Mosque Trip Report

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Mosque Trip Report Of all the places in the world that I would like to see it had never occurred to me that I would actually visit a mosque. Even if I had desired to visit a mosque I believed that Christians such as myself would not be welcome. In reality, we were warmly received by a body of children Muslims by waving to us from above, eager to share their beliefs at the Islamic Association of North Texas - Dallas Central Mosque. From the moment we entered the lobby, our guide, an outgoing young man named Ken, patiently answered questions posed by my fellow classmates. While he described the mosque’s procedures, protocol and various rooms and purposes, a group of young women caught my eye. Each one wore a different type of hijab, a head covering. Muslims proudly wear the differences of their multi-cultural community through their clothing, prayer postures, and accents all the while embracing the common threads of faith and hospitality that serve to bind them together. The mosque contained many rooms designed for prayer. Each room had green carpet that reflected the color of Islam. Unlike Christian churches the congregation sits on pews or comfortable chairs, Muslims spend a great deal of time on the floor. They kneel, sit cross-legged, and some even surprisingly lay down to sleep in-between intense prayer sessions. Christian churches focus much more on proper behavior which certainly would not consist of naps. In addition, it would be unheard of for a member of a Christian church to sleep overnight and shower onsite. But at the mosque they have showers and bathing areas in which people can stay the night .As a result, the mosque is open to its Muslim community. In difference, Christian communities often promote the idea of unity while maintaining concrete boundaries between when and how its members access the sanctuary and surrounding facilitates. This trip has
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