The Doyle Engaging Difference Program - Georgetown University

When I first chose to study at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), I didn’t think I was going that far from home, at least not so much culturally or in terms of religion. Born and raised in Afghanistan, I assumed that Qatar, another Muslim-majority country, would feel familiar. I imagined a shared sense of religious values, cultural practices, even daily rhythms. Difference, frankly, wasn’t something I was particularly focused on. But ever since landing in Doha and getting the chance to really live within the community, I realized that similarity and difference can live side by side in ways I was not aware of before. The Islam and practices surrounding it which I grew up with in Afghanistan were not a carbon copy of what is practiced in Qatar. It had adapted to local histories, customs, and even climates.

It really hit me during my first Ramadan in Qatar. I remember preparing myself mentally for the usual: sehri before sunrise, iftar in the evening, and prayers in between. The routine was all too familiar and more on the deeply personal side back home. But in Qatar, while the essence remained the same, the experience unfolded differently. I wasn’t sitting with my family around the same table waiting for the azaan (Islamic call to prayer) but rather around tables surrounded by friends from different parts of the world. If not the tables, I found myself walking through Souq Waqif (local traditional market) at night, the streets buzzing with life, and everyone finally starting their days. Even though I had experienced different Ramadans, its practice and reception in Qatar was different from back home. It changed my assumptions about the practice of religion because I was exposed to the strong influence of cultural and local traditions, and that was something I had not scrutinized before.

This understanding that sameness and difference aren’t opposing forces, but layers of a bigger picture, became even clearer when I traveled to Indonesia for a class. The country, like Qatar and Afghanistan, is deeply shaped by Islam. Yet again, it looked different. I saw glimpses of religion through local lenses in the mosques painted in bright pastels and the traditional performances such as Saman (inspired by Sufism). The call to prayer echoed with a different rhythm, and the atmosphere of devotion was uniquely Indonesian as it was rooted in its own history, language, and local flavors. It made me realize how what I saw wasn’t a diluted version of Islam, but one that was proudly contextual. Although the purpose of the trip was not necessarily focused on religion, thinking about my Doyle Global Dialogue conversations made me aware of my surroundings and reflect on how adaptable faith is; how it bends, grows, and settles differently depending on where it takes root.

My time in Qatar not only exposed me to difference but showed me how similarity can take a variety of forms. And that’s one of the important lessons I’m carrying forward. Whether I’m engaging with difference or similarity domestically or internationally, I now know it’s not enough to just notice it. We have to engage with it in a curious, critical, and compassionate way. Qatar taught me that you can find pieces of home in unfamiliar places, and unfamiliar truths in what you thought was home. And maybe, that’s the whole point of being abroad where you learn to see your daily life from a distance.