Religion and School

I never thought that religion would have such a significance in school

until I decided to put my eight year old daughter in public school. I had been homeschooling here and she was getting to an age where she wanted to be near other children. In an environment that would be outside our make shift class room at home. However from the beginning things started out a bit strange.

A few hours after I dropped my daughter off at school I was interrupted during the middle of my morning cleaning routine. I was shocked to see at my door the school guidance counselor. She had stopped by to see how things were going for us. I didn't quite understand considering it was my daughters first day. I thought that perhaps there was a misunderstanding with some paper work.

" I was told by your daughter that you are Muslim, is this correct? She also said that she praysto Allah." she said.

I didn't know what to say other than the usual "yes" to a question that I'm often asked.

" So you don't celebrate Christmas then?" It was recent that I enrolled her for school.

" No actually we don't celebrate Christmas. Being as to how we are Muslim we don't participate in any of the celebrations. " Now I will tell you that i was placing emphasis on WE because she kept say "you" pertaining to me. She gave me a look of what I can only explain as complete and total disgust. She sat there for a few minutes looking around my home as if she were searching for something. This woman had no problem going over my living room at all. I don't know what she was looking for but she was defiantly looking. After a few more minutes she began rubbing her hands together and said,

" Well we at the school would like to help you out this year and provide your daughter with Christmas gifts, we like to be sure that all of our students receive something for Christmas."

Was this woman listening to anything that I had just said to her?

" No, actually we're Muslim. We don't practice Christmas."

" Well we would just like to help you out this year." was all she said. I couldn't for the life of me get her to understand that we didn't practice Christmas. She kept pushing the idea on me, like I was going to agree to celebrating Christmas. Finally, when we were able to get of the Christmas topic (which I had to give in and accept the gifts and donated to a local women and children's shelter.)

Again I was hit with another problem with our Muslim identity. A knock on my door in the morning and the school guidance counselor waiting in the cold rain. I thought to myself why me ? This time I was told that my daughter reused to say the blessing that the class said together before starting lunch. She tried to explain to the teacher that she said Bismillah not the regular Christian blessing that they did. She also refused to eat the ham and cheese sandwich that they had for lunch that day saying that they were not halal.

I tried to explain to the guidance councilor that being Muslim we didn't eat pork and we said Bismillah before we did things like eating. Once again my efforts were effortless. Some people really think that we are insane for our beliefs and practices.

Things were not going to be easy at all. I thought that being in public school would be easy and almost worry free. I have to send her lunches now because they have a eat everything on your plate rule at school. I don't think that it is fair. I feel like my child is being singled out because of her religion. I have been to the school several times and each and every time our being Muslim is always brought up negatively in the conversations.

We live in a small town that does not have any other Muslim Families and I could be sure that we are the only Muslims in the area.

Western Europe VS. Islam

First the Jews and now the Muslims in Western Europe are under religiously scrutiny. Europe which is a heavily Christian continent is the center of much controversy because of the ban on the burka in France. In 2004 France banned the hijab (a scarf worn on the head to cover the hair and neck) from schools and public offices. Saying that the traditional head scarf is a is a symbol of religion, and France which claims to be a secular country. Having freedom of religion is a constitutional right. So where are the freedoms of the Muslims living in France? Having their religious freedoms taken away from them every day. What about the rights of the people who practice Islam? what about the rights of the teenage girl who as a sign of devotion to her faith

is not allowed to wear her hijab to school?

French leaders say that the wearing hijab in school is against the law. (afraid of school girls???)

That if the girl wishes to be devout to her religion and faith and wear the hijab, that she should do so when not at school.

It is written in the Qur'an in Surah 24: An-Nur: 30 and 31 that modesty is enjoined both to male and female Muslims.

[ say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty : that will make for Greater purity for them: and God(Allah swt) is well-acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty : and they should not display their beauty or ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they must draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's father's, their son's , their husband's sons, or their women, or their slaves whom their right hand possesses, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their ornaments.]

One of the verses in the Qur'an protects a woman's fundamental rights.

Aya 59 from Sura al-Ahzab reads:

[ O Prophet! Tell Thy wives and daughters, and the Believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over persons (when outside): that they should be known (as such) and not molested.]

Throughout France and other European countries these rights are being removed, and labeled as oppressive. How can the government and parliments of these countries decide what is oppressive to women when they are not in fact asking women? How is the hijab different from a man wearing a baseball cap? Doesn't it cover his head? The answer is that it isn't a matter of what is showing or not showing... it is a matter of the Islamic religion present in a dominantly Christian society.

How would anyone even know what religion someone was if they didn't practice traditions of their religion.

One reason why Muslim women wear an outer garment when going out of their homes, is because they want to be known and recognized as "believing" women and differentiated from normal "street" women for whom sexual advances and harassment are everyday matters. With claims that these traditions are barbaric and unjust to woman. However the Qur'an is insistent on the full participation of women in society and in the religious practises prescribed for men as well. These women choose to conceal themselves. They would not and do not feel comfortable with men's eyes on them if they were to walk outside not covered. Many women in general feel very uncomfortable when noticing men's prying eyes on them. It is the nature of women, and whynot let them protect their modesty. Muslim women are not the first to accept the idea of hijab, or veil. In fact the Virgin Mary in all traditional depictions is shown veiled. And don't the Roman Catholic Nuns wear a wimple, is that not a form of hijab? They are not required to remove theirs in public or if they are instructing in a school? Isn't that a major symbol of Roman Catholicism religion?

Is this an example of systematic oppression? To tell an individual or a group of people that they can not practice a basic fundamental act of their faith, by placing an actual ban on the act. Without breaking the law? When will it ever be enough? Perhaps that the truth lies in the thought of France becoming a prominently Muslim country in the future, with France home to some four to five million Muslims, and the number growing every year? It all sounds too familiar to religious persecution.

