Strengths and Weaknesses of Islamic, Confucian/Asian, and American Civilizations
In “Children of Dust” by Ali Eteraz and “Confucius Live Next Door” by T.R. Reid I explore the strengths and weaknesses of Confucian/Asian, Islamic, and American civilizations.
In “Children of Dust” the author, Ali Eteraz (Abir ul Islam), tells the story of his youth and his attempt to navigate through the world as a traditional Muslim. According to Abir’s mother, his father made a mannat (covenant) with Allah “that if his first child was a boy, he would be raised to become a leader and servant of Islam (Eteraz 5).” The story of his birth and father’s promise filled him with a deep reverence for Allah, so he decided to devote his life to God. “I noticed that many worshippers had calluses on their foreheads and ankles from a lifetime of prostration and sitting on folded feet. Those were marks of piety that I wanted to develop as well. Thus, instead of praying on the carpet inside, I took to praying in the courtyard of the mosque, on straw matting that was hot and rough. During prostration I rubbed my forehead on the mat until it became raw (Eteraz 41).” At a very young age Abir was very devoted to his faith. He trained himself to pray faithfully every day. He paid special attention to every detail that went into prayer in order to prove his devotion. It is common among individuals of the Islamic faith to spend their life proving their devotion to Allah. Muslims are known for maintaining their faith through strict practices and without reserve. Their conviction is their strength.
Although Muslims maintain a strict pious lifestyle, this may also be their weakness. They spend a great deal of their time devoting themselves to their faith and rejecting anything secular that may contradict their religion. They avoid conversations or situations that are not within