Wednesday, November 10, 2004
i got this article from anezka, very interesting story..
THE SIGHT OF A WOMAN WEARING A VEIL HAS A MAGNITUDE OF MEANINGS, MANY OF WHICH ARE NEGATIVE. HOWEVER, CONTRARY TO POPULAR OPINION THE VEIL IS NOT NECESSARILY A SYMBOL OF OPPRESSION. AISHA - A 28 YEAR OLD AUSTRALIAN MUSLIM CONVERT - SHARES PERSONAL JOURNEY BEHIND THE VEIL. As told by Lisa-Skye Ioannidis.
"In year 11, I began asking myself the 'big' questions. I wanted to know the meaning of life and why we were born. I felt I didn't know my purpose in life. I studied psychology at uni, because I thought I could find answers there.
I was 21 when I met Assad; a practising Muslim. I was working part-time to cover my uni fees. Our co-workers would ask him dozens of questions, like 'What does Islam says about Jesus?' and 'What's the role of women in Islam?'. When he answered these questions they would just make sense to me. What he said felt like the truth.
I thought about Islam for a year or so and after lots of research and much discuccion with Assad, I decided that the only way to succeed in this life was to embrace Islam. I did that in April 1997, and after another year, learning more about the roles of being a Muslim woman, I married Assad. But my embraacing Islam was completely independent; it had nothing to do with my marriage. I just looked around at our society: crime everywhere, depression and immorality and I felt like the world was going the wrong way. And yet, Islam taught about family, love and happiness.
It took me two years to fully convert. I had to change everything about my life. I changed the way I thought about everything. Like, is it best for a woman to bring up her family (value her parents and take care of them when they're old) or to focuson her own career? I changed the way I dressed, which changed the way I was seen in the community. I started mixing with Muslim people because they had the same goals and ideas as me. I found that I couldn't identify with my 'old' friends or way of life any more. Now I feel like I've got a different purpose in life, because Islam teaches that life is just a short time on Earth, and if you please Allah in your life, you're rewarded in you afterlife, which is eternal.
It's difficult for me now to see the people I love who aren't Muslims. I see that they're not as happy as I am. But i never preach to them, and I never judge them. It's not easy to find fulfilment in life. But I figure it's not my place to try and convert them; it's up to Allah to open up people's heart, like he did me.
I also have many loving and pious Muslim friends. There's such a feeling of acceptance and love when there is a roomful of Muslim friends or family. Everyone thinks we're so strict and unhappy. But we have so much love, and laughter, in our ge-togethers.
I've known people who have tried to convert to Islam too quickly. They've agreed with the teachings of Allah and jumped straight in. But it's such a huge change in life; you really need to take it slowly, one step at a time. Gradually incorporate Islam in your daily life. And recognise that being a fully practising Muslim is about your everyday life. That's why we pray five times a day: it's just a way of keeping true to Allah. It's much easier to stray when you only go to church once a week, or less.
The impact on my family was positive and negative. They're Catholics, so they initially found it hard to cope with all the changes in my life. But they like that I'm a more family-oriented person now.
When I'm out in public, Iwear what's commonly known as a 'Burqa'. It's a 'Niqab'; a cloth headpiece that covers my face, except for a little slit for my eyes, and a 'Hijab', a headpiece that covers my hair, neck and shoulders, stopping about elbow-lenght. I wear these with a heavy black robe. Covering one's face and body shap,and dressing modestly, is important in Islam. It can be a little hot or uncomfortable, especially in the summer months. But I'd feel more uncomfortable being looked at as a sexual object, being checked out by guys when I'm just trying to get some shopping done. I think it's liberating: I'm not a slave to 'bad hair days' or makeup mishaps!
I know it looks very 'severe' and foreign, but I think that's because it looks so different to what other Australians wear. When I'm out shopping, I'm usually treated with respect. I've only had a couple of shouts of 'Get back to you own country!', which is alway amusing, since I was born here!
Still, I haven't had too many bad experiences with people's reactions. People assume that terrible things must happen to me on a daily basis, that I'm abused all the time. But that's not the case. Although people always stare. Young people tend to look away quickly, whereas older pepole just keep staring. Men giggle nervously, or make a quiet joke to their friends, and women sometimes glare, because they think I'm a repressed wife. A weird, but ever-common reaction, is that shop assistants at every store are always nice to me! It's so strange. Perhaps it's their way of showing that they're OK with my religion - I don't know!
As a Muslim, I'm not allowed to drink alcohol. This wasn't too hard to cope with considering in my younger years I used to drink and never enjoy it. I always wondered why, since all my friends seemed to live for going out and getting drunk.
