Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's struggle for the Soul of Islam

Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's struggle for the Soul of Islam

Reading Asra Nomani's book and how she challenged a Mosque in the United States made me think about other Mosques in the United States. I was reminded about how after 9/11, there was a want to build a Mosque not far from Ground Zero and how it was hugely controversial.

Today there are 1200 Mosques in the United States, 80% of them having been built in the past 12 years. It is a very scary idea that these Mosques could be very dangerous. It is known that a lot of Mosques have been built by Wahhabi Clerics. Wahhabism is an extreme type of Islam. There is a lot of threat felt by the number of Mosques and what this sect of Islam practice/believe in.

Standing Alone. Asra Nomani

Islam in America

When reading Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's struggle for the Soul of Islam, I often thought about what Islam was like in America. I can imagine the obvious, that Americans are very cautious around those of the Muslim faith in America.

I think that many Americans believe that all Muslims are foreigners, which isn't true. There are a lot of Muslims living in America. I actually have a twin sister, an anthropology major, who visited a Muslim community in Michigan. I thought it was really cool that she was able to go there and get to understand a little more of the Islamic faith/culture.

I was also able to learn a little about the Muslim faith/culture from a Muslim international. He was very peaceful although I don't believe he was able to understand American culture very well.

Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam

Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam

Asra Nomani, in Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam, talks about Hajar, or also known as Hagar, who was also a single mother. She is seen as a woman who is greatly respected and is filled with the deep faith in 'Allah'.

Her name is always remembered by those who perform the Hajj. A Hajj is the most regularly and largest pilgrimage in the world which demonstrates the solidarity of the Muslim people.


I think that Hagar and the Hajj are very important to the Muslim people, especially to Muslim women. I think it is important that there is an example of a strong woman within Muslim history and also there is a story of a woman having a strong faith in "Allah".

Video: Zen Buddhism

Video: Zen Buddhism

The video on Zen Buddhism I thought was kind of boring to be completely honest, but I think it really explained the importance of meditation in Zen Buddhism. I also understood that meditation allows for people to calmly search for themselves.

I think there are many ways to find out about yourself and who you are, but I think that Zen Meditation or any meditation is one of the calmest ways to achieve the goal of finding out who you really are.

Wisdom vs. Compassion

Wisdom vs. Compassion

Wisdom: I believe that wisdom is knowing what is the right thing to do and what is not. It is the knowledge of people, subjects, beliefs, etc...

Compassion: I think compassion is the actual action of treating people with kindness and also have the respect to treat people with the wisdom/knowledge of what they have learned.

Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism

As described in Novak's the World's Wisdom, Zen Buddhism which is Buddhism that was changed by the Japanese. The Japanese reemphasized the practice of meditation in religion and according to the Zen school, every being has the nature of Buddha and meditation actualizes the fact that living things hold the nature of a Buddha. The philosophical roots of Zen Buddhism lays within Mahayana Buddhism.

I really don't understand the differences from Zen Buddhism and Buddhism in general except for the fact that Zen emphasizes meditation. I'm interested in learning and I am actually planning to travel to South Korea to teach English to school children, so I can't wait to be able to travel around Asia.

Buddhist Meditation x2

Buddhist Meditation from class 10/2/2012

I'm the type of person who can focus on the main task while other things while other things pop into my head. I could breath in, 1, breath out, 1. All the way up to ten but that didn't stop me from being able to focus on other things as well.

However, while doing the serenity meditation I have felt the calmest since I had woken up this morning. I worry about being busy and trying to get all my work done. The meditation allowed me to calm down and think about how to do all my school obligations as well as outside obligations.

Instead of believing in a God or any 'high being' I found that I could believe in myself. I have the strength to be myself, to do the things I need to do without the belief that there is someone who could lift me up.