Yes. And the reason is that people living in the West probably have a real significant other that they can send a Valentine card to, as oppose to Jamal of North Nazimabad who is posting Valentine message on his Facebook wall for “oos ajnabi haseena ke naam jis kee muskurahat aaj bus stop pe mera dil churaa ke le gayee”
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
Why are Muslims so uncomfortable in their own skin?
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
maybe because we are brain-washed to be?
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
You can ask THEM when you come across any??
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
Try? They participate as they see fit or they do not. There is no try about it.
Those who live and work in multicultural environments form bonds with people of other customs. Participation can be a way of honouring those bonds.
Perspective is an important thing, but apparently judgement takes less effort.
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
Hey, it’s super religious awesome Muslim Saudi guy here.
Diwana, why do you, as a Muslim in Pakistan, feel the need to conform to blasphemous traditions like basant and mehndis? Why not be a real Muslim like me?
kthxbye.
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
How did you come to conclude he is in pakistan?
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
Should’ve told him that a big nose is better than a bulbous one like his own. 
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
Butt ji…apko masla kya hai aakhir? Jab dekho khanay ko dortay ho.
The point of this thread is to pick on overseas Pakistani Muslims…telling them they don’t know who they are…they’ve lost their identity or something.
They haven’t lost their identity…they have a new one. Just like a lot of Indians did when Pakistan was born.
Muslims who eat chicken salad sandwiches have no place in the world? What Book of Rules are you reading and who makes these rules?
Pakistanis themselves have a borrowed identity…sorry to say but its true. We were all Indians before and STILL look like them, eat similar foods, dress like them, etc.
Am I imagining the borrowed occasions of Basant, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Mehndi, Mayun, Barat, etc?
Aap karein to sahi, hum karein to ghalat, right?
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
We are, aren’t we? I wonder where it starts?
Is the constant drilling that we’re different from the world? Is it something else?
And are we all that different from the rest of the world the same Allah swt created?
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
**For example perhaps no one from another faith or religion sitting on same table eating dinner may not talk to them? **
This would be more of a south Asian perspective. As for us, born and raised in the west, we treat people sitting on the same table as ordinary humans instead of seeing them as God gifted, cherubic creatures. I could care less if someone doesn’t feel the need to talk to me. We don’t go around dying to speak to someone just because they’re Caucasian / Christian.
5- Is this a sign of slave mentality?
No this is a sign of proper etiquette and perhaps some assimilation. Do you really want to know what slave mentality is? People wearing skin tight jeans in a culture where salwar kameez is a national dress code.
As I’ve stated in another thread, I only give holiday gifts to important who are very well aware of my religious affiliation. They return the favor on Eid. This is an acceptance for one another as we are a part of the same society. Some people, despite of living, progressing, benefiting from a nation, remain** rigid **enough to take derisory details of a society and label them injurious to their own faith. This breed might as well ship themselves back to the country they came from.
Before raising such belligerent questions, people must realize that we are a** minority** in the West, and our inflexibility would successfully increase the revulsion of non Muslims against us. We are not conforming, but moderately assimilating and trying to be part of a society like any other minority generation, in any other country would. Oh wait, now I happen to be consulting the same set of meticulous desiz who treat their minorities like pieces of candy wrappers.
So what is it that you expect Muslims to do? Sit in a box and lock ourselves out of the entire western society? It is** natural** to incorporate towards a culture in which you’ve been involved for a long period of time. There’s much more to Islam apart from being dispatched to Hell merely for exchanging gifts for the purpose of fraternity. Why don’t you inquire Hinduism derived customs that persist in Pakistan today? The truth is, everybody finds it much easier to target Muslims abroad. These detractors **mimic **the western customs to their utmost potential only to later criticize Western Muslims for the same reason – merely seeking religious superiority complex after using conformity as an excuse in an attempt to degrade Muslims abroad.
As an end note, most Muslim families living abroad are probably superior Muslims as compared to those who denounce them, because living in a western country has taught us to develop** self restraint** and **willpower **as we have given up on so many things, at the same time having very little to choose from. And this sort of sanctimonious, critical nonsense is the last thing we opt for.
P.S. Don’t take it personally Diwana, I’m speaking to a general group of people.
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
I do not do any of these things but I do get Christmas gifts!
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
My uncle and aunt living outside Pakistan old enough that there third generation is growing up but never ever heard and saw that they’re celebrating ^ days, like putting Christmas trees in their home etc. Wishing non Muslims on Christmas, Diwali is not an issue but celebrating one, huh?
