HOMELESS

Petang semalam as usual akak ke masjid utk kelas mengaji.As I was the first one to arrive, I was surprised that the "musafir" room where we use to ngaji was locked from the inside. So I tried the other door and found a girl inside the room , with her clothes hanging on the hanger, found out that she spent the night in the masjid. Since the class was about to start, we politely asked her to pack her clothes and go to the ladies section of the masjid..

After talking to my other classmates, we learnt that she came from Kuantan and heading for a friend's house in Kijal..or heading to Kuantan from somewhere...we are yet to discover the truth...
After finished ngaji at around 3 pm , I had to send my son to his persatuan meeting at school. Tergerak hati to ajak the girl to lunch, so she reluctantly followed me and my sons, since she just had an argument with the imam's wife regarding her spending the night there.Turned out that she hadn't had a thing to eat since the night before..!We talked during lunch, I learnt that she's 28 , named Shila, single,with family problems that no one could understand (??), and trying to start a new life away from her old life...

Sebenarnya dah banyak kes2 lari dari rumah dan mcm 2 lagi kes2 pelik yg singgah kat masjid ni. Anyway, Shila is just one of them. They usually don't tell the truth, with an imaginary origin and destination, and obviously weird looking....

Kesian Shila... or whatever her real name is....she said to me "t kasih sbb org mcm akak sanggup luangkan masa dgn org mcm saya"...i replied to her " apa pulak..kita sama saja, x ada bezanya, semua manusia sama saja...saya pun boleh ada di tempat shila".

She then said "Akak tengok muka saya ni mcm org ada masalah ke?"

I replied "Saya x pandai tgk muka org, sbb ada org cantik, pakaian kemas, kerja hebat, tapi boleh jadi penjenayah juga...cuma saya boleh teka awak bermasalah sbb awak tidur di masjid ni."

Later on she told me that she started running away from home since she's 13.

Now at 28, sepatutnya Shila dah ada family..or at least a stabil job...she told me that she used to work at a factory in Gebeng.
I told her that whatever mistakes that we've made in our lives, life must go on. Bertaubat byk2, doa byk2, enjoy life cause it's too short. I hope she got it..
Since she's not allowed to spend another night at the masjid (for her own good, the masjid is not a safe place anymore) I decided to send her to Kijal where she told us there's where she's going to meet her friend....wallahualam.

