Freedom of Expression vs No Judgement
These recent days have been mentally disturbing for me, thanks to social media – a selectively open space to throw out anything you want. Why do I say selectively open? Well, my entire frustration is about this very notion.
Referring back to the title, in our world today, these two concepts are held as default moral values. Let everyone express whatever they want. Let’s not judge anyone for anything. Let’s make this world a peaceful place embracing diversity. Innocent ideas, right? Then why am I frustrated with them? Sigh, because of their excessively selective nature!
You see, when a Muslim woman who covers herself, observes hijab and niqab, she is hurled at with a dozen labels such as: oppressed, stupid, unintelligent, out of style, backward, a slave to husband/father, letterbox, witch, extreme, meek, weak and the list goes on. They chant these inconsiderate, harsh labeling as freedom of expression.
However, when a woman is wearing tight or revealing clothing such as a bikini etc. and someone dares to express their dissent even indirectly, the same flag bearers of freedom of expression let loose their rage and a series of name-calling of another sort starts. They now throw far away from their freedom of expression flag and hold high the no-Judgement flag, vehemently opposing and trying to prove that this person is shameless and shouldn’t ever talk about how a woman dresses. To express it more clearly: no one should say anything or even think anything when a woman wears nearly no dress, but make it their obligation to herald their vulgar talk when seeing a burqa-clad woman. What
DISCREPANCY!
No, I am not trying to advocate deciding heaven or hell for people based on their dress or shaming them brutally. What I want to say is that the people who hold the value of freedom high must do so for everyone around them, not for a selected few.
The picture is so clear today if we open our eyes and minds: the ideas and morals presented by the West today are nothing but a nose of wax. They turn things to serve their motives whenever needed, and in whatever way they please.
Let’s take another example, they say that whatever happens in someone’s bedroom must not be a concern for anyone but the related two – be it illicit sex, homosexuality, etc. They completely accept and think of it as an achievement when a man/woman has multiple “partners” without marriage and chant this as “cool” stuff. These same people raise fingers and mock polygyny. If they are such accepting and embracing people, why do they have a problem with whatever goes on in a Muslim’s life. They seem so possessive of their bedroom life, then why mock a Muslim’s personal life.
They celebrate women who dress up for a random man on the street but insult a Muslim woman for covering up. If a half-nude woman is free to express herself, then by your logic, a completely covered woman should not be harmed too. Why do they have a problem with a Muslim man not shaking hands with a non-mahram but find it completely okay when a man flirts with women. Each person has their own way of life. Why mock one and venerate the other?
These are just a few examples of the self-centered values promoted by the West, and the world of social media keeps popping up newer examples that affect a Muslim’s mental and psychological well-being.
- Their call for “free” acceptance is “bound” by their own likes and dislikes.
- Their call for “freedom” of expression demands an absolute “slavery” to their own thinking.
- Their apparent loving arms are actually clutches of hatred.
What can one do if not feel frustrated by this attitude? Yes, this life is a test, and the higher the faith, the bigger the test. We just have to have tawakkul in Allah and must keep following our religion no matter what they say.
What I would like to suggest to my Muslim sisters and brothers is to never compromise on their practice of deen or feel ashamed of it. Just keep obeying Allah and advising one another to truth and patience in an appropriate way. We aren’t here for people in the first place, we are here to worship Allah alone sincerely. So let’s just keep going, in sha Allah.
یُرِیۡدُوۡنَ اَنۡ یُّطۡفِئُوۡا نُوۡرَ اللّٰہِ بِاَفۡوَاہِہِمۡ وَ یَاۡبَی اللّٰہُ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ یُّتِمَّ نُوۡرَہٗ وَ لَوۡ کَرِہَ الۡکٰفِرُوۡنَ ﴿۳۲﴾
They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah refuses except to perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.”
Surat No 9 : سورة التوبة, Verse 32
[Translation by Sahih International]
Written by Afeerah J. Khan
