Suffocation and Close-Mindedness January 28, 2010 at 12:05 am
Lately I have been feeling suffocated. How do you feel when the people you love the most look down upon something you admire a lot? I’ll tell you. You feel suffocated. You may have pains in your stomach. You may be unable to breathe. Ok. I’m being dramatic, but this is the first time I am experiencing this for longer than….5-10 minutes.
How would you feel while staying in a room filled with racist people; particularly against blacks? Their racial comments are not harsh, but bitter and blunt. The racists are all educated too; all with at least a bachelors degree. This is how I would feel: disgusted. I would want to leave immediately. I know I would start feeling “suffocated.”
Lately I have been realizing that my passions are not shared by those who I love. Let me give you an example. Let’s suppose you have a fascination for art. You cannot explain in words how much pleasure you receive by drawing and molding structures out of clay. It is bliss. Moving your hands through the damp clay is the most stress-relieving, happiness-inducing movement ever. It is ecstasy. One day your FAVORITE art scholar has appeared in town. But there is more to add to this. Your favorite art scholar designs his art around religious symbols and themes. He uses art to express his love of God and religion. OF COURSE you are excited to go. However, you know two of your friends would not go. They are not the artsy type. They think it is a waste of time. They don’t realize that without art, no mosque, temple, or place of worship would be beautiful. Some people are tempted to pray more because of the beauty and serenity of a prayer area. Anyway. You ask your last closest friend to attend the event with you. Her response? ”No, I think art and Islam coupled together is a harmful innovation.” You let her words sink in before you respond. Your heart freezes but you don’t show it visibly.
Once you are in safe haven you stare at the mirror in utter shock at the narrow-mindedness and ignorance of the world. But that’s not so much an issue. You can handle narrow-mindedness. But when everyone around you criticizes and demeans art…your heart eventually crumbles.
This is the end of my example but not the end of my post, iA it will continue this weekend. Further explanation is necessary.
yes, please do explain more, friend. next time ask ME if you wanna go to an art thingy (or anything else). i like art. :-)
Awww! Thank you Sakeena. I would be more than happy to spend time with you! You are more artsy than me, mashAllah. :)
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