CUKUP

Belajarlah Untuk Berkata Cukup "Oleh: Abu Naqibah

Minggu lepas saya sempat tonton sebahagian dari sebuah filem yang disiarkan di channel Vision Four. Tajuknya Interstate 60. Pelakon utamanya saya tak kenal tapi pelakon tambahannya ramai yang top2. Salah satu babak yang saya ingat sangat, ialah di awal cerita yang membabitkan pelakon terkenal, Micheal J.Fox. Dalam babak tu, Micheal kelihatan seperti seorang businessman yang sibuk. Ketika itu dia sedang bercakap2 di handphonenya di dalam kereta. Di belakangnya ada seorang lelaki sedang mengayuh basikal sambil menghisap pipe. Tiba2 Micheal buka pintu keretanya dan akibatnya lelaki tersebut terlanggar pintu tersebut dan te rgolek. Tengah tergocoh2 & sibuk mintak maaf tuh, handphone Micheal terlepas dari tangan. Sampai je ke atas jalan, datang satu trailer lenyek handphone. Apa lagi, menyumpah seranah la dia. Yela... Sebagai businessman, tentu handphone tu alat penting untuknya. Dalam keadaan marah, terkeluar dari mulut Micheal (lebih kurang la...) "Saya harap ini tak pernah terjadi". Rupa2nya lelaki yang bawa basikal tadi ada kuasa magik. Dia mampu ulang balik masa dan mereka kembali ke satu keadaan di mana Micheal masih dalam kereta dan lelaki tadi masih menunggang basikalnya. Bila tiba hampir ke kereta Micheal, dia berhenti. Tiba2 Micheal keluar dari kereta. Kali ni lelaki tadi tak melanggar pintunya seperti sebelum ini. Jadi Micheal terus rancak berbual hinggalah tiba2 datang trailer dan melanggar Micheal J. Fox. Lelaki tadi, yang berada di belakang kereta Micheal & memerhatikan segalanya, bekata "Some people just don't know what to wish for" (Sesetengah orang tak tahu apa yang patut diminta). Apa kesudahan filem ini saya tak tahu sebab saya tak menontonnya hingga selesai. Tapi saya cukup tertarik dengan perkataan lelaki yang berbasikal tu. Sesetengah orang tak tahu apa yang patut mereka minta. Bukankah hampir kita semua begitu? Dalam filem tadi, Micheal mengharapkan kemalangan tu (basikal langgar pintu keretanya) tak berlaku supaya handphonenya terselamat. Tapi tanpa kemalangan itu, dia pula yang maut. Perasan tak? Ini satu telefilem fiksyen. Rekaan semata. Tapi perkara ni sebenarnya berlaku dalam kehidupan harian kita. Seringkali kita meminta perkara yang macam2 seolah2 itulah yang terbaik untuk kita. ersoalannya, tahukah kita apa yang terbaik untuk kita? Kalau kita dilahirkan miskin, kita sering berdoa untuk menjadi kaya. Hendak mengubah kehidupan, kita kata. Tapi kita pastikah kekayaan itu yang terbaik untuk kita? Atau kita dilahirkan pendek, atau terlalu tinggi, atau hitam atau berpenyakit. Tentunya kita mengharap2kan keajaiban untuk menjadi manusia yang sempurna atau sekurang2nya 'just nice'. Mungkin juga kita terbabit dalam kemalangan yang mengorbankan orang yang tersayang. Pasti tercalit dalam hati keinginan untuk mengembalikan masa itu supaya kemalangan itu dapat dielakkan dan nyawa orang kesayangan kita juga selamat. Kan ? Persoalannya, adakah apa yang kita perolehi sekarang ini bukan yang terbaik? Adakah Allah itu zalim atau pilih kasih dengan memberi sesetengah orang nikmat manakala setengah lagih azab? Bukankah Allah itu Maha Adil? Bukankah Allah itu Maha Mengetahui? Bukankah Allah itu Maha Bijaksana? Jika begitu, mengapakah ada sesetengah dari kita yang bernasib malang manakala sesetengah yang lain bernasib baik sepanjang hidup mereka? Sebenarnya, kita adalah apa yang kita minta (we are what we wish for). Kadangkala tatkala kita berdoa, kita sendiri kurang faham dengan apa yang kita minta. Ada orang berdoa minta selamat. Akan tetapi Allah berikan dia dari sihat jatuh sakit. Dari kaya jatuh miskin. Dari jelita jadi huduh. Bagaimana itu? Itu hanyalah sebagai ujian kesabarannya. Seandainya imannya tetap kuat, insyaAllah dia akan selamat di akhirat kelak. Selamat juga, bukan? Adakah Allah menolak permintaannya? Tidak! Bahkan Allah meletakkannya ke tempat yang lebih tinggi. Begitu juga dengan keadaan saya baru2 ini. Hidup dikelilingi hutang lapuk. Pening kepala nak bayar. Interest makin meningkat. Ibu mana yang tak kasihan lihat anaknya susah hati? Satu hari tu ibu saya beritahu saya yang dia tiap2 hari berdoa minta saya dapat banyak duit. Dia simpati dengan saya katanya. Saya katakan kepadanya. Kalau banyak duit, tiap2 bulan saya dapat, Alhamdulillah. Saya katakan padanya kalau mahu berdoa untuk saya, berdoalah semoga hutang lapuk saya selesai. Saya beritahunya ketika sebelum Zuhur. Zuhur tu juga dia telah tukar doanya dan Alhamdulillah, petang itu juga saya nampak jalan penyelesaiannya. Doa ibu itu berkat. Sekarang, Alhamdulillah ringan rasanya beban di kepala saya. Maha Suci Allah... Apabila Allah menentukan sesuatu ke atas kita, percayalah itu adalah yang terbaik . Hanya mata kita yang diseliputi dengan nafsu yang tidak dapat melihat kebaikan yang ada pada sesuatu kejadian. Mengapa sukar bagi kita untuk redha kepada kejadian Allah? 