Everybody deals with some sort of challenge on a daily basis. However, it is sometimes difficult to understand other people’s issues, especially when someone has issues that not everyone can relate to. Digging deeper and doing a lot of research is necessary to understand what type of challenges Serene deals with.
Various Challenges
Muslims are required to pray five times per day. Since Serene is a Muslim, she is required to do this. However, it is sometimes hard to find somewhere for her to accomplish that since school takes up most of her day. Formal prayer for Muslims consists of many steps. To sum it up, the most common phrase said is “Allahu Akbar”, which means God is the most great. The formal prayer requires Serene to practice many different movements, such as sitting down and standing up, raising her hands up, etc. Obviously, this is not something that can be completed instantly; so Serene makes time during the day to pray.
Another challenge that Serene deals with are following Islamic holidays. The Islamic calendar is based off of the moon, so she is not 100% sure about some dates like Eid Mubarak until the night before. As a result, it can be a little awkward when the school asks her when she is not going to be present for a religious holiday, and her family replies that they don't know yet.
More Prevalent Challenges
One issue that is very prevalent in Serene’s life is definitely how she dresses. Some places have a uniform (like school, or a sport, or a job) that's not modest (like shorts). At our school, it is a positive thing for Serene that students are able to wear long sleeves and headscarves. Unfortunately, not all activities she likes to partake in are that flexible. As a result, she either has to make an arrangement or quit.
Food is definitely a big challenge that Serene faces daily. Muslims are not allowed to eat pork. So Serene must refrain from anything with pork in it, sometimes she can’t attend barbeques where only pork is served. Also, Muslims are not allowed to drink alcohol. Sometimes, this can be an issue for Serene’s family members who are legally allowed to drink. They must ask and research all foods and drinks to ensure that no traces of alcohol are included at all.
Probably the most influential challenge is the gender issue. For example, shaking hands and hugging the opposite gender is generally perceived as acceptable in America. However, in Islam it's not really socially acceptable. This is a really big challenge for Serene, since refusing to shake someone's hand may be perceived as rude. Traditional Muslim men and women are required to be very formal and professional when meeting someone who is not familiar to them. The challenge that Serene faces is in regards to this is when she is introduced to a non-Muslim person for the first time. Normally, they would shake hands, but since that is frowned upon in Serene’s religion, it causes an unfortunate situation.
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Various Challenges
Muslims are required to pray five times per day. Since Serene is a Muslim, she is required to do this. However, it is sometimes hard to find somewhere for her to accomplish that since school takes up most of her day. Formal prayer for Muslims consists of many steps. To sum it up, the most common phrase said is “Allahu Akbar”, which means God is the most great. The formal prayer requires Serene to practice many different movements, such as sitting down and standing up, raising her hands up, etc. Obviously, this is not something that can be completed instantly; so Serene makes time during the day to pray.
Another challenge that Serene deals with are following Islamic holidays. The Islamic calendar is based off of the moon, so she is not 100% sure about some dates like Eid Mubarak until the night before. As a result, it can be a little awkward when the school asks her when she is not going to be present for a religious holiday, and her family replies that they don't know yet.
More Prevalent Challenges
One issue that is very prevalent in Serene’s life is definitely how she dresses. Some places have a uniform (like school, or a sport, or a job) that's not modest (like shorts). At our school, it is a positive thing for Serene that students are able to wear long sleeves and headscarves. Unfortunately, not all activities she likes to partake in are that flexible. As a result, she either has to make an arrangement or quit.
Food is definitely a big challenge that Serene faces daily. Muslims are not allowed to eat pork. So Serene must refrain from anything with pork in it, sometimes she can’t attend barbeques where only pork is served. Also, Muslims are not allowed to drink alcohol. Sometimes, this can be an issue for Serene’s family members who are legally allowed to drink. They must ask and research all foods and drinks to ensure that no traces of alcohol are included at all.
Probably the most influential challenge is the gender issue. For example, shaking hands and hugging the opposite gender is generally perceived as acceptable in America. However, in Islam it's not really socially acceptable. This is a really big challenge for Serene, since refusing to shake someone's hand may be perceived as rude. Traditional Muslim men and women are required to be very formal and professional when meeting someone who is not familiar to them. The challenge that Serene faces is in regards to this is when she is introduced to a non-Muslim person for the first time. Normally, they would shake hands, but since that is frowned upon in Serene’s religion, it causes an unfortunate situation.
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