Yesterday I saw a video in which a western man was fanatically beating a Muslim woman in a Hijab while she was sitting with her two more friends. It was normal, three friends chatting with each other in a cafe but of course with Hijab. (covering their head)
A man entered the cafe and starts talking to one woman, then he suddenly punched the woman sitting next to her. Then he started beating the woman mercilessly. The man was huge in stature, and it was not possible for another woman to stop him. Finally, many people intervened, but the man was so insane or fill with hate for Muslims that even he stopped considering them as women.
Finally one of the women hit him with a chair, many people intervened and it stopped, maybe for a while, but surely it will haunt the women till their death. I just thought it is so frightening to live in all those countries where Muslims are in minority.
There was one video, in which a man kicked a Muslim woman from behind while she was on the escalator. The woman fell from the above. There was one in which a senator was asking a Muslim woman to take off her Hijab who was sitting there to attend a session for her kid. while he was pointing out how secular they are (the biggest irony of the century).
After watching all these videos, those who are living in free countries or at least where there is a majority of Muslims like Pakistan can say that this kind of incident does not happen. Women are free to wear what they want, of course sometimes there can be social pressure, here are sexual harassment and many other things. Women do not have to leave veil or Hijab( there is a difference between these two) or they do not have to adopt it either.
Here are women who observe full-time parda( veil). There are some, who sometimes observe veil, most of the time its just Hijab and there are lots of other women who do not do any of these things. The thing is we all are free, no one is forced to say us or threaten us that why you do this and not that.
One thing that is very crucial to discuss here is that the depiction of Muslim women or Muslims overall in the media is not reality. There are good and bad people in every religion, every caste and in every country.
If Non-Muslims claim that Muslims are extremists, then we have seen lots of examples of extremism in Non-Muslims too. Here are few examples:
- Non-Muslims are intolerant in terms of Muslim women wearing a hijab, though Nuns in Christian belief also do the same. Also the Holy Maryam (that both Muslims and Christians believe do the same).
2. Non-Muslims are intolerant towards Muslim men because they have a beard. If other men do, it’s ok as they are not Muslims and they do it for fashion purposes. But no, Muslims cannot do it, because they do not deserve the freedom in the areas where they are in minority.
3) Non-Muslims are so afraid of Muslims’ belief that recently China has started a mission to purify them. It is the same as many years ago, the same thing happened with Red-Indians (Native Americans). When Christians thought there is a need to train them as they are God’s best creatures. So by this thinking, they not only snatched their lands and religion but also the meaning of their existence.
The problem is not about religion, the problem is to exercise the authority and Hegemony over people that are a threat to power.
Fear of Hijab, criticizing and banning it:
Coming back towards this drama or the thinking or fear that is instilled in Non-Muslim people regarding Muslim women’s hijab.
- Hijab becomes the symbol and we are secular countries and we do not want to teach our children to distinguish between different religions.
- Firstly, you all are not a secular country neither you are practicing what you preach. If to criticize or dislike Hijab is freedom of expression, then to like it is also the freedom of expression.
- If covering the whole body, even the head, terrified people. Then to see half-naked or fully naked bodies terrified me and many others in the same ways. But perhaps we know how to let others live their lives.
- Nuns in Christianity also cover their heads. Why no one tells them to stop (i respect them, just an example). what if a woman covers her head with a cap, or wear a wig. is it okay? People wear different kinds of religious symbols, but no one goes and tells them to stop.
- We are not living in the stone age that we practice this (as many say). But I guess human was naked in the start, gradually they start realizing that they should cover their parts. But the west is shedding off the clothes. so who is going back to the stone age?
- one thing that is important to mention here in many Muslim countries as in Pakistan, women are not forced to wear Hijab or observe the veil. Many really love to do it. no one forces them, it can happen in some countries maybe. But here I am talking about the one where I am living. Western media should stop spreading the false image.
- Perhaps the west is so used to of naked woman, that if a woman covers her body, it terrified them. Basically they have fear of Hijab.
Who is biggest extremist:
- People think that Muslims are extremists and they are the reason for all the bombings and terrorist attacks. All my life I have seen non-Muslims countries attacked on Muslim countries. I wonder who is the biggest terrorist.
- Maybe the Muslim person who has attacked your building, your government has killed his whole family mercilessly firstly in Iraq, Iran, Syria or in Afghanistan. Perhaps you have arrested him in your own country (where he was born too) without any reason many times that now he thinks his career is over and now he will do what he did not.
- How can we forget the white people’s history of brutality towards Negroes (all the black people)? I guess if there would be a true history depiction it will be clear who is the biggest extremist.
The real game is of power:
- Perhaps Non-Muslims (not all are same) are taught not to categorize Muslims in good or bad, or in men or women. For them, they all are just Muslims. Here the theory of feminism or even respecting woman are all failed. It is failed even in those educated, civilized and tolerating Non-Muslims countries(as they say they are) who think they are God’s best creatures and born to be ruled.
- The game is of power, the game is to conquer the world. A rich or influential person in any society wants to grab even the ordinary things from his poor neighbor. Here the scenario is the same.
- It’s like an open challenge from the west, that if you want to live in our countries, you have to live as we want. As they burn the Holy book, draw Blasphemy cartoons of Prophet (S.A.W) and beat Muslim men and women for certain reasons.
Perhaps the Non-Muslims are obsessed with Muslims otherwise who have time to do all these acts to disturb or hurt others. I mean in this busy world, where we have no time to even sit with loved ones, people are busy in this kind of terrorist and extremist acts.
There can be the only solution in terms of both sides, from the Muslim and Non-Muslims extremist. To learn how to tolerate others on the difference of gender, colour or most importantly religion. People who are intolerant in terms of gender or colour, they are the same ones who are intolerant in terms of religion too.
However, I guess it is really terrifying to live in all those Muslim minority countries. As it is very hard to eradicate all the hate that people have for each other.
Maybe the world would be better if there would be no minorities. But it’s the mindset, that compels us to think that this black, that this gender, particularly woman, that this Muslim or Non-Muslim is a minority. Perhaps every human should stop considering itself as superior or at least others inferior to them.