The new diet was a bit of an adjustment; not eating at McDonald's, and only eating Halal meat. That's meat from an animal that's been bled completely, and that hasn't come into contact with any other meat. We do that because it's a cleaner way to prepare the meat. Also, we don't eat pig meat, just because it's more prone to disease than any other meats.
The biggest thing to get used to, apart from wearing the burqa, was celebrating different holy days. I don't celebrate Christmas or Easter with my family, which can be hard for them. I think they sometimes miss me on those holidays. But I try to make up for it, since I value my family and always make time for them in my everyday life, not just twice a year.
Islam teaches peace and equality. Unfortunately, there are Muslims in the world today who aren't practising Islam as it should be practised. They're giving the rest of us a bad name. After September 11, I found people looked at me with more hostility, but I knew itwas just because they were scared and misinformed. Now, people have begun to accept Muslims more, but I still wish more people knew what we were about. If they knew that most Muslims just want to live in a peaceful, law-abiding world, I think much of the Western world's conflict could be eased.
I also think that if people knew what wtrong, assertive people Muslim women are, they wouldthink twice about dismissing us as a 'brainwashed' or 'repressed'! Thinking like that can get frustrating to deal with. I love my husband, but he does not own me! We have a loving equal roles to fulfil. He works for our money, and I take care of the house and children. It may seem old-fashioned, but I think it's the most practical way to go.
I never feel repressed of restricted in my life. No, my husband never made me cover myself in public, or any of that. In fact, he thinks what I wear is too modest! His mother and sisters only wear the Hijab, the headscarf that covers one's hair. But I've tried to follow all the principals of Islam to the letter, since if you're going to do something, you might as well do it as best you can.
Islam is very similar to Christianity and Judaism. Except Islam believes that though Jesus was a holy man, he was not the 'Son' of God. Since God, or 'Allah', is a divine being, he cannot have a son. Also, Islam recognises that there was another holy man after Jesus; Mohammed. He was born around 600 years after Jesus, and hetaught in a time where most people were literate. So his teachings were written down word-for-word as he spoke. His teachings were made into our holy book, the Koran. And this book has remained completely unchanged since its inception.
I know it sounds strange, but I don't miss being a non-Muslim, I feel like I'm on the right path in life. Islam gave me a code by which to live. I think Islam's moral standards are best for me, and my children. I feel like I have a guideline for the best way to raise them. Islam has given me a sense of peace and purpose in my life. I no longer feel like I am searching for something more in life, like many non-Muslims are today."
THE SIGHT OF A WOMAN WEARING A VEIL HAS A MAGNITUDE OF MEANINGS, MANY OF WHICH ARE NEGATIVE. HOWEVER, CONTRARY TO POPULAR OPINION THE VEIL IS NOT NECESSARILY A SYMBOL OF OPPRESSION. AISHA - A 28 YEAR OLD AUSTRALIAN MUSLIM CONVERT - SHARES PERSONAL JOURNEY BEHIND THE VEIL. As told by Lisa-Skye Ioannidis.
"In year 11, I began asking myself the 'big' questions. I wanted to know the meaning of life and why we were born. I felt I didn't know my purpose in life. I studied psychology at uni, because I thought I could find answers there.
I was 21 when I met Assad; a practising Muslim. I was working part-time to cover my uni fees. Our co-workers would ask him dozens of questions, like 'What does Islam says about Jesus?' and 'What's the role of women in Islam?'. When he answered these questions they would just make sense to me. What he said felt like the truth.
I thought about Islam for a year or so and after lots of research and much discuccion with Assad, I decided that the only way to succeed in this life was to embrace Islam. I did that in April 1997, and after another year, learning more about the roles of being a Muslim woman, I married Assad. But my embraacing Islam was completely independent; it had nothing to do with my marriage. I just looked around at our society: crime everywhere, depression and immorality and I felt like the world was going the wrong way. And yet, Islam taught about family, love and happiness.
It took me two years to fully convert. I had to change everything about my life. I changed the way I thought about everything. Like, is it best for a woman to bring up her family (value her parents and take care of them when they're old) or to focuson her own career? I changed the way I dressed, which changed the way I was seen in the community. I started mixing with Muslim people because they had the same goals and ideas as me. I found that I couldn't identify with my 'old' friends or way of life any more. Now I feel like I've got a different purpose in life, because Islam teaches that life is just a short time on Earth, and if you please Allah in your life, you're rewarded in you afterlife, which is eternal.
It's difficult for me now to see the people I love who aren't Muslims. I see that they're not as happy as I am. But i never preach to them, and I never judge them. It's not easy to find fulfilment in life. But I figure it's not my place to try and convert them; it's up to Allah to open up people's heart, like he did me.
I also have many loving and pious Muslim friends. There's such a feeling of acceptance and love when there is a roomful of Muslim friends or family. Everyone thinks we're so strict and unhappy. But we have so much love, and laughter, in our ge-togethers.
