Because he was raised a Muslim.

Full Metal Panic: Sousuke Sagara as a Muslim. NSFW! by darklordaakmal on 2013-07-15 03:03:00 UTC Reply

I just discovered this discussion on the webs. He is rather secular about it, and do not show any heavy signs of Islamic following, most obviously where he kissed a girl to maintain illusion of being couples. If he's practicing Sunni Muslim, he will think twice before even touching women.

I have a fan hypothesis that will be the basis of my short story, that is until age 18, he has not reached baligh stage. Baligh is the maturity stage in crudest measure of Islam, which is signified by first ejaculation in men, and first menstruation in women. As soon as that occurs,the entire laws of Islam begins to apply unto the person.

I assume that Sousuke just never realise his first wet dream. My fic will begin when he first have one he could recognise, and how it affects his relationship with Kaname,and his fellow classmates, who are already weirded out by him.

I require all of you to poke holes in this idea. Let me begin. My problem is that adolscence happens rather early, between 12 to 16. If Sousuke begins late, it may not be compatible with his skill as a soldier, as children don't build strength as well as teenagers, and Sousuke is quite strong. And being too stuck as a soldier will not to make him ignorant about wet dreams, as the first one is rather automatic. He must be weirded out and consult with any seniors, although in his own weird way.

Re: Full Metal Panic: Sousuke Sagara as a Muslim. NSFW! by Ellipsis Flood on 2013-07-16 00:57:00 UTC Reply

If he was practicing, we'd have seen that. I've watched the anime and read the manga, which goes on way longer than the anime. You can't be secular enough to not show any religious tendencies during all the spoilers that happen.

In general: Religious obligations just sound too impractical for someone like Sosuke, who sees everything as a potential combat situation. He doesn't get a lot of aspects of civilian life, due to his upbringing, and somehow I suspect religion to be one of these things. He seems to believe more in practical things and guidelines than in the concept of a god. He's following his own codex already.

Interesting. by darklordaakmal on 2013-07-16 03:55:00 UTC Reply

Yes, he is rather clueless over nonmilitary life.

[He seems to believe more in practical things and guidelines than in the concept of a god.] I think there is once a sect that follows this tenet, that is the Mu'tazilahs. But the Sunnis had absorbed them in, forming the basis of Islamic jurispudence and the Four Imams. This also reminds me of Alawites,who are very lax in their interpretation of Islam.

I defer to your judgement, since you watched the manga and read the anime. What's the main sect of Helmajistanis? Are they mostly Sunnis, in which case I can drop the idea for my fanfic easily? Or other sects? Could sectarian difference be the reason why Helmajistan be at civil war, or is it just KGB's plans?

Or let's just put this discussion to rest by assuming Sousuke is nonreligious, just as he's not attaching himself to any nationality.

I don't know the continuumÂ… by hermione of vulcan on 2013-07-15 04:59:00 UTC Reply

But I'm confused, and I don't think it's necessarily that. I have many questions, but I'm going to ask one and I'll see if I need to ask more after.

If there are so many things making it implausible (kissing a girl) or difficult (the age issue) to make him Muslim, why do you want to make him part of that faith?

Because he was raised a Muslim. by darklordaakmal on 2013-07-15 09:20:00 UTC Reply

It's part of his backstory, Sousuke Sagara was a Japanese stranded at Helmajistan, and was taught Islam by KGB and a faction that he was forced to join as a child soldier. So yeah, he will be considered a Muslim.

I want to explore him as a Muslim, since it will bring new challenges to the world. Sousuke is having feelings for Kaname, and if he thought that the Islamic Law applies to him now, he may have new problems to consider. How is he going to Salah when his charge is at risk? Can he fast and maintain energy? (there are pills for that, but I never tried it). Thus the requirement for late puberty.

Or it can go in other direction; Kaname discovers Sousuke is a Muslim, and when confronted Sousuke says 'yes', which doesn't fly with him willing to eat pork. Then a twist reveal is that Sousuke, and in extension Helmajistan, is a nation whose majority amount of Muslims are of a 'heretical' branch. No, don't look at me like that, there are many 'heretical' sects of Islam, with many weird interpretations.

Ah, so it was my unfamiliarity with the continuum. by hermione of vulcan on 2013-07-15 11:44:00 UTC Reply

In that case, I can't help. Good luck!

Badfic is bad, even to nonfans. by darklordaakmal on 2013-07-15 12:20:00 UTC Reply

So your opinion does help, even if it's only to question my line of thought.

I don't know the continuum, either... by Desdendelle on 2013-07-15 11:25:00 UTC Reply

But from what you say the simplest solution is that he isn't a practising Muslim. Sure, he was born one etc, but since he doesn't act like one, he's not practising.

(I'm probably missing something here due the aforementioned lack of knowledge about the continuum.)

Simplest solution it is. by darklordaakmal on 2013-07-15 12:04:00 UTC Reply

But it's not the best idea if I want to write a fanfic. I need a conflict, but if he's simpy not practising, it wouldn't be much. Unless I do a thoughtfic where he considers himself Japanese first. But this contradicts canon, where in Second Raid, if I remember, he considers himself not bound to any nationality. And his teetolary is just that he can't stand alcohol, to the level of that one Shinigami captain.

By the way, there are Muslims in Japan,but they are a lot less strict than Malaysia's.

I don't know the canon either ... by Antigone68104 on 2013-07-16 14:14:00 UTC Reply

... but would it be plausible for something to happen that makes Sousuke want to become more observant? I can't speak for Muslims, but I've noticed that people who become more-observant Christian later in life tend to go overboard at first. That would certainly give you some conflicts with other characters.

I'm not skilled enough to write it so. by darklordaakmal on 2013-07-16 16:01:00 UTC Reply

Given that Sousuke have faced much in his childhood and teenage years, I doubt anything negative will spur him to Islam. Perhaps something positive, such as his realisation that he have a child with Kaname, whom he already married. That is too far to the future, unfortunately. Or even a fiery imam reading his sermon at the Friday Mosque, where Sousuke was commissioned to guard for some reason.

My initial idea is something neutral but almost implausible, that is he achieved, or realised that he is already, akil baligh (equivalent to Bar Mitzvah, only automatic, rather than officiated by a ritual). Thus the weight of Islamic Law falls upon him and he had to begin following the tenets.

I already explained what baligh is before, refer to my opening post. If it's not understandable, I'll try to explain further.