Hwk 53

A.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/04/opinion/04iht-edhalevi.1.5565834.html
Precis:
Not many non-Muslims are aware of the Islamic views on death and the afterlife. In Islamic beliefs, the time between death and burial allows the spirit to witness its body and how it is buried. It is then approached with two angels that question him about his/her life in this world and review all his/her deeds. This will then determine how he/she will wait until the final Day of Judgment. If the Muslim had committed many sins and was not respectable to his/her faith, he/she would experience “torture in the grave”. To ignore this torture, many Muslims seek out for prayers and commit good sins.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/13/nyregion/13burial.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1305025630-1KTK2qWTHZq4XOKJbwT/CQ
Precis:
Many Jewish individuals are reforming the way they approach how they care for the dead based on their religious beliefs. During a burial, many of us tend to forget about body itself. The number of Chevra Kadishas in the United States is on the rise since the 1970’s till now. Many Jewish individuals are taking time to learn about the proper way of burial and caring for the dead by attending their local Jewish center. The way to approach the dead is very similar to how one should approach an infant. A funeral in Jewish customs is a very private affair; they are not fond of exposing such an affair to the public.

Analysis:
Coming from a religious Muslim family I am used to following a set of rules for practically everything I do in my life. While reading the first article I was able to connect to myself and how I would approach caring for the dead. After reading the second article I was able to take away a better understanding of how other religions approach caring for the dead. Many of us have come into the United States as immigrants and have lost our religious and traditional roots. We have transformed and it has become hard to tell who we are or where we actually came from. Reading about the Jewish community and how they have become closer to their religion while approaching death over the last few decades, I thought to myself why more communities aren't doing the same thing.

Even though I have grown up being taught about every aspect of life the Islamic way, I was frightened to read about the possibility of “torture after death”. I am constantly reminded of the way I am supposed to live my life and how it will be the outcome of my afterlife. After reading the first article I was once again reminded of this fact. This helps me construct a certain way of how I should live and behave in the society I am a part of . Because I live in the midst of a population whose majority does not have the same religious beliefs as me, I am sometimes sidetracked into trying to figure out what I should do in any situation. By gaining knowledge on such aspects of life, I am automatically pushed back into the right path.

B.)
I decided to do my interview through a simple email; Gutterman Funeral Directors gave me a reply within two days. I approached them with a few questions about how they deal with their business and their customers. Most of the responses I got were very vague. I asked them about how people set up their own funerals. They said that this is a very common case; some customers act a bit awkward while talking about such a situation, while others discuss the matter as if they would be discussing any other topic. This gives them a chance to discuss how they want their funeral and make sure they give as many details as possible. When people set up a funeral for their loved ones they are not very sure of how their loved one would have wanted things to go during their funeral. By having someone set up their own funeral they are able to ensure that their final wishes are carried out thoroughly.

I then asked about how the public reacts when they learn that they are dealing with someone who works in the funeral industry. They replied by saying that they usually get a normal response, but sometimes they sense a bit of awkwardness when they share such a fact. I later on asked about if they enjoy working in the funeral industry; they said they feel as if they have the need to work in the funeral industry. It helps them connect with others in a way not many of us are able to connect with each other. They are able to help fulfill their customers and their last wishes in order to make sure they get what they deserve. It is tough to ensure all the wishes of the deceased exactly how their families want them to be carried out. At the end of the funeral service they state that they are glad to take part of fulfilling all their last desires.

I felt like the responses I received were sugar coated coffee beans; sweet on the outside yet bitter in the inside. After reading Mitford’s The American way of Death Revisited, I realized that the funeral industry is yet another industry which tends to fool its costumers into paying unnecessary sums of cash. These people only want your money nothing else. Unless if they are willing to do such an act at no cost, I will not be able to believe that they are fulfilling all the needs of the customer. It’s always a give and take system in our society; we are willing to do something, but always it will only be done at a price. In this particular case, any price won’t do; the price has to meet with the high requirements of those in the funeral industry. It makes no sense at all to offer services which have no effect on the one who is already passed on. Offer services such as embalming, dressing up the body in its favorite clothes, etc... will only affect those who are living. I believe that we all leave this world with what we came with; 2 books, one which has been recorded with our good deeds and another which has been recorded with our bad deeds.