Essay 3
Autoethnography: Religion Vs. Culture Impact
I grow up surroundings by Islam. In a very dramatic culture. I grew up in the culture. A culture where being a daughter is a crime, is not luck and unwanted. Women,daughters, wife and any female is not strong but weak. I grew up with these negative thoughts. This thought alway surrounded me like a shell. There was one question on my mind: How do people view culture and religion? I want to know how people view culture and religion and different in between culture and religion.
When my sister died, I was very sad. Women in Pakistan make fun or my sister is dead. My little heart cracked.I stopped believing in culture. Islam and religion was a lie to me. I stopped believing in religion because of religion and culture.When I started reading the Quran. I started understanding that Allah gave a lot of rights to women.Prophet Mohammed teaches us that daughters are rewarded.
Prophet Mohammed teaches us that daughters are rewards. They should not be killed.They are not a burden. When his daughter comes to his home. He would stand up in respect and put his scarf down on the floor for them to set. He shows he treats his daughter well. His daughter Zainba can fight 10 men at one time. He makes his daughter his power. They were not a burden to him. He teaches us that our daughters are not a burden. His own wife was a businesswoman. All the females in his family can fight, ride horses,etc. His life and his family life are examples of what a muslims can do and what the Quran says. In Quran a Muslim men can marriage to more than one woman at a time like Prophet Mohammed. Prophet Mohammed is very important part Islam.Even in the Quran ( Muslims holy book.) says daughters are rewarded. Parents should be honored to have daughters.I learned that daughters, mothers , and women are not burdened.Me and my sister are not weak or burdened. We have the right to do jobs, buy property, etc. No one is weak, not you or me.
To find the answers to my question and to understand the difference between culture and religion. It is very important to understand the difference between culture and religion.I start reading books on cultural and Islam. “distinction between ‘culture’ (tradition/custom) and ‘religion’ (Islam), the former stood for a range of social and religiously…(Jouili page 211).Culture is traditional and custom that we follow and pass down by their ancestors. Custom and is made by people and society. Custom is made when every one in a society accepts and follows that thing then it becomes custom. Traditional is when custom is passed down by time, place, etc. Culture is common manners that are accepted by society and pass down by time. Religion is belief in someone like god or something. It is a superhuman power that humans believe and worship.In here Islam is religion. Muslims believe in Allah the god.That god has superhuman power. Religion is the belief and worship of god.Our religion gives us so much right and power. Power to live , stand up for self and be a burden. Culture is there to control us, our rights and they put limits to your success. Culture makes us weak. Culture is a way to brainwash people. Only and one thing is common that is the we are Muslim. This culture has different ways of self-expression, creativity, and arts.
Yadav, Chara, and About The AuthorPiyush YadavPiyush is the founder of AskAnyDifference.com website. With over 4000+ articles published to date. “Difference between Religion and Culture.” Ask Any Difference, 12 Nov. 2022,https://askanydifference.com/difference-between-religion-and-culture/.
My mother opened her own medical spa. There was a big opening party. I open the door and I see a front desk. As I turned to my left I see a waiting area with two gay sofa and tables which have chapli kabab, naans, mutton karchi, etc. There were three rooms that had spa beds, lasers,etc. Women there were wearing embroidered salwar kameez. They have their heads wrapped with hijab. They were sitting on the sofa reading the Quran. After reading the Quran they connect both their hands together to make a dua (pray) that the new business would work well. Then they eat the food while talking with each other. They talk about everything. Some kids have their phone on their hand and are recording videos for social media. Everyone enjoyed it.
There I noticed one woman who was in a jumper with a lab coat on. I know she was a Muslim because I saw her praying. I want to take her interview. I want to know her point of view about Islam and culture. “ Culture really bound me because the culture is so oh woman or go outside or do jobs no there’s that but religion they give us freedom they give they define the rule okay you can you don’t show your body (Sobia saseed, Personal Interview, November 13,2022).” She believes culture bonds you and forces you to be how they want you to be. It makes you fit in with other people. While religion (Islam) gave freedom to do everything that a person want to do but in a limited. I observed that every time I have any question on culture she bite her lips, tangles her figiners and thinks deeply. She also looked on the walls or over my shoulders.She found culture hard to understand. She looked passionate while talking about religion and she talk a lot about religion. It’s like she is attached to her religion more than culture and believe in religion more. Even she say that she follows religion more than culture. To her culture is made by human.She do what she want but follow Islam and limits because she believes religion values more than culture. She believes that religion gave women power and make them strong.
