Delivering Love

This blog is not about making political statements or religious antagonisms, it’s quite simply my opinion. No more, no less . I express it because my life has been blessed by some who are the target of this ongoing debate and also because I have my own thoughts and would like to categorically state them out of respect to the friendships I have with those impacted .

I have also learned from experience that staying silent in order to mitigate the reactions of others is simple akin to hiding . I never speak with malice and it is my strong held belief that the best way to promote your own opinion is not to denigrate what you oppose , rather to stand firm in what you believe in .

The ongoing political ‘scandal’ surrounding Boris Johnston’s words in respect of the Hijab and in particular the Niqab is one that is simply not going to go away . For those who are not British Boris is a very colourful upper class politician who is somewhat famed for his vocal gaffs and outlandish opinions. Earlier last week he compared those women wearing hijabs and niqabs as appearing like “letter boxes and bank robbers”. There has been much outcry – both for and against – his words . My comments are not reactionary to his words, rather they represent my long held and genuine belief that I do not need prompting by a public outcry to formulate . I have them already . This will explain why .

I care absolutely less whether a woman wears a bikini or a burka . The why is simple . I believe in woman . I believe in their equality in society and therefore what they chose to wear is exactly that . Their choice .

So it’s about now,I’m sure, the Christians and some branches of feminism will swoop in to tell me how I’m letting God down and how Islam is vile and repugnant and needs to be quashed . How oppressive and offensive it is to see woman garbed in such garments and why I am pushing back the cause of womankind by saying it’s their choice . I may even be accused of encouraging male dominance and control .. Most likely I will have left out many concerns but you get the picture . So let me attempt to address some of them .

For those who fear that I am not standing for my faith , Christianity , and not recognising the threat of Islam. First the latter. It is not Islam that threatens its extremist Islam . There is a world of difference between the two . Many centuries of loving and peaceful participants in Islam have proven that the religion itself is not the issue rather the extremist versions that stem from this . This applies to all religions and even my own faith . MANY have been murdered over the centuries in the name of Christianity and we too have had our extremists. We still do . Perhaps not on the scale that at this present time in history extremist Islam presents ,however the fact remains . Extremists do not represent the faith they attach themselves to . In fact they MISREPRESENT such faiths . This is a fact. Whether you agree with the fundamentals of this religion or not does not permit the widespread condemnation of a religious group based on extremists . That is a misnomer.

More important to me however is what MY faith represents to me . What I believe to be truth is one God , one faith and one true religion . Encompassing that is my deep set and certain belief that no matter what may come against the faith I stand for, I believe it to be truth . As such, trials and tribulations will come . Affronts and attacks to that faith will be plentiful . This is irrelevant. The faith I believe in will , in my belief , overcome the world (John 16:33 The Bible ). So why do I need to fight , persecute and ridicule those of other faiths ? In simple terms , I don’t . I show them the love and respect that my faith demands of me and share my truths whenever I can . Why ? Because I believe in God . I believe He is in control and therefore I do not need to wage war with people that my faith demands that I love . Simple .

Back to the “fashion” issue . Frankly to me that is what it often amounts to due to the frequent hypocrisy of its opponents. I don’t hear my “Christian nation” rally in force against immodesty. Something that the bible ACTUALLY talks about . The hijab it does not . In fact if we are going to be all Old Testament about it revealing attire would be worthy of a stoning while being covered and veiled is seen as modest and worthy . You can surely see my amusement and frustrations ?

My daughter’s social studies teacher told us a story at parents night a while back that perfectly illustrates this . During class there was a heated discussion on this very issue of hijab coverings and the like . A group of girls who in the teachers words “were the more popular fashionable set” engaged in a quite ferocious and passionate debate about how they felt against the wearing of hijabs , Burkas and niqabs. (An interesting aside is that apparently those in class who were Muslim or in fact wearers of this dress sat quietly and did not react at all to this discussion). Their overriding point was that they felt the garment induced fear and suspicion that they deemed uncomfortable and unnecessary in a Christian country . The teacher told me that at the end of this my daughter raised her hand and quietly asked them if this meant they were also afraid of Nuns . I’m told that this silenced the classroom and caused raucous conversations in the staff room !

I will concede to the fear of oppression in our own country being perpetrated against vulnerable women. However I do not accept that banning such garb is in the best interests of a woman that wears this through oppression and not choice . If such a woman is dominated by fundamentalist believing men (or woman) then the consequences of her NOT wearing a covering in public would be privately catastrophic. Abusive and controlling individuals are the same the world over . Religion does not make them abusive it only gives them cause to perpetrate it . The woman forced by legislators to be uncovered will at best be constantly abused for her ‘lasciviousness’ that occurs from simply revealing a face or a wrist . At worst she will be abused and held prisoner in her own home, forbidden to reveal herself to the world outside without her covering . Such bans do not protect women they further victimise them. Many woman are abused in a similar manner by men claiming to hail from our ‘Christian’ country . Such abuse has nothing whatsoever to do with ANY faith or religion it is simply abuse . And seeing as we cannot figure that out in our own non Islamic land I doubt banning coverings will aid those who hail from another. I will not even begin the conversation as to why there is not an outcry against female circumcision here in the UK with the same force as the one we are discussing , safe to say that I suspect it is borne from the intrinsic misogyny that still dominates our land and proves that something that affects only woman is frankly under the radar of care and discussion.

All this aside, my truest feelings and my deepest passions on this issue come from the heart . By that I mean a heart that considers itself privileged and honoured to know, love and be loved by woman of Islam. Some wear hijabs and are extremely modest and concerned in this regard . Others wear loose scarfs and some wear no covering except their hair . All dress modestly be it in traditional garb or western clothing . Without exception they are loving, generous and beautiful woman that over the years have added a great deal to my life . They often give me pause to stop and think . They have many times encouraged me to be closer to God in my own faith . They are perceptive , funny , educated , talented ,ordinary women . They are just like me in so many ways and make personal choices based on their own faith that means so very much to them . I am frequently challenged by both their dedication to their religion and by the consistency and uncompromising honesty of their beliefs. I often desire to be more like them in the faith that I profess to hold so dear .

These woman are open . They meet me where I am be that in their home, my home or indeed in activities that are held from my church building . They are respectful and they are kind . They are not only horrified by extremism they are too often affected by it in ways we will never understand . We have prayed with some of these woman as they have feared for their families safety in middle eastern fundamentalist strongholds and seen them weep with terror and shame for the faith they hold so dear.

In the words of one of my friends when we asked permission to pray for her family .

” God is God and although we view it differently I’m certain that every prayer sincerely offered is heard . Inshallah.”

Inshallah – if God is willing .

This blog is dedicated to Noora and Amnah , two of the most beautiful hearted woman I know , filled with faith love and compassion and whose dedication and wisdom has taught me much over the years of our friendship.