When I started college, I would have told you that head coverings worn by women from Middle Eastern countries were oppressive. I would have cited instances of women being killed by their families to preserve their honor. I would have told you I was an expert on the matter. I saw it on an episode of "Law and Order: SVU."
I saw oppression as a matter of not being able to live the way I do. It seemed apparent that any woman who didn't wear jeans and T-shirts or who sported the latest hairstyle in public must be the victim of brutality. I assumed women in the Middle East had no freedoms, men treated them like property and of course, they were all terrorists because their religion told them to be.
But I don't think that way anymore.
In fall 2006, Shirien Elmasraya began writing columns for The Daily Reveille, and during her time as a columnist, I have learned more from her words and actions than from some classes I have taken in three years as a student.
When I first met her, she seemed quiet and reserved. She sat silently poised in our often noisy and boisterous newsroom. But after reading her columns, I tried to draw her into conversation about her beliefs and experiences as a woman who chooses to wear a hijab, or head covering, on a campus.
I have come to realize that most Islamic women who chose to wear a hijab aren't being oppressed; they have made a choice to participate in a deeply rooted religious and cultural practice.
Feminists in this country fought for women's right to decide - the right to chose what job they wanted, who they wanted to represent them in government or whether they want to be married. Just as women gained the right to vote in elections, they gained the right for Islamic women to wear a head scarf. No one forces them to wear a head scarf or cover their faces; it's their choice. And that choice should be respected as much as a women's right to choose if she wants to pursue a career or be a homemaker instead.
But instead of seeing this as an example of the rights and privileges women have gained in this country, many claim it's a sign of oppression and hatred.
The e-mails Elmasraya receives on a weekly basis for vocalizing her views such as why she wears a head covering are unbelievable. The attacks she faces daily on The Daily Reveille Web site are overwhelming. Many of them don't meet publication standards to be printed.
In the fall, one reader became so overt in her threats of physical harm the police had to be contacted, and the reader was a woman.
I read these comments every week, and I am appalled at the statements some make in the name of "feminism" or "Christianity."
As both a feminist and a Catholic, I find the attacks to be the exact opposite of what both feminism and Christianity stand for.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Christians should hate those of other religions. In fact, it says to love your enemy. And in attacking Elmasraya for her religion on the basis that Christianity is right and Islam is wrong, many Christians ignore the idea of love and tolerance that both Jesus and Mohammad taught.
When Elmasraya wrote about how Islam is not a religion of hate that encourages acts of violence, many responded angrily and cited the 9/11 terrorist attacks. An estimated 1.4 billion people practice Islam in the world. Those who have committed horrific acts of terrorism are only a small fraction of the Islamic population.
Denouncing all Muslims based on the acts of a few would be like judging all 300 million Americans based on how Paris Hilton and Kevin Federline act or assuming all Americans are like President George W. Bush.
A constant rant directed at Elmasraya and her supporters on our Web site is that if Muslims have complaints about this country to "go back to where they came from."
Complaining about this country is as American as apple pie. This country was founded upon the principles of dissent, and the First Amendment protects the right to do so. It ensures the right to vocalize unpopular opinions and beliefs.
Telling people to move to Middle Eastern countries because they expect to receive the same rights as other citizens cuts away at this country's founding principles of democracy. The founding fathers intended for rule by the majority with protection of the minority. Telling someone to leave who wants to live in America without being the victim of persecution and discrimination is the exact opposite of the ideas this country was founded upon.
In the past two semesters, I have come to realize a lot from Elmasraya. I now realize that head scarves aren't oppression; they are a symbol of independence. I realize that the Christian way to act toward someone who is of a different religion is with love, and the most American way to act is with tolerance and understanding of someone who is different from me.
Re: Tolerance, acceptance of Islam a valuable lesson
Shouldn't this article be in French? I am not aware of any wide scale intolerance of the use of headscarves in the US.
