SHARING A BIT OF MY LIFE ... Often when two people speak about the same subject but they stand for the complete opposite beliefs, it doesnt necessarily mean that either one is wrong, it just means that they have had different experiences regarding that subject. I remember attending a talk about Muslim woman empowerment at UNL (University of Nebraska Lincoln, USA). This was back in 2001. I was in my mid twenties pursuing my Post Graduate degree. They had gotten a lady plastic surgeon who wore an extremely tight shalwar kameez (with every curve of her body bulging out) with a handkerchief on her head to speak on the subject. Hey of course she made islaam look great after September 11. If anyone knows me will also know that I dont even like updates where people criticise the hijaab or dressing of other women. But then why am I posting this? Read on... I was the only girl in complete black abaya niqaab in that university. And we were just three niqaabis in town. Others didnt wear black or wear it like me (Gulf style) to blend in better. And I of course attended all the lectures organised by muslims. I used to give talks about womens liberation myself. But believe it or not I always had members of the Muslim community who came to discredit me in public. And why was that, because that other than myself hardly a handful of girls wore just the scarf over regular clothing. It was a norm to pick me out in public and point out that I was an extremist or had a completely wrong understanding of islaam or was backward or whatever. Going back to our plastic surgeon lady, she spoke for a while and then bam! with finger pointing at me that how I misrepresented islaam and went on for quite a while about my wrong dressing and niqaab. Let me tell you something I didnt stand up and argue or fight but I was astonished that not a single muslim man stood up to defend the real hijaab and lot of them were Gulf nationals whose moms or sisters were probably dressed like me back home. Mind you I have improved a lot on the design and style of my abaya and khimar to go by the description in the Quran since then. Those days my abaya wasnt this loose and the shape of my shoulders was obvious. At the end of the talk when I walked out completely humiliated by Muslims in front of non muslims I saw my friends husband had walked up to that woman to clarify that she was wrong but of course in private. But to date I think she needed to be corrected in public politely of course. Because most non muslims walked out with wrong understanding of islaamic hijaab and you know what a lot of them will never get it corrected again. This wasnt my only experience. I have had many to form this opinion. So, to all my extra kind muslim brothers and sisters n Islaam I am not an aggressive fighter in public, I just believe that sometimes you get one chance to pass the message and if someone made a mistake it is better to be corrected there and then. And Allaah knows best.....
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 10:04:10 +0000
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