“Our Youth” I just sincerely want to tell you. It’s not your fault.

I took the time to write this, because I feel that this could be the voice of many people who are voiceless. Not because they do not have a voice, but because no matter what they tell you, or how much they scream, many of you will still judge them.

White, Black, Latin, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheists, etc…

I pray that this message will reach the heart of one person who is able to raise their voice for those who are voiceless.

As a Muslim who grew up, and still living in America, I can share with you some of my experiences. Perhaps to shed some light on some of the issues the Muslim, and all conservative religion, ideology, morally influenced Youth have to face while growing up in this country.

You grow up in a house, where you view your father, and mother praying to God.
Some of the things You are told that you are not allowed to have a girlfriend, drink alcohol, gamble, or do drugs.

Some of the things You are told that you are not allowed to deposit money in a savings account if it will accumulate “interest”.

For a male: Some of the things you are told that you have to grow your beard, pray five times a day, avoid relations with females. For a female: Some of the things you are told you have to wear your head cover, avoid relations with males, learn how to cook, clean, so when you get married you can take care of your house.

Fathers and mothers of the first generation who immigrated to America;

Usually, normally a male figure is the masculine, the protector. The bread winner. The problem solver. The head of the house. The one who all responsibility falls upon to keep a roof over the family’s head. The one who sits up at night thinking of how to make ends meet.  While mostly attending to outer home issues.

And, usually, normally a female figure is the feminine, sensitive, emotional, in the kitchen cooking, raising children, doing laundry, while mostly attending to inner home issues.

And I fully respect all people, and all ideologies although I may not agree with them, but if this is how you want to live your life, and this is what works for you, then it’s your decision.

Second generations of fathers and mothers who were born in the US, or grew up in the US, usually are trapped in between their family as a whole, and the American society as a whole.

And, while viewing both, they realize that their family are so used to their cultural, religious ideologies, and the American society as a whole are not completely opposing to those ideologies, but do not necessarily practice the formality with the same level of conservatism.

The second generation attend to American Public schooling system. They have friends who have girlfriends, drink alcohol, do drugs, and gamble. And I respect that as well. If this is how you want to live your life, then It’s your decision.

They have friends who have a male/female relationship that is non-platonic, while the family of the second generation are totally opposing to having any sort of communication between a male and a female, unless it is on a professional level, or at a level of urgency that requires a relationship to be made. Ie: donations, Islamic events, etc…

This of course is just touching base on some of the fundamental differences a Muslim Youth usually experience while they try to simply do what they assume is the right thing.

What I had learned is that a Human brain usually has the option to resist “oppression”, but if the oppressive situation is overwhelming then the sub-conscious of the human brain is able to develop a “survival strategy”, not to gain or lose anything, but to simply survive, and adapt to any situation.

And what I had learned is that if the human brain finds transgression by any individual, entity, community, and society as a whole, including family in regards  to the way they “should” think, act, perform, live their every day life, then they will be faced with two options.

Either they respond with gravitating towards what seems easier(in which case, would be the lack of resistance to human needs, wants, and desires), or develop a strategy that will allow them to survive through this journey by satisfying either both sides. Their family, and their environment/ society. Ie “Friends, colleagues, school mates, social, and business partners, etc…

And at times, when they are viewed with the naked eye by either side of the “extremists”, or even by the modernists they could be looked upon as hypocrites. Or double faced, and some people with a psychological background might even diagnose them with a “Double Personality disorder”.

But there’s a reason that God did not ask anyone to judge anyone. There’s a reason of why God had reserved Judgment for Himself.  There’s a reason that God asked every single person who believes in Him to mind your own business. There’s a reason of why God had commanded those who believe in Him to avoid negative assumptions. Indeed, in some assumption is sin.

Because you know something, no one appreciates being called a hypocrite, and there are many people who are introverts, and will never sit there and try to explain to you of why they do what they do. Because either way there will be someone who makes a negative assumption of them.

If they are with a Muslim crowd, they will be judged that they are too “Americanized”, and if they are with an American crowd, they will be judged that they are too” Conservative, or even extreme”

And this at times makes people feel that they are a second class citizen. It makes people feel that they have to defend them selves for having to do double the work on them selves, by building two personalities, and learning how to make both sides happy. Just to survive. Just for things to run smooth. Just for peace to exist. Just to avoid any conflicts.

And the worse part is, people of this type usually end up not making anyone happy, nor do they gain acceptance by either side, and that’s just a shame. It’s a shame that we are living millions of years after the first human was Created, and we are still too ignorant to communicate in an intellectual manner that will allow us to receive the respect for the decisions we make in our life, no matter what they are. WordPress Post