'Grass is always greener on the other side'. Kan ? Kita sentiasa melihat apa yang ada pada orang lain itu lebih baik dari apa yang kita miliki. Sedang Nabi saw telah menasihatkan agar kita melihat orang yang di bawah. Jangan melihat orang lebih tinggi kerana intu akan membuat kita tidak bersyukur. Dan itulah masalahnya pada diri kita. Kita sentiasa mengejar peluang yang lebih baik. Sentiasa mahukan yang lebih banyak. Saya sendiri mengalami perkara ini. Dan saya percaya ramai yang turut mengalaminya. Siapa yang taknak gaji besar, kan ? Masa saya grad, ekonomi negara benar2 sedang menjunam. Saya ke hulu ke hilir mencari kerja. Akhirnya saya bekerja sebagai operator di kilang metal stamping. Gaji RM400 sebulan. Tiada OT. Tolak itu, tolak ini, dapatlah RM350. Hm... Cukup? Dah tentu tidak. Ketika itu saya hanya memiliki sebuah motor Yamaha 110SS hadiah ayah sempena dia dapat EPF. Isi minyak dengan makan dah habis. Ketika itu saya fikir, dapat gaji RM750 pun jadilah. Kemudian saya bekerja sebagai Lab Technician. Betul2 saya dapat RM750. Cukup? Tak juga. Masa tu saya mula terfikir. Dapat gaji RM1500 pun dah cukup. Allah tunaikan lagi. Bekerja pula di petrochemical plant. Sebagai trainee, dapat la RM1500 sebulan. Ya Allah... tak cukup juga. Sebab masa tu saya dah beli kereta Iswara. Saya fikir, dapat RM2500 cukup la. Tapi bila dapat banyak tu, saya tukar kereta pula. Kesimpulannya tak cukup juga! Memang takkan cukup. Nafsu itu adalah benda yang paling besar! Sekarang, ketika kawan2 saya berlumba masuk syarikat lain yang offer gaji 2 - 3 kali ganda, saya tetap di sini. Kalau ada yang bertanya kenapa saya tak ikut mereka, senang saya katakan. Saya selesa di sini. Kalau solat saya panjang, bos tak pernah marah. Sedang rakan2 saya di syarikat baru dibenarkan solat hanya dalam masa 5 minit sahaja. Kini saya dah pandai mengatakan cukup. Cukuplah sebanyak ini yang Allah beri. Sekiranya diberi lebih, Alhamdulillah. Sekiranya semakin kurang, semoga Allah perkuatkan iman saya menghadapi dugaan mendatang. Yang penting bagi saya, apa yang saya perolehi ini halal dan diberkati. Pesan Nabi saw kepada Saiyidina Ali ra supaya jangan mengira2 rezeki untuk hari esok kerana Allah menurunkan rezeki pada tiap2 hari . Ini benar2 terkesan dalam hati saya. Tapi bukan bererti kita tak boleh mengejar yang lebih baik. Kejarlah dunia seperti akan hidup 1000 tahun lagi. Tapi dunia itu ibarat bayang2. Makin dikejar makin ia lari. Kejarlah akhirat seperti akan mati esok hari. Kerana akhirat itu umpama matahari. Makin kita kejar akhirat (matahari), dunia (bayang2) akan mengejar kita. Rezeki itu hak Allah maka bermohonlah kepada Yang Memiliki rezeki itu. Kerana tiada rezeki untuk kita tanpa ada izin dariNya. Terjadi kepada kenalan saya. Dengan gaji RM1000 sebulan, nak bayar ansuran rumah, nak isi minyak motor yang makin naik, duit lampin anak, duit makan, tinggal pula di JB, memang tak cukup. Sering dia mengeluh. Di tempat kerjanya pula dah lama hadkan OT. Kesian dia. Selalu dia cakap dia nak cari kerja lain. Dah banyak dia apply tapi tak dapat2 sebab tiada kelulusan dan umur pun dah makin lanjut. Atau setidak2nya dapat banyak OT. Saya katakan padanya, besar periuk besarlah kerak. Sekarang dia pakai motor. Kalau gaji besar lagi, mungkin dia pakai kereta. Besar mana pun tetap tak cukup. Tapi... Masuk telinga kiri keluar telinga kanan. Akhirnya Allah tunaikan permintaannya. Tiba2 dia dapat banyak sangat OT. Hari2 balik rumah sampai tengah malam. Langsung tak rehat. Main dengan anak pun 2 -3 minit masa pagi sebelum ke tempat kerja. Bila jumpa, dia cakap dah penat. Tak larat nak OT. Saya ketawakan dia. Bukankah ini yang dia minta? Ya, katanya. Tapi dia dah tak larat. Hari Ahad je dia dapat rehat. Bila nak main2 dengan anak? Kesian anaknya. Ke masjid pun hari Jumaat saja sekarang ni... Saya katakan padanya, kita tak boleh dapat segala2nya. Dia nak duit, Allah bagi duit. Tapi dia hilang kehidupan dan masa dengan anaknya. Itu adalah permintaannya. Bersyukurlah Allah telah menunaikan..-. Kalau nak dikongsi, terlalu banyak rasanya apa yang saya lalui. Saya pasti, saudara2 semua juga ada lalui perkara yang sama. Di sini, bukan niat saya nak mengajar. Bukan juga nak menunjuk pandai. Saya hanya mengajak saudara2 sekalian terutamanya diri saya sendiri untuk berfikir. Apa yang kita buru? Apa yang kita cari? Apa yang kita dapat? Berapa kali pernah kita bersyukur dan berapa kali pernah kita katakan cukup? Cukup atau tidak apa yang kita ada, bergantung kepada cukup atau tidak kita bersyukur ke hadrat Allah. Juga bergantung cukup atau tidak kita tambat nafsu kita. Yang penting tiap kali selepas solat, berdoalah pohonkan Allah berikan yang terbaik buat kita. Nabi saw pernah memberitahu, orang yang tidak berdoa selepas solat adalah orang yang sombong. Dalam hadith yang lain, Baginda saw berkata orang yang sombong adalah syirik kerana hanya Allah yang layak untuk bersifat sombong. Wallahu'alam.-.. Ya Allah! Ampunkanlah kami ya Allah. Selama ini kami leka. Selama ini kami lalai dalam mengejar nikmat dunia hingga kami lupa janji nikmat syurga Mu. Cukupkanlah kami dengan apa yang Kau beri. Dan jadikanlah kami insan yang tahu bersyukur. Amin... Ya Rabbal 'Alamin... Akhir kata, berlajarlah untuk berkata CUKUP....ALHAMDULIL-LAH ....."

