EU-DIGEST

Being a Muslim in a Non-Muslim Society - by Masriya

For me, I was born and raised in the U.S., and it's where I'm currently residing. It's been interesting for me to grow religiously and spirituality amongst so many non-muslims. Most of my friends are non-muslims, and I love each one of them as if they were my own brothers and sisters. But, there is, indeed, a difference. One of the reasons why I joined this neighborhood was to connect with more people like me. It's interesting to talk to people and see that I'm not the only one who gets tired of constantly explaining myself. Constantly explaining how muslims in the true sense are in fact NOT terrorists. And how, in fact, all muslim women are not beaten by their men as an acceptable form of punishment.

Those are just the two stereotypes that come to my mind right off the bat. I am proud of where I came from and proud of my beliefs, and it's so sad to me that there are a lot of nutsos out there who don't know the difference between fact and fiction and who also don't care to take the time to find out for themselves. I got an email today from one of my friends talking about the hit TV show "24" and how it's really becoming obvious that there's a reason why it's a favorite of the Bush administration. Unfortunately, this kind of "propoganda" is not what this country needs right now. It's rare you see anything positive about muslims and Islam in general on tv or any other media source. For me, it makes me angry and makes me want to do something about it. But, where I get stuck is where and how can I make a difference? I do educate people around me to the best of my ability, but it seems like the ignorance is spreading so quickly and so fiercely. I'm just putting this topic out there, and I'm interested to see what the response is and how others are feeling/dealing with it. If you respond to my blog, I'm asking you to please respond in an educated manner where we can all be heard. Thanks for reading my blog!

Labels: Muslims