The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women - Essay Example

Topic: Religion and Theology s Lecturer’s Introduction Religion is one of the s in the society that directs the manner in which individuals carry on with their lives. People have varying attachments towards religion and it depends on the level of faith and this attachment that they practice what the religion stipulates. Islam is one of the strongest and conservative religions across the globe, and it is practiced like a cultural orientation, which means that it determines the way of life of its followers. The short stories book edited by Maznavi and Mattu (2012) is a quality demonstration of how Islam influences the way of life of its followers and in this case women, who are said to occupy a lower status in their society and it is said to be in accordance to the Islamic teachings. In this regard, this paper seeks to evaluate a number of short stories in the book with the intent of demonstrating how religion is portrayed and how it influences the way of life of the individuals involved. Leap of Faith by Aisha C. Saeed, is one of the short stories that have been written in the book, whereby the narrator explains how she made a call to inform her best friend that she was getting married six weeks after knowing the groom. At the beginning, it was difficult for the narrator to explain where she had made the decision so soon, because she was not even sure whether she loved her intended husband. This was unfortunate, because the narrator has always opposed the idea that her parents or relatives would take part in finding her a suitor, as one of the Pakistani traditions. However, knowingly or unknowingly, she was trapped on the tradition, and had made the decision to marry the person her family had chosen for her. Love in the Time of Biohazards by Melody Moezzi is a short story by an Iranian American Muslim girl, who fell in love with a white American young man named Matthew, even though she was sure that their religious variation would end up separating them. However, the more time the two spent together especially when she was hospitalized due to her allying pancreas, made her realize that there was no turning back, because she was totally in love with Matthew. Fortunately, Matthew felt the same way as she converted to Islam and the two tied the knot. A Prayer Answered by Tolu Adiba is a short story that expounds on the trials that gays Muslims have to undergo, because it is believed that it is not possible for an individual to be Muslim and gay at the same time. However, Tolu tried to hide her sexual orientation for a long time and had even planned to get married severally, but all her plans had failed. During this time she managed to learn about gay Muslims, and eventually meant Hafsa, who was in the same predicament as hers, a situation that made it easier for the two to comprehend what the other was undergoing. Nonetheless, even though the two were Islam converts, the fact that they emerged from varying cultural backgrounds also affected Tolu; she was an African from the East Coast, while Hafsa was a European from the Midwest, meaning that it was easier for Hafsa to express her sexuality than Tolu. The two finally got engaged and denounced the notion that gay Muslims are non-existent. Love at Third Sight by Patricia M. G. Dunn is a story of a feminist Marxist follower who ended up falling in love with a Muslim named Ahmed even following a number of rejections. The two participated in a talk at UCLA, where the narrator and her Leila were approached by Ahmed. Patricia did not know him, but Leila informed her that he was the Muslim Student Association (MSA) president and wrote a column in the university’s newspaper. Years later, Patricia converted to Islam was married to Ahmed and the two moved to Cairo. Despite being a Muslim, Patricia did not like the statement, ‘inshAllah’ which meant Gods will; because it seemed conservative, it was only after two years of trying to get pregnant and with no leads from medical examination that she determined that significance of that statement. The two traveled to Northern California to attend a retreat ad ended up meeting most of their old friends who they had not seen for a while. Owing to the constant visits and disappointments concerning Patricia’s fertility, the retreat helped them relax, especially in the case of Patricia, who developed a new outlook towards life and established the importance of the statement, inshAllah. After travelling back to Cairo, Patricia began to use the statement constantly, as she believed in it, and six months later while they were going home she reported that she was feeling sickly. She later got pregnant. Wild Wind by Nijla Baseema Mu’min is a short story about a young woman who was born in a Muslim family, even though her father was a convert of Islam. Nijla was in a religious confusion owing to the lack of adherence toward the religious teachings by her parents, which meant that they did not practice what they told her and her siblings to practice. The confusion intensifies when she meets Theo, who was not a Muslim, was not aware whether she was a Muslim, and began their conversation with a question that the narrator thought was awkward, “so do you consider yourself spiritual or religious (Maznavi and Mattu , 2012 p41)?” Theo attempted to convert Nijla to become a Christian, but even though she was brought up in a family that did not consistently practice the teachings of Islam, she was glad that she comprehended what she wanted for herself, and was convinced that being a Christian would not solve what she was undergoing. The two separated after a while, a situation that offered the narrator a chance to vie her family from a different perspective. Conclusion In conclusion, the paper analyzed a number of short stories that revived around the Islam religion, and how it influences the way of life of its followers. However, the narrators of the stories analyzed seem to be individuals that were affected by modernity and at one point in time were forced to make decisions that they were not sure what consequences they would present, but fortunately, they were prepared to deal with them. The stories involve a number of converts, who despite knowing the conservative nature of Islam were willing to go ahead with their need to convert and also exercise their unique traits. Tolu an African who converted to Islam is the best example, because she presented one of the most controversial topics in the Islam religion, the idea of gay Muslims, but she offered a clear explanation that shed light on the controversy. References Mattu, A., & Maznavi, N. (2012). Love, InshAllah: The secret love lives of American Muslim women. Berkeley, CA: Soft Skull Press. Read More