Thursday 29 January 2009

Islam and hypocrisy

My family prides themselves on being moderate. Sure, they pray, but 'we're not like those extremists, oh no! And yet, a conversation at the breakfast table today had me speechless.

A close family friend (non-muslim) was visiting, and we were talking about the world at large, as we usually do at these sorts of gatherings. The talk inevitably turned to our favourite topics; economics, politics and religion. We were talking about how the current recession would hit the Maldives hard, because of us importing practically everything, and because of the Rufiyya, that really should be devalued but isn't. Our friend is an exporter from overseas, and had come to see if he could drum up business, as in the last few months, orders from the Maldives had practically dried up. Smart arse that I am, I said that "well, being good muslims, perhaps we should go back to goat-herding. I hear it's really lucrative". I wasn't prepared for the fact that my family (particularly dad) would take this completely seriously. Sarcasm was NOT noted. Dad started going on about how "blah blah in times of need blah blah animal husbandry blah blah anyway thats how the prophet lived blah"

Point taken about farming being an excellent way to survive a recession. However, following on from this, someone else mentioned the current furor over the prophets bride, Aisha, and whether she was a minor. I immediately remembered the story about the girl from the atolls. 12 years old and raped in her bed by 4 adults holding an axe. These men received a lenient punishment because the judge thought that as this young girl (who was being 1. physically threatened by 4 grown men with an axe and 2. shit scared) didn't scream, she was 'ASKING FOR IT'

ASKING FOR IT

I mentioned this story to my audience, and all of a sudden, the crowd went wild, as they say. Dad was the loudest of all. He immediately took the stance that "there are many girls like that in Male who misbehave" and that "they walk around in short skirts and lipstick". Oh yeah. Just because some chicks in Male who are young have one boyfriend or make out with them means that this girl in an Atoll was ASKING FOR IT from 4 grown men. At once. In her family home.

so she was asking for it? This 12 year old girl? Whether the story I related was accurate or not was another question. What troubled me was this; my father, a normally sane, moderate, modern man, who was kind, charitable etc...was taking the same stance as one would imagine a fundamentalist would take; just because it was a woman who was the victim.

At that point (following several minutes of heated argument), I knew there was no point in trying to convince him. All I can do is make sure that my younger brother NEVER learns this attitude.

I think I'm still in shock.

7 comments:

moyameehaa said...

'moderate' muslims live two lives. like two different personalities. sometimes they get stuck between two, and then end up as self contradicting hypocrites.The fundies are honest in a way atleast.They follow what they believe to be true.

it is not the people who are extreme.it is the religion.some people just have the ballz to follow it as it is.Ask your them about slavery and stonning to death. maybe they deserve it too.and it is not sick at all.

DarkCasanova said...

well said..

Iya said...

dont get me started on that particular topic. i fucking (can i say fucking here?) hate the fact that there are four men out there that roam free in the knowledge that they fucking (seriously can i?) destroyed a little girl's life. whats worse is that there a fucking (oh, well...) judge who LIKES this shit so much, that he fucking puts them in a whole new fucking environment full of NEW 12 year olds (they were "exiled")

fuck them. i would do sick violent things to them AND the judge given the knowledge of who they are.

Sheri said...

fuck is an awesome word. It can mean so many things, and yes, you can use it here

Anonymous said...

It is not uncommon. I have also come across people masquerading as moderates whilst in honest conversation wishing natural disasters would wipe out all the Jews and that Osama succeeds in his mission.

Anonymous said...

It is shocking when as children tend to believe that adults our parents are the most wise people on Earth but then later in life when we come adults we realise (like the non-existence of Santa Claus) that our parents, whom we worshipped and looked upon as our heroes, are as fallible and as stupid as your next door neighbor BELIEVING in non-sense like religion.

Yaamyn said...

I believe religion is a tough thing to handle for some.

It blinds one to reality or injustice just because there's a feeling that it MIGHT contradict 'religion'.

The moment one learns to dissociate oneself from religious jingoism, it opens ones eyes.

You and I can see it clearly. 12 year old. Raped by 4 grown ups wielding an ax. Wrong.

But put religion into the picture.. and it bloody fucks up the picture for religious minded people.