I’ve had several prior entries about how much I detest missionaries. Another thing that infuriates me has occurred about four out of the five times we’ve met Moroccans here in the States…one of their first questions is
"??? ???????"
When the answer is “no” – my husband is a bit lax on observing the 2nd pillar – they don’t stop there. They continue to push and pry, asking “When will we go to jemaa together?” I’ve met them, and told them I’m Catholic, and they try to convince me that converting would be in my husband’s best interests. These people know little more than our names, and they’re trying to interfere in both our marriage and our relationship with God.
And that’s where my annoyance with religion lies. If the missionaries were in Morocco simply to set a good example, that would be fine by me – but their goal (as much as they try to disguise it with “good works”) is to convert others to their own religion. The same with the Moroccan Muslims we’ve met here, they consider it their spiritual duty to bother my husband – even though he probably has a much higher moral standard than they do.
I’m going to have a t-shirt made that says:
???? ??? ???????
?????
???? ???
adel
April 22, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I have met some of such as people, I answer “??? ??? ????” a bit chocking but it unsure they will never bother me with religion crap
adel
April 22, 2007 at 7:14 pm
/ignore me
I see you allow xhtml tags,
this security test, be aware of cross-scripting crapFelix
April 22, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Thanks Adel…I just killed the tags, hope that works!
matthew
April 23, 2007 at 4:51 am
I actually discuss this sort of thing (going both directions, like you mention) in one of the chapters in my book.
Honestly, I don’t mind if someone talks to me about their religion, provided that they first seem genuinely interested in me as a person, that they respect me and treat me as valuable without any hint of religious content in our conversation. What galls me are the people who seem to want to rack up some sort of bonus points with God and who come off as merely using me to fulfill their daily quota of people they’ve pushed in the “right” direction.
xoussef
April 23, 2007 at 8:43 am
??? ??? ????
is the best answer ever…
but you should know it by now, Moroccans duty is to know everything about you (to make a “dossi” :p) then to interfere in everything… Most of us just can’t help doing it , and find noting wrong in it
Jill
April 23, 2007 at 9:06 am
I can’t stand it either – it’s happened more to me in the States (at the hands of Muslims and Christians alike) more than in Morocco, though. Very few people have ever tried to convince me to convert (although a certain friend’s husband keeps trying to convince my husband to make me stop drinking, despite the fact that we both do it and it’s none of his business). Even my in-laws don’t say anything.
On the other hand, my husband has made the point that it’s just as annoying when someone non-religious tries to convince him that religion is wrong…fair enough point.
Felix
April 23, 2007 at 10:29 am
Oh, Xoussef, ha ha. I know exactly what you mean – and I actually kind of miss most of that meddling behavior.
Matthew, I didn’t know about your book, now I’m racing off to get one. I like to talk to people about religion, too – I’m fascinated by group and individual rituals that make it real for them – as long as they’re not trying to get brownie points with God, like you mention.
And Jill, how funny. I’d like to see ANYONE convince you to do something you didn’t want to.
Also, I’d never tell someone that their religion was wrong, that’s rude…after all, no one’s omnipotent, even though some like to think so.
Aimee
April 24, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Feeling a need for some help here. Could you translate, please? I can now read Alif and baa’, which isn’t doing me much good.
Cat in Rabat
April 27, 2007 at 3:13 pm
It is the bound duty of every practicing Muslim to make converts. As such, I confess that I despise prosyletizers far more than missionaries. At least with a missionary you know where you stand and they tend to be a bit morer respectful of your stance (at least in the latter 20th-1st centuries). Interesting that Christian missionaries are prohibited by Moroccan law to seek converts. Have you ever mentioned this to your Moroccan aquaintances in the US?