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A Community of Diversity
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By Todzsa Brown and Ian Goldwasser Many consider Germantown to be one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country. There are African-Americans, Asians, East and West Indians, Caucasians, Jamaicans, Italians and many more living within the community. Many of these people own businesses that range from restaurants to apparel shops. Among the diversity of people’s ethnicity, there is also diversity in culture and religion. Within Germantown there are Baptists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics, Jews, Quakers and Muslims all living and working together in their community. Some of these cultural groups have some things in common while some people may share similar views on morals and family life, but some of the differences between these groups are so great that it is amazing how anyone gets along.
The Quakers and the Muslims have two very different belief systems, are both large, and play important roles in the community. There are two different Quaker Meeting Houses, where they worship and gather, in the community, the Greene Street Friends and the Germantown Friends. Each meeting has
its own school and takes part in the community by cleaning up empty lots and constructing new buildings where abandoned ones used to sit. Meanwhile, Muslims have succeeded in the extensive renovation of a portion of Germantown Avenue that stretches three blocks long. The two religions have so little in common, yet these two sub-communities exist within two blocks of each other, and everyone seems to get along. The Paulmiers and Morrisons are two families who live in Germantown and conduct business there everyday. The Paulmiers are Quakers and the Morrisons are Muslims. According to Greg Paulmier, Quakers are very liberal thinkers. “We believe in tolerating others even when they are different and even when we do not want to, and we are completely against any kind of violence,” said Paulmier. They believe in unity and togetherness and raise their children to be independent and individuals. Paulmier says he and his wife Lillian allow their three children to experience life and make their own decisions about who they want to be and what they believe in. Meanwhile, Islam has very different beliefs. According to Nadir Morrison, in Islam it is important to raise many children under the sole belief of Islam. Morrison says he does not encourage his six children to explore other religions or beliefs. “In Islam, it teaches that Islam is the right way and no other way shall be permissible,” says Morrison.
Morrison has three wives, which is allowed in Islam provided that the man can equally provide for each of them In fact, Muslim men are allowed to marry up to four wome). Morrison explains that although Muslims feel their religion is the right one they do not discriminate against others. “Islam is defined by itself and through the Koran, one person does not define or represent Islam,” he said. Morrison said it was important to spread that message so people will stop believing Islam supports terrorism; it is just those individuals using their differences in religious beliefs to justify war when Islam is actually against violence. Two very different cultures of people that from the outside would not appear to have anything in common, but a closer look proves different. Both these families believe in tolerance and peace among everyone, and they each only want to raise their children to be decent people who accept others different from themselves. If everyone in the world shared these same principles, the world might be a far better place to live in. It turns out these families shared the most important thing, which is to tolerate others and to live in peace and unity. This is how a community so diverse can function and flourish,depending on one another for business, group efforts within the community and tolerance from each other. |
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