Monday, June 26, 2006
You know times are a-changin’ when a wife kills her husband for not cooking dinner. Yes men, be afraid; be very afraid!
Makes you wonder how big the toads really are when the Australian government starts to consider sending in the army to combat them!
Interesting article in MSNBC about the pressure on European Muslim girls to ‘repair’ their virginity after losing it pre-marriage. This is no different than some women (cancel that, many women) in Europe and North America feeling the need to starve in order to have the waistlines of Tyra Banks and Jennifer Aniston.
The Europeans have been always been a liberal society from legalizing prostitution in Netherlands to allowing tank tops in schools but not hijabs. Even the North Americans feel a step behind when it comes to openness of sexuality in society – and that is saying something.
Growing up as a teenager in the suburbs of Denmark, the high school graduation celebration is not simply limited to renting a limo, a tux/dress, and a hotel room to party until the cows come home. Rather, a week of unabashed and brazen display of the wildest behavior including the use of alcohol, drugs, and rampant sex is considered the norm.
What is a Ferrari like hormone driven Muslim teenage boy/girl, who was never properly taught the advantages of abstinence but had it forced upon from a combination of cultural and parental impositions, to do?
Everyone is at fault and yet no one is to be blamed. The parents have probably not completely adjusted being forced to start over in a foreign land with alien language, culture, and customs. Their own cultural understanding of Islam is so weak that the only imprints left are the protection of ‘family honor’ and forced marriages. They dreamt of raising their children as German, Italian, or French only to realize that it’s a double-edged sword.
At most, they were taught to read the Quran by being sent off to the local mosque and the entire duty of raising the children Islamically was thrown on the weak shoulders of the imam, whose English is so poor that he represents just another figure of authority that is completely out of touch from reality.
Then why are we surprised when our sons, daughters, sisters, and brothers are involved in all sorts of activities contrary to Islamic teachings? Why do we gasp upon reading such stories? Why are we not willing to talk about such issues, labeling them taboo?
Until we take responsibility in properly educating ourselves about Islam from sources that have a comprehensive and true understanding and then passing it on to our children, we are doomed to stay in this vicious cycle that is played out with every rising generation.
Makes you wonder how big the toads really are when the Australian government starts to consider sending in the army to combat them!
Interesting article in MSNBC about the pressure on European Muslim girls to ‘repair’ their virginity after losing it pre-marriage. This is no different than some women (cancel that, many women) in Europe and North America feeling the need to starve in order to have the waistlines of Tyra Banks and Jennifer Aniston.
The Europeans have been always been a liberal society from legalizing prostitution in Netherlands to allowing tank tops in schools but not hijabs. Even the North Americans feel a step behind when it comes to openness of sexuality in society – and that is saying something.
Growing up as a teenager in the suburbs of Denmark, the high school graduation celebration is not simply limited to renting a limo, a tux/dress, and a hotel room to party until the cows come home. Rather, a week of unabashed and brazen display of the wildest behavior including the use of alcohol, drugs, and rampant sex is considered the norm.
What is a Ferrari like hormone driven Muslim teenage boy/girl, who was never properly taught the advantages of abstinence but had it forced upon from a combination of cultural and parental impositions, to do?
Everyone is at fault and yet no one is to be blamed. The parents have probably not completely adjusted being forced to start over in a foreign land with alien language, culture, and customs. Their own cultural understanding of Islam is so weak that the only imprints left are the protection of ‘family honor’ and forced marriages. They dreamt of raising their children as German, Italian, or French only to realize that it’s a double-edged sword.
At most, they were taught to read the Quran by being sent off to the local mosque and the entire duty of raising the children Islamically was thrown on the weak shoulders of the imam, whose English is so poor that he represents just another figure of authority that is completely out of touch from reality.
Then why are we surprised when our sons, daughters, sisters, and brothers are involved in all sorts of activities contrary to Islamic teachings? Why do we gasp upon reading such stories? Why are we not willing to talk about such issues, labeling them taboo?
Until we take responsibility in properly educating ourselves about Islam from sources that have a comprehensive and true understanding and then passing it on to our children, we are doomed to stay in this vicious cycle that is played out with every rising generation.
Faraz Ahmed 3:27 p.m.