Disclaimer: in a time of Cancel Culture, many refuse to consider different opinions. Before closing this page, give yourself the challenge to read on. Cancel Culture does just that, it cancels culture.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the name of love, truth, kindness, compassion, justice, peace, and tolerance, I invite you to come with me on a short journey, to explore and taste life from a different perspective. A perspective foreign and totally unfamiliar to you. A subjective and personal perspective of a Muslim woman.
As you probably can imagine, faith and spirituality are central in the lives of Muslims, as they do occupy a significant part in my life too.
Faith to Muslims is a profound awareness and a belief in the existence of a Supreme Creator, to whom belongs ALL Sublime attributes; Ultimate Love (الْوَدُود), Ultimate Truth (الْحَقُ), Ultimate Compassion (الرَّحِيمُ), Ultimate Goodness (الْبَرُّ), Ultimate Kindness (الرَّحْمَنُ), Ultimate Wisdom (الْحَكِيمُ), Ultimate Awareness (الْخَبِيرُ), Ultimate Justice(الْعَدْلُ), Ultimate Peace (السَّلاَمُ), Ultimate Forbearance and Tolerance (الْحَلِيمُ)…etc.
On a personal level, faith gives me answers to fundamental existential questions that began raging and roaring in my head since I opened my eyes to the world and began to wonder. The idea of the existence of a God (a Perfect Intelligent Aware Creator ), as a meaningful, logical and rational explanation of my own existence, existence of life and the universe makes more sense to me as opposed to the idea of a “gazillion and one coincidences”
By far, I prefer saying “insha’a allah” (God willing) rather than “finger crossed” or “touch wood”. The former appeals more to my commonsense.
From that perspective, my default position is being in a state of awe, adoration and gratitude to the Creator of this exquisite, super magnificent universe.
Faith also is the framework that allows me to find my bearings in this mysterious existence, in any given situation. It is my philosophy of life and my moral compass, if you will. Faith helps me align my values with the Divine principles and attributes, some of which are mentioned above.
In Islam we believe that God’s compassion engulfs and overwhelms God’s justice. In our tradition, we trust that God’s love to God’s creation is greater than a mother’s love to her children.
So from that standpoint of love and compassion I speak to you, and from that perspective, I want you to know that I do not intentionally wish to hurt or to be a cause of harm to any one, ever.
With this introduction, I would reiterate my invitation again, kindly asking you to try to see the world from my perspective as a Muslim woman, even if it was just for an hour. So bear with me.
From an Islamic perspective, freewill is granted and hardwired in the consciousness of every human being. However, that divine gift comes with a inbuilt disclaimer from the Creator:
1) Do not use your freewill to cause harm to others, to life, to the planet, or to yourself.
2) Do not use your freewill to impose your will and ways on others (do not force them against their will, nor take their freewill away)
In order to respect and fulfill the conditions of the Sublime Creator, Muslims choose to limit their freewill and to abstain from engaging in certain activities or behaviours which might end up violating these conditions.
Beyond the universally acknowledged values of “do not worship idols, do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not bear false witness….etc”, Islam also advocates for the abstinence from usury, drinking alcohol, eating pork, exposing nudity, pornography, sexual relationships outside marriage, same-sex relationships, eating & drinking during Ramadan, backbiting…etc.
These limitations, or “forbidden” deeds are called “haram“, or sins, because they are viewed as harmful either to others, to society, to life, to the planet or to oneself.
Furthermore, Islam directs its followers to use their freewill in acts which fulfill the purpose of his/her creation, as a caretaker, a khalifa (meaning caretaker) who benefits others, protects the planet and cherishes life in all its forms.
You may wonder what is so harmful about two consenting same-sex adults engaging in an intimate relationship?
Such relationships are detrimental to the continuation of procreation, thus harmful to life and its natural flow. Moreover, and without being graphic or going into details, health and hygiene do not exactly fair well or thrive and may even be harmed.
Muslims are advised with an extensive and detailed code of ethics in the Qur’an, which draws the boundaries of their freewill, beyond which violation of others’ may occur. However, like all free-willed human beings, Muslims make their own choices in life whether to respect these recommendations or not.
In general, practicing Muslims abstain from committing these sins, and try not to violate them, Naturally, some Muslims do.
When Muslims choose not to abstain from what we call sinful acts, they are exercising their freewill, they can still call themselves Muslims, however, they are Muslims who commit sinful acts. Even though they have the right to use their freewill to sin, however, they have no right to demand that Islam must change its code of ethics to suit their whims and desires. They have no right to demand that consuming alcohol and pork, backbiting, unregulated sexual behaviours, pornography, adultery, and usury, must become “good deeds”, applauded and celebrated.
If you are unhappy with these self-imposed regulations, don’t follow them. If you don’t like a club’s rules, don’t demand changing them, practice your freewill and leave the club and start your own.
Moreover, Muslims have no right to enforce their rules or values on other peoples. They have no legal or moral right to impose their code of ethics on others.
When people point to Muslims and demand that they should carry the rainbow flag and celebrate the gay-pride parades, it is exactly like asking Muslims to eat pork, go to pubs, become drunk or praise drunks for their wonderful way of enjoying life.
Demanding that Islam must change by accepting same-sex marriage, is like demanding that Islam should normalise the consumption of alcohol and pork, encourage alcoholics to drink more, or demanding that Islam should cancel Ramadan and make adultery an act of kindness.
When Muslims abstain from alcohol, pork, usury, extramarital affairs or homosexual acts, they do not force others to do the same. They just hold themselves and ONLY themselves accountable by abiding by their own rules and code of ethics. This is called tolerance.
However, forcing or coercing Muslims to carry a rainbow flag celebrating other peoples’ sexuality, demanding that Muslims change their ethics and be criminalised if they refuse, is exactly like forcing them to eat in Ramadan, drink alcohol, eat pork, or like forcing vegetarians to consume meat at barbecue parties. This is called tyranny.
Imposing your way of life on others, and demanding that they change their ethics and values to your taste is called harmful oppression, cultural imperialism and thought terrorism.
If I choose not to drink alcohol, don’t call me “anti-alcoholics”.
If I choose not to have extra marital affairs, don’t slander me as “anti-liberty”.
If I choose to wear my modest hijab, don’t call me “oppressed”.
If I choose to mother my children rather than chasing a career, don’t call me “anti-feminist”
If I choose not to celebrate your private sexual life, don’t label me a “bigot”.
You want to drink alcohol, you are free to do so, but don’t force me to drink.
You want to eat pork, you are free to do so, but don’t ridicule me if I don’t.
You want to celebrate your private sexual act in public, be my guest, but don’t shove it down my throat or my children‘s.
You want to pretend you are born in the wrong body and defy the scientific reality of your physical biology, fine by me, but don’t impose your fantasies and delusions on my children, stay away from them, and don’t steal their childhood away.
You want your freedom to live your life, I want mine too.
You want your liberty to express your opinion, my right to my opinion is just as valid.
You want to carry your flag and roam naked in the streets, it’s your prerogative, but don’t expect me to be your lapdog.
To you your way and to me mine.
I am a free, sovereign human being who adores her Creator and cherishes her God-given freedom of thought and freedom of choice.
Therefore, your life is your business and my life is mine.
I refuse to celebrate a life of drugs or alcoholism.
I refuse to dance for promiscuity.
I refuse to engage in usury.
I refuse to handover my children and grandchildren to be groomed and sexualised.
Likewise, I refuse to celebrate your private sexual act, and I refuse to raise your rainbow flag.
Filed under: Articles | 1 Comment »
Poetry for Palestine 