.... As I travel the world, once people realise that I am of Pakistani origin, I am often asked questions such as why I do not wear the hijab; why I dress, speak and act ‘normally’; what I think about the niqab; why I was not ‘married off’ at a younger age; how I feel about women’s rights issues (or lack thereof) within Islam; and how I feel about extremism. Muslim’ and ‘Pakistani’ have indeed become one and the same in the minds of many.
.... So, do we have our priorities in order? Just because we are not blowing up buildings like the extremists and just because we may eat halal, wear the hijab, stay away from the opposite sex, pray five times a day, live in utter ‘fear of the hell fire’, and without invitation preach these rules to ensure others too are fearful of the hell fire, are we living the real Islam? Is this as far as our faith has taught us? Is this as deep as it gets?
In the oft-quoted words of a famous non-Muslim humanitarian: “Be the change you want to see”. [The Samosa] Read more
