This is a very long post.
If you have no patience in reading a long post,
you are advisable not to read it.
......................................................................................................
I happened to read this while browsing through the internet. This post is actually an answer to a question posted by an anonymous to a Muslim girl. The answer given is so well-explained and may Allah bless her for effort. A lot of people out there may have the same question in their head and I thought of sharing it here.
Anonymous:
i respect all religions and cultures, but i cant respect this. i cant respect that muslim women are forced to cover virtually every part of their body except for their eyes. i cant respect that muslim women have to slip food under their burka if they want to eat in public. i cant respect that some muslim women are beaten if they show there arms, or wear a little bit of makeup. i just cant respect that. i cant respect that i was in spain one time, eating at a restaurant and i saw a husband slap his wife across the face for shaking the waiters hand. this all disgusts me. they are not sacred or “holy” by doing this, they are getting abused. if not physically, then absolutely mentally. and that, is something i cant respect.
{rabbi ishrah lee sadree,Wayassir lee amree,Waohlul AAuqdatan mi(n) lisanee,Yafqahoo qawlee} Surah Taha ayah’s 25-28.
I would like to address this matter in the most civilized and patient way possible. I am not answering this to encourage hate or bigotry, nor am I answering this post because I wish to insult someone. I am answering this because this woman that is covered is me. She is Me and I am her.
Firstly, you claim that you respect all religions and cultures. But you cannot respect this. If you look at the logical context of your statement, you are but you are not. That is not possible. Either you respect all religions or cultures or you don’t. Correct me if I am wrong, but you don’t seem to respect it.
Respect means to understand. It means to appreciate. It means to love. It means to honor. But you do not seem to understand why this woman is covered. You do not seem to understand why Muslim women cover. You do not seem to appreciate it. Nor love it, and definitely not honor it.
Secondly, I am Muslim. ASK ME. Do not go about assuming that one is forced to act the way she or he does. Do not assume that one is dressed because she or he is forced. And please do not go assuming that this is oppression. I am a Muslim woman who covers completely. I do it because it is beautiful. I feel beautiful not showing my body to everybody in the word; I choose who deserves what I have. This is what the veil represents to me, and to this beautiful woman.
Thirdly, I agree that men should not beat their wives if part of their arm shows. I agree that men should not beat their wives for putting on a little makeup. But, this is not Islam. This is not what Muslim men practice. If you have ever seen this happen to a woman covered, it is cultural and arrogant. This is not what God promotes. This is not what our Prophet promotes. I should know, because I am a Muslim.
Fourthly, I completely agree with you that it is disgusting. It is disgusting to see people in parts of the world represent different cultures and different backgrounds in such a vulgar way. I completely agree that women should not be degraded. I agree that the media should not misinterpret a way of life and label it under some religion. And I do agree that this can not be respected. But like I said, this has nothing to do with my religion, or with Muslims.
I hope you understand. I hope the world understands. I hope we all learn to fathom that we are living in this world together. I truly wish that we can lift eachother up and help one another understand everything that is around us. I believe in love. I believe in harmony. I believe in justice. I believe in peace. And this is what Islam is all about. This is what a true Muslim is all about.
There are a lot of assumptions about Islam, and I admit that my heart broke every time I heard about it.
I might not be a good Muslim, and sometimes (well, probably most of the time) I do not portray a real Muslim. I am human, just like you. I make mistakes and sometimes, I do things that Islam never teaches me to.
Islam is beautiful. And true Muslims are beautiful.
It's only some of the Muslims who portray otherwise. And if you are to judge all Muslims alike, that's a wrong thing to do.
I believe you too won't like it if people judge you for what others did, so please, don't judge all Muslims are like that. We aren't.
.
