Having read the entire Qur'an was however not enough, I still had to go every weekend and sit there, and read it all again!
Me, 8 years old: Daddy, why do I have to go again, I have already done my Qur'an khatam?
Dad: That doesn't mean you stop reading The Qur'an.
Me, still 8: I know that but can't I read at home?
Dad: Don't argue with your father.
It's a wonder I learnt how to have a constructive conversation with anyone.
Joke aside, I kept on going and reading, and dipping cookies, but of course now even more bored than before. We were not allowed to talk anything while it was "reading time" and the Molvi had his eyes and big fat belly on us all the time. If one did happen to talk, one would be sure to get a flying pen coming ones way. I must confess I perfected my reflexes in that very mosque.
So, I came up with a brilliant idea!
Whenever I wanted to talk to my friend sitting next to me, I would simply keep my head down as if I am reading, do the usual back and forth swinging movement that I have no idea why in the world Pakistani children do when they read the Qur'an, and I simply pretended to read when I infact was saying "So do you wanna come over to my place and play Nintendo?"
The bottom line is, places like that are a waste of space and an insult to religion itself. They really do not motivate children, nor inspire them to feel anything naturally for their religion and identity. Although not all Qur'an schools are like this, the ones here that have been run by Pakistani imported Molvis with no grasp of Swedish culture or language, have been nothing but a disaster. And yet not many know that the Pakistani curriculum and Qur'an learning system and books, are by far the best in the world and are often sought after by Arabs and others trying to teach their children how to read Arabic.
4 comments:
I used to get Quran Reading lessons in my house and not in the mosque but from what you tell it must have been boring and without inspiration. Sadly our Molvis are not very inspiring, especially the ones in Pakistan, infact on several occasions i would say the experience has been repulsive. messages/ teachings of hatred are not exactly good religious material for young children and for that matter adults too. I fail to understand why out religious services cant be improved. I have been to church services on several occasions and I find them much more peaceful and inspiring compared to most mosque experiences iv had.
Yeah I see what you mean. Thankfully as one grows older or starts travelling the world one finds mosques that give one a great sense of inner peace, like the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, or Gazi Husrevbeg Mosque in Sarajevo or even the old Paris Mosque.
Problem is having people with no soulfulness trying to inspire other souls.
oh dear.. really makes my stomach churn...
it's one thing hearing or reading about such stuff, but i've been on this blog for ages and to now hear about this now from someone I "know" is really sad...
hope u managed to "graduate" from that school with its stupid teachers and ideas.
so totally unfair... bunch of idiots!
To be honest, as disturbing as it sounds, I haven't been as maimed by it as it may sound. In general I make fun of those days and the whole idea but always with an air of seriousness, because at the end of the day I dont believe in maintaining such establishments.
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