Zahra, Can not you see the good impact of adopting traditions in a world full of insecurities; it shapes identity and saves from risks?
Answer
As-salaamu alaykum Salma.
Thank you for your question. I think tradition and culture that are inherently good and beneficial for people according to their time and place should be preserved generally. However, to preserve and practice traditions for tradition's sake just to hang on to one's identity outside one's ethnic homeland is a big mistake.
Thank you.
Name
Adam
-
Profession
Question
What is the real difference between your criticisms of the harmful cultural practices on religious basis and the feminist secular criticism of the same practices?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
The difference between myself and the feminist secular criticisms of harmful traditional practices is that I am a Muslim woman from a community that practices FGM. My intention in challenging harmful practices in Muslim Africa is that someone from the inside should lead the arguments and criticise the harm being done to predominately women and girls.
I am involved in the campaign against FGM and forced/early marriage with a non-Muslim UK NGO. I believe that teaming up with such feminist organisations that try to sympathise with and understand why practicing communities do what they do on a religious, social, and economic level can bring much good and benefit the campaign.
Name
Abdallah
-
Profession
Question
You wrote your MA dissertation about the female genital mutilation (FGM), why you chose this issue although many Muslims and especially Arabs may see it over exaggerated by the Western Media?
Answer
As-salaamu alaykum Abdallah. Thank you for your question.
I chose the topic of FGM and Islam for my MA dissertation because it has been marginalised by Muslim scholars in the past and the majority of those who still practice FGM are Muslim Africans, of whom I am one. Secondly, by writing my dissertation I sought to establish that FGM was essentially non-Islamic and contradicted the Qur'an which allows women to enjoy halal sexual relations with her spouse.
Thank you.
Name
Sundes
- Canada
Profession
Question
How do our own cultures hurt our lives? In which way should we react?
Answer
Thank you for your question Sundes.
Culture is not a static phenomenon and changes all the time depending upon time, place and social conditions. As Muslims, we all come from a variety of cultures that include good practices and bad ones. I work on the campaign against FGM and early/forced marriage in the UK. As you may know, these practices are very unjust and violent towards women and girls, and it's up to Muslims first to try to create awareness about them and resolve them with the communities that practice them.
Name
Suha
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
Many, especially, in the Western societies may consider the religion as a part of the culture; does not that mean the religion can be harmful as well?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Religion can be harmful if people make rulings that are to the detriment of a certain section of society. Religion and culture are not the same, yet cultural practices can become embedded within so deeply as to appear as being 'religious'. This is why 'religious practices' that harm any part of society more than benefit it should be re-assessed and perhaps abandoned.
Name
Abas
-
Profession
Question
Is the forced marriage a phenomenon among the Muslim communities in the West?
How do you face it?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Yes, forced marriage is still common in the West, especially amongst sub-continent Muslims from Pakistan and India in the UK, where I live. Young girls are forced into arranged marriages with relatives mainly, knowingly or unknowingly. There have recent cases of 'honour killings' in the UK because Muslims girls wouldn't accept forced marriages, and also because they would try to elope.
Forced marriage is a big problem that requ ires the Muslim community and its leaders to resolve it with the UK government.
Name
Noor
-
Profession
Question
Can not the traditions be a part of the solution as it may be considered as a part of the problem?
Answer
As-salaamu alaykum Noor. Thank you for your question.
Sometimes it takes a new interpretation of 'so-called' religious practices (that are actually cultural practices) through the Qur'an and Sunnah to eliminate them. This does not belittle traditions that agree with religion and bring good for the everyone.
Name
Adam Yahiya Ali
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
Do you agree that it is some cultural practices that turn people off islam? if muslims practised islam with no cultural baggage then don't you agree that dawah would become much easier?
Answer
As-salaamu alaykum Adam. Thank you for your question.
Yes, I believe that harmful practices such as FGM, wife-beating, forced marriage, etc do give Islam and the Muslims a bad name. I also believe that Muslims really need to vigilant about their cultural practices and criticise themselves continually to really understand whether they're contradicting Islam or not.
When culture embellishes Islam and beautifies it by displaying all the wonderful things that distinguish people, such as their languages, modest dress, art, etc, then that should be celebrated and preserved.
Name
Amena
- Netherlands
Profession
student
Question
Is a forced marriage allowed in Islam, for example when a girl is a threat to the honour and dignity of her family like when she wishes to marry someone from another clan or group, with whom her family has bad relations?
Answer
In principle the consent of the woman is required in marriage. There may be unusual situations where exceptions can be made but I am not qualified to give a legal opinion on the matter.
You can refer your question to IslamOnline's Shari`ah section.
Thank you.
Name
hala
-
Profession
Question
assalamu alaikum, there are many tradition that comes against islam, some of the bedium's customs are so opposite from the meaning of islam and people now, that have been raised on this traditional prefer the traditional upon islam. i think it's very wrong, but i also don't blame them, they were raised on this since they were babies. i want to raise my children, insha aalah, on islam only. i really think we should do something about this situation, how can we explain this to yhe people and what do you think about it?
thanks, assalamu alaikum
Answer
as-salamu alaykum Hala and thank you for your comment.
I want to clarify one thing first. Not all cultural practices are bad. There are plenty that don't contradict Islam that as Muslims we can perform and enjoy. As for negative cultural and traditional practices then we need to abandon them if they are harmful and have little or no benefit to Muslims/people. There is no need to abandon all cultural practices, just those that pose a threat to people's well-being, health and the good of society.
Name
Hafsa
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
As salaamu alaykum, Please could you explain what you mean by 'Womens Rights Campaigner.' Do you think that you can make a difference, because I know many harmful cultural practices that have been going on for years and years... for the people who implement these practices it is just a way of life and it is hard to get them to hcange habits. As they say - 'old habits die hard.' Furthermore, they actually feel Islam allows it.
Answer
As-salaamu alaykum Hafsa and thanks for your comment.
I am a campaigner for womens' rights because I campaign for the right of Muslim women and girls to be free from the threat of FGM and forced/early marriage. As for harmful cultural practices dying hard, it's up to members of each community to deal with and eliminate practices that endanger the lives of other members. Why wait for non-Muslims to save us from ourselves? Then we complain about the fact that they want to help us, and we suspect that they are trying to convert us to Christianity, secularism, etc, etc. Rather, we should work within our Muslim communities to sort out our problems and when it's conducive we should also work with those outside a certain community, whether they're Muslim or non-Muslim for our common goals.
Name
muhammad al haq baker
-
Profession
sound engineer
Question
As a convert to islam (12years), i must say that i am sick and tired of seeing some muslims carrying out that practices that were outlawed by rasool (saaw), for example, women wailing when tragedy befalls tham...arabs and pakistanis wearing moustaches and shaving the beard...
what will it take to get these people to stop...we've had the tragedys of the people of nuh (as) and lut (as), allah wont give us another chance.
Answer
As-salaamu alaykum Muhammad. Thank you for your comment.
I think what you said is right, and some Muslims do hang onto cultural practices rather than leave them for Islamic ones. Many people haven't been brought up in the Sunnah, so we should make excuses for them as much as possible. However, when cultural practices begin to harm people and cause physical, mental or social problems then Muslims should be the first to eradicate those practices.
Name
Tato
- Philippines
Profession
Physician
Question
As-salamu 'alaykum.
Do you think that beetle nut chewing is bad or good cultural practices in Islam perspective?
Jazakum Allah khayran.
Answer
As-salaamu alaykum Tato and thanks for your question.
I don't know much about the negative health effects of beetlenut chewing. If it's bad for your health and has little if no benefits then it's better left alone. Allaahu 'Alam. Thank you.
