And so What If We Are Different?

By Joy Omara

Maryam and Tiffany are fictitious characters with youthful curiosity about the others religion of Christianity and Islam. The story is simply written, presenting a vivid but lighthearted discovery of similar doctrinal beliefs between the two religions. They explore some of the myths and misconceptions through illustrious examples and eventually agree having different beliefs doesnt mean they cant be friends.

In todays world where religious tension caused by expanding communities with different cultures and misinformation of religious beliefs and practices, the book is needed to teach children and young adults their religion is not as dissimilar or based on terrorist propaganda seen on headline news. The aim of this story book is to promote racial and interreligious harmony and integration. Educating the young, it is hoped, will help develop a more peaceful environment worldwide.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Jan 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514462911

Joy Omara

Joy Omara was born into a Roman Catholic family. In 1997, she began a search for alternative religions, which included Islam, hoping to find greater spiritual fulfillment. She converted to Islam in 1999. This enabled her delve into the Holy Books with greater understanding borne out of practicing what was read. In 2004, Joy reverted back to practicing as a Roman Catholic, having found her spiritual destiny. She has retained her respect and admiration of Islam as a religion of peace and tolerance. Joy has had some short fiction stories, poetry, and articles published in local magazines and newspapers. She is married, with children, and is a lawyer.

Book preview

Meeting in the Park

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Tiffany Moore lived on a small private housing estate. On the estate, there was a large park with the latest play equipment. She lived with her mother in a small two-bedroom apartment, so the park was, to her, a place where she could go and play and feel the wind in her hair and face. It was a meeting place for her friends and a place where she could sit on the grass and turn daisy chains into bracelets. It was an extension of home, when the weather was good. It was a cool summer’s day, and Tiffany wanted to go out to play.

‘Mummy, can we go to the park today?’ she called out to her mother.

Mrs Moore was busy in her home office squeezed into a corner section of their lounge, typing very fast on her computer. She looked up and smiled. ‘Of course, love, but only for an hour.’ Mrs Moore sighed as she shut down her computer; the timing was perfect. ‘Break time,’ she said. ‘Okay, let’s go Tiffany!’ They left the house walking hand in hand, talking and laughing all the way to the park.

Meanwhile, a little further into the estate, within another block of apartments, lived Maryam Hussein. She lived with her Muslim parents and a baby sister and brother. Maryam was excited today. She felt protected and loved by her parents, especially her father. But she sometimes wondered why she felt different from their neighbours and why they sometimes gave her strange looks. Yes, she was a Muslim, she thought. But she was a girl like other girls in her school, and her family was not like those terrorists they talked about on the news, or at school. Maryam looked out of her bedroom window and saw that the sky was blue and clear. There were no clouds in sight, and that was very nice but rare, she thought.

Maryam inhaled the air and exhaled loudly. Today, her mother was taking her to the park with her baby sister Fatima and her mischievous little brother, Sadiq. Outside, in the park, she could swing so high and feel on top of the world and not think about the strange looks from other people. Dragging herself from the window, she ran down the stairs at the sound of her mother’s voice and went quickly to the porch just outside the hallway to put on her shoes. In her house, you could not wear your outside shoes inside the house. It was said to be ‘haram’, bad.

Sarah Childs sat close to her mother on the park bench. She watched the other children running around and playing on the slides and swings. Some of the children were getting themselves all twisted up inside the obstacle course. Sarah laughed quietly to herself when she saw them. She wanted to join in but was shy. Her mother said, ‘You should go and play too, Sarah. Your sister is having a great time.’ Instead, Sarah sat on the bench. She didn’t want to play with her sister, and she thought the other children too