Canadian Politics Today

I have several Muslim friends.  Most are very modern.  One female doesn't wear any headcovering, another is gay.  Another female wears a hijab.  I have met Muslim women who wouldn't shake my hand though.  Nice enough people, but different beliefs.  Like Christianity, there's a huge variety in what people believe and how strictly etc.

Modern Muslims are like most lazy Christians, they won't eat pork and they celebrate Eid but another than that they're like you and I.  I don't care about generalizing labels ("Muslims"), it all depends on what and how you believe.  I may think not eating pork because pigs are dirty swine so says some holy book is an illogical belief, but it's harmless.  Like Christianity, other ideas are less harmless.

I also got a tour inside a Mosque once by a Muslim acquaintance.  I got some odd stares from some people lol.

There are several Muslims where I work.  A girl who was born in Pakistan and lived there til she was 8 talked about celebrating Christmas, so I wondered and eventually asked her about her religious beliefs.  She said she was Muslim, but not really practicing - like most Muslims she knows, even in Pakistan. 

My sister thought, when she moved to Egypt, that she'd find a lot more devoutness but said that it wasn't  a lot different than Christans in Canada; some people are very religious, but most people are fairly casual about it.   There is a kind of lip service to Islam that may not extend to actual behaviour beyond what can be publically seen.  What is different from Canada is that reputation matters a lot, who you are related to, who you know and what they say about you.