There are lots of cultural Muslims. They celebrate the Eids, etc. and might use a mullah to get married or for funerals,etc. if you can, try to meet some people like this - that would be one way of doing Muslim "lite". If you know any Iranian Americans, there are a lot of cultural Muslims in that community. Cultural Muslims would also be less likely to object to your adopting the children. Muslims object to adoption because the family is supposed to take in any children who lose their parents, but obviously there are situations where that can't happen. Unless you know for sure that your kids are Muslim, my guess is they are not and that is why you were able to adopt them.

Do you know anything more about their parents? Perhaps they come from the religious minority in their birth country.

OP - I think you need to investigate this a bit more before showing up. Think through why you want to do this. Are you encouraging or at least open to raising them in this religion or is this simply for exposure? I agree that if they were not ever practicing Muslims and you have no means to pursue that religion with them, perhaps a study of the faith is more appropriate than an exposure. You can do that through books and such. If you are looking at it as a cultural angle, I would pursue it that way - not as a a religion. You don't mention their ages or their background prior to adoption. Those are relevant. Simply being born in a Muslim country may not.

Anonymous wrote:I don't know much about the Islamic Community Center of Potomac. Does anyone here attend or interact with them?

How are they on matters of gender? Are women and men allowed to pray together? Are women allowed to lead mixed-gender prayers and give khutbas?

Does any local group (however small) allow these things?

Are you talking about the new one in development on River Rd?

http://www.iccpmd.com/

That one has a pretty open-minded community, I think. Men and women pray in the same room, though not in mixed lines. I don't know about mixed gender prayers or khutbas.

I don't know much about the Islamic Community Center of Potomac. Does anyone here attend or interact with them?

How are they on matters of gender? Are women and men allowed to pray together? Are women allowed to lead mixed-gender prayers and give khutbas?

Does any local group (however small) allow these things?

I'd look into the Islamic Weekend School community:
http://www.islamicweekendschool.com/

Or The Islamic Community Center of Potomac on River Rd. (different from the Shia one on Montrose)
http://www.iccpmd.com/

Both are still working on building facilities.


The more established ones in the area are ICM in Gaithersburg ( https://www.icomd.org/index.asp ) or MCC in Silver Spring ( http://mccmd.org/ ). But I think both can be a bit conservative.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you can't do islam "lite". Your children will be taught practices like they can't eat pork. They can't drink alcohol. They should eat halal. They should pray 6 times a day. Its a way of life.

You need to consider how it will fit into your lifestyle and your values now you're the mother of the children. Learning about a culture is very different than immersing in a religion. You need to separate teaching your children about their culture of origin vs teaching them about a religion.

You know nothing about Islam and how it is practiced in the world if you believe this.

Also, it's five times a day, not six.

Muslim here. You can be a progressive liberal Muslim. But please tell me which mosque in this area is somewhat liberal? OP is asking about ate ending a liberal church (mosque). I don't know any that exist. But if you do, please recommend it. Because I'd like to go too.

Adam center in Sterling.

Not pp, but Adams is not at all liberal. It's maybe a teeny tiny itsy bit step up from Dar Al Hijra. I might feel *slightly* (very, very slightly) more welcome there as a woman, than DAH, but unfortunately the DC area is lacking in any kind of true progressive mosque or center.

You can find it in various cultural groups and social niches for sure, but definitely no organized Islamic center.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you can't do islam "lite". Your children will be taught practices like they can't eat pork. They can't drink alcohol. They should eat halal. They should pray 6 times a day. Its a way of life.

You need to consider how it will fit into your lifestyle and your values now you're the mother of the children. Learning about a culture is very different than immersing in a religion. You need to separate teaching your children about their culture of origin vs teaching them about a religion.

You know nothing about Islam and how it is practiced in the world if you believe this.

Also, it's five times a day, not six.

Muslim here. You can be a progressive liberal Muslim. But please tell me which mosque in this area is somewhat liberal? OP is asking about ate ending a liberal church (mosque). I don't know any that exist. But if you do, please recommend it. Because I'd like to go too.

