A Different Take on Islam

I live in Niamey, Niger. In case you have never heard of it - which is extremely likely - it is the poorest country on the planet. It is located in West Africa, just above Nigeria, which is a source of great confusion. Niger (pronounced Nee-Jher) was colonized by the French and French is still spoken here today. Nigeria was colonized by the British, so they speak English (or at least they call it English). The people who live there are Nigerians. The people who live here are Nigeriens.

Niger is overwhelmingly Muslim. Although the evangelical Christian missionaries have a strong foothold here, the conversion rate is next to zero. The Christian missionaries live better than most Nigeriens. They have cement houses with swamp coolers and household help. They go to the swimming pool on the weekends and eat out. The average Nigerien lives in a mud hut with a thatched roof, bathes in the Niger river, and eats mashed millet every day. In fact, I've heard rumors that any conversions that may happen are the result of a Muslim thinking maybe he will end up as well off as a Christian if he joins the church.

Nigeriens put a huge emphasis on family. While Americans spout off a lot about family values, I know many who would refuse to help a family member that was not living according to their principles. Nigeriens, on the other hand, feel obligated to share what they have with their relatives. This can be a real burden, since if you are the only family member with an income, you are expected to provide for everyone who isn't employed. However, it provides a form of social security that means no matter how desperate you are, you won't be turning to drugs or prostitution to survive.

I think any citizen will readily agree that there has been a real breakdown in the American family system, which has not been a good thing for our society. Divorce, remarriage, domestic abuse, child abuse, and other forms of violence point to a lack of respect for one another as humans. Some claim that religion is the solution to our society's problems, but I do not agree.

You cannot impose rigid rules for behavior on a people from the outside and expect them to change on the inside. Whether fundamentalism is Christian or Muslim, it creates a situation where moods fester, brew, and eventually erupt in a negative fashion.

Niger is a country where the Muslims practice what they preach. They voluntarily pray five times a day here. No religious police run around whipping people who choose not to pray or to cover their knees. Women dress modestly out of a sense of decorum, not to conform to some kind of fashion law. Some cover their hair and some do not. There is a basic sense of live and let live.

Americans often look down their nose at those in under developed contries and assume that they are not as evolved or as civililzed as we are. I would venture to say that even if they still have dirt roads in Niger and still eat with their hands, spiritually they may be way ahead of us.

In fact, if I didn't know differently, I might think they were followers of Jesus. They accept others with grace (Judge Not) and kindness (Love one another), and they are understanding of silly foreigners who try to overtake their society (Forgive Thine Enemies).