I got an email this morning that I should not take any offense by at all. It is very straight and to the point. It is questioning this blog’s motives and how Islamic laws would be so against it.

I am honestly sick of guys analyzing my blog too much, or are unhappy with the success of this blog. I have to admit, my blog has more visitors to it than a small private company. I also have to admit that I am marketing myself with the simplest means I found possible, writing.

Finally, I have to really admit that you people’s emails that I keep getting questioning me about how religion ties into this site, and why am I against religion (and I am SO not and I am still wondering why you people think that), is really just an extra boost to my site’s statistics every time you send it to me and I publicly display your stupidity to the world.

Abe wrote the following email to me:

Salaam Ulaikum Sister, Hello, you have an Interesting and thought provoking website that many Arab americans think about and identify with. I have a question with which i mean no disrespect but i feel i must ask– is this website Islamically acceptable, considering the fact that you are a woman marketing yourself across the world and opening the doors for mean, inconsiderate harsh people? Is it acceptable based on the Quran and the sunnah? Is your approach to vent and deal with the harsh realities of life appropriate under Islamic law? Many muslims are in different level of their religion as far as how to practice the religion and what is correct and what is not, but from what you have studied and know about your religion, is this acceptable? Thank you for taking the time in reading this email. Salaam be with you sis, i hope you do find peace.

So, from what I understood from this email that my approach to vent and deal with the harsh realities of life is against my religion. Because speaking your mind in Islam, especially if you are a female, and especially on a blog is a sin. Abe you are a clever man for your analysis; unfortunately, you are wrong.

Sorry, I disagree with you because no where in Islam it says that a woman has to be weak, and never express her self intellectually. Didn’t women in Islam fight wars? Have debates in forums with men? What happened to all that? What changed in Islam that made Muslim women now a days second class to men?

Thanks for making me write this post so early in the morning. I didn’t even have time to drink my coffee. Oh my God! I shouldn’t mention that I, as a Muslim woman, is thinking of drinking coffee! It is a sin!

P.S. Abe, what was the real motive of your email? To get me to shut down my site? Will that satisfy you? Fortunately, you just gave me a reason to continue on forever! Also, Abe, why did you use a short form of the name Ibrahim to a more Christian form? Isn’t that a sin? Like people who are named Mohammed and use the name Mike. You are so clever!

Blah Blah, Funny, Idiots, Religion, They said what?, Whatever!

Please accept my most sincere apology. The obvious determining factor to my lack of updates is the famous writer’s block. Although a lot of people email me and ask me questions daily, and suggest new things for me to talk about, but I just don’t have the drive that I used to. I think I am suffering from blog withdrawal syndrome. Dear me, I come up with many useless terms or excuses to justify my laziness. Typical Mona!

Now, to the good part. A lot of people suggested that I should add more polls. Sure!

[Photo Source]

Over the past few months, a lot of people have been asking me to talk about my point of view of Arab Muslims girls marrying Non-Arab Muslim guy converts, or vice versa. I thought about it, but I could not come up with a pro or con argument without starting a long never ending fight.

So, you choose to marry who you want, and if religion is your main determining factor, and it is for Muslims, then you have to honor that main aspect of the relationship. Otherwise, you will be on the road to too many hurdles in your relationship. You will be dealing with in-laws, life in general, unavoidable cultural interweaving factors that are strung along with religion, etc.

The Poll

Before you vote, keep this in mind, how long was this person a convert for? Is it enough time to understand an entire religion? Therefore, I wanted to see your opinions instead through a poll, and through the comment area.

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Note: This convert is to any religion that is the same as yours. Islam was just an example.

Blah Blah, Culture, Random Thoughts, Religion, They said what?, Whatever!

The title of this post should be the title of my new book. Although it was on my life’s pursuits, I don’t have time to write a book right now. Luckily, I have time for my blog writing until my work load at my job winds down a bit hopefully, and I am no longer lazy as a sloth when I get home to do anything else.

So, what to talk about today? Well, someone commented on one of my posts today saying that I am treated respectfully at my work because I don’t wear a head veil. An Islamic religious symbol for females. I somewhat agreed to it to an extent. I will tell you why though. You have to understand though where I live, and why I say the things I say. My observations are not against any religion, but a general observation from my years of living in North America. Which is many many many many years!

