C'est La Vie

Sexually liberated or persuaded by males into thinking this will make her attractive/liberated?
It’s all about your point of view isn’t it, but at least make sure your viewpoint is an educated one.  Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.
My reason for writing this blog post is because I’m sick of people judging other people who don’t look like them.  I’m also sick of people not knowing anything about other people’s religion and Islam is one of the more misunderstood religions, although Sikhism is often thought to be an extremist, violent religion as well – I will keep this post on Islam.
Pocahontas said it best:

“You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew”

Yeah that’s right I just quoted Pocahontas from a Disney movie and yes I know Disney is effing sexist and racist half the time but I LIKE THE SONG GODDAMIT. 
Look, I understand why so many western women think that women who wear a burqa or hijaab are repressed.  When they hear stories of women who are not allowed to leave their houses or work and simultaneously see images of women in a niqaab or burqa they automatically leap to the conclusion that it is the religion that is oppressive.  I don’t know how many times I’ve heard racist comments by people who I KNOW, people who would consider themselves NOT racist say racist things about Muslim people.  Are there many oppressed Muslim women in this world?  Yes!  Are they oppressed because of Islam?  No!  If you knew anything at all about the religion you would know this.
You think Canada or Vancouver is a place that isn’t very racist?  All you have to do is read news stories online and see the racist comments underneath and you’ll know the truth. 
I hear racist comments at work, and I’m sure you do too!  I’m getting sick and tired of having to defend my Muslim brothers and sisters to the world.  EDUCATE yourselves people and stop being so afraid of everything that looks different from you.

“When it comes down to it, a piece of cloth cannot oppress a woman. A government, a society, an employer, husband, or father: they can oppress. They can misuse their authority to keep women down by denying them education and filling their minds with the words of men, instead of the words of God.
Society can oppress by portraying an unattainable image of what beauty should be and shove it down the throats of young impressionable girls and women everyday through every vessel. Oppressive husbands use insults and physical domination to hold down their women. A niqab, a miniskirt, an advertisement, a written or unwritten law, and sexist epithets are just a few examples of the devices for which oppressors can use to make women feel and exist as a lesser gender.” – Muslim Mommy http://www.blogger.com/profile/07107093885607042903

I urge you to read this blog post: http://www.dig4knowledge.blogspot.com/2010/12/niqab-oppression-or-liberation.html
I often hear people state that Islam is a bad religion because it only makes women cover themselves.  That is not true.  Both men and women in Islam are told to dress modestly, the only thing that differs is the extent to which a woman must cover herself and the extent to which a male must cover themselves.  A male is not required to cover their hair for example but they are told to dress modestly as well.  Read this: http://stylishmuslimah.blogspot.com/2011/10/oh-brother.html
AND this: http://stylishmuslimah.blogspot.com/2011/09/oh-irony.html  (its about Islam and womens rights)
AND THIS: http://stylishmuslimah.blogspot.com/2011/08/hijabi-beginner-is-hijab-really.html (it’s about whether a hijab is really required)
I often visit www.stylishmuslimah.blogspot.com and I’ve chosen these blog posts as recommended reading because it’s simply written and I highly doubt most of you will go out and read Benazir Bhutto’s book “Reconciliation”, but if you are one of the few who want to read that book I do have a copy you can borrow if you know me or you can find one at your local library it is def worth the read.
Islam is not a religion that oppresses women.  It is also not a religion that promotes evil or violence.

: ". . . Do not take life, which Allah has made sacred, except through justice and the law. He orders this so that you may acquire wisdom" (6:151) and, "Do not take life, which Allah has made sacred, except for a just cause. If anyone is killed unjustly, We allow his heir (to seek justice) but do not allow him to exceed bounds when it comes to taking life, for he is helped (by the law)" (17:33). According to the Qur'an, killing a person unjustly is the same as killing all of humanity, and saving a person is the same as saving all humanity. (See 5:32.)

How any religion where the devotees greet each other with “Peace be upon you” (As-Salāmu `Alaykum) be considered a violent religion is beyond me.  I mean HELLOOO.
In every religious book there are phrases that can be taken out of context and to haters they may seem to promote violence.  Terrorists also twist things to their liking but I have never and never will believe that a terrorist has a religion.  Below are some examples of other religious texts that have passages that could be misinterpreted.
In Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Torah, Moses shares this message from God as the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land:

"I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the long-haired heads of the enemy." (Deut. 32:42)

"When your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying 'Let us go and serve other gods,' . . . you shall kill him, your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the Lord your God. . . " (Deuteronomy 13: 6-10)

"Kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. But spare for yourselves all virgin maidens" (Numbers 31:17-18).

In The New Testament:

"Do not think that I have come to send peace on Earth. I did not come to send peace, but a sword. I am sent to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law" (Mathew 10:34-35).

"I say to you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. As for my enemies who do not want me to reign over them, bring them here and kill them in my presence" (Luke 19:26-27).

AGAIN, many religious texts have passages which can be taken out of context.  Islam is often thought to be a religion that oppresses women, it is often thought to be a religion that promotes violence and I hope that by reading what I have written above you can see that it is not.  I’m not here to try and change a hard core racist person’s mind because I don’t argue with idiots, but there are many “normal” people out there that are friends of mine even that say racist things about Islam and Muslim people and this post is for you.
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I am a Sikh, and in our Sikh history there have been many battles between Muslim Mughals and Sikhs and I often hear some Sikhs react negatively to Muslim people.  I don’t really know why because we are supposed to “TREAT ALL EQUALLY - To Serve All of Humanity Equally without discrimination; provide help and assistance to everybody without prejudice or indifference; make on distinction between friend or foe”.  I also hope that most Sikh’s realize that Mian Mir (1550- 1635), the famous Muslim Sufi, was asked to lay the first brick of the Harmandir Sahib, or “Golden Temple” as it is more popularly known.  One of my favorite stories as a child was the story of Bhai Kanhaiya Ji who actually served water on the battlefield to everyone regardless of whether they were a Sikh, Hindu or Muslim.  Our tenth guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji praised Bhai Kanhaiya Ji for this.