By: Teresa Roca

How would you describe his place on the social/political spectrum? Is he a conservative, a liberal, or middle of the road? Back up your description by giving examples from the article.

Sheik Reda Shata has a significant presence in the Islamic community of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. His role of helping Muslims adjust to the loose morals of American culture, while staying true to Islamic beliefs and faith is a difficult job that Shata executes well.

“I try to be more of a doctor than a judge,” said Mr. Shata. “A judge sentences. A doctor tries to remedy.”

This quote highlights the duty Shata has to the Islamic community. After calling fellow sheiks in Egypt for advice on how to instruct Muslims in Brooklyn, he discovered that their views did not relate to life in America. He then began to construct his own remedies. His place on the social/political spectrum would be middle of the road. He is able to accomplish the task of helping Muslims relate to American life without dismissing the laws and faith of their culture.

When asked difficult questions such as, is oral sex acceptable? Can one take out a mortgage? Can one eat a Big Mac? Can Muslims take a job selling alcohol or pork? Shata understands how difficult it is to move forward in American life and adapt when restricted to Muslim ideals. He helps his fellow Muslims by giving them restrictions, yet lenience. They can have oral sex, but only when married. They may eat Big Macs, but with no bacon or cheese. They can take jobs serving alcohol or pork, but only if there is no other job available. They can take out mortgages in order to be successful.

The author is able to show the struggles of the imam, while portraying his progress of adapting to American life.

My favorite part of the article is the last quote. “Here you don’t know what will solve a problem,” he said. “It’s about looking for the key.” This quote summarizes the main focus of the article. Shata is a man who doesn’t judge or force his people to follow in his beliefs. Instead, he is a source of understanding and guidance. He may not always know the answer or what may be acceptable to the Islamic culture, but there is always a solution, and he intends to find it everytime.