I don't see a headscarf as oppressive. A burka maybe. Limted access to higher education...definitely. Unequal rights in divorce or child custody...yes. Sanctioned violence against wives....ummm..yes.
(note: I realize these aren't universally practiced among Muslims)
Re: Tolerance, acceptance of Islam a valuable lesson
Subhanallah! I came across this when searching my name. Alhamdulillah, Allah subhana wa ta'ala has blessed me greatly with that job. I love writing about Islam.
Re: Tolerance, acceptance of Islam a valuable lesson
format_quote Originally Posted by Cognescenti
Shouldn't this article be in French? I am not aware of any wide scale intolerance of the use of headscarves in the US.
I don't see a headscarf as oppressive.
Kool.
A burka maybe.
Sisters who wear it seem to think otherwise.
Limted access to higher education...definitely.
The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said:
“Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim.” (Related by Ibn ‘Adiyy, Al-Bayhaqi and Al-Tabarani).
Unequal rights in divorce or child custody...yes.
If a woman wants to ask for a divorce - she can ask for one.
Regarding child custody:
It was reported from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar that a woman said, “O Messenger of Allaah, my womb was a container for this son of mine and my lap was a haven for him, and he drank from my breast, but his father is claiming that he should take him from me.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “You have more right to him (to custody of him) so long as you do not remarry.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 2/182; Abu Dawood, 2276; al-Haakim, 2/225. Classed as Saheeh by al-Haakim).
Sanctioned violence against wives....ummm..yes.
The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said:
"Could any of you beat your wife as he would a slave, and then lie with her in the evening?"
[Authentically reported in Bukhari & Muslim]
Regards.
Last edited by - Qatada -; 04-23-2007 at 05:03 PM.
Re: Tolerance, acceptance of Islam a valuable lesson
format_quote Originally Posted by Shirien
Subhanallah! I came across this when searching my name. Alhamdulillah, Allah subhana wa ta'ala has blessed me greatly with that job. I love writing about Islam.
Re: Tolerance, acceptance of Islam a valuable lesson
lol yeah, I was just searching my name in google, sometimes i like to see which newspapers or online websites pick up my articles. CAIR puts them in their newsletter sometimes..
Aljazeerah picks them up from cair sometimes. lol
That girl is really nice the one i work with, i didnt know she was going to write that about me, I woke up one morning checked the campus newspaper, and saw it...lol it was nice mashaAllah. may Allah subhana wa ta'ala keep my intentions purely for His sake alone, ameen.
Know that you will face alot of opposition if you follow the Qur'an and Sunnah, and that was the way of the prophets also since it is a trial from Allaah to raise that person in status in His Eyes, and in paradise ameen. So don't be put down by what the haters say, you are only conveying the truth inshaa Allaah. So glad tidings to the strangers as the Messenger of Allaah said.
Know that you will face alot of opposition if you follow the Qur'an and Sunnah, and that was the way of the prophets also since it is a trial from Allaah to raise that person in status in His Eyes, and in paradise ameen. So don't be put down by what the haters say, you are only conveying the truth inshaa Allaah. So glad tidings to the strangers as the Messenger of Allaah said.
ameen, thumma ameen. Yeah I've been through a lot the past year. At first it was tough dealing with all the hate mail. I had someone threaten my life, i her stalk me and send me so much hate mail, so I called the Police on her but didnt press charges..
It was difficult at first and distressing to see all the opposition, and it even scared me further that this was a blessing of Allah subahana wa ta'ala that I am able to write so I didnt want to abuse this blessing and ever saying anything incorrect in the deen or sugarcoat anything.
Alhamdulillah, through time it completely doesnt bother me that i get hate mail, because wallahi i've seen the fruits of my actions. I've had people email me appologizing to me and all the muslim in the world for their previous prejudices, I've had someone accept Islam, etc. even if it is just one person, wallahi it's worth it. our job is to convey the message , the true full message without it being watered down, The Hearts are with Allah subhana wa ta'ala.
anyway alhamdulillah again, wallahi ALLLL praise is due to Allah, I humble myself to him..