Adam center in Sterling.

My kids go to Farsi School at the Islamic Education Center in Potomac. The Persian culture is part of the education they recieve. IDK anything about Religious Studies there except that they have them, if thats what your looking for. (Im married to an Iranian Muslim)

If it were me, I'd try to find a younger, progressive cultural group from your children's country of origin - and not a mosque.

It's nice to give them some cultural exposure (and they'll probably get some religious exposure with that too) from their background, and especially young, progressive people with roots from a similar heritage.

I don't have anything positive to say about the mosques in the DC area. And I grew up Muslim in this area. Although the people are nice and polite, all the mosques are highly conservative and into gender segregation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you can't do islam "lite". Your children will be taught practices like they can't eat pork. They can't drink alcohol. They should eat halal. They should pray 6 times a day. Its a way of life.

You need to consider how it will fit into your lifestyle and your values now you're the mother of the children. Learning about a culture is very different than immersing in a religion. You need to separate teaching your children about their culture of origin vs teaching them about a religion.

You know nothing about Islam and how it is practiced in the world if you believe this.

Also, it's five times a day, not six.

Muslim here. You can be a progressive liberal Muslim. But please tell me which mosque in this area is somewhat liberal? OP is asking about ate ending a liberal church (mosque). I don't know any that exist. But if you do, please recommend it. Because I'd like to go too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you can't do islam "lite". Your children will be taught practices like they can't eat pork. They can't drink alcohol. They should eat halal. They should pray 6 times a day. Its a way of life.

You need to consider how it will fit into your lifestyle and your values now you're the mother of the children. Learning about a culture is very different than immersing in a religion. You need to separate teaching your children about their culture of origin vs teaching them about a religion.

You know nothing about Islam and how it is practiced in the world if you believe this.

Also, it's five times a day, not six.

So I got it wrong. Its five times a day...that means I know nothing about Islam? Even if people don't follow the teachings....it forms a basis and a foundation. Even if you are not incredibly orthodox at a fundamental basis you were taught not to eat pork or drink alcohol and to eat halal if possible. Even if you don't pray 5 times a day in general its an aspiration. If you are a good Muslim you should aspire to journey to Mecca once in your life time. Not every Muslim does this, but its an aspiration. Even more "liberal" Muslim countries like Malaysia or Indonesia have people scouting to ensure Muslims don't drink in hotels etc. At the most fundamental level, you believe there is a God and Mohammed is God's Prophet.

So..OP has to decide whether she wants to expose her children to just the culture - it could mean food, music, festivals, learning the language and reading the literature...or if she wants to immerse them into a religion that can be very different from her own lifestyle and values. It would almost be like having an interfaith household.

OP, what country?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you can't do islam "lite". Your children will be taught practices like they can't eat pork. They can't drink alcohol. They should eat halal. They should pray 6 times a day. Its a way of life.

You need to consider how it will fit into your lifestyle and your values now you're the mother of the children. Learning about a culture is very different than immersing in a religion. You need to separate teaching your children about their culture of origin vs teaching them about a religion.

You know nothing about Islam and how it is practiced in the world if you believe this.

Also, it's five times a day, not six.

NP here. Apart from the 6-prayers-a-day thing, what did PP write that's inconsistent with Islam? Pork and alcohol ARE haram (forbidden). You SHOULD have your meat slaughtered a certain way (halal). This things are certainly taught, even if not everybody does it all.

Anonymous wrote:OP, you can't do islam "lite". Your children will be taught practices like they can't eat pork. They can't drink alcohol. They should eat halal. They should pray 6 times a day. Its a way of life.

You need to consider how it will fit into your lifestyle and your values now you're the mother of the children. Learning about a culture is very different than immersing in a religion. You need to separate teaching your children about their culture of origin vs teaching them about a religion.

You know nothing about Islam and how it is practiced in the world if you believe this.

Also, it's five times a day, not six.