Because Amy had been there before I knew that women needed to be completely covered and they gave robes and head covers to women who weren't. What I didn't realize was that my knees showing below my shorts were also objectionable and that they would give me a robe too! Pretty cute picture though, eh? Because Justin was wearing long pants he didn't have to cover anything.
When the Mosque is really full they also pray in this space just outside the main room
We had a volunteer guide who was very helpful in explaining Islam and what goes on at the Mosque. He said that every Muslim is expected to pray 5 times a day (which can be done anywhere) and every male is required to pray at a mosque (not necessarily a particular mosque) every Friday. If you miss more than 3 Fridays without a good excuse it is a very serious infraction but he didn't specify what the consequences were.
The guide said that men are at the front of the room in the mosque, children in the middle and women are required to be at the back of the room or up in the balcony or they can just stay at home. I could sense Carol biting her tongue. The guide said that the entire service takes about an hour because of the mechanics of getting everybody situated and waiting but that the actual praying lasts only for about 5 minutes and that the presentation by the Imam lasts about 15-20 minutes. It appears that Muslims in Malaysia are Sunni as the guide did not speak favorably about Shias. He said they give too much authority to the Imams. The guide gave us some helpful literature on Islam.
This is a view outside the Mosque.
This is a sidewalk artist outside the mosque.
Justin had to go to work but Amy, Carol and I then went to the Malaysia National Museum. It was very informative and particularly helpful in explaining the sequence of colonial intervention in Malaysia. Based on what was presented, it appears that before the 13th century the culture in Malaysia was primarily Hindu-Buddhist. Then Islam spread into the area because Muslim traders sought access to the spices in the area and developed Malacca, a port on the western coast of peninsular Malaysia as a principal trading spot. Malacca was particularly well-suited for trade because of its location as a chokepoint in the straits between Sumatra and Malaysia (see the map below), because it was centrally located between China and Arabia, and because the monsoon winds first move from west to east and then later in the year move from east to west thus facilitating sailing to and from the area. The Muslims instituted a political system and rule of law that facilitated trade.
The map below shows the various regions that traded with Malacca
The Portugese were the first Europeans to dominate Malacca and the region as a colony beginning with the conquest of Malacca in 1511. The Portugese military commander executed or sold into slavery all the Muslims in Malacca. The Portugese dominance lasted for about 130 years but in 1641 the Dutch defeated the Portugese with the help of the Sultan of Johore. The Dutch then ruled Malaysia for 180 years, the longest of any colonial power, from 1641 until 1825. Malacca was then ceded to the British in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty and from 1826 to 1946 Malacca and Malaysia as a whole was under the rule of the British first by the British East India Company and then as a Crown Colony. In the 1800's Malaysia was the largest producer of tin and the British imported Chinese to work and run the mines. Thus resulted the interesting mix in Malaysia of Malays, Chinese and Indians.
Below are some pictures from inside the museum.
A bowsprit of a royal ship.
A replica of the Royal Throne.
The museum also had a special exhibit of Masks of the World.
A mask of a guy with some serious nose hair issues:
Gromit's long-eared cousin.
Very colorful masks:
All in all, a very fun outing today!
No comments:
Post a Comment