
I was thinking today (again) about how difficult it all is. Or would be if I was Muslim. The praying, fasting, wearing hijab, attending Friday prayer are all difficult things to do in the West. Praying is difficult because of work and schedules. Same for fasting, along with the fact that there is food *everywhere*, and wearing hijab because of the way people react. Whether it be strangers, family, the workplace, there's probably not one hijab-wearing Muslimah who hasn't faced some sort of "adversity".
I was imagining what I might be like if I was living in a Muslim majority, for example, Egypt, just because I have lived there (shortly) before. It would be much more motivating to pray, considering it's seen as a GOOD thing to do so no being shy about saying you want to pray. And even if you're out on the go, there are mosques EVERYWHERE to go pray in. And jobs are generally accomodating (at least more than here).
For hijab, I personally don't imagine myself without it there even without being Muslim. Although about that, I think we are judged not only on the wearing of the headscarf, but also general modesty, and just wearing loose 3/4 pants with a loose 3/4 shirt here in Canada is, relatively, more modest than wearing the same thing in Egypt. You will get FAR MORE glances in Egypt wearing that same outfit, and thus, you NEED to cover up more to maintain the same modesty.
I think a person can be a very good Muslim living here in the West. And in some ways, I think it is a benefit to be brought up here. I guess it's because I do love my country and province and the values we are taught, at least as we get educated. It's the cultural part that is sometimes lacking. In Islamic countries, because of the poverty there, the education is sometimes sub-par. And unislamic traditions that are seen as Islamic have a more negative impact than some of the things going on here, I think. Because at least here it's obvious that it's not Islamic. Much more to be said, I just don't have the ideas straightened out or the time. So anyway...
My husband has found it difficult here. He loves food, and not being able to easily find halal food has been tough for him. He is now eating halal as much as possible, but normally eats non-halal since that's what I find at the grocery store and what I make at home. And it's making a downward spiral. For him, it's as though halal food was the base of his religiosity and having it crumble has made everything else crumble.
Question for anyone who has gotten to the end of this post:
- Do you believe I will be held responsable for this? (Or even partly?)
- Do you believe he will be held responsable for making be feel far from Islam? (By not being a good example/ By discouraging me from learning at times probably because of his personal guilt)
- Which is worse, do we cancel each other out? :p