Domestic Violence... The truth behind the issue.

For Jenya an American mother of three residing in rural Greenville SC. Just getting out of bed in the mornings

is a challenge. Jenya was the victim domestic abuse. eleven years ago while tending to her newborn son,Jenya

was shot in the leg with an elephant gun ( a large caliber gun, developed for use in hunting elephants and

larger dangerous game)by an ex boyfriend. Unlike many young mothers, Jenya will never be able to run with her youngest daughter

around the park without the worry of over exerting herself. Due to the large prosthesis that goes

all the way to her hip. Jenya is lucky to be alive and says's god had a plan for her and she is grateful that she

was able to get a second chance at life, and a family. Jenya now a licensed esthetician is trying her best to

battle being disabled and living a normal life. Jenya is just one of the many men and women who are victims to

intimate partners. Domestic Violence is an issue of power over someone, and in most cases

the victim never gets free from the grips they are restrained by. There are many clinics and shelters for battered

abused women through the country to

help and assist. Though shelters may not always be the best solution and can actually delay the

recovery time. Sometimes having to share small rooms with any where from 4-6 other women. many states say that

funding for these shelters is low, and they have to depend on local organizations to assist them. All over the

world people suffer from Domestic Violence and in most reported cases, the victim is victimized more than once

often losing their life. it is a horrible crime, and without the proper awareness, and government funding. The

statics will only grow and the number of deaths related to domestic violence will increase. Sometimes the only voice that these

victims have is ours.

Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually

in the United States.

[Patricia Tjaden & Nancy Thoennes, U.S. Dep't of Just., NCJ 183781, Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence,

and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Findings from the

National Violence Against Women Survey, at iv (2000),

available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/183781.htm]

This is an outstanding number, and that is just the reported number. if we think about how many go unreported

each year it would most likely triple the number. The US is in the to ten ranking countries of highest DV statics.

In US call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE(7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.

In the Philippines call Phone: (02) 921-8013/928-7774

In British Columbia call British Columbia Institute Against Family Violence (Canada) Phone: (604) 669-7055

Toll-free: 1-877-755-7055

Toll-free (BC only): 1-800-563-0808

All other parts of Canada call Canadian National Clearinghouse on Family Violence Phone: (613) 957-2938

TTY Toll-free: 1-800-561-5643

Toll-free: 1-800-267-1291

In Australia call Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre Phone: (03) 9486-9866

TTY: (03) 9417-1255

For the Sisters out there in UK call Muslim Women's Help Line Phone: 0808 801 0301

In Sweden call Phone: 08-422 99 30

There are many other numbers for different parts of the world also, so please if you or someone you know are

the victims of domestic violence

please call.

World-Wide List of Domestic Abuse Agencies www.hotpeachpages.net

Flouride the hidden terror we dont know about.

I never thought much about the amount of fluoride we ingest every day in America. I grew up hearing how great fluoride was for us. It's in our tooth paste, water, and other foods we have every day. I never thought that it could kill, harm, or make us ill. It is documented that Fluoride is harmful to our bodies. 66% of the US residents water is fluoridated. Fluoride is known to cause bone cancer , bone weakness, joint weakness, low estrogen and testostrone levels. It is the only ingredent you find in rat poison, sodium fluoride and we ingest this every day. It reduces the IQ of children. why is it that countries that do not fluoridate water have children with higher IQ's? Why does the government tell us that fluoride is good for us and will make us healthy and have nice teeth? Actually it has more damage on teeth. It is a major risk in infants health, babies who are formula fed should not have their formulas mixed with water containing fluoride. They are exposed to harmful amounts of it each day. When are we safe? That is a major question that I'm juggling. Why does our government endorse such a deadly killer? The answer is that there is no answer. This however isn't the only time that this has happened. Aspartame, a extremely harmful drug that is also the artificial sweetener used in foods and beverages. We find it in diet Coke, and Nutra Sweet. Aspartame is linked to birth defects, brain cancer, diabetes, emotional disorders, and epilepsy. So why is it that we never hear of these problems? Simple they don't want you to hear. It is an effort they take to conceal a hidden truth. Why? That is the question i am wondering. I am including links to sites that will inform you more on these dangers.. http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/hidden_dangers.htm http://www.fluoridealert.org/f-sources.htm

Dating Arab Style

Sure the conventional way's of dating don't apply here, but in a society that forbids any mingling of the sexes many find them selves turning to an alternative way to interact. It seems that no matter where you look online there is always some kind of dating network. Sure we all know about Match.com and many others. What most of us, living in today's world don't know is the secret life of the single Muslim guy and girl. Which itself could be a T.V show. The seeking man, or woman will often find themselves running to these sites. Here they can chat, and exchange stories without the public interfering. Often exchanging phone numbers and pics. These sites provide the freedom that they are looking for. Arranging meeting spots to sneak around and steal kisses, and childish fantasies of love, and life. Sounds all to familiar to the Western world, and actually makes a great daytime soap or the ever popular high school shows that top the ratings chart. Taking daring risk to explore sexual freedom can have a horrible downside as well. Many of the young women that turn to these sites to meet eligible men are often victims of honor crimes when the family finds out about the secret life she is living. These rag doll woman are the result of society that puts women on a shelf and only takes them down when they are ready to be posed again. Don't get me wrong. This concept is not entirely an Islamic one. Islam is a religion of unity and peace. The Qur'an does not mention this type of activity or condone it. It is the result of a male dominated society trying to pull the reigns ever tighter on women, in order to keep them walking the line. I myself am a Muslim woman, and find that many of the practices in the world are unjust. And one can't help but think that if we only tried a little harder we could overcome the differences that put a huge gap in our cultures.