After my research I felt that I understand culture and religion better and I will not get them mixed up.Culture is traditional and custom that we follow and pass down by their ancestors. Custom and is made by people and society. Religion is the belief and worship of god.Our religion gives us so much right and power. I came to the conclusion that people like ms. Sobia still believes in religion even in this model world and religion has a deep impact on people even when they are surrounded by different religions. They believe it is very strong on Islam. People are braised toward culture and they believe that culture is not strong but confusing. It is confusing because people mix culture and religion and define them the same and it is hard to describe them. People do live in a society together but they follow different traditions and customs. Sometimes people invent traditions and customs different from their subgroups because they feel bonded by their culture. They start their traditions and customs based on their religion and interpretation to not feel bond. Live their own way of life.
Interview
Saseed Sobia,Personal Interview, November 13,2022
Interview transcription
Saseed Sobia,Personal Interview, November 13,2022
Unknown Speaker (me) 0:00
So how would you rate religion in your culture or your life?
Unknown Speaker (Sobia )0:07
Because before I follow the culture
Unknown Speaker (me) 0:11
on the scale to one to 10
Unknown Speaker (Sobia) 0:13
is a nine because I think everything I do is
Unknown Speaker 0:22
like okay
Unknown Speaker (Sobia) 0:26
what’s confusing for me
Unknown Speaker (me) 0:29
How would you define religion and culture in your definition
Unknown Speaker (Sobia) 0:40
religion is more like I feel relaxed when I practice my religion I’m satisfy the culture sometime I indicate the culture because the culture the me like friends family community and they make the most like a for lack of money fashion different type of clothing religions is not like a defined as like a clothing or like show you’re like a money or stuff the culture mostly the show the money like a dressing and like a show their houses and cars but religion is not it is more like a piece of my mind.
Unknown Speaker (me) 1:22
Okay so how like how religion how culture bound you and how religion bound you
Unknown Speaker (Sobia) 1:32
I think culture really bound me because the culture so oh woman or go outside or do jobs no there’s that but religion they are give us freedom they give they define the rule okay you can you don’t show your body but you if you want to go do your businesses do your jobs but don’t touching any like men and women. So culture is like oh my God, you are mosting wearing a hijab. Oh, I like hijab. Your dressing says okay, but we’re just not bonding us to like we’re dressing or stuff like actual religion, they are defined. You can try to cover your body, your head. So, any other man except for your husband, your brother and father, nobody able to see your hair and your body. This is true but the culture is mostly default culture like oh, you are mostly white with this type of dressing Viva This is the biggest problem with religions. They give us freedom as a woman, as a sister, as as a daughter, as a wife. We have a control actually, in my religion the woman is the queen of the house. She made the decision for like for her children’s her family and man they go outside to do the job but the woman is also is right or according origin to do go to the businesses because of profit like khadijah she was a businesswoman and his one wife Aisha she was a scholar so she’s well educated all is well educated businesswoman scholars because the religion is not bound us because they say go do what you want to do but they make a rule so don’t know don’t show your body okay, don’t do like a relationship like with other like a man’s except for your husband. That’s why I follow the religion
Unknown Speaker (me) 3:44
would you like to tell an event where you feel very connected to your religion?
Unknown Speaker (Sobia) 3:50
Even so, when I was separated from my husband, I had nothing there’s only one thing to protect me, only God. So that’s the time I think about nobody in my life. I’m alone, but only God is with me there. There’s time I’ll start followers or more.
Unknown Speaker (me) 4:11
Would you like to tell me about an event that connects you with your culture more?
Unknown Speaker (Sobia) 4:18
Cultural events are mostly like when I was a like a kid,we go to different weddings, we enjoy the weddings, ceremony songs, party stuff, this is like a cultural thing.
Unknown Speaker (me) 4:35
So how would you think that religion and culture Connect?
