On Christmas day, I visited the Jamia
Mosque in Hong Kong, and it was a highlight of my day. It was my
youngest son's idea. It began with his desire to try the world's
longest outdoor escalator system in the Mid-Levels section of Hong
Kong, where many consecutive escalators allow you to scale a steep
section of town that is loaded with interesting restaurants and
shops. Along the way up, he saw a mosque and suggested we visit. All
of us were interested and hoped to learn a little more about an
important world faith, so off we went.
It was a Friday and an open-house
day. My wife wasn't sure if she would be able to come in, but we were
warmly greeted by a tall, friendly man who encouraged all of us to
enter and have a look. I told him we'd like to learn a little more
about his faith. He was so happy to share! Our new friend, Othman,
comes from Yemen, and was passionate and eloquent in sharing his
beliefs. I thought to myself that many of us could learn from him and
his kind, enthusiastic manner in sharing his faith.
I was both
pleased but saddened when he told us how excited he was about our
visit, for in his years there at the mosque, he's never had people
just come up and say "We'd like to learn more, please." He
said Christians sometimes come to say critical things, like "Why
did you people blow up our buildings in New York?" or "Why
did you kill those people in France?" While he speaks Chinese,
Chinese tourists don't want to talk and just come in to take photos
and then rush away. So he was delighted to have curious people
actually listening and asking questions. I was glad we did, but sad
that we seemed to be the first. Sigh.
Since he was from Yemen, I also
took a moment to ask about the Nihm Tribe in Yemen, the ancient tribe
whose tribal area has been labeled as "Nehem" or "Nehhm"
on some old maps. When I said "Nihm," I pronounced it
incorrectly. Othman helped us with the correct pronunciation. I would
transliterate it as something closer to "Nehem," with a
hard, guttural "h". He confirmed that the tribe is ancient,
prominent, and important in Yemeni history--something Book of Mormon
students may already know since it relates to Nahom in the Book of
Mormon.
Take time to visit your local
mosque and say hello from Jeff and Othman!
Inspired by a meaningful visit to the
mosque, our next stop for food was at a great Moroccan restaurant
just a short walk away. Some of the most delicious food I've had in a
while, and given the abundance of great food in my part of the world,
that's a pretty significant statement. What a fun way to celebrate
the global Christmas holiday.
Speaking of
unusual twists on Christmas, take a look at this official government
vehicle from the Communist Party of China.
On Dec. 24, as we were at the Hongqiao
Airport in Shanghai on our way to Hong Kong, I was touched by the
abundant Christmas themes on display and the frequent use of the
words "Merry Christmas"--not "Seasons Greetings,"
"Happy Holidays," or "Merry Xmas," but the
greeting that sends frigid shivers up the spines of some folks
because it reminds them that there is some kind of religious
concept or religious figure that was once associated with Christmas,
before it was fully incorporated (now owned as part of a joint
venture between Amazon and Google). Fortunately, China's Communist
Party, which owns and operates the airports and much more, apparently
isn't afraid to spread a little authentic Christmas cheer. Here's a
view of the passenger carts that scurry around the airport. Most
adorable Communist Party ever! Just one of many interesting views we
get at Christmastime in Asia. Hope you'll consider spending a
Christmas here sometime.
Best wishes, merry Christmas, and happy
new year from Shanghai and Hong Kong!
Jeff Lindsay has been defending the Church on the Internet since 1994, when he launched his
LDSFAQ website under JeffLindsay.com. He has also long been blogging about LDS matters on
the blog Mormanity (mormanity.blogspot.com). Jeff is a longtime resident of Appleton,
Wisconsin, who recently moved to Shanghai, China, with his wife, Kendra.
He works for an Asian corporation as head of intellectual property. Jeff and Kendra are the parents of 4 boys, 3 married and the the youngest on a mission.
He is a former innovation and IP consultant, a former professor, and former Corporate Patent
Strategist and Senior Research Fellow for a multinational corporation.
Jeff Lindsay, Cheryl Perkins and Mukund Karanjikar are authors of the book Conquering
Innovation Fatigue (John Wiley & Sons, 2009).
Jeff has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University and is a registered US
patent agent. He has more than 100 granted US patents and is author of numerous publications.
Jeff's hobbies include photography, amateur magic, writing, and Mandarin Chinese.