When a religion is a dominant ideology in a society, it has more than religious implications. There are economic and social impacts on every day life. Growing up in a country built on Christian ideology, there were so many things I took for granted as normal. Living in the Islamic world, I have found them to not be normal, but rather something that can change based on what the majority believes. Basics of life are not actually basics of life when you move to a country that's dictated from a different base, a different history, a different experience than your own. Like, the weekend.
The weekend in the Islamic world is not Saturday and Sunday. I repeat, it is not Saturday and Sunday. The work week runs from Sunday to Thursday, because the holy day for Muslims is Friday. So we look forward to Thursday and Thursday night instead of Friday and Friday night. And Sundays become the dreaded equivalent of Mondays. Mind. Blown.
That's one example. I have more.
If you order a pepperoni pizza, it will always be beef or chicken pepperoni. Pork pepperoni, or any pork products in general, are not sold on the general market. There are ways to get pork, because there is an Egyptian Christian population. But it is not available in general society, because general society doesn't eat it. So there is no bacon cheese burger at McDonald's. It just doesn't exist.
The call to prayer is like public clockwork. Occurring five times a day, echoing all across the city, the call to prayer can give you a pretty good idea about what time it is without even looking at your phone. I find the call to prayer comforting, because in a culture where so much is unorganized and unplanned, at least I can count on the call to prayer being reliable. Many foreigners find it annoying, but I don't. Maybe I'm biased because I don't currently live around the corner from any mosques, so I can sleep through the early morning without being woken up by blaring religious texts. But I have been here long enough to appreciate when a mosque invests in an imam with a good voice, because it makes a big difference.
Speaking of mosques, they are everywhere. Directions to anywhere have a very high chance of including a mosque. Maybe in the form of a famous mosque as a landmark to head to, or just any mosque along the way that can tell you when to turn right or left.
Fashion is much more conservative. Even men are rarely seen in shorts, because showing too much skin is immodest. I would never wear shorts here; I would stick out like a redheaded ginger in an Arab country. Oh... wait.... The point is, people tend to be much more modest. The definition of modest varies. There are women who completely cover head to toe with only eye slits, and women who dress in tight, brightly colored skinny jeans. I have a feeling when I do visit the states again, I will feel like everyone is naked.
There isn't much of a bar culture. Don't get me wrong, this is Egypt, not Saudi, so there are bars. But they are not mainstream. It's definitely a subculture. So alcohol takes a little more effort to get, and is basically replaced with tobacco. Wow, is smoking a big thing here. While drinking is not allowed in Islam, smoking is not prohibited, so one vice has replaced another.
Ramadan isn't just a religious month of fasting, it's a life cycle. The year begins and ends with Ramadan. It is a massive event that must be taken into consideration when planning anything during that time period; it's the holiday season of the Islamic year. Marketing companies, publications, restaurants, hotels, airlines, basically every type of business has to have a specific plan for Ramadan. There are special show series, special foods, special business hours because people are up all night during the hours they can eat or drink. There are special fashion styles as people try to be more modest. There are special travel plans as people move around to visit family. For those people who do not fast, there are special strategies and inside information on what places might still be open during the day and how to stock up on alcohol. Basically, Ramadan is still one and a half months away, but we are already talking about it.
There are probably even more things that I just can't even think of because they have become so normal, but those are some of the main ones. Little technicalities that make a huge difference, and what make living here such an experience.