" Tak perlu mencari teman secantik BALQIS, andai diri tak sehebat SULAIMAN. Mengapa mengharap teman setampan YUSOF, jika kasih tak setulus ZULAIKHA. Tak perlu mencari teman seteguh IBRAHIM, andai diri tak sekuat HAJAR dan mengapa didamba teman hidup sesempurna MUHAMMAD. Jika ada keburukan pada dirimu. Bimbinglah kekurangan itu sebagai keunikan, carilah kebaikan pada dirinya, bersyukurlah kerana dipertemukan dengannya berdoalah dia milik kita.”

PINJAM

Most of the time kita x sedar yang segala2nya yang kita ada kat dunia ni hanyalah pinjaman...sampai masa (due date) kena di pulangkan balik kepada yg empunya...Macamana attached pun kita dgn anak...suami....parents.... abang .....kakak.....adik....semuanya di PINJAMkan kepada kita utk sementara waktu....even jasad & roh kita ni pun on loan jugak.....bakat dan kebolehan yang kita ada semuanya dipinjamkan saja sementara kita hidup...ironiknya kalau kita pinjam barang dari manusia, kita jaga betul 2 sebab "orang punya"...bukan kita punya....tapi kalau kita pinjam dari ALLAH...kita selalu leka & lalai nak jaga betul2....tak berapa nak ambil berat.....mungkin kita belum KENAL dengan peminjam kita....

