Why I don't date.

[ahmadjee]

Re: Why I don't date.

PD bhaijaan, just to add to your worries, another article claims that churches around the US are going after the 13 year olds as they think it is the prime age to get converts.

[system]

Re: Why I don’t date.

@Mr Bombastic

it goes for u too hun .

now get ur foot long pubirty shaved .. its causing abnormility.

dude, stop being an idiot and fear Allah

Hiccup. I agree, the topic’s been covered a lot of times, however that alone doesnt make it any less important to the person who’s writing it.

[hiccup]

Re: Why I don't date.

I am against typical things for the sake of selling - I dont care who its from, which child or which author or which race. We need to encourage kids to be more creative rahter than happily praise mediocre eforts on boring overwraught themes.

I am not denying the piece is well written but again, it was an easy topic.

[hiccup]

Re: Why I don't date.

Maniac, if it is important to the kid then maybe I am placing the blame in the wrong box.

[ahmadjee]

Re: Why I don't date.

hicy, what would you have written about your life when you were 13?

[hiccup]

Re: Why I don’t date.

@Pinstripe Danda

^ who the fk cares about 13 yr olds aj bhaijaan. 13 yr olds or for that matter kids, until the age of 21, should not even talk. And from 21 -25 only when they are drinking.

Array hush - you are all past it after 30 anyway - and I’ll assume that this was just senility speaking.

[Pinstripe_Danda]

Re: Why I don't date.

AJ, see what I mean. 13 yr olds are impressionable stupid sihtheads. Why can't they write about something that people want to read, like a day in the life of Monica Belluci. Or Corvertible arb/long-short...lets dance. Or even a year long series on religious nitwits and why they should be shot on sight...replete with photos pre-post shooting so we cna see the improvement.

[hiccup]

Re: Why I don’t date.

@ahmadjee

hicy, what would you have written about your life when you were 13?

ts not that far back :=p. At 13 I was in year 9 - at 13 I was somewhat obsessed with educating the world. I would have written an article on how its annoying when adults call childish passions “phases”

[minah_pa]

Re: Why I don't date.

Who cares about whether the topic was done to death or not or even easy (not even touching that one).... I liked it and for a 13yr old, it was well written and concisely done.... get a grip...

[hiccup]

Re: Why I don’t date.

@minah_pa

Who cares

Amen.

over and out lovelies.

[ahmadjee]

Re: Why I don't date.

And hiccy you think the editors at TIME would have taken that to be something extraordinary coming from a desi girl? This guys little piece probably got published cos thats' what they expected a Pakistani Muslim kid in his 13 to write about.

[hiccup]

Re: Why I don't date.

ahmedjee - i would have thought its a topic most kids relate to, as most kids find their annoyances/loves being called "phases" rather - well, annoying. Also I would have hoped that my gender and my race wul dnot have played any part in determining the merits of my writing.

But you are correct and you make my point

[Sara516]

Re: Why I don’t date.

@ahmadjee

Well written, probably corrected by the editor but still a nice way to put forward his struggles.

From a 13 year Old Pakistani American in this week’s TIME

My life growing up in California has continually been shaped by the fact that I’m a Muslim Pakistani American. I’m faced with the same day-to-day challenges as any other boy my age, but the way I meet them is very different because of my culture and religion. The way I choose to live my life often seems unusual to my peers, and as a result, my principles are sometimes questioned.

One thing that seems to set me the farthest apart is that my culture and religion do not accept the American concept of dating. Any teenager living in America knows how big an emphasis is placed on having boyfriends or girlfriends, both in society and in the media. On television any show that’s meant for a teenage audience covers the topic of dating nearly a hundred times. At school it’s the only thing kids seem to talk about. Thus you can see how significant the fact that I don’t date is in my life and how hard it makes it just to fit in. All my closest friends either have girlfriends or want to, which makes it difficult to have a conversation with them without this topic arising. I’m occasionally asked why I don’t date or whether my culture accepts only arranged marriages. I reply by explaining my personal view, which is that dating couples act in a way that only married couples should. The kind of relationship they share should exist only where there is a commitment, or else the relationship becomes meaningless. If or when I date, it will be in pursuit of a companion with whom I can spend the rest of my life. Then the love that will exist in that marriage can be far more valued, appreciated and respected by both partners.

At this stage of life, the last thing someone wants is to stand out as different. But blending in isn’t easy in my case. In my religion, it’s mandatory to pray five times a day, including one time that happens to be during school hours. When I’m out with my friends playing sports or hanging out, I sometimes have to go aside and do my prayers. My friends know what I’m doing, but that doesn’t make it any less awkward. I really stand out during the month of Ramadan, when I have to fast, not eating or drinking during daylight hours.

I’m sure that here in America there are many other kids like me who have different cultures or beliefs that set them apart. It’s not easy to continue to practice your culture when you’re surrounded by people who don’t do the same as you do. This includes those who have the same culture as you but choose to ignore it and encourage you to ignore it too. But I believe we must grasp and accept our differences because it is these differences that make each of us who we are.

From the Aug. 08, 2005 issue of TIME magazine

I like this article. It is well written for a 13 year old and I would like to hear his point of view on this topic 5-6 years from now. In even 2 years so much can change, not to say that he would end up being a total h@rami, drinking, girls sex etc, but your mindset changes as you get older and have more exposure to the world. When I was 12 I thought kissing, sex, guys, etc etc were disgusting and would get you a straight ticket to hell; my mind has changed in those 8 years However, only thing I didn’t like about this article is that he did not differentiate between religion and culture, which is understandable. It’s not so much culture anymore that tells you not to date, it’s the religion. At that age, it’s all the same; i did not learn to separate the two until I started college. But nice article.

[lazy_daisy]

Re: Why I don't date.

Im with Hiccup, she is the voice of reason.....
Im sick of this namby pamby look at me i have issues culture which is SO last century and has been done to death!

[insan]

Re: Why I don’t date.

@Rukhsarbibi

thanks for sharing AJ. I hope the kid continues to be positive as he moves into H.S. and then college :k:

Ameen

 this one of the reason that i am going to fast for my degree :)

[Kaleem]

Re: Why I don’t date.

@lazy_daisy

Im with Hiccup, she is the voice of reason…

This right there is a sign that you have completely lost it.

[Man_with_a_Plan]

Re: Why I don’t date.

Let’s ask him the same question after 5 years, hopefully he’ll change :rotato: