You will always have people who will critique and analyze your ways because you are different. Because your life doesnt fit their cookie cutter version of a Pakistani woman, you’re up for discussion. These things make me so mad sometimes…in so many ways Pakistanis are talented and then in so many ways…so archaic.
I really do try to understand the nature of the questioning. A polite inquiry that really seems like genuine interest in finding the right information is always treated with respect. A mocking or condescending attitude gets the same in return.
Sara, you will run into ignorance your entire life…Allah swt has made human beings in all shapes and sizes. You and I have our place and Im sure they have theirs. Unko unke haal pe chordo.
Recently, at work I have initiated a few social events because some of my colleagues are just so…searching for the right word…anti social? One of the events is a potluck. We’re a diverse group of people so its hard to organize things like this…all of us have different tastes in food. Even though I’m the only Muslim Pakistani/desi now…there are quite a few people who don’t eat pork. When I addressed this issue, we had a lady who had the nerve to send out a mass email asking everyone in the office “who the heck doesn’t eat pork around here?”. Reason? She thought it was only me who doesn’t eat it and I was making a big stink about being considerate of other peoples’ diets just for me, myself and I. She’s one of those “praise the Lawwwwwd Jesus” types that thinks everyone else is a heathen. We have only 18 people in our office, 6 of them don’t eat pork! Oooooh, the drama just so she could eat some bacon! The ignorance is so frustrating, I want to take a bat to her head but then I stop and think…why bother? People change/learn/adapt/etc ONLY when they want to.