I just really recommend anyone in a university to apply to be on the opinion staff of their college paper. they are looking for diversity, and it's a chance in a lifetime to give such widescale dawah.
LSU alone has 40,000 students. 15,000 or so read the paper every day. wallahu alem. that's not including online stuff, and people who read it not in the university...
it's the golden opportunity for dawah. we just have to keep our intentions pure, and ask Allah to allow our words to penetrate their hearts.
wallahu ta'ala alem.
anyway im sorry for my rant... that's what you get for a mass comm. major
I did link to the source at the bottom of the original post.
Hey, do stick around. This is a great place to be, you know.
And maybe it'll have more appeal to newcomers because we will have a famous person here.
lol jazak Allah khair akhi, but again im really not famous.. it's just a college newspaper . (although it was kinda funny earlier this week when a girl dropped her papers that were in her hand when she saw me.. and she was smiling.. (i dont put my picture next to my column for obvious reasons) anyway i was like what's wrong with this girl.. is she looking at me?, so i kept walking.. and she followed me asking me If someone had done a news story on me (someone in another class did a video news story ) anyway so after confirming we stood and talked about the paper and islam and such.) again, all blessings from Allah that He has allowed me to give dawah, may I only say that which is pleasing to him!!! ameen.. ya Allah, keep my intentions pure, ameen.
anyway, i think i should have rephrased that.. where did you come across our school newspaper website?
Re: Tolerance, acceptance of Islam a valuable lesson
Maasha Allaah thats great, i think theres a hadith that if one person becomes muslim (submits to God/Allaah) through you, its better than all this world and whatever is in it. So may Allaah bless you for that, ameen.
Also be grateful that your articles really have a purpose whereas others who write articles either do it for a small personal benefit, to put their point across etc. and after a while they die out, whereas for a muslim - their reward lies with Allaah and Allaah never forgets the good that His servants do for His sake, so continue with that, and may Allaah continue making you successful in this life and the next.
It's also good to know that you're more confident and i'm sure you've gained more trust in Allaah now due to this. So remember to keep that constant relationship with Allaah throughout your good and bad since the hard times, and also the easy times are a trial from Him, and the real reward lies in the life to come.
We will keep you in our prayers sister, and also the whole muslim ummah. I'm happy we have a muslim voice which has a great impact, and may Allaah bring more good through it. ameen.
Re: Tolerance, acceptance of Islam a valuable lesson
format_quote Originally Posted by Cognescenti
Haven't you just undercut the educational positions of the Taliban (and the w*****s for that matter)?
You are going to make someone around here vewy, vewy angwy.
Who has more authority in the religion? God's Messenger or any other group of people? We get our religion off God's Messenger, and if others disagree with that - then we don't follow them.
Re: Tolerance, acceptance of Islam a valuable lesson
format_quote Originally Posted by Shirien
anyway, i think i should have rephrased that.. where did you come across our school newspaper website?
Well, I ermm...didn't.
See, I have this little RSS feed into my firefox bookmarks toolbar from Google News with the search term 'Islam'. So about a week ago, this article popped up from the link that I posted.
"I spent thirty years learning manners, and I spent twenty years learning knowledge."
Re: Tolerance, acceptance of Islam a valuable lesson
format_quote Originally Posted by Fi_Sabilillah
Who has more authority in the religion? God's Messenger or any other group of people? We get our religion off God's Messenger, and if others disagree with that - then we don't follow them.
Regards.
You should run for something...seriously
Of course you would have to get your old, autocratic ways as board cop out of your system
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(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “You have more right to him (to custody of him) so long as you do not remarry.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 2/182; Abu Dawood, 2276; al-Haakim, 2/225. Classed as Saheeh by al-Haakim).
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