Muhajir Moving Between Cultures

Learning a new language in an immersed language and cultural environment: Reflections of a Muhajir learning Arabic in Yemen

“Learning a second language is a long and complex undertaking. Your whole person is affected as you struggle to reach beyond the confines of your first language and into a new language, a new culture, a new way of thinking, feeling and acting. Total commitment, total involvement, a total physical, intellectual and emotional response is necessary to successfully send and receive messages in a second language.” (D.Brown: 2004)

Ordinarily, this statement would not evoke any strong feeling in me, but at the time of reading it I was experiencing exactly what is expressed in the quote. These words struck a strong chord with me as I struggled with all my faculties to master a second language – Arabic.

My motivation to learn Arabic extends beyond the fact that I live in an Arabic speaking country, and beyond career aspirations and progression. I learn and love Arabic because it is the language of the Noble Qur’an, the language of Islam, and the language of Jannah.

Arabic is such a vast, deep language filled with the most amazing colours and flavours. Allah the Most Merciful put love in my heart for this language – something way beyond the words of any language textbook or second language acquisition theory.

I am learning Arabic in Yemen in a immersed learning environment and have participated wholly in Yemeni life with Yemenis, and indeed my whole person has been affected as I have moved out of English into my new Arabic “clothes” which are still ill-fitting but becoming more comfortable each day. And as these clothes become more fitted I notice changes in the people around me – they recognise me and interact with me more freely, whereas before, the conversations ended after initial greetings and how did I like Yemen.  But as my clothes fit me, I feel I have also changed to fit them and my surroundings.

Being of the same religion of the people meant that many of the cultural and religious practices were already familiar and understood, and of the religious specific practices, I had already practiced myself for years. So in some ways, being with the Yemeni people was like being with long lost family.

One of the beautiful things about Islam is that it unites people. I myself, from one of the big Anglophone countries with an extremely different set of life experiences to my Yemeni counterparts, find connection and brotherhood through our religion.

Moving into a new way of thinking, feeling and acting although beneficial for language mastery has its drawbacks as one cannot help but become attached emotionally to the new environment and its people. As a foreigner, it is near inevitable that I will eventually leave Yemen whether I want to or not and thus lose my new family and community.

I have indeed grown very attached to Yemen and have achieved a lifestyle I could never have as a Muslim in the West. Although I was born in that Western country and I love that country, socially just didn’t fit in and was often harassed and discriminated against due to the simple fact that I was very obviously Muslim.

After committing myself totally – in my physical, intellectual and emotional capacities, I feel I will not easily return back to my previous existence should I be forced to return, and a large void would more than likely form in my being where Yemen and its people used to be, but whatever happens at least I can take their language with me and there is nothing sweeter than being able to study the Deen of Allah in the language in which it was revealed.

Updated Advice for Foreigners in Yemen

Events continue to unfold in Yemen and safety of foreigners is thinning.

Previous advice posted on LPOY were not to participate in demonstrations and to prepare yourselves for a long stay home.

The President of Yemen has announced the dismissal of the cabinet. This in itself is nothing and I have been informed that the fired government is still there but in a different shape, or in name only - it is now a caretaker government.

However, if you compare the steps of the Yemeni President to those of the deposed Tunisian President Ben Ali, the steps are very similar. First step announces tax cuts and pay rises, second step - announces that he will not run for president in the next elections in two years time. Step three - sack the government.

Many political analysts in Yemen stay that Ali will not go without a big fight, so with that in mind I would like to remind foreigners living in Yemen to prepare well for a long stay home.

If war comes to Yemen, the initial stages will be absolute chaos and killing. It will not be clear who are the munafiqeen and who are on haq. And foreigners will likely find it difficult to navigate through these waters without local support - that is be part of a Yemeni group or tribe for protection. If you have not fostered good relations with locals you should consider leaving Yemen rather than weathering the storm.

Westerners, specifically those who chose to live in Yemen for protection of their religion - Muhajireen for the sake of Allah and choose to stay in Yemen despite serious upheaval and possibility of armed conflict will be labelled by the current authorities as terrorists linked to al-Qaeda and be blamed for the fitnah engulfing the country. These falling regimes find it easy to claim a foreign plot to overturn the government and create chaos for (unknown) gains.

I know at this time these warnings may seem sensational. LPOY does not wish to create fear and panic amongst foreigners wishing to stay in Yemen despite the problems, but to inform you of serious possibilities so to better prepare yourselves.