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
Ok. The only thing that I don’t get is, for whatever reasons some Muslims celebrate/(or just exchange gifts… ainwaeeeen on ) such occasions… Why don’t non-Muslims, goras and kalas, celebrate Muslim’s occasions? Like Eid, like Bari-Eid, not exactly the same way we do but maybe exchanging gifts on eid or distributing Eidis among their kids… chalo aiwaeeeeeen hi sahi!!!
Kaash ke ye bhi hum jitnay sakhi hotay 
Hum log kuch zada hi darya dil hain 
Aray bhai, you guys are again getting your news from geo or ary. None of the Muslim families that I know of living in USA, Canada or UK CELEBRATE Christmas or exchange gifts or put a Christmas tree in their house. The closest they come is they attend thier office Christmas party, which is Nye called a holiday party, or they go to Christmas sales. That is it.
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
true that! mujh jaisa daqyaanoosii bhii is ‘gunaah’ kaa murtakib hai! 
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
Bhaijaan same here but the news about putting Christmas tree didn’t come from ary or geo but some GS members who actually do if you go through precious posts.
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
So your answer is agreeing with the No: 1 option?
I don’t know what **“****religion is not always to be carried as 'handle with care” **means.
Religion is important element in large majority of people ever lived or living on this great place named Earth.
Only a minority of people ever lived or living on this place have no respect for religion.
And yet, somehow these minority Anti-Religious people have assumed power and control over majority religious people by taking over powerful tools like media, weapons etc. over the religious people who are passive, weak and complacent.
Nice excuse.
I used those qualifiers after thinking for a while just not to be accused of generalizing.
Go ahead, remove those qualifiers and answer.
Really?
If they knew some of those festivals directly contradict Islamic belief and teaching, will they still “enjoy” ?
Enjoyment by itself has never been considered as legit reason.
Some people enjoy tormenting other people. Should we consider tormenting people acceptable.
Enjoyment has never been considers as a standard of right and wrong, especially if it contradicted against basic social, legal, or religious principals.
People enjoy cocaine use. Deeba1234 post makes cocaine acceptable since deeba says:
**7. because they actually enjoy it
**
Some Muslims living in majority Non-Muslim places or countries become very defensive and adamant when it comes to traditions and holidays which they think they should be engaged to,… to be seen as conformed to or be assimilated to just to avoid stereotyped, generealized hatred against Muslims in general.
Having real “significant other” is not an Islamic standard.
Jamal thinks if his counterpart living in Non-Muslim highly developed countries are following Valentine tradition then it must be good.
He could have sent the same message to his love message to that haseena any day but he finds Muslims living outside Nazimabad as his ideals and…boy how misguided is he.
I had the answer for you but refrained since I do not want to be accused of dealing this matter on my own and reporting at the same time.
No generalization. Enough is enough. You should know better. You are being reported for spreading generalized hateful comment. And repeatedly!!
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
Sorry for delay in answering/responding other posts. Rest assured, when I get time, I will. Stay tuned.
The thread again is not about Pakistanis versus Non-Pakistanis.
Re: A question for Muslims who feel they need to conform to perceived expectations
Did not mean to talk about customs. It was about those activities which have religious or anti-religious basis.
No diea if mehndi is blasphemous. Basant does have religious basis and if followed or celebrated by Muslims, then it means they are going against their religious teaching.
Just because Muslims are minority in “west”, does not mean then have to act exactly same as majority non-Muslims.
When was the last time a Non-Muslim asked minority non-Muslim to get assimilated, copy them, or follow their religious acts?
Non-Muslims when living in majority Muslim countries are not forced to follow Muslim festivals and nor do they follow Muslim holidays.
It is Muslims who are hell bent on and find excuses to follow Non-Muslim religious or any other anti-religious festivals.
No idea why.
There is no real thing as following “proper ettiquate” when it contradicts religious belief.
Culture is not superior to religion.
You have wrong idea of being assimilated. There is a difference in being assimilated and becoming like others…by actions.
Muslims do not get brownie points in following those religious celebrations.
All they do is make them feel better they they are part of a larger crowd.
Absolutely!
“Some Muslims” do put Christmas lights and Christmas tree in their houses and invite others with proud feeling. Yes they do.
Jews do not follow Christians holidays and Christians do not follow Jews Holidays. None of these two follow Hindu or Muslims religious days, but odd enough, some Muslims jump up and down to follow others religious based holidays in the name of being assimilated!!!