Unknown Speaker (Sobia)4:44
I think religion and culture are not connected with each other. Why do you think that? Why because culture is not like a man made it. Some like some countries they follow the religion and the cultures Okay. Some some sometimes the culture and religion connect with each other, would you like to give an example for example in according for like a call according for like Islamic way religion in according for the holy book so every man and woman they are marry first and then they make record relationships. I like this one because Nikka is the is that a marriage, according first now we do marriage first that that’s this this is a cultural thing I like it. Because without marrying, if any kids are born they have no identity. So, that is that standard like lenica and, like a culture and religion I like it. And one culture I like it, because sometimes in like other culture when the kids they’re like age of 16 at the parents, they kick out their houses, that’s time the kids are teenagers, they are armature. So, the kids have no fault that kids are going to like are different like wrong ways. They go to different bars, clubs, drinking, and some people that take advantage and others I like, my culture, my religion. So we are keeping our child to grow with us. And after marriage, they can go anywhere. They kind of do what they want to but I like the other way too. When the kids are raised with parents, they take care the parents to not only parents check out the kids but the other factor I saw when the parents are getting older the kids kick kick them out too because the parents does kick out foster children and the children kick out the parent first I like my religious best why because they might teach us how to respect your children and the teachers HarperTeen respect the parents and all other adults.
Unknown Speaker (me) 7:21
So from your experience and observation, how would you tell them what is the goal for religion and culture?
Unknown Speaker (Sobia)7:33
Actually the religion and culture the goal main goal is like a welfare of the community welfare community like to like or respect each other protect each other and our desire to keep them make a connection with other with other each other and in case anybody have any problem the other like community they are helping them
Unknown Speaker (me) 8:10
and how do you feel fulfill your goal to a religion
Unknown Speaker (Sobia) 8:18
According to Islam we are pray pray to God five time okay but I think is only GOD NO GOD NO GOD NO need our praise God need to like respect other helping others give like a charity
Unknown Speaker (Sobia) 8:43
so this is actually the reason and online for others how you fulfill it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who is he or she is doesn’t matter who is like mostly non Muslim or any other ledger the most important respect with respect to like respect your religion respect. You’re like a rules. I think this is a meal like Islam that teaches
Unknown Speaker (me) 9:14
how do you fulfill your goal to work culture?
Unknown Speaker (Sobia) 9:20
Culture doesn’t follow the console. I make my own rules. This is a big problem. I follow the religion I don’t follow the my culture because I don’t follow I follow my culture but not too much. Why? Because something is wrong culture. So I don’t I don’t follow like for example my culture say oh the woman stay at home the culture say woman stay at home do do nothing. Just raise a kid but I’m not follow these things. I wanna because according to this as a Muslim, the goal is the freedom to do education, jobs, everything but culture to ever follow the cultures I break my cultural rules
Unknown Speaker (me) 10:17
so what would you what would you what would be advice that you want to give to today’s youth
Unknown Speaker (Sobia)10:24
I give the youth What do you want to do do it but create your own limits for example my own in the the youth they are not follow that Islam they’re not follow the Quran. Okay, so you can follow yourself can pray okay, but try to go Don’t do like a drug or alcohol or other like activities. Actually, you focus on your study. First achieve your goal and then marriage. Okay, marriage is a part of life but your main goal is your work and your identity. If you are okay, it doesn’t matter if you’re a woman and men you need to be educated first. When you are educated you create a good community, good culture and follow the religion. It doesn’t matter if you are Jewish, Christian or whatever. Because all it is to go to the One God is the most important thing. When you are as a student, you just focus your study, do your job, do you wanna if you want it and don’t do any like activity like drugs or alcohol or other like sexual activities, because they are these activities they destroy you because this time the youth are your they have a lot of energy a lot of time. If you stand for this type of activity, you are actually ruining your life. Because if you’re not educated, if you’re not like working well, if you don’t respect others, nobody respects you. Nobody likes to follow you, you create examples. Not as ever because we are like we are older now. Youths are the future. If the youth are good. They are not using drugs, they are not going to alcohol, they’re not going to bars and clubs, other like activities, okay? They are educated, they are strong, they are financially and otherwise strong. Everybody respects you. This is I think is better for you because you have the time.
Unknown Speaker (me)12:49
Okay, thank you for your time and your patience. We really appreciate that and have a nice day. Bye
Unknown Speaker (Sobia)12:56
bye
Observation
Saseed Sobia,Personal Interview, November 13,2022
Every time I ask the woman about culture she bite her lips, tangles her figiners and thinks deeply. She found culture hard.This interview was on the day of my mother ‘s spa.
Work cited
Jouili. (2019). Islam and Culture: Dis/junctures in a Modern Conceptual Terrain. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 61(1), 207–237. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0010417518000543.
Yadav, Chara, and About The AuthorPiyush YadavPiyush is the founder of AskAnyDifference.com website. With over 4000+ articles published to date. “Difference between Religion and Culture.” Ask Any Difference, 12 Nov. 2022,https://askanydifference.com/difference-between-religion-and-culture/.
