There are a number of Muslim families who live in the apartment complex near me. I often see them walking along the paths, and whenever I can I smile and say, "Assalamu Alaykum" to them
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Yeah it's not Somali at all (and thanks for pointing that out if anyone reading this might have gotten confused). It's the Muslim greeting and you're right, is Arabic. But the majority of the Muslim population around where I live is Somali, which is probably why she asked if I was Somali, and why I told her I'd learned some Somali when I answered. Because when I learned Somali, we were taught to start with Assalamu Alaykum and then you'd move into Somali for the rest of the conversation. (although all I can remember from it is how to say the words thank you, Somali, and book lol)
Oh and I was also taught to start with Assalamu Alaykum when I was with Indo-Fijian Muslim women too, and then they usually switched to hybrids of English and Hindi.
lol I know right? Book and thank you are so much more important than anything else ;) (Actually, book is boog so lol I can't claim any great memory tricks on that one. It's just very similar XD)
That's cool that you let people play with Harley. I see so many dog owners who look at you with disdain if you approach their dog :/ There's loads of beautiful dogs near where I live and I don't dare approach them usually, not because I'm scared of dogs but I'm worried their owners will think I'm bothering them ^^' I just want a pat! XD
Incidentally I didn't know that Muslim people couldn't touch dogs usually, but I did always wonder why they don't have a culture of having pets.
lol I know what you mean actually. I always want to pet every dog ever, and some owners are like OH YEAH GO AHEAD but so many of them give this look like WHAT DO YOU WANT. It's strange. Most dog owners will let other dogs approach but there's a whole culture to that too, you have to ask first because some won't let you and also you have to make sure both dogs won't flip out on each other. It's exhausting
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I had never heard of the dog thing before. Is it as strong a rule as not eating pork and not drinking alcohol? Though one of my friends, who never eats pork, does drink alcohol except during Ramadan.
To be honest, I don't remember hearing about it before I learned Somali. I do know that when I studied Islam with women in Fiji, I talked to women who had lived in many places around the world, and the way Islam was practiced varied rather considerably. Generally, the Middle East was strictest in its interpretations, but it was sort of like the government affected the interpretation of Islam. Fiji is really laid back so they had a less strict version practiced there, but even then there were some things that Westerners tend to perceive as problematic, like women couldn't hold land on their own, they had to have a man sign off on it. That part might have been a Fijian law but I think was Muslim in some ways. I can't recall for sure
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I would like to point out that "Assalamu Alaykum" is, in fact, Arabic not Somali. ^^
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Oh and I was also taught to start with Assalamu Alaykum when I was with Indo-Fijian Muslim women too, and then they usually switched to hybrids of English and Hindi.
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Always useful to remember how to say Thank you... and book in another language, :P
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Incidentally I didn't know that Muslim people couldn't touch dogs usually, but I did always wonder why they don't have a culture of having pets.
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