Re: Living in a non-Muslim Country can be seen as a test of faith
I think the question should be more like, how can I fit in here while adhering to the beleifs that I hold important. Who CARES if your neighbor gets drunk (although in my entire life of living in US of a, I never had a neighbor like this) but so WHAT? Does the neighbor do anything to force you to abandon your beleifs? Or does the neighbor leave you to yourself? It can be a very easy thing to live side-by-side with someone of a different culture, or it can be a very difficult thing. You can go out after work with colleagues and have a pepsi while they have a beer (beleive me THEY dont care) Or you can turn up your nose and go home. More than likely, you'd be missing out on getting to know some really nice and decent people.
It's not always so easy to drink Pepsi in such a situation, it's awkward and a lot of Non-Muslim people do make a big deal if we don't have a drink, I've had friends/classmates who made a big deal about me not being able to eat pork, drink alcohol and have to pray so often, they would say to me "f*** your religion man", I even got fed a ham and cheese toasty and they told me it was turkey... Eveentually conform not matter how strong your principals are, it’s hard when your mnate is going away at a girl on the back seat and you’re sat in the front trying to stay a virgin, it doesn’t happen.. Conformity (to good or bad) is part of human nature, it's in our nature to conform to the ways of the company we keep, too much exposure to a sin and you become desensitised to it, maybe that's why Islaam tells us to watch what sort of company we keep.
I agree that those Muslims that are to stay in these countries need to have more interactions with non-Muslims, but that can be done doing things which are allowed by our religion such as playing sports together or going to a football match or a meal at a halal/kosher place, not that many White people would want to do that with smelly big nosed Pakis..
If a Muslim doesn't go to the pub with his colleagues it doesn't mean he's being stuck up or hates his colleagues, he just wishes not to be in a sinful environment, if I start chilling at the pub and say I have kids I take them with me, they'll grow up seeing people drink so they’ll be desensitised to it and they wouldn't think it a big deal to drink, one thing leads to the next... Everyone should be allowed to choose their social circle, everyone hangs with those that share their values, to White people our non-alcoholic lifestyle would be boring, to us their alcohol consumption is wrong, that doesn't mean to say we shouldn't be respectful and cordial towards each other, at my work there is a Tranny and a Zimbabwean Seventh Day Adventist, the latter is always condemning the former saying how they don't have such abominations as trannies, gays and lesbos in his country and is very cold towards the tranny, that sort of an attitude is well wrong, if a Muslim has that sort of an attitude now that's wrong, I as a Muslim don't agree with the tranny but I have a responsibility as his colleague to behave cordially and professionally towards this person and I do despite not agreeing with their lifestyle..
It's not all bad though, not all Western/White people are unaccepting of course, I worked with this old lady in catering and she once asked me about my dietary habits and whether it was hard sticking to them, I told her it's all easy except for bacon, “bacon smells a little tempting”, all of them use to have bacon and egg butties for breakfast before then but the next day and for days afterwards they had cereal instead, they didn't say anything but I know it was because they didn't want me to feel left out and didn’t want to tempt me, now I don't like people going to any inconvenience for me and they shouldn't have to do that because I didn't mind in the least but it was very sweet of them and I'll always remember that. This lady has recently become a lil cold but that's because the Indian she works with has been brainwashing her against Pakistanis (their other colleague told me some of the things he says).
honestly has any one ever come across a situation like this?It is tragic to fill up the mind of kids with gunk like that. I have been in a situation that is the reverse an anglo kid (about 4 or 5) making gun signs with index finger and thumb to shoot off hijabis in public library. I’d say assimilating while adhering to religion is the hardest bit about living in non muslim country, and not every one can do it. Be your own judge.