Do you judge/ pity converts to Islam?

[Candyapplesandhearts]

Firstly I’m a convert to Islam. White European, so more than likely if you saw me you’d assume I was a convert, plus my name would definitely give the game away.

i live in a metropolitan area where converts are yes rare but not too too share whereby it’s shocking.

well keeping this in mind, I bought a block of sessions for a beauty treatment, and the aesthetician was visibly taken back by me firstly, fine it happens because I wasn’t what she was expecting, with my name and I show up in a headscarf.

but the questions, not only were they pretty inappropriate but also steeped in judgment. I was shocked. I could tell that she wasn’t necessarily being malicious or even hateful, but she clearly had a very pre conceived notion about my motivations and my choices. Ie several questions about my husband and how he made me convert, or as she said ‘become Islamic’, lots on clothing and how she often feels sorry for a lot of Muslim women.

truthfully MN, is this a thing? Deep down are these thoughts people have but maybe don’t voice.

in general even at work I do have questions asked but they are more diplomatically phrased- so now I’m wondering am I actually being judged/ pitied?

I prefer the general teachings and morals of Christianity compared to the strict rules and regulations of islam. That's just me.

Ohhh Original sin is a good one. Especially since we still need forgiveness from it, even in this day and age. Just your little reminder that your downfall was cause by a woman. Ta.

Sin (and needing to be 'saved') is a made up concept too.

I would judge. I would assume that it is done in order to win over a Muslim man whose family required it. I wouldn't assume that the person was oppressed, but were dressing to please their man, having convinced themselves that they weren't. It would seem a bit of a naive decision to me. All religions are constructed by men in order to largely control the lives of women. The more traditional the culture surrounding the religion, the less freedoms women enjoy.

You still choose to use those particular words though - why?

I'm anti-monarchist.
It is indoctrination to take a child to a religious service and to promote the idea that a certain religion is truth.

Women are blamed for original sin and the fall. Catholicism doesn't allow contraception and many women who can't afford them have many children, women are also prone to STDs and AIDS. It also forbids abortion so that victims of sexual assault, rape or those with foetal abnormalities had to give birth.

The bible says that women should obey their husbands which traditionalists interpret as him being head of the house with her submitting.

Christianity has a virgin/whore dichotomy with the Virgin Mary as the ideal and the fallen woman. Women are seen as temptresses and sex as only for within marriage and for procreation. In some cultures, that meant women who fell pregnant out of wedlock or as teenagers were punished and ostracized.

In some branches, divorce is forbidden and women are pressured to stay in abusive marriages. It's only recently that women can become church leaders and that's in some sects. Nuns in the Vatican for example are expected to wait on priests for free.

Then it's also probably indoctrination to take your child to an arsenal football match and get him to wear arsenal football matches

Is it indoctrination for Chinese parents to celebrate Chinese new year with their kids (which BTW is based on a pagan festival - whole mytical story behind it but in reality is also the spring festival). To celebrate the mid autumn festival?

Diwali for Indian children?

So do I

At least it's more liberal

I am no big fan of the monarchy either but even I accept that they will never go away in my lifetime (I am 31). They will continue to rule, king Charles and Prince William and Prince george and the rest of their spawn.

So for as long as prince Charles is celebrated as head of the C of E I demand all religions to be given equal status and for its adherent to be respected

Our king also wants to be defender of all faiths so let his majesty be
.

@Opalfleur2026
Eh?
Are parents telling now their kids that the Arsenal Manager is the only true manager and that they must worship him to have eternal life?
What a ridiculous comparison. 😔

Judaism doesn't believe there is a heaven. So no would never tell anyone that

I don't actually believe God exists tbh. I also am open to the idea he/she may exist. Belief in God is not a prerequisite to be Jewish, and that is also for converts though I appreciate orthodox converts may disagree..

That's why I chose my religion BTW cos it doesn't require you to believe in God.

I do take my DS to footie and we spend most if the time taking the piss out of players and managers.
I am teaching my children to disrespect all religions equally, as well as the royalty, in our own home..We can't sadly do this in public because it causes too much offence, but we should be able to.
Comparing the royals to religion is a bad analogy. I am yet to see anyone arrested or killed for blaspheming the royals.

Firstly not all religions say that.

In Judaism there is even a story that in auschwitz God was placed on trial by the inmates for abandoning the Jewish people.

The rabbis amongst them debated this for a while and then it was held that yes God had abandoned the Jewish people. But then as dawn had broken it was time for the morning prayer and then they prayed

This story is often the subject of biblical commentary, that belief in God is not a prerequisite for religious practice.

www.thejc.com/news/wiesel-yes-we-really-did-put-god-on-trial-gjs45iw9

Actually Hinduism allows you to be an atheist. It's not a very well known fact though.

My point is not that the royals are a religion but their existence is upheld by divine right aka Christianity. The monarch is also head of the church of England. The royals are anointed by God hence why the coronation is also a religious service
.

And as we are a diverse country now if Christians can have their religion , why can't Muslims and Jews and Hindus and Buddhists

We have a state religion aka this country is one that cannot reject religion unless it wants to say there is one true religion aka C of E. We are past that stage. Religion is literally the foundation of the United Kingdom aka an adapted version or Christianity.

They still believe in the existence a god figure though, even if they think that figure has abandoned them at a point in time.

Royals aren't actually anointed by any god though.
It's also an outdated concept.

Many Jewish people don't believe in God.. 66% of us believe it's not necessary according to stats. Only 34% of British Jews believe in God 'as described in the bible' including many synagogue going Jews.

If you believe in a monarchy you believe in the framework. You may not personally believe in it but most people in this country support and love the monarch.

If you tell people in this country we should get rid of the monarch and the religious coronation service they would be immensely offended

But I suspect that it doesn't matter if people judge the OP, as she's already judged them too as being ignorant or unenlightened, judging by her responses. She can happily feel superior based upon her better knowledge of the rules of Islam; rules that were invented by men for the purpose of controlling roles in society. Just because she happens to enjoy the privilege of being raised as a strong independent woman and enjoys a fair and balanced relationship, that doesn't mean that the vast majority of muslim women enjoy the same. There will be vastly different experiences of Muslim women. She has judged others for making observations based upon their limited interactions with muslim women, whilst using equally limited evidence (her own personal experience) to negate them. And of course, no religion is ever set in stone. Followers cherry pick or reinterpret the scriptures to suit themselves, so they evolve over time.

@Opalfleur2026 I love that story and the symbolism. Thank you for that. I learned something new. Actually I found a lot of your posts informative and interesting. Not something I’m very familiar with.

I intentionally chose a problematic concept that was the parallel of how the veiled woman was being described, which was as an object and not human

I just like the teachings of Jesus Christ in the NT.