Immersion Draft

I am usually the person that isn’t afraid to place myself into a new challenge of discovering different parts of the world and the people it holds, however, a chilly, unsettling sensation rushed over my shaking, scared body as I pulled into the parking lot.

“Am I really about to enter this sacred home to many muslims that reside right here in Fort Myers?”

Of course I am. To not accept this moment of unfamiliarity would limit my life experience, as a journalist, because I could be missing out on a fascinating, untold story.

Looking at the building from the outside, there are several doors that all look accessible. But there’s a trick to it. A unmarried woman cannot enter the same doors as a man would, regardless if he is married or not. Search for the right door, but which one is it? There is no signage that states “women enter here” and vice versa for men. Luckily, I was seen from a distance and saved by an older Imam, a person who leads prayer during services.

I made sure to do my research and wear appropriate clothing wear. I wore a long-sleeve, v-neck shirt with a long, dragging maxi skirt. I wore open-toe sandals because I didn’t think my toes needed to be covered. I also wore my favorite headscarf wrapped into a bun. I considered this to be a proper head covering and I would soon find out otherwise.

“Ay-rey-el? Oh it’s so nice to finally meet you,” said [call and get exact name and spell it right]. “I have been waiting for your arrival and cannot wait to show you what me and my people do for our services.”

[Explain when he was a leader and why he slowed down with leading prayers and why he continues to follow tradition.]

His heavy accent slurred all of his words together, making it very hard to understand him, but he greeted me with a warm smile. In his culture, a man does not greet a woman with open arms and smiles. In fact, the muslim tradition is when greeting the opposite sex, then you do not hug each other or even shake hands. You place your hand over your heart and nod your head while making contact. Well, at least he did that with me.

As we walked from the parking lot to a set of double doors, [X] motioned me to walk into one side and he would be right behind me. Out of curiosity, I walked through one side of the door and looked back to see if he would walk through my same path. He did not. [X] walked in through the unused double door and nodded his head at me. Now, I am really interested.

“Why did you walk through that door instead of the door with me?,” I asked.

“One, you are a woman and women and men do not walk through the same set of doors. We have a set of double doors that only men can walk through and the same for women. Also, I did not walk through at the same time because you are an unmarried woman and I am not your husband. That is a sign of disrespect to our god,” he said.

We walked towards the main sanctuary, [X] began to remove his shoes. His socks are bleach white and fit the shape of his exact foot. I looked down at my feet, in which I wore sandals, and before I could bend down to unhook the latch, [X] hands me a plastic bag.

“What’s this for?,” I asked looking quite dumbfounded.

“You take your shoes off and place them into the bag until the end of service. But do you have socks? You will need them to cover your feet in moderation and respect,” he said.

Respectfully, I removed my sandals and placed on the fresh pair of socks that I quickly slipped on.

Men and women’s voices fill the air. No one is in eyesight, however, you can hear the crisp articulation of arabic being spoken in a close proximity.

**These are my notes in how I am trying to write this story. I wrote them down as a guide for my final paper, but I have to go back and get more information.**

[Park your car and enter into the designed doors made for women — unmarried women.

When you come, you are asked to remove your shoes. Place your shoes onto a shelf or plastic bag and store them until you leave.

Women are placed into another section of the room while divided from the men with a moving divider. Men with men and women with women. Some children are allowed, depending on the services and a young boy cannot attend a woman’s service. The child has to go with the father.

You sit on the ground, there are no chairs, and there were several books of Quran placed throughout to spots of the floor where you sit and pray.

During prayer, the Imam is basically the pastor and as they go through leadership, people will bow, sit, or lay in rows together and listen.

When it came to dresscode, dress in longsleeves and skirt or pants. For a woman, cover your head, even though as a visitor it is not required from you.

Very rude to walk in front of someone who is praying. Settle quietly in the back and pray with the congregation.

Men will not shake your hand, as a woman, they will give a slight head nod or place their hand over their heart when greeting you. Woman can shake your hand, if they choose to.]