Greetings from Morocco!

As we are nearing the end of our stay in Morocco I find myself feeling a sense of sadness. Being in Morocco has given me a feeling of being home. The people of Morocco have been so kind and warm and welcoming that I feel as though I could be at home in Atlanta among community. We have been here for almost 3 months and the experiences that I would like to share with you are ones that helped me to love and appreciate the Muslim community very much.

The people here in Morocco are very loving, giving and kind. They show so much compassion for those in their community. Once while we were in Rabat, Morocco we were at the internet Cyber Café and we heard a commotion outside the window. There were two Muslim men in an argument and a crowd had gathered and instead of a lot of energy of violence some of the other men present were separating the men who were arguing and reasoned with them, then brought them back together and  encouraged them to embrace and make up. After they did, they went their separate ways.

The people in the hotel we stayed in Rabat were very kind. The security guard that sat outside the door always greeted us with a warm smile and Bonjour with his hand over his heart. I looked forward to seeing his smiling face filled with well wishes from his heart. 

Then there is the restaurant that we ate in every day. The waiters were always helping to make our experience there a good one. They would escort Zenobia (Rahfyia’s daughter) to the front of the restaurant and give her ice cream after she had her meal. The waiter would always bring a cloth napkin to put around Mama Natalie while we fed her to keep her clothes clean. One evening while we were having dinner, the waiter went back into the kitchen and brought out a dish he wanted us to try and it was a Moroccan dish. He smiled and asked, “you like Moroccan?” and he smiled even more when we said, “very good.”  It was their pleasure to serve us and when we were happy, they were happy.

The day we left the hotel we had several bags and there was only Audri and I with Natalie. Because our cash flow was very slow this day we did not have tip money and we did not want to ask the doormen to help us with our bags. We walked Mama Natalie to the train station and I stayed there with her while Audri went back to the hotel to get the rest of the bags. We have 2 bags apiece and 2 bags with equipment so it was going to take at least 2 or 3 trips for Audri to bring the bags by herself. When she came back and I saw the door man with her with all the bags I was surprised. When he left, I asked her, “what happened?” She said, “he saw me struggling with the bags and he just came and took the other bags and started walking, just another example of their kindness.

My experience with the Muslim community has been one that is of such joy that I can really call them my brothers and sisters. And when I hear things that address them as anything less, it makes me very sad. We all know that there are people in every culture that live to express their highest and Divine selves and then there are those that seem to express their less than Divine selves, yet we can not judge the whole culture by just a few. Such is the case here in Morocco. The experiences of kindness that have been shown to us from every Muslim community from India, Egypt, and now here in Morocco, Africa are true expressions of brotherly/sisterly love.

We attended a class in one of the homes of a Muslim family and learned many things about their culture and their religion. Not all of the things they believe in are of my belief system but I found many similarities with Jesus, Mohammad and Buddha (blessings be upon them.)

What I did learn is that family is very important to the Moroccan. They believe that children are gifts given to them by the Creator to care for.  So when I say as I leave Marrakech, Morocco, I feel as though I am leaving family behind, I really mean it. The community here has really treated us like family. The family we are staying with here in Marrakech have made us feel as though their home is our home.

 I have made many friends here and as we continue on our journey I know I will make many more. I find here, as in most communities through which we have travelled, that people in different cultures may eat their food differently, listen to different music, or speak a different language, yet they love just the same. And to me that is the most important thing. Their form of worship may be different than mine, but their prayers are said with just as much love in their hearts for their Creator as I do. They love their families, they care for their neighbors, and they keep peace in their communities. They are a very loving and peaceful people.

I have found Islam to be a very beautiful religion or as they say a way of life. And the ultimate goal for them as in many other major religions including Christianity is to love and serve their God, and to be in service to their neighbors. And our neighbors are all around the world.

As we prepare to leave Morocco, I would like to share one more thought with you. Even though we, on this planet, are not all the same in our outward and physical appearances we are made the same from the inside out. And even though we don’t do all things alike, we are still alike because we are all hu-man and that is-- we are physical and Divine. This tells me we are connected because of the Hu or the Light, and when we can recognize this connection then we can say we are related. Our life line is connected with the Divine -- the Creator of all things.

Let us begin to see our differences as major opportunities to learn of others’ way of life. Let’s not be afraid of something or someone that we don’t even know. Let’s stop taking other peoples word for things and begin to get a first hand experience of people of different cultures. Make a friend of someone of a different culture. Begin to know them close up and personal and not by what is said about them by the media or someone else’s opinion.

Let us begin to see these differences as opportunities tor grow and understand someone else. If our Creator intended for all of us to be just alike we would be. So there must be a very good reason why we are different. Let’s begin to embrace our differences and begin to come together as a family in our love, joy, compassion and kindness for one another and continue to Love our Neighbor as Ourselves.