- The Record Archives
- Volume CXVIII, No. XX - November 10, 2005 -
Embedded in Catholicism
Understanding the Minority: part 2
The Record
Adnan Mackovic came to St. John's two years after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Because he is Muslim, he said, some students couldn't make a distinction between him and those who killed thousands of Americans.
"They would have the frightening look on their face when I say I am a Muslim," Mackovic said. "When I got here, I felt that anti-Muslim feeling and atmosphere because most of the people I met in my first year were very ignorant. They would ask me questions like why Allah hates Americans."
But that has since changed. Mackovic has been a practicing Muslim his entire life and is thankful for his experiences at CSB/SJU, both positive and negative.
"I learned a lot about myself and my relationship with God," Mackovic said.
Along with being Muslim, Mackovic is an international student. He grew up in Bosnia where he was surrounded by the Islamic tradition.
"Your life, your growing up period, and then your life after that is affected by religion and religious practices," Mackovic said. "Your grandma would pull you if you're not praying five times a day."
He said religion in Bosnia is taken more seriously than in the United States.
"Everybody would go to the mosque during Ramadan," Mackovic said. "No matter if they're practicing or not, they would go and pray." Ramadan is a month-long period of fasting.
Mackovic was offered a scholarship to come and study at St. John's as part of an SJU alumnus program. While the scholarship and American experience were appealing, the thought of attending a Catholic school was intimidating.
CSB first-year Bibi Abdalla is another international Muslim student. She was born in Somalia and moved to the United States in 1997. Although both male and female Muslims follow the same beliefs, their attire differs.
"We usually wear a scarf on our heads," Abdalla said. "You have to be covered up and not have a lot of your skin showing." She said it symbolizes that beauty comes from within.
Jewish students
SJU senior Alex Adams-Leytes said his transition was smooth.
"I haven't had one incident of backing off," said Adams-Leytes, a practicing Jew.
He said that could be because the Christian and Jewish beliefs are quite similar and the difference lies in how Jesus is regarded.
He finds CSB/SJU a welcoming home, although he is in the religious minority.
"My freshman year … I brought a Hanukkah menorah in December and I showed my roommate, and we did the lighting of the candles," he said.
Sophomore Kara Schneider was raised both Jewish and Christian. Her father is Jewish and mother is Christian.
Schneider said although she doesn't consider one religion prominent over the other, her experience at CSB/SJU has made it difficult to influence her spiritual thoughts.
"Because I don't know, it's not a good place sometimes to figure out what I believe," Schneider said. "But here I feel more like I'm Jewish because I am definitely not Catholic at all."
Adams-Leytes, however, said he has not felt the Catholic effects on his life. For years he has worn the Hebrew word for "life" on his neck in the form of a necklace.
"It identifies me as a Jew to other Jews, but when it comes to non-Jews, they're going to have to ask me about it," he said. "That can segue into greater conversation."
He said his college experience has not changed his faith, but he admits some surprises have arisen.
"My best friend went to Mass virtually every day and is considering the priesthood," Adams-Leytes said. He said he didn't expect his best friend to be that religious.
Schneider said being a religious minority has changed her perception on those around her.
"The religious aspect brings people here," she said. "Those are people that I might not ever have met or introduced myself to. I got to meet them; I got to learn from them."
Outreach
Mackovic said the majority of CSB/SJU students have learned about Muslims from the media.
"In my first year, dealing and meeting such people encouraged me to go out, in a way and preach about my own religion," he said.
Fr. Bob Pierson, director of SJU Campus Ministry, encourages this activity on campus.
"God is not limited to the Catholic church," Pierson said. "I think it's important to recognize that the way I see the world is not the only way to see the world."
Every month CSB Campus Ministry offers a program called "Faith Communities." It's a time where students of all religious backgrounds gather to discuss fellowship and learn.
"It's good for the majority of students to know there's more than the Catholic faith," said Patricia Cespedes-Schueller, director of Faith Communities. "It's important to go beyond the stereotypes."
Pierson said students of all faiths volunteer at a local prison every week, including one Hindu student.
"She's not Catholic, but she attends Mass every Monday night with the prisoners," he said.
Pierson stresses the importance of students opening their hearts to different faiths.
"They don't need to be afraid that they're not being true to their own faith just by simply getting to know someone else from another faith tradition," he said.
Finding a home
For those in the minority, they say the key to fitting in is to just be themselves.
"I don't think I've really had any negative experiences here, at all," said Adams-Leytes.
"I'm a very strong-willed person, and I don't think that anybody can ever influence me in anything I don't want to do," Abdalla said.
Mackovic agrees.
"No matter what the situation is or would be, for me, I would do it … I would proclaim my religion and do what I usually do as a Muslim," Mackovic said.
And rural America has taught this to Mackovic more than he ever expected.
"St. John's, although a small place in the middle of nowhere, really unexpectedly can teach you so much, and we do have diversity in every possibly way," he said. "Whether we choose to deal with, learn from it, it's our own choice."