October 19, 2009

Be proud, girls!

Salam. As I was browsing my emails a couple of days a go, I found an email forwarded to me from my naqibah when I was in PASUM.. (rindu kak miha! :() The email is basically an article (but the writer wrote it in a letter kind of way), sent from a non-muslim friend to the muslim women regarding the way she sees the them. I wonder how she, a non-muslim can see what a beautiful religion Islam is compared to some of us, who were born as muslim, raised as muslim, yet we still do not appreciate the biggest nikmat Allah has given us, which is the nikmat of Islam. Some of us complain a lot.. 'kenapa kena tutup aurat, kenapa tak boleh dating, kenapa asyik kena ikut cakap suami, kenapa tu.. kenapa ni..."Anyways, I do not want to talk much. Read this, girls. And lets just ponder ourselves whether we really have ever thought how lucky we are, to be blessed with Islam and Iman in ourlives.




A letter from a Christian to Muslim women
March 7th, 2007
By Joanna Francis
Writer, Journalist - USA


Between the Israeli assault on Lebanon and the Zionist “war on terror,” the Muslim
world is now center stage in every American home. I see the carnage, death and
destruction that have befallen Lebanon, but I also see something else: I see you. I
can’t help but notice that almost every woman I see is carrying a baby or has children
around her. I see that though they are dressed modestly, their beauty still shines
through. But it’s not just outer beauty that I notice. I also notice that I feel something
strange inside me: I feel envy. I feel terrible for the horrible experiences and war
crimes that the Lebanese people have suffered, being targeted by our common enemy.


But I can’t help but admire your strength, your beauty, your modesty, and most of all,
your happiness.


Yes, it’s strange, but it occurred to me that even under constant bombardment, you
still seemed happier than we are, because you were still living the natural lives of
women. The way women have always lived since the beginning of time. It used to be
that way in the West until the 1960s, when we were bombarded by the same enemy.
Only we were not bombarded with actual munitions, but with subtle trickery and
moral corruption.



Through Temptation
They bombarded us Americans from Hollywood, instead of from fighter jets or with
our own American-made tanks. They would like to bomb you in this way too, after
they’ve finished bombing the infrastructure of your countries. I do not want this to
happen to you. You will feel degraded, just like we do. You can avoid this kind of
bombing if you will kindly listen to those of us who have already suffered serious
casualties from their evil influence. Because everything you see coming out of
Hollywood is a pack of lies, a distortion of reality, smoke and mirrors. They present
casual sex as harmless recreation because they aim to destroy the moral fabric of the
societies into which they beam their poisonous programming. I beg you not to drink
their poison. There is no antidote for it once you have consumed it. You may recover
partially, but you will never be the same. Better to avoid the poison altogether than to
try to heal from the damage it causes.


They will try to tempt you with their titillating movies and music videos, falsely
portraying us American women as happy and satisfied, proud of dressing like
prostitutes, and content without families. Most of us are not happy, trust me. Millions
of us are on anti-depressant medication, hate our jobs, and cry at night over the men
who told us they loved us, then greedily used us and walked away. They would like to
destroy your families and convince you to have fewer children. They
do this by presenting marriage as a form of slavery, motherhood as a
curse, and being modest and pure as old-fashioned. They want you to
cheapen yourself and lose your faith. They are like the Serpent
tempting Eve with the apple. Don’t bite.



Self-Value
I see you as precious gems, pure gold, or the “pearl of great value” spoken of in the
Bible (Matthew 13: 45). All women are pearls of great value, but some of us have
been deceived into doubting the value of our purity. Jesus said: “Give not that which
is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them
under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7: 6). Our pearls are
priceless, but they convince us that they’re cheap. But trust me; there is no substitute
for being able to look in the mirror and seeing purity, innocence and self-respect
staring back at you.


The fashions coming out of the Western sewer are designed to make you believe that
your most valuable asset is your sexuality. But your beautiful dresses and veils are
actually sexier than any Western fashion, because they cloak you in mystery and show
self-respect and confidence. A woman’s sexuality should be guarded from unworthy
eyes, since it should be your gift to the man who loves and respects you enough to
marry you. And since your men are still manly warriors, they deserve no less than
your best. Our men don’t even want purity anymore. They don’t recognize the pearl
of great value, opting for the flashy rhinestone instead. Only to leave her too!


Your most valuable assets are your inner beauty, your innocence, and everything that
makes you who you are. But I notice that some Muslim women push the limit and try
to be as Western as possible, even while wearing a veil (with some of their hair
showing). Why imitate women who already regret, or will soon regret, their lost
virtue? There is no compensation for that loss. You are flawless diamonds. Don’t let
them trick you into becoming rhinestones. Because everything you see in the
fashion magazines and on Western television is a lie. It is Satan’s trap. It is fool’s
gold.



A Woman’s Heart
I’ll let you in on a little secret, just in case you’re curious: pre-marital sex is not even
that great. We gave our bodies to the men we were in love with, believing that that
was the way to make them love us and want to marry us, just as we had seen on
television growing up. But without the security of marriage and the sure knowledge
that he will always stay with us, it’s not even enjoyable! That’s the irony. It was just a
waste. It leaves you in tears.


Speaking as one woman to another, I believe that you understand that already.
Because only a woman can truly understand what’s in another woman’s heart. We
really are all alike. Our race, religion or nationalities do not matter. A woman’s heart
is the same everywhere. We love. That’s what we do best. We nurture our families
and give comfort and strength to the men we love. But we American women have
been fooled into believing that we are happiest having careers, our own homes in
which to live alone, and freedom to give our love away to whomever we choose.
That is not freedom. And that is not love.


Only in the safe haven of marriage can a woman’s body and heart be safe to love.
Don’t settle for anything less. It’s not worth it. You won’t even like it and you’ll like
yourself even less afterwards. Then he’ll leave you.



Self-Denial
Sin never pays. It always cheats you. Even though I have reclaimed my honor,
there’s still no substitute for having never been dishonored in the first place. We
Western women have been brainwashed into thinking that you Muslim women are
oppressed. But truly, we are the ones who are oppressed; slaves to fashions that
degrade us, obsessed with our weight, begging for love from men who do not
want to grow up. Deep down inside, we know that we have been cheated.
We secretly admire and envy you, although some of us will not admit it. Please do not
look down on us or think that we like things the way they are. It’s not our fault. Most
of us did not have fathers to protect us when we were young because our families
have been destroyed. You know who is behind this plot.


Don’t be fooled, my sisters. Don’t let them get you too. Stay innocent and pure. We
Christian women need to see what life is really supposed to be like for women. We
need you to set the example for us, because we are lost. Hold onto your purity.
Remember: you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. So guard your “toothpaste”
carefully!


I hope you receive this advice in the spirit in which it is intended: the spirit of
friendship, respect, and admiration. From your Christian sister – with love…


* This article is republished with the kind permission of the author. The original can
be found on Crescent and the Cross. Joanna Francis is a writer and journalist. She
manages her own blog.


IZ: Sorry bout the arrangement of the sentences. Tak reti dah nak betulkan cemane. Huhu

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About Me

25. Aim to live with the principle of to love for others what I love for my self. A dentist by profession. A Muslim by religion. A Dai'yah by action ( well at least that's what I hope I am) My writings are usually of reflections on matters happening around me.

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