52 July 2014 www.bahrainthismonth.com interview Christian Brunet or Brother Amin, as he is known in these parts, is something of an anomaly for a Frenchman. Despite being born in Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France, and raised in the wine district of Burgundy, he’s never had any wine nor eaten cheese. While in his 20s, the Frenchman began to re-evaluate life and started reading about Islam and the Prophet’s life. Within months, he had embraced the religion and adopted the new name. “The rigorous discipline of Islam appealed to me. Having witnessed social problems, such as alcoholism around me in France, I felt very comfortable with the principles. The rules made much sense. It was like a suit tailored for me; I entered and immediately felt at peace with myself and with my understanding of the world,” he says. However, given the ‘bad press’ all around, Amin feels the need to justify his faith and to explain to the rest of the world what Islam rests upon. “Being a Muslim is about having an ethical approach to life. Yes, there are some bad Muslims, but you cannot blame God if some humans fail to interpret his words correctly,” he says. The 50 year-old has volunteered with Discover Islam for over 15 years, conducting tours in French and English at the Grand Mosque. Founded 25 years ago by a group of Indian and Bahraini businessmen, Discover Islam aims to communicate information on Islam and dispel preconceived ideas. The organisation prints books in many languages to make it reachable to as many people as possible. In Ramadan, the society organises Iftar at labour camps and other locations across Bahrain. People can visit the Grand Mosque during Tarawih prayers in the evening where guest imams recite the Quran. On Saturday evenings, Islamic scholar Shaikh Essam reads a commentary on the Quranic text at Grand Mosque and people are welcome to attend and seek clarifications. As a European, Amin is painfully aware of the difficulties Muslims have faced in the West over the last decade. It’s for the same reason that he hasn’t told his extended family back in France about his conversion. “People in France view Islam as an exotic religion from an alien country. We face prejudice because Islam came through immigrants. But Christianity and Judaism are also Middle Eastern religions; when Christianity arrived in Europe 2,000 years ago, the Romans responded the same way,” he says. Back in France, he organises mosque tours and collaborates with overseas organisations in spreading the word. Amin believes the principles of Islam have been drawn up with human nature and needs in mind. The religion regulates human behaviour at a personal and social level and such a code of conduct is extremely useful, even essential, he thinks. As for the challenges that accompany the practice of his faith, Amin isn’t too worried. “There’s no gain without pain. I believe in the hereafter,” he says. Standing Up for Faith Brother Amin SIMI KAMBOJ Life for Muslims has become increasingly challenging worldwide with a climate of prejudice prevailing against them. It’s this prejudice that the people behind Discover Islam aim to diffuse.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MTkxMQ==