Racism

There will always be the never ending trend of racism everywhere you go. People who are racist, are just afraid of what’s different than the norm. Although life has changed drastically, and various immigrants from all over the world live here, the idea of accepting what is different is still implanted in people’s small heads. So what to do?

I am not going to argue with a racist idiot, or bother to explain my view points. All I can do is be my self, and not show others that I am different by any symbol. Who I am is different, and I am proud of being an Arab and Muslim, but I don’t need to wear anything that secludes me from the norm.

Religion is in You

I think I discussed this many times, but I believe that religion, any religion, should be something that you need to follow on your own. You should perfect it and be capable to talk about it, instead of preaching to people for the sake of preaching. I have met many Muslims that love to discuss Islam, yet, their knowledge of the religion is so limited and naive. I knew more things about Islam than them, but they wore religious symbols, and wanted to be different, say they are different, and not accept others, but expect others to accept them.

This Side of the World

Now, this is where it gets to be debatable, and I may get some negative comments. I am not gonna tell others what to wear, or bother. Everyone has the freedom to do whatever they want. However, when some people wonder why they can’t get a job, or are not treated the same as “others”, then there are various reasons why. Look at what you are wearing.

Stories

I knew many Arab-Muslim girls who studied the same thing in University as I did, Computer Science. However, not many of them got a job. You see, they were very smart, top of the class, bright talented individuals. They were 10 times smarter than me, and I was purely jealous of their brains. Unfortunately, they were not able to get any job in their fields because of their head veils.

My field is a very male oriented field. (Technology Field) Finding a female programmer in a small business is rare. Not only that, the female programmers, like the male programmers, are always interacting with each other. Working in specific professions such as mine, really depend on how you look and act with other people. When you seclude your self from them, and appear different than what they are used to, you will not be able to work in a group like environment such as that. It’s just a fact. It’s a racist stupid fact, but this is reality. However, in larger business, it’s a bit more flexible and they are looking for diversity, but in mine, not so much.

So, what happened to those girls? Well, they all got married, sat at home, and popped out babies. This goes for many Arab females who earn a University degree just for show and to get married. However, that’s another story for later that I need to discuss.

What to Do?

I honestly don’t care what any one does. You want to wear a head veil, huge crosses, etc, that’s your choice! I am not stopping you, and no one has the right to. However, when you start questioning why people don’t hire you, or others don’t respect you when they should, then you have to understand the culture that you LIVE IN NOW! Where do you live? How are the people around you act? What can you do to blend in, but still keep your morals and religious beliefs?

That’s my only advice really. Otherwise, pop babies! I could have popped some babies like 10 years ago and married some Arab man who wanted a live in baby popping maid, but I chose to blend in to my current society. To make something out of my self, and make everyone around me respect me for who I am, and what I have become. Also, I had to make use of that piece of paper with higher education that I paid over 35,000 dollars for. I invested in something, and I want the return value that I was promised!

Blah Blah, Confused, Culture, Religion, They said what?, Whatever!

I know I got many non-Arab readers, but are you a reader of my site just for fun and entertainment, or something else? For example, after knowing me, and realizing I am just a normal girl with a bit of conservative views about life, would you ever be friends with an Arab like me in real life?

I got many people wondering why Arabs don’t like being friends with non-Arabs. It’s like us Arabs are known to be in a totally different world by our selves, but are we doing it on purpose, or “others” don’t understand us, so they don’t want to be friends with us?

[source picture one] [source picture two]

Therefore, would you accept us for who we are regardless of our conservative culture, religion, skin color, political problems, and fabricated stereotypes?

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Blah Blah, Confused, Culture, Featured, Random Thoughts, Religion, They said what?, Whatever!

I always get people asking me if I am “Muslim” or a “practicing Muslim.” I reply saying, “What the hell is the difference?” It’s like asking me if I smoke or practice smoking. It’s a stupid question!

I don’t understand where this ideology came from. I think I heard it also for Christians. A Christian or practicing Christian. I mean come on! Don’t associate your self with a religion if you don’t follow it! Don’t start categorizing things and making a difference of practicing or non-practicing. The non-practicing one means you don’t follow it, period! And you should not even associate your self with any religion if that is the case! I just eliminated over half the people that say they are part of a religion right there!

So, those people that don’t practice the religion are really not part of that religion.

Stop using that idea people! It’s dumb, and defeats the whole purpose of being part of any religion!

Angry, Blah Blah, Religion, They said what?, Whatever!