Islam in my village

My host family are devout Muslims by Kyrgyzstan standards. They never consume alcohol, pray five times a day, and celebrate Ramadan. Women do not have to wear head scarves and can work and go out as they please. As time has passed, I have learned that our family are at the center of the movement toward a stronger Islamic faith in the village.  If someone would have told me this a year ago, I would immediately worry and consider all the problems the news has presented to me about fundamental Islam. After a year in my village, I truly think that Islam--in the way that my family considers it---would benefit the community.

During soviet times, the people of Kyrgyzstan were not allowed to practice Islam. At this time my host father and his brothers were young men. Their father took them up into the mountains and taught them the Quran. Through this effort they became extremely faithful followers of Islam. Post-independence, hiding one's faith became un-necessary. Our host father and his brother became community leaders and are known by the village as good, hardworking, Muslim men.

Currently, our village is home to a medrassi which the men in my host family are very supportive of.  At the medrassi Kyrgyz boys can study Islam and on Saturdays a class is held for women. Our host father and leaders in the region have worked to bring a Iman to the medrassi (currently the closest is in Kazakhstan) to hold a camp for young men and to visit our village to teach the older generation more about Islam so that they can in turn, teach their children. Our extended family is working to hold weekly meetings to discuss issues in the community and their faith. They explained to me that they are trying to learn and preach an Islam that fits the Kyrgyz people and follows the Quran, not to blindly follow the type of Islam other countries have.

 In my experience here- I have seen that Alcoholism is rampant and spousal abuse is common. In such an environment, they type of Islam my family encourages seems to me to be one solution to the problem. Their brand of Islam seems reasonable to me. Women are respected, education (not just with regards to Islam) is valued, and their children are raised to be hard-working, respectful, and tolerant people. The family goes out of their way to invites Alex and I to Muslim holidays and explain the significance to us, but never push us to take their faith. All and all, they are wonderful people whose giving, tolerant nature is tied into their faith. It has been interesting and enlightening to grow to understand a type of Islam other than what we read about in the news. I am happy to know that in this village, the faith is tolerant and brought to young people by a truly good group of people.