ISLAMOFOBIA

Baru belajar perkataan baru lepas baca alIslam tadi..ISLAMOFOBIA..Kelakarnya statement Ms Teresa Kok, nak highlight kat Parlimen pasal azan subuh yg mengganggu tido non-muslims at her area...Tringat masa kecik2 dulu ada sorang jiran chinese ni suka sangat dengar azan subuh sebab boleh kejutkan dia pagi2 nak pi tai chi...mungkin org kampung Teresa Kok ni tak amalkan kehidupan yg sihat..mlm2 pi clubbing sampai 4pagi...susahlah nak bangun pagi.Most chinese i know mmg start keja awal pagi, so azan subuh tu x pernah jadi problem for them....So ms Teresa, make sure before u nak cakap kat parlimen u buat survey lebih sikit, samada isu tu betul2 penting. don't waste parlimen time lah....

If u invite a muslim to friend your open house and u have non-halal food on one section and also halal food on the other section , of course we would come. We understand that you would also have to cater for others too.But if you invite a muslim friend to a restaurant and you ordered non halal food to dine with your muslim friend, of course we would feel offended...its only common sense..not a religious matter.

HIJAB 2

Bila pi Mekah baru nampak commitment Muslims dari negara2 lain terhadap ISLAM cukup2 tinggi..
kak juli

