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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

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AIBU to want my christmas tree back?

285 replies

AnotherRandom · 13/12/2014 19:49

I am shaking with rage at the moment. My husband has taken down the Christmas tree. There is a back story which I have to give.

I have always celebrated Christmas even though I'm not a Christian. I love this time of the year, it is my favourite. My family have always done the celebrations so to me it is normal and part of life.

He converted to Islam over a year ago and told me yesterday that either I take the tree down or he will. This is because he said it is a pagan tradition (I know it's origins) and idol worship to have it in the house and it is against his religion.

I explained to him, felt more like justify to him, my choice but he wouldn't agree.

I returned home to find it gone. It's nowhere to be found in the house. I've checked the garage, loft, shed and any place I could think of. I don't know what he's done with it. I am so upset :(

Aibu to want to have the tree up? I even tried to compromise and said I would only have it up for a week in December. He said no. My daughter was confused and asked where the tree has gone :( she helped me decorate it this year too and it's all gone. What a shit day.

OP posts:
ohtheholidays · 14/12/2014 21:17

AnotherRandom did you speak to your sister and your parents?I hope you and your DC are okay.

Unidentifieditem · 14/12/2014 21:45

You stay there, and let him scare and upset your daughter as he slowly kills all enjoyment in your lives. You stay there and let him extinguish all joy from your life and allow your DD to witness her mother suffer. You stay there and slowly break her heart as well as yours, yet she won't know it is unusual, she will grow thinking her father behaves normally and slowly it will form her view of men in general and relationships, and you will look back and wonder why the fuck you didn't just leave that Sunday afternoon and run to your parents for help...

Fingeronthebutton · 14/12/2014 22:36

Please read this Lemmiscared.
I had 19 wonderful with a wonderful man. I wanted for nothing. I adored him,I still do, he is my everything.
Even when we parted for 2 years he was there for me in everything. Fix car, fix plumbing, decorating etc etc.
No two men could be further apart than this piece of shite and my OH.

lemisscared · 15/12/2014 10:39

Your standards are clearly a lot lower than mine.

Fingeronthebutton · 15/12/2014 12:29

Unidentifieditem. That says it all.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 15/12/2014 12:34

Fingeronthebutton is right - that post sums the whole thing up perfectly

Hope you're okay, AnotherRandom - have you put anything in place to get away from this horror yet?

GoatsDoRoam · 15/12/2014 12:49

You are very lucky to have family who live nearby and who are willing to support you, OP.

Even if you didn't have them, you are lucky enough to live in a country where services like Women's Aid, Legal Aid, police, and Refuge are there for you, whenever you feel ready ask for their help.

msrisotto · 15/12/2014 12:55

Oh OP, this thread is so so sad. I know it is obviously a scary thought for you, but...please leave. You don't need this shit, you're an adult and you get to decide how to go about your own life. You will be so much happier without him.

Chillyegg · 15/12/2014 13:05

Erm I'm a Muslim and were putting a tree up!....the tree is a real side issue hear. In Islam were taught to respect and care for each other. And contrary to popular media belief it's actually forbidden for us to be extremists were taught to try and follow the middle path and try and be mindefull of others and respect others beliefs. So for him to disregard you be disrespectful of you and your beliefs traditions and cultures is actually unislamic in my view. I'd be mindefull of who he's being taught by or whare he's getting his information from. Unfortunately sometimes reverts get misguided by a select few

Fingeronthebutton · 15/12/2014 13:15

I think we've lost her. She knows that everything we've said is true and doesn't want to hear it.
Sad to say but very true of abused women.

tipsytrifle · 15/12/2014 13:20

Totally agree with Chillyegg ...

I too wonder if we've lost OP or if she is now banned from the internet? Things had a feel of picking up their pace by way of oppression and control.

Chillyegg · 15/12/2014 13:36

Op after reading this thread through you need to protect your self and your daughter. Your husbands abusive behaviour is forbidden in Islam. My husband has done haij we were both born in this country were both British Asian. Neither one of us or our families would condone that behaviour! It isn't the religion I know at all! It's control and it's abuse and it's wrong! I hope you find the solution for you and you become safe and happy! I implore you ring women's aid you don't need a bunch of strangers telling you what to do! But get help and get safe.
Hugs
Xxxxx
Flowers

skyeskyeskye · 15/12/2014 13:40

I hope that you are OK OP. I have no experience of the religion that your H has chosen, but I know that some religions expect the wife to be submissive and not work etc, so he may step up with his expectations of what you should or shouldn't be doing.

I think that spending Christmas with your parents sounds like a great idea.

The marriage is over OP, you know that. He has told your parents that he expects you to change. Well if you are who you are and you are happy that way, then thats that isn't it?

You cannot change to please him or to conform to his new religion.

His abusive behaviour will only get worse and worse I feel.

Hissy · 15/12/2014 13:41

My ex was a muslim and insisted on having a tree up, even when confronted with utter shite from his ill informed compatriots. He was abusive too, and regularly cited islam as a reason why he needed to treat me differently. when it suited him.

that's how they are brainwashed 'educated' in his country.

I agree this man is no more muslim than my handbag is, he is using it (bored sigh) as a method of control.

I must take issue (a bit) wiht htis from Fingeronthebutton:

I think we've lost her. She knows that everything we've said is true and doesn't want to hear it.
Sad to say but very true of abused women.

