The Muslim Tearoom

[HardlyEverHoovers]

Salaams/peace to all! I'm already missing our old thread, so taking the bull by the horns and opening our very own Muslim Tearoom, all welcome (non-Muslims too of course), to chat, share, ask questions etc etc. Imagine a cosy cafe with floor cushions, tea and coffee of all kinds, and lovely cakes! Please join me!

'Eid Mubarak' works pretty universally to wish a happy Eid.

Years ago, ex came home excitedly fomr Eid prayer to tell me the bus driver had wished him a 'Eid Mubarak' he was so happy and pleasantly surprised (our area was not terribly diverse or welcoming at that time).

So it should work, And you are so incredibly sweet to be so thoughtful

My pupils are the lovely ones! I encourage them to use English even outside of the classroom if they see me, and they always do ("Hello miss, how are you?" in the corridors, "enjoy your meal" at the canteen and "goodbye, have a nice weekend" at the gates on Friday) so I would like to encourage them by doing the same.

I shall now go and practice saying Eid Murbarak!

Without the rogue 'r' obviously

Thank you for the warm welcome, I'd love a mint tea please, are there any macroute (no idea how to say that in English)?

Bled is a common word which is used as much by the French community as the Arabic one, it's just home village as in where you come from originally, I should have thought that it does come from balad.

Barakallah feek, glad it's working, I find when one gives children responsibility they rise to it admirably Alhumdulillah.

Trick is don't let it get personal, if they forget, they forget, not your fault. That's my stance anyway (and I have no way of going back and bringing forgotten items to school either!).

We're not doing much for Eid, just going to my mums, I still need ot ocnfirm my day off, I booked annual leave and my manager hasnt authorsied it and is instead taken the day off hereself, I'm going to check with her manager but it shoudl be fine, I'm pretty sure the place wont fall down if I take one days annual leave (I still have several weeks leave due and the years almost over!).

Salaams, my pupils are in 4ème and 3ème (years 9 & 10) so not that old. The French aren't quite as fussy about children missing school, especially for religious reasons (school here is 100% laique, so we can't really begrudge our pupils have time off to celebrate if they're not allowed to do so in school at all).

I have a former pupil on Facebook who has promised me some oriental pastries, so I'm really looking forward to that

OMG, I love that Sheikh may Allah have mercy on him, I heard his reply RE; DV a few years back and it made my cry, it felt like he spoke on my behalf.

I agree scholarship should be within the remit of our daughters especially. But I think we need to begin with ourselves, we need to show our daughters the way forward, I know my girls want to be like me when they grow older because they think I am really cool (dunno how long that will last, and the fact each time they've come with me to work there's been chocolate has probably been part of the reason lol).

I've known men who do not want wives who are scholars as they know they will demand their rights and these 'men' do not want to be husbands who live according to Allah's laws.

My girls will study Islamic fiqh inshallah alongside conventional studies.

Well I wished my pupils Eid Mubarak and they gave me huge grins, and for once they were the ones correcting my pronunciation I have been promised plenty of treats on Thursday when I next see them!

Anyway, thank you very much for you help and hospitality, and Eid Murbarak, Kullu Amantu Bi Khair.

Oh Viking you're so sweet, thank you so much

I got the day off, my manager's manager was happy, as I said, Idoubt very much the place will fall down if I'm not around for a day.

Eid Mubarak everyone.

Eid Mubarak sisters!!!

Eid Mubarak, and as a little gift, here's something you might enjoy, it's a webcomic featuring a hijabi heroine:
qahera.tumblr.com

qahera.tumblr.com

Well, yesterday we had meetings all afternoon at school with the local primary school teachers (we're a middle school).

We we're put into groups of ten teachers to discuss different topics about of schools. One of the primary teachers in my group was saying how they'd made it a rule to speak only French at school (ie no Arabic).

I said that was ridiculous in a school where over half the children are Maghreb. The teacher said the rule was established after the kids sang happy birthday to another pupil in Arabic.

I was so shocked it took me a few moments to react, luckily the teacher next to me jumped in saying that he was sure it wouldn't have shocked anyone if the kids had sung in English or Spanish. Her reply: probably not, but that's because the teachers could understand English and Spanish .

Anyway, after the meeting, in the staff room, I wanted to discuss it with other teachers not in our group. The attitudes appalled me, the overall consensus is that teachers are shocked to see our pupils putting on a veil when they walk out of the school gates as it means that they are submissive to men and that following the Muslim culture isn't compatible with being a good French citizen and therefor shouldn't have its place at all in schools.

Someone even said that if you wanted to fit into French society you had to be French (this was said to me, I'm British and have been living here for almost 20 years).

The only person who really seemed to be on the same page as me, was my husband (we work in the same school). He tried to compare the veil with the mini skirt; both are banned in our school, so he asked why the mini skirt was banned. First reaction was "because it makes girls look like sluts" second "so boys won't be tempted to touch girls' bums".

We tried to explain that these reactions were just "our" cultural beliefs (I say "our" as I consider myself to be part of that culture although my own personal belief is that a woman should be able to wear what she wants) , as is covering your hair for Muslims, but they said it was completely different

End of rant. Sorry that was so long!

I think I might print out and translate that first web comic, translate it into French and put it up in the staff room.

Eid saeed sis Sammy and GoshAnne

Viking; this attitude of women wearing headscarves are oppressed and too stupid to make their own decisions is actually prevalent, in the UK too. I have had this very reaction on one of the regular 'hijab should be banned and here's why' threads on MN. A poster had the audacity to tell me, I should not have the choice to wear hijab because I chose to so clearly I was too stupid to make the right choice, therefore I should be subject to her interpretation of correct dress, as my choice (which wasn't a choice as I am brain washed and too stupid to have autonomy over my own sartorial choices) was oppressing myself and other women who might be forced to wear the headscarf. Lets not actually consider that I have made the free choice (against ex's will) to wear hijab and hold down a high powered job in a very competitive industry and have the respect and admiration of a lot of male and female.

Also the it's just not 'English' and you cant wear that if you want to assimilate into British society is also depressing but old hat repeated over and over by xenophobes and racists frankly. As the only thing preventing me from truly integrating with British society is attitudes such as this.

Everyone else has a right to wear whatever they want, I don't give a rats arse who wears what, mini skirts/butts hanging out on display in leggings and short tops/trousers half way down the bum etc. it is not my concern (altho the mum in me worries they will catch a chill in the current weather).
I expect the same courtesy as afforded every other person walking down the street, to be allowed to dress as I find comfortable, for me this includes a headscarf which does not have any issues attached to it pertaining to security or anything else, it is just good old fashioned hate against Islam and Muslims which people objecting should have the guts to own up too.