The Freedom to wear a Veil
by four Danish women

That the veiled Muslim woman by all means should be regarded as oppressed is a myth that ought to be killed. Many people are scandalized by the veil, but only few seek an explanation from the Muslim woman herself; her voice is often overheard in this matter. If she is asked, on the other hand, the veil represents freedom and dignity.
O Prophet! say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon them their over-garments; this will be more proper, that they may be known, and thus they will not be given trouble; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (Sura 33, 59)
Say to the believing men that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do. And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons... (Sura 24, 30-31)
In the Koran, the term hijab is used of the attire of the Muslim woman as a whole, but also includes the way she lives and acts. In everyday language it often only refers to the veil or scarf itself which must cover the head and chest.
This is, so to speak, the exterior sign of the way of life of the Muslim woman, but you also speak of having hijab in ears, tongue and heart. Here there is no reference to a specific veil, but to a suitable behaviour in accordance with the precepts of Islam.
This prevents her from hearing, speaking or feeling negative things of other people.
Hijab is derived from the Arabic word hajaba, which means to conceal or to prevent from being seen. The garb must be loose and opaque and must be worn, whenever the women either leaves the house, or whenever male visitors not belonging to the family are received. Only the hands and face may, according to the prophet Mohammed, be visible, but this point is rather controversial. Some also choose to cover these parts of the body, but more often than not this is the result of the personal choice of the individual woman.
THE VEIL IS A PRIVILEGE, NOT A BURDEN
We know the veil from the antique Hellas, for instance, where the established women of society had the right to wear one, while the prostitute and the female slave had to go about bare-headed and thus unprotected against being accosted. Throughout History, noblewomen have worn veils when walking about among the lower classes, or they have hidden their faces behind fans.
The bridal veil and the nun's habit had a similar purpose. In the New Testament, in his first letter to the Corinthians Paul states that during prayer, women should cover their head (11, 5-6).
Nowadays, some people are astonished daily by seing women wearing veils. Most have an idea that the veil is oppressive, and many protest loudly and publicly on behalf of these women.
One thing that these officious persons have in common is usually that they have never found it necessary to ask the women themselves, not to speak of making themselves acquainted with the religious and cultural background of the veil. Even so, they are busy imposing on others their personal opinions as to what is oppressive.
If one asks the women behind the veils, the story is quite different.
The orthodox Muslim woman does not perceive the veil as inhibiting or oppresive. Quite the contrary. The veil guarantees her the full respect of the surroundings, and thus must be considered a privilege rather than a burden.
The dignity of the wife or the daughters, or the dignity of any Muslim woman, for that matter, must be respected and protected, writes Momina Abdullah on the Internet.
Many Danes entertain the erroneous notion that the veil represents a compulsion from the husband and the religion. But women wearing veils, on the other hand, normally radiate devotion towards their religion. They have chosen the veil as a clear demonstration of their Muslim identity.
Forcing anyone to do something against their own will is against Islam. This point is stressed by all the women we have spoken to. There is no demand of compulsion in the Koran. On the other hand, every human being should see it as a religious duty to act out of a clean heart.
Of course there may be families where the woman is forced, for instance to stay at home. But that does not imply that doing so is Islam, the sisters Batool, of 21 years, and Ayisha, of 19, concord. There are oppressed women in all cultures, Danish or Muslim. And as in all other situations it is important to consider each particular case for itself instead of generalizing. For a woman is not oppressed unless she feels it that way.
THE VEIL GIVES CONFIDENCE AND FREEDOM
The scarf contributes to creating equality between man and woman. He does not see her only as a sex symbol, says Batool. When a man looks at a woman wearing a scarf it is because he is interested in her personality and the way she thinks instead of her appearance, her sister complements. A woman who covers herself is hiding her sexual charm, and yet allows her womanliness to remain visible, writes Mominah Abdullah.
Islam does not attempt, as some people erroneously think, to exclude sexuality. It is canalized in its full strength into the marital relationship, and is not »flaunted« in other contexts. Hijab therefore guarantees the integrity of the Muslim woman.
The clothes must not be tight so that the forms show. In this way, we avoid problems like sexual harassment and rape. When we wear these clothes, we feel secure. We are more protected, Ayisha thinks.
And then a man does not stare at other women than his wife, emphasizes Batool. She elaborates on the relationship between a man and a veiled woman: When a woman covers her beauty, the man does not look at her as a woman, but as a fellow human being. Instead, he concentrates upon her intellect. Bergliot Emina, a Norwegian convert, also emphasizes: You cover your head and chest, but not your brains.
For Ayisha, the notion of the oppressed Muslim housewife is a myth. In Islam, the husband has a duty to maintain his family. It is therefore a matter of course that he must work. But, of course, the woman may also work. It is not so that she cannot go out and get an education or a job. But she is allowed to sit at home, it is not her duty to maintain the family.
Emina adds examples of professional women in Muslim countries: About 60% are illiterate in Egypt, but I have met more female professors in Egypt and Jordan than in Denmark.
Batool adds: Islam encourages everybody, both the man and the woman, to go out and read and study. Bergliot Emina even characterizes it as a Muslim duty to seek knowledge.
She continues: In many ways, Muslim women have more freedom than women in the West. First of all, the veil has meant that I can walk around without being judged by my appearance. Secondly, the women are equally respected and appreciated whether they choose to be housewives or professional women.
For the Muslim woman, the veil therefore represents freedom. Only this freedom has another character and expresses itself in another way than that of the West. But must the women of the West be the only ones to define freedom? Are they the only ones who know what the right to choose for oneself and to decide over one's own body means? We wonder if not the many millions of Muslim women would claim otherwise!
Of course, every woman must have the right to wear a veil as well as the right not to wear one. by:Tania BrogaardGry Helene HerbenerAnne Kristine Jakobsen Lene Wittrup Jensen Uta Kreie Larsen© 1996-1999 Faklen,br> Comments to webmaster@faklen.dk · 07.03.99http://www.faklen.dk/en/
The Torch (Danish: FAKLEN) is a Danish magazine devoted to cultural trends and social comment. It focuses on certain tendencies in the European countries, and in Denmark in particular, that can only be described as reminiscent of fascism.
The Torch is not affiliated to political parties or organizations of any kind. The magazine is published by a group of students from the universities of Aarhus and Copenhagen representing practically all subjects, from philosophy, classical philology and psychology to physics, biology and mathematics.

HIJAB 1

I find this article very interesting... a must read for our Muslim born Melayus yg masih mencari jawapan...
kak juli

"My body is my own business."