There is a slippery slope of abuse, it is insidious and gradual.

this is also true of recovery/escape.

One of the reasons why dragging an abuse victim out of a hideous relationship often results in them returning is that until they are ready for the message, and until the head has cleared a little from the terrifying and gripping fear that victims of abuse live with day in day out, they are not ready

It take on average about 2 years for an abuser to show their true selves. it takes about the same for a victim of low level Domestic Abuse to move past the realisation that this is not right and that they can and must do something about it.

Let's not write this OP off eh? this is part of a process.

she is now on the path, whether she can do anything about it now, or if she needs more time to gather the immense strength and overcome the tremendous fear, she IS more aware now than she was.

Yes she is in a situation of extreme danger. an abuser who has strangled their victim at any point of their relationship places their victim in the highest category of risk wrt being one of the statistics for those who don't survive the abuse.

What I always urge on threads like these is by all means express your dismay at the treatment they are getting, but please don't round on the victim.

For one, the victim is used to dealing with bigger and badder than anything thrown at them on here, but also the abuse they have suffered has been normalised, so our reactions of shock and consternation come as a HUGE surprise to them and they will struggle to process it all.

AnotherRandom - my love if you are still reading, please PM anyone you need to, or change names and post on the Challenging Family Christmas thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/2240474-A-Challenging-Family-Christmas-Make-yourself-at-home-here?

You need handholding, support and to know that we ARE here for you and will be, whenever you need to talk.

Chillyegg · 15/12/2014 13:43

Also can I add if your husband does try and make you not work or not let you out the house then that is also incorrect in Islam. It your choice to work. I'm a special educational TA and I'd be astounded if my husband said to me I can't work.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 15/12/2014 14:17

Erm I'm a Muslim and were putting a tree up! .... the tree is a real side issue hear

Totally agree with you, Chillyegg (love the name, by the way Wink)

Just because some twist a religion to back up their own actions doesn't mean the basic teachings are at fault, but sadly this a*hole seems to have picked something he thinks he can use to justify himself

I still can't get over his visit to OP's parents; it would almost be funny if it wasn't so serious ...

Hissy · 15/12/2014 14:19

This as NOTHING to do with religion peeps, it's just a thing he has hijacked to control her and make her suffer.

Chillyegg · 15/12/2014 15:12

Why thank you Puzzleandpissedoff I agree religion is a side issue! I hope that the op realised how incredible it is that even making steps to go speak to someone else is increadible brave! I hope in a few months we hear an ahamzeing success story and the op is safe and sound!

AnotherRandom · 15/12/2014 16:09

Hello all, you haven't lost me! I was busy yesterday with my sister and family.

I've been working today so have only just managed to catch up. Will read and post in a few minutes after reading through all the posts x

OP posts:
ChasedByBees · 15/12/2014 16:16

OP, he is really abusive. Please do leave.

Logically, why should it bother him if you go home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? They are just two ordinary days to him aren't they?

Fingeronthebutton · 15/12/2014 16:24

I suppose that I came to that conclusion from my own experience.
I finally ( I thought) got my Mother out of the abusive/violent situation with my Father. Set her up with a flat. Got her a job. Clothed her ( she had nothing) And then one day she just up and left and went back to him after one year apart.

AnotherRandom · 15/12/2014 16:27

Hissy, thank you for hitting the nail on the head. I feel so exposed now for having spoken about my life to my family and now everyone here.

My life is not what I had hoped for and it is indeed a massive shock to now have to sort this out.

I know everyone wants me to up and leave but that is not what I want to do. I need to do this on my terms. It's really hard. I know some of you have done this and are on the other side, but I have never felt so scared to have to now think about what to do.

I spoke with my family and they are definitely happy to have us (dd and I) stay over for Christmas. I'm really excited to be surrounded by people who love this time of year and want to celebrate with us!!

I had an amazing time talking with my sister about many things related to this and everyone, like yourselves, are saying the same thing.

What makes it difficult is that I do still care for my husband a lot and this makes it all so messed up. We spoke last night but even after talking through how to better our relationship, I still don't feel satisfied by it. I feel empty? Is that normal?

He has some odd views for example, he told me because it's currently the time of the month, I am not being rational with my tone of voice and my opinions Hmm that really fucked me off.

I feel numb. I feel overloaded with opinions from everyone about what to do and i need time to process it all. My mum is furious with him. As is my sister and my best friend. It's all so overwhelming :( I'm sorry if you are getting angry with my inability to just do something but I can't. I need time :(

OP posts:
Hatespiders · 15/12/2014 16:28

My dh is a Muslim and has been all his life. We have always had a Christmas tree and he adores helping me to decorate it. He puts up more decorations than I would. This is fundamentalist nonsense. My dh would never hurt or upset me like this.

Hatespiders · 15/12/2014 16:29

By the way, I'm a practising Christian and my dh comes to church sometimes! He came to Harvest Festival and carried the basket of fruit up to the altar alongside our two farmers with the bread and the wheat! He's a Sunni Muslim.

Boomtownsurprise · 15/12/2014 16:40

When you visit your parents please ensure you take and leave there the following...

Passport for you and dd
Dd birth certificate

Christmas would be a good time to leave. Dd wouldn't notice in the kerfuffle of presents and visiting guests. Go and don't go back.