My Day at the Mosque

I really do get to do things that most people would either never imagine or just plainly wished they got to do. Today I had the opportunity to visit a local Mosque to set up an interview for radio broadcast at a later time. This is not the first time I have been to a Mosque but it did hold a few things that even surprised myself.

Walking into the front door of the newly remodeled building it had the feel of a modern church with literature racks and a "foyer". Nobody was present to speak to and the Imam's office was locked. A young man came walking around the corner and looked a bit startled to see me. I introduced myself and explained why I was there and asked when the Imam was going to be available. He explained that the Imam was running late and asked me to sit on a bench in the front room.

I removed my shoes, which is the custom, and sat waiting. To describe the area they had "showers" in a room right before you entered where people were coming in and washing their feet, hands and head before going in to pray. It was not only people from the middle east but Asians, blacks and a couple of white people as well. I spoke with several people who entered the mosque and found most to be delighted to talk with me.

While waiting this elderly man came in the front door and looked at me angered manner. I being a bit arrogant stood up and walked over to talk with this man. It took him by surprise and he acted like a cat stuck in a tree. I started talking to him, forcing him to reply all the while thinking that if there was a bomber in the building then it had to be this guy.

He finally broke down and we had a nice chat. He told me that I was the first non-muslim that he had talked to in 22 years besides the clerk at the grocery store. He said he was amazed that I did not hate him and was pleased that a "white American" was willing to be nice just because it was the right thing to do. He went on explaining that he had returned from a funeral at the Muslim Cemetery (I did not know that OKC had one)and he was sad.

When the Imam came in he was astonished as well that the man and I were talking, he told me that the man had come to the US to visit his son and while here his son had died in a car wreck. He said that for 22 years this man has blamed the white Christian man for his sons death and the Imam had been watching him closely to make sure he did not go over the edge of sanity.

I did the preinterview and set up the studio time with the Imam but I will always think of the sad man in a foreign country that would not speak to white people because of the death of his son.

I did not fear for my life or safty even once and did find it satisfying that even the local Imam understood that a man could go over the edge and do bad things. I was glad to know that in the house of "the enemy" that the majority of people there saw themselves as Americans and loved the country but was also aware that the sad man was probably not the only person who attended that mosque that one day could snap.