Okay, so I know I posted earlier this week, but I told you all that I’d be back! I just wanted to share my experiences with you from last weekend. On Saturday, September 21st, I went to the Islamic Center with my best friend, Amanda, and the FYS class she TAs for in Dearborn, Michigan. But before that, we went to Good Earth Café here in Holland to have some breakfast to get us going. Then, I took this awesome picture of Graves Hall because it’s my favorite building on campus!
Then following a three-hour van drive, we arrived at the Islamic Center. There we learned about the religion of Islam along with their different traditions. We also compared Christianity and Islam and identified similarities as well as differences. It truly was a great experience. I’m not going to lie, I was nervous because it was simply out of my comfort zone. But following our little education session, I took a picture of the mosque. Its architecture is just amazing!
After our stop to the Islamic Center, we headed off to Al-Ameer to eat authentic Arab food. Let me tell you that their food is simply amazing. There are so many choices! From hummus and pita, fattoush, kabobs, and falafels, everything was so delicious. We had so much left over so everyone got to bring some food home with them; SCORE!
After a lot of food, we headed to our last stop, the Arab-American National Museum. It was such a great experience! There, I learned more about the Muslim culture, Arab nations, architecture, and influence of Arab-Americans in our society. Here are some pictures!
Then, after a busy and educational day, it was time back for Hope. If you want to learn, I encourage you to contact the Islamic Center. They are very open and welcoming. It truly was a great experience learning about a religion and culture. There is so much to learn yet, but at least I’m off to a great start!
So, what now? This weekend, I’m headed to Chicago and Wisconsin with Amanda, my friend Hannah, and myself. Another blog post to come soon! Make sure to follow me and Amanda on Twitter! Have a great day and weekend!