Amsterdam Mosque Visit

This past weekend our group had the opportunity to visit a mosque in Amsterdam. Though I have been learning about Islam it was an entirely new experience to have the chance to visit a mosque and learn how it operates. When we first entered we were told that men and women usually enter through separate doors though the gentleman leading our mosque tour informed us that it was not a huge concern if women did enter through the men's door. Once inside we had to take off our shoes. Muslims are also to wash themselves before praying which we observed from the adjacent wash room in the mosque. Muslims do this before praying because when praying their face comes into contact with the floor. 

Once inside, we viewed the area where the Imam, or worship leader, of the mosque stands during prayer. This area is situated so that when Muslims pray they are facing towards Mecca. 

 

 Next, we learned how young Muslims learn to memorize the verses of the Quran.

He explained that while many Muslims have access to technological advances that allow them to learn the verses of the Quran, many still enjoy to use this piece of wood below and with a bamboo pen write the verses of a chapter down, and then erase the words with water and start again until you have the verses of the Quran memorized. 

Many of the mosques are helped out with funding from countries in the Islamic world. The mosque we visited was helped out by Kuwait.

 This sign signified the area of the mosque where only Muslim women were allowed to pray.

After we were finished with our mosque tour, I was overhearing the man who gave the tour mention that while no women were allowed to lead worship that their mosque has actually allowed many women to come in and give speeches on occasion. This visit made me realize that all who follow Islam are not the same though many seem to assume that all Muslims fall together under the same category. Mosques and followers of Islam vary in their degree of beliefs and practices. The man who lead our tour seemed more open to women coming into the mosque to speak, which may not be allowed at other mosques. Overall, the experience was very insightful and put what we are learning and reading about in our Islam and Politics class into perspective.