The Awkward Infidel
One of the several things I appreciate about Islam is how flexible and personalized it can be.For example, yesterday I had just emerged from the shower at the gym and was drying off in the ladies' changing room. I was alone until a lovely young woman entered, with a Muslim's customary black headscarf encasing her entire head save her face. While I toweled my hair, she laid a prayer mat down in the corner of the small room at an angle (supposedly northeast towards Mecca), removed her black veil, and wrapped a large, billowy white-and-red prayer shawl around her.
Standing there in my underwear, I realized the woman was about to pray, and felt intensely awkward. Would she be offended that an undressed non-Muslim was in the room with her as she performed her personal daily prayers? Logically speaking, probably not, seeing as she had entered a ladies' changing room at the gym to pray. Still, as she began whispering quietly to herself and bowing her head down to the mat, I threw my clothes on as quickly as possible, sliding my feet into my shoes and making sure the soles of them did not point towards her, even though she was paying me no attention at all (showing someone the soles of your feet is considered an insult).
As I tried to sneak out of the room unobtrusively, I had one of those "We're not in Kansas anymore" moments. Where else would I find myself in a changing room wondering if the exposure of myself would offend the god the girl next to me was speaking to?
posted by Margot @ 8:03 AM
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