Hijab on!

Hijab on!

Following the international hijab day, I’ve been really thinking about the hijab and how it is interpreted around the world, and I have noticed it a lot more everywhere, but not in the usually expected places.

The first thing to clarify, is that a hijab is nothing else but a scarf worn around the head. It seems people tend to think it has to be specifically one size or one shape. You can wear any sort of scarf.

Well this is funny, just as I was typing the sentence above, my neighbour came in to ask my husband for help with a blown fuse. I am still wearing my scarf from prayer and so he said

‘ oh I like your… what do you call it? ‘

 I replied ‘Headcarf’

‘Headscarf really? It’s not got another name…?’

‘Yeah, headscarf, hijab, however you want to call it’

Talk about good timing, right?

So anyway, headscarves have increasingly been associated with extremism, oppression and intolerance. So I wanted to make a point with a few pictures.

 

What is your first though when seeing this young lady? Terrorist?

And how about this beautiful soul? A women oppressed by her husband?

 

Humm.. And this woman, surely she is one of those who doesn’t how beautiful it is to be a woman, covering herself like that.

And these three, what are they? Covered in bin bags ?

I mean poor poor women, not educated, not allowed to speak or to even work?

How about this one? Stuck at home all day cooking and cleaning right?

And her?

And her?

I think you are can see my point now.

Covering your head is only ever seen as a sign of oppression and extremism when related to Islam, when women from around the world, throughout history and with different fashions have covered their heads and been giving any grief for it.

There needs to be more tolerance towards those choosing modesty as a fashion. The media must take on that now, enough of showing us skimpy pictures only, most women in the UK don’t want to wear skimpy clothes.

Stop trying to incite young ones to wear underwear in the street, seriously, you have to cater for all tastes if you are part of the media.

Well, I have to go and pray now, but I do hope to see a shift in fashion soon, last year maxi dresses were in fashion, which was great, but let’s hope that ladies who don’t like showing off too much skin can still be represented in fashion and media.  

Islam & Humour

Salam sisters!

One of the subjects that has been coming up a lot in the media and in life in general is the non-existence of a sense of humour in the muslim community - a fact with which I tend to disagree.

My sense of humour didn't die the day I took my shahada, nor did I give up laughing.
Being able to laugh at yourself and at funny situations is one of the things that makes this life so enjoyable, and Muslims are not exempt from this feeling.

While the current problem lies in non-muslims making fun of subjects which are sacred to us Muslims, and therefore offending many of us, this has made it look like we Muslims have no sense of humour.

This is when a clarification needs to be made. Yes, we can laugh at ourselves. No, we don't take ourselves so seriously that we cannot take a bit of friendly banter. What does offend us, is anything that attacks, discriminates and ridicules those and that which is sacred to us.

It's the very difference between mocking and joking, between laughing at someone and laughing with someone.

Would a Jew appreciate the holocaust being made a joke out of as if it were something justified?

Would a Christian laugh at a joke about Jesus being promiscuous and violent?

Would Hindus laugh at a joke being made about the sacredness of the cow?

Would a black person laugh at a joke making slavery seen as a good thing?

Would any human being laugh at a joke made about their own mother/father?

We all know the answer to those. Then why is it so difficult for the society not to see why it is offensive  to make a joke out of Islam? My personal opinion is what I believe is the reason behind bullying as a whole. The bully is always someone insecure, and to try and make the victim feel inferior to him/her, the bully mocks its victim, it finds sensitive subjects and digs the knife a bit deeper every time.

For the world to start living in harmony with each other and for peace to spread around the world, we all have to stop feeling threatened by what is different to us. We must learn to appreciate cultural and intellectual differences, Inshallah.

I do not stand behind any of the violent retaliation some of our Muslim brothers and sisters have inflicted on the authors of some of the cruel and inappropriate jokes made about our faith and our Prophet (PBUH). Violence and hatred do not go hand in hand with the teaching of Islam, quite the opposite. However, if some thought had been put into the issue before the joke had been made, we wouldn't have had press offices blown up and people injured as a result. Yes, of course there is a freedom of speech- but by definition, freedom ends where another person's begins.

Anyway, I have gone off on one with this article, which was intended to only be about a specific funny video I found on the web about what not to do during prayer time.

It made me laugh as I recognised many of the faults I have done myself or seen others do while praying, and it made me realise that being able to laugh at your own faults is what makes these kind of jokes so funny.

And finally here is a proof that Allah too has a sense of humour

Subhanallah, there is beauty in every creation Allah has put on earth!

Until next time everyone! Inshallah.

Assalam Walaikum!

Islam Channel

Salam walaikum !!
Alhamdullilah- I'm pleased to say I will be contributing to the Islam channel website for the next few months inshallah!
My first article will be about the perception of Female Muslims in Britain and of course I ll be putting a link up once it's running!
Until then, may Allah bless you all :)