I've known people who have tried to convert to Islam too quickly. They've agreed with the teachings of Allah and jumped straight in. But it's such a huge change in life; you really need to take it slowly, one step at a time. Gradually incorporate Islam in your daily life. And recognise that being a fully practising Muslim is about your everyday life. That's why we pray five times a day: it's just a way of keeping true to Allah. It's much easier to stray when you only go to church once a week, or less.
The impact on my family was positive and negative. They're Catholics, so they initially found it hard to cope with all the changes in my life. But they like that I'm a more family-oriented person now.
When I'm out in public, Iwear what's commonly known as a 'Burqa'. It's a 'Niqab'; a cloth headpiece that covers my face, except for a little slit for my eyes, and a 'Hijab', a headpiece that covers my hair, neck and shoulders, stopping about elbow-lenght. I wear these with a heavy black robe. Covering one's face and body shap,and dressing modestly, is important in Islam. It can be a little hot or uncomfortable, especially in the summer months. But I'd feel more uncomfortable being looked at as a sexual object, being checked out by guys when I'm just trying to get some shopping done. I think it's liberating: I'm not a slave to 'bad hair days' or makeup mishaps!
I know it looks very 'severe' and foreign, but I think that's because it looks so different to what other Australians wear. When I'm out shopping, I'm usually treated with respect. I've only had a couple of shouts of 'Get back to you own country!', which is alway amusing, since I was born here!
Still, I haven't had too many bad experiences with people's reactions. People assume that terrible things must happen to me on a daily basis, that I'm abused all the time. But that's not the case. Although people always stare. Young people tend to look away quickly, whereas older pepole just keep staring. Men giggle nervously, or make a quiet joke to their friends, and women sometimes glare, because they think I'm a repressed wife. A weird, but ever-common reaction, is that shop assistants at every store are always nice to me! It's so strange. Perhaps it's their way of showing that they're OK with my religion - I don't know!
As a Muslim, I'm not allowed to drink alcohol. This wasn't too hard to cope with considering in my younger years I used to drink and never enjoy it. I always wondered why, since all my friends seemed to live for going out and getting drunk.
The new diet was a bit of an adjustment; not eating at McDonald's, and only eating Halal meat. That's meat from an animal that's been bled completely, and that hasn't come into contact with any other meat. We do that because it's a cleaner way to prepare the meat. Also, we don't eat pig meat, just because it's more prone to disease than any other meats.
The biggest thing to get used to, apart from wearing the burqa, was celebrating different holy days. I don't celebrate Christmas or Easter with my family, which can be hard for them. I think they sometimes miss me on those holidays. But I try to make up for it, since I value my family and always make time for them in my everyday life, not just twice a year.
Islam teaches peace and equality. Unfortunately, there are Muslims in the world today who aren't practising Islam as it should be practised. They're giving the rest of us a bad name. After September 11, I found people looked at me with more hostility, but I knew itwas just because they were scared and misinformed. Now, people have begun to accept Muslims more, but I still wish more people knew what we were about. If they knew that most Muslims just want to live in a peaceful, law-abiding world, I think much of the Western world's conflict could be eased.
I also think that if people knew what wtrong, assertive people Muslim women are, they wouldthink twice about dismissing us as a 'brainwashed' or 'repressed'! Thinking like that can get frustrating to deal with. I love my husband, but he does not own me! We have a loving equal roles to fulfil. He works for our money, and I take care of the house and children. It may seem old-fashioned, but I think it's the most practical way to go.
I never feel repressed of restricted in my life. No, my husband never made me cover myself in public, or any of that. In fact, he thinks what I wear is too modest! His mother and sisters only wear the Hijab, the headscarf that covers one's hair. But I've tried to follow all the principals of Islam to the letter, since if you're going to do something, you might as well do it as best you can.
Islam is very similar to Christianity and Judaism. Except Islam believes that though Jesus was a holy man, he was not the 'Son' of God. Since God, or 'Allah', is a divine being, he cannot have a son. Also, Islam recognises that there was another holy man after Jesus; Mohammed. He was born around 600 years after Jesus, and hetaught in a time where most people were literate. So his teachings were written down word-for-word as he spoke. His teachings were made into our holy book, the Koran. And this book has remained completely unchanged since its inception.
I know it sounds strange, but I don't miss being a non-Muslim, I feel like I'm on the right path in life. Islam gave me a code by which to live. I think Islam's moral standards are best for me, and my children. I feel like I have a guideline for the best way to raise them. Islam has given me a sense of peace and purpose in my life. I no longer feel like I am searching for something more in life, like many non-Muslims are today."
Posted by Murte at 2:18 PM