Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Islam in Malaysia update
OK, so I just learned that Islam is, in fact, the official state religion of Malaysia. Ethnic Malays, intriguingly enough, are technically defined as Muslim in the constitution. I find it strange when ethnic groups are defined by their religion; take the Hui, who constitute an ethnic minority in China, by way of the fact that they are Muslim. Many of the Hui are in fact ethnic Han, who form the vast majority of Chinese people (I am, and pretty much every Chinese person you know is Han).
Back to Malaysia. I think Malaysia has done a pretty good job so far of balancing a multi-ethnic society, and has thus far avoided the kind of ethnic tensions in neighboring Indonesia between locals and the Chinese, or between religious groups. Nevertheless, coming from the other southeast Asian countries where cheap beer flows freely, I cannot help but notice the heavy taxes levied on alcohol (a 330ml can of beer starts at about $2.50 USD here. In comparison, this would probably cost about $0.25 USD in Vietnam or Thailand. And although Malaysia is a bit more expensive, street food, fresh juices and other drinks can still be had for less than $1 USD).
I will have to keep my eyes open as I move down the Malaysian peninsula, as Malaysia gets more Malay. Penang is apparently the only state where the Chinese form a plurality, so we'll have to see whether beer prices go up even further or drop off the shelves altogether (although I doubt that). Anyways, the high alcohol taxes seem to have worked, I haven't had a single alcoholic beverage yet. Coconuts and honeydew smoothies all the way!
Back to Malaysia. I think Malaysia has done a pretty good job so far of balancing a multi-ethnic society, and has thus far avoided the kind of ethnic tensions in neighboring Indonesia between locals and the Chinese, or between religious groups. Nevertheless, coming from the other southeast Asian countries where cheap beer flows freely, I cannot help but notice the heavy taxes levied on alcohol (a 330ml can of beer starts at about $2.50 USD here. In comparison, this would probably cost about $0.25 USD in Vietnam or Thailand. And although Malaysia is a bit more expensive, street food, fresh juices and other drinks can still be had for less than $1 USD).
I will have to keep my eyes open as I move down the Malaysian peninsula, as Malaysia gets more Malay. Penang is apparently the only state where the Chinese form a plurality, so we'll have to see whether beer prices go up even further or drop off the shelves altogether (although I doubt that). Anyways, the high alcohol taxes seem to have worked, I haven't had a single alcoholic beverage yet. Coconuts and honeydew smoothies all the way!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
A mosque in Georgetown
At the end of the day today, I somehow found myself in the main mosque in Georgetown. There seem to be several small mosques around town, although given the multi-ethnic and multi-religious nature of Malaysia, none seem to dominate the town's architectural landscape as a church does in Latin America or a mosque in the Middle East. Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, Chinese ancestral temples, Anglican churches, and mosques are scattered around the town (Okay, no synagogues, but oddly enough there is a street called "Lebuh (Street) Katz").
I got into a conversation with the security guard and what appeared to be the mosque's PR guy. To make a long conversation less long, he seemed to say that Islam was very similar to Christianity and Judaism (assuming I came from a Judeo-Christian background), albeit a more pure, less adulterated religion that has avoided the corruption that comes with institutionalization and cultural adaptation . On the other hand, when the subject of gender equality came up, he admitted that what Muslim societies often practice isn't what Islam actually says. No surprises there. I did want to ask him, but didn't get the chance, why during prayer time all the women were off in a little cordoned-off room, whereas the men got to pray in the main prayer area. Separate, and certainly not equal.
I should say, though, that I am always impressed by the intense devotion of Muslims. Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day, and visitors to Muslim societies can attest to the (sometimes deafening) frequent calls to prayer, and the subsequent emptying of streets. The centrality of prayer, I think, sets Islam apart from the way most other religions are practiced.
On the subject of institutionalized religion, I remember reading something by some guy who practiced Sufism, a kind of mysticized Islam. I think the article was actually in reference to esoteric Christianity, but I'm getting off topic. The point was the guy said that mystics have always been persecuted, because they show that people don't need institutions (the Catholic church, for instance) to connect with God or higher powers.
I got into a conversation with the security guard and what appeared to be the mosque's PR guy. To make a long conversation less long, he seemed to say that Islam was very similar to Christianity and Judaism (assuming I came from a Judeo-Christian background), albeit a more pure, less adulterated religion that has avoided the corruption that comes with institutionalization and cultural adaptation . On the other hand, when the subject of gender equality came up, he admitted that what Muslim societies often practice isn't what Islam actually says. No surprises there. I did want to ask him, but didn't get the chance, why during prayer time all the women were off in a little cordoned-off room, whereas the men got to pray in the main prayer area. Separate, and certainly not equal.
I should say, though, that I am always impressed by the intense devotion of Muslims. Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day, and visitors to Muslim societies can attest to the (sometimes deafening) frequent calls to prayer, and the subsequent emptying of streets. The centrality of prayer, I think, sets Islam apart from the way most other religions are practiced.
On the subject of institutionalized religion, I remember reading something by some guy who practiced Sufism, a kind of mysticized Islam. I think the article was actually in reference to esoteric Christianity, but I'm getting off topic. The point was the guy said that mystics have always been persecuted, because they show that people don't need institutions (the Catholic church, for instance) to connect with God or higher powers.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas from Milan
Milan, Italy, 2008.Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Natal, 圣诞快乐, Merry Christmas.
Friday, July 25, 2008
A nonsubstantive update
Over the past week, among other things, I have been delving into religion-related topics. I will be continuing a conversation with a Falun Gong member, who left China not too long ago. A fruit vendor in Chinatown introduced me to a Chinese-run Catholic church, where I will be attending services on Sunday. A Confucian temple is holding services on Saturday. I will be meeting a Chinese-Peruvian Buddhist tomorrow.Because of the sensitivity of some of these topics, particularly regarding the persecution of the Falun Gong (I apologize for the proliferation of wikipedia links), I'd really like to blog about it later. In the eyes of Duan, the Falun Gong member, I best "wait until I better understand Falun Gong." I happen to agree with him, so I'm going to hold off on writing about these things until after this weekend.
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