- Gas is stocks are very low and you may now need to pay very high prices.
- Foreign currency is almost impossible to get hold of now.
- If you are using sabafon, get yourself a sim card from another company incase the sabafon network is shut down by the government. Sabafon is owned by Hameed al-Ahmar who is the President's number 1 opponent.

Pied Piper of Jihad

This documentary, "The Pied Piper of Jihad," has been shown on al-Jazeera English "People and Power" program. It portrays Yemen as an ultimate destination for Western Muslims looking for Jihad.

The title suggests that those Western Muslims who come to Yemen are brainlessly following the Pied Piper -Anwar Al-Awlaki. Western Muslims I know came here for a simple life in a Muslim country, nothing more, nothing less.

The documentary was made by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and was first screened in Australia.

Notice that the reporter did not speak to any Islamic representatives in Yemen or foriegners here. They only interviewed Yahya Saleh, the Amna Siyasi (Political Security) chief, and nephew of the president. It seems that the programs main aim is to strengthen anti-Muslim fears already existing amongst the west and to make it harder for people to make hijrah to Yemen by labelling all muhajireen to Yemen as fanatics and potential terrorists

You cannot view this program on Al-Jazeera, but you can watch it on the ABC website.
Pied Piper of Jihad

Reverse Hijrah

Hijrah for the sake of Allah is when a believer moves from a land of shirk and kufr to a land of iman to increase his iman. Reverse Hijrah is when a Muslim in a land of iman moves to a land of shirk and kufr to increase his duniya. This is not an official term but I will be using it to express this phenomenon.

It is obligatory for Muslims living in the lands of shirk and kufr to make hijrah to the lands of iman and the proof of this from the Book of Allah:

"As for those whose souls the angels take in a state of having earned Allah's anger; then the angels will say to them: "in what condition were you regarding your Religion?" They will say: "we were weakened by the great numbers and strength of the people of shirk in our land who prevented us from iman and from following the Messenger." They (the angels) will reply: "was not Allah's earth spacious so that you could leave your land and homes where the people of shirk dominate and go to a land where you could worship Allah alone and follow His Prophet?" So these people will find their abode in Hell, and what an eveil destination that is. Except for the weak ones from the men, women and children who were unable tomigrate or find a way to do so. As for such, it may be that Allah will pardon them, and ALlah is ever One who pardons and forgives the sins of His servants" Surat an-Nisaa 97-99

In the case of reverse hijrah, there are three conditions on such travel.

1. That the person has knowledge to repel doubts.
2. That he isa person adhering to the Religion such that it will prevent him from following desires that are openly practiced in lands of shirk and kufr.
3. That he has a need to do so - this includes medical treatment and higher education.

Notice that tourism is not listed. It is not necessary for Muslims residing in lands of iman to travel to lands of shirk for tourism, when there are plenty of touristic places to visit within the lands of iman.

As for residing in the lands of shirk and kufr, one must safegaurd his or her religion and will not be corrupted or deviate from the correct path and to remain removed emotionally from the people of that land and not love them as this can corrupt one's iman. Allah the Most High says:

"You will not find a people who believe in ALlah and the Last Day having love for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger and contradict Allah's Commands, even if they be their fathers, or their sons or their brothers or their tribe." al-Mujaadilah 58:22

A Muslim living in the lands of shirk and kufr must be able to manifest the outward signs of Islam without being prevented. In my opinion this is not possible in all the large Western countries.

If a Muslim is residing in the lands of shirk and kuft he must be there to call people to Islam. This is a type of jihad and it is fard kifaya - that means that not everyone needs to do it, if one person is doing it then the rest of us are exempt.

Some scholars have said that it is permissible for a da'i (caller to faith) to reside in lands of kufr and shirk to study the conditions of the unbelievers and become aware of their state with regard to the corruptopn of their beliefs, false worship, degenerate manners and behaviour. I do not fully agree with this in this modern time we can see all of this on the vast media available to us.

It is also allowed for a Muslim to reside in the lands of disbelief to maintain diplomatic relations with the state of disbelief and an Islamic state and provide consular services to any citizens of that state residing there and to encourage them in their religious matters and behaviour. This helps repel evil and corruption that surround Muslims living in that land.

The categories covered here are all temporary living situations. Residing permanently amongst the disbelievers in their lands is never acceptable.

More to come on this topic soon.