Day 15: Culture Shock

Today we spent the whole day immersed in the culture and language of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a culturally diverse country that unfortunately has a long history of war, both from internal and external sources. It has 2 official languages--Dari and Pashto. We learn Dari because it is widely spoken and also is easier to learn. Really, we only have time to briefly be introduced to the language. The hope is that you will be able to at a minimum greet your Afghan counterparts and show that you are making an effort to learn of their language and culture. I was going to post a short clip of me demonstrating the language but after watching it I realized that my brothers would probably use this against me in the future. The mockery of brothers can be cruel. Regardless, I have been able to learn some basic salutations and greetings. We have also spent some significant time learning about the culture and religion of the region. Here are a few interesting facts about their faith you may not be aware of:

-Islam is the name of the religion, while muslim refers to someone who practices the faith.
-Islam is the second largest religion in the world, second only to Christianity.
-Muslims believe in the Bible and believe and revere Jesus Christ as a prophet. However, they do not believe that he is divine or the son of God.
-Islam was founded by the prophet Mohammed. He received many revelations from God through the angel Gabriel. He is not worshiped. He is not looked upon as diety.
-Muslims believe that their lineage originated from Abraham through Ishmael (vs. Christians who follow their line through Isaac).
-Islam promotes peace and love.
-Muslims fast, pray 5 times daily, don't drink alcohol, etc.
-Technically, Muslims consider both Christians and Jews as brothers in the faith as both have roots through Abraham.

Hopefully, most of these facts are correct. I was reciting them from memory so if any of the above are inaccurate let me know. I have been impressed by the true goodness of these people and their faith. It is unfortunate that a select few have given the people as a whole a negative image in our country. Honestly, their beliefs in many ways are very similar to my own.

Here are a few of the guys on my team this morning as we were waiting to start our language training.