Why Muslims fail in promoting themselves while others succeed

By Rasha

I have visited St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City several times. In each time, I wandered there and took as many photos as I wanted. No one ever stopped me or asked me any questions, though I was wearing hijab. People from different countries visit the Cathedral which is open for charge-free tour everyday from 7 am until 7 pm. The working staff is courteous and enjoys a welcoming attitude. Before you enter the lovely Cathedral, you should stand in a line to pass through one checkpoint. All visitors are supposed to take off their jackets before passing through the inspecting machine.  In my first visit, when my turn came, I told the security:“I don’t want to take off my jacket”.  That was due to a decent dressing attitude I like to follow as a Muslim women when I’m in public. To my surprise, they smiled at me and said: “no problem! Go ahead!”

On the other side, when we visited the Mosque of Rome for the first time, the guard stopped us at the main gate and asked us, with no smile, about the “reason for the visit!” His question was weird and pointless as it was obvious that we were a Muslim family coming to the mosque a few minutes prior to the sunset prayer!

The mosque of Rome is an important Islamic landmark in Europe. However, it is run in a bureaucratic way as if it is a governmental facility in a third world country.  Before any cultural visit, there should be scheduling, emailing, filling applications, etc.!

Muslims are supposed to be smarter when it comes to introducing their culture to others. Some Muslims, who live in the west, think that distributing brochures, flyers, or free copies of the Holy Quran in the street can create the desired effect. But it cannot! The best introduction can only happen with lively and dynamic communication. Therefore, The Mosque of Rome should be open for visits everyday and without the need for former arrangements. The opening hours should be long enough. People should be able to wander freely in its courtyard and in the cultural center. 

Mosque of Rome is open for visits  on Wednesday and Saturday from 9.00-12.00

When I posted the photos that I took inside the mosque on Facebook, my Italian friend felt so happy to see them. She thanked me for sharing those photos and told me that she had never seen a mosque from inside! When I asked her why, she said she heard that non-Muslims were not allowed to enter mosques!  Now, do Muslims actually need to spread such confined notions which only lead to more misunderstanding and isolation? Or, they are in dire need of more open attitudes towards others. 

We have to bear in mind that the cultural promotion is like the commercial one; it is an art! It has tools and rules.  And those who master this art can outperform the market achieving high- sale success. But the success resulting from the exceptional cultural promotion is not measured by money. It’s measured by the good reputation which is indispensable to coexistence.