Hijab (Veil) and Muslim Women
Ms.Naheed Mustafa

MULTICULTURAL VOICES

A Canadian-born Muslim woman has taken to wearing the traditional hijab scarf. It tends to make people see her as either a terrorist or a symbol of oppressed womanhood, but she finds the experience liberating.

I often wonder whether people see me as a radical, fundamentalist Muslim terrorist packing an AK-47 assault rifle inside my jean jacket. Or may be they see me as the poster girl for oppressed womanhood everywhere. I'm not sure which it is.
I get the whole gamut of strange looks, stares, and covert glances. You see, I wear the hijab, a scarf that covers my head, neck, and throat. I do this because I am a Muslim woman who believes her body is her own private concern.
Young Muslim women are reclaiming the hijab, reinterpreting it in light of its original purpose -- to give back to women ultimate control of their own bodies.
The Qur'an teaches us that men and women are equal, that individuals should not be judged according to gender, beauty, wealth, or privilege. The only thing that makes one person better than another is her or his character.
Nonetheless, people have a difficult time relating to me. After all, I'm young, Canadian born and raised, university-educated -- why would I do this to myself, they ask.
Strangers speak to me in loud, slow English and often appear to be playing charades. They politely inquire how I like living in Canada and whether or not the cold bothers me. If I'm in the right mood, it can be very amusing.
But, why would I, a woman with all the advantages of a North American upbringing, suddenly, at 21, want to cover myself so that with the hijab and the other clothes I choose to wear, only my face and hands show?
Because it gives me freedom.
WOMEN are taught from early childhood that their worth is proportional to their attractiveness. We feel compelled to pursue abstract notions of beauty, half realizing that such a pursuit is futile.
When women reject this form of oppression, they face ridicule and contempt. Whether it's women who refuse to wear makeup or to shave their legs, or to expose their bodies, society, both men and women, have trouble dealing with them.
In the Western world, the hijab has come to symbolize either forced silence or radical, unconscionable militancy. Actually, it's neither. It is simply a woman's assertion that judgment of her physical person is to play no role whatsoever in social interaction.
Wearing the hijab has given me freedom from constant attention to my physical self. Because my appearance is not subjected to public scrutiny, my beauty, or perhaps lack of it, has been removed from the realm of what can legitimately be discussed.
No one knows whether my hair looks as if I just stepped out of a salon, whether or not I can pinch an inch, or even if I have unsightly stretch marks. And because no one knows, no one cares.
Feeling that one has to meet the impossible male standards of beauty is tiring and often humiliating. I should know, I spent my entire teen-age years trying to do it. It was a borderline bulimic and spent a lot of money I didn't have on potions and lotions in hopes of becoming the next Cindy Crawford.
The definition of beauty is ever-changing; waifish is good, waifish is bad, athletic is good -- sorry, athletic is bad. Narrow hips? Great. Narrow hips? Too bad.
Women are not going to achieve equality with the right to bear their breasts in public, as some people would like to have you believe. That would only make us party to our own objectification. True equality will be had only when women don't need to display themselves to get attention and won't need to defend their decision to keep their bodies to themselves.

Naheed Mustafa graduated from the University of Toronto in 1992 with an honours degree in political and history. She is currently studying journalism at Ryerson Polytechnic University
NOTE:
This article appeared in IINN (Islamic Information & News Network) publications. The Permission of Reprinting granted by "Islamic Information & News Network" (Muslims@Asuacad.Bitnet).

GARANG

Jika engkau mahukan kemesraan dengan
ALLAH....
maka engkau mesti GARANG terhadap dirimu sendiri dengan tidak mengikut segala nafsumu.
Kalau engkau sudah merasakan manisnya berhubung dengan
ALLAH....
Tahulah engkau bagaimana pahit berpisah denganNYA.....

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BAHAGIA

B A H A G I A

Kebahagiaan itu ibarat sebatang pohon yang rendang, tempat tumbuhnya adalah jiwa dan perasaan kemanusiaan, ketakwaan kepada ALLAH adalah merupakan air, udara dan cahaya yang membantu pertumbuhannya.

Yusof Al-Qardawi