"There are those who try to live a totally Muslim-style life in order to reach Muslims within their own culture. Years ago I heard about a western missionary who tried something similar in India. He dressed as an Indian, ate Indian food, and lived in an Indian house. However, he was “sahib” (teacher). So he moved to a very poor part of town and identified with the poor. He got a job on a road construction crew, and people still called him “sahib.”
He asked the men around him why they used that name for him. They thought for a minute and then told him that it was because he used a toothbrush. He got rid of the toothbrush and used a stick to clean his teeth. And people still called him "sahib". One day, in desperation, he asked a wise man why he was not considered an Indian. The main replied, `It is because your mother was white.' No matter how hard we try, we can never completely identify with our Muslim friends, not because of outward cultural issues, but because of Sociological issues."
("Contextualization and Community. Roland Muller. In "Encounter the World Of Islam", Lesson 7 extra Readings online to text)
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