohammed..

What are the key values of Islam?

Five basic principles / cornerstones / pillars:

1. Confession - there is only one God, and Mohammed is his prophet;
2. Prayer - five times a day;
3. Fasting - once a year during the daylight hours of Ramadaan;
4. Zaccha - once a year giving of money to the poor (2.5% of unused wealth);
5. Hajj - journey to Mecca once in a lifetime, if possible.

Weekly, the Friday prayer at 12 noon (midday prayer), there is a meeting. Ala'a will attend either a prayer house in Rydalmere, or the mosque at Auburn. Someone also gives a talk for half an hour.

There are yearly celebrations after the time of the Haj and Ramadaan.

You have to be ritually clean to read their holy book, the Quran.

Muslims recognise Christians, Jesus and the Bible.

Christians are called "People who Lost their Path". This is because Christians believe that Jesus is a God.

Jews are called "People who are Damned". This is because they killed the prophets despite being the initial chosen ones.

Muslims are allowed to eat the food of Jews and Christians.

Muslim men are allowed to marry Christian women who have never had boyfriends. However, Christian men cannot marry Muslims women.

Jesus

• was a great prophet (one of the seven major prophets);
• of virgin birth (there is a high regard for Mary, but not a worshipping);
• miracle of Jesus speaking in the crib;
• Jesus raised people from the dead, healed sicknesses and performed miracles "by the will / wish of Allah" (hence he is not God);
• Was not crucified: Allah protected him, and threw his resemblance on someone else;
• Allah took Jesus up to heaven (like Elisha / Elijah?);
• There are great similarities in his moral teachings;

Jesus' teaching

• Prophesied that another prophet would come after him;
• Did allow some good that the Jews could not eat;
• Said "I did not tell them I was a God";
• Worship one God.

The first and foremost difficulty is that they believe someone died in Jesus' place, and that the impostor looked like Jesus due to Allah's intervention.

One would have to focus on the resurrection, and the counter claims that Jesus was appearing because he had never died. The difficulty Muslims have is that it is difficult for them to perceive Allah allowing Jesus to be mistreated. This seems unusual, when they admit that the Jews killed prophets of the past.