Fight between culture and religion
By Qirat Shahid
“WHAT! You have four daughters?” “ OMG” exclaimed the woman in shock.While the other two women looked at my mother with pity. In the living room. In the room there were two sofas facing each other. In the middle was a glass table. On the living room floor there was a bedsheet spread on which womens were setting.My mother was still like a tree with her eyes on her feet. As if her feet are the only interesting thing in the world. Her tears escaped from one eye.
“Well it’s a good thing one of your daughters died. Now you will have less burden.” The other women talk with their hands moving front and back.heard my little heart crack.” Anyways, girls are bad luck.” As she continues to talk. My tiny finger squeeze the door. I still peek through the little line in the door.My throat was like dessert with millions needed around my neck.
“Stop it! Stop can’t you see my 21 day old daughter lies frozen on the white sheet in her white dress. Have some mercy on us.” My mother yelled. “ Why are you yelling wicked women? You can only produce girls. We were only talking about your benefits? One of the other woman yelled at my mother. She sat on the floor near my dead sister’s body. “ Are you daughter going to take care of you women when you arE old. They can not give shelter to you. They can not provide for you.They can not stay with you.” “ THEY ARE ONLY BURDEN ON YOU !” “ If only you had a son.”
For my mother the room became small and small.It was like my dead sister was lying in the middle of the room. Women sat on sofas and on the floor.My mother stood there like a crime.
“Tip, Tip ” My uncle knocked on the door. His front foot crossed the doorway and his other feet. He bent and stretched his arms. He rapp his hand around the crib my sister lays in. He stands and turns. I bang the open and run to him. Wrap my arms around him. I turn my head to the left and right. My hair stuck to my face. My mother fell on her knee and her arm wrapped around her. As if she was trying to hold herself together. My mother, a strong woman that day, fell to her knees.
That day I questioned myself why being a daughter in this society and culture is a bad thing? This makes me think that daughters and females are gems. In Islam say to treat them good.
If we look at our history specifically, look at prophet Mohammed. Prophet Mohammed is the last message by God sent to earth to guard us (people). To teach us the reality of Islam.We people are inspired by him.
He himself has four gems. He did not have any son. He loves them more than anything. At that time people used to take their newborn angels and daughters in their arms. Took them to a quiet place. Where they put their daughter on the floor. They use tools to get the mud out and dig in deeper until it is deep enough for a person to stand. Then they climbed up and put their daughter in the whole and put mud on them. Fill up the whole. Once the hole was full they stomped their two powerful feet on it. Leaving their little human being struggled to get oxygen and died.
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Prophet Mohammed teaches us that daughters are rearward. They should not be killed.They are not a burden. When his daughter comes to his home.He would stand up in respect and put his scarf down on the floor for them to set. He shows he treats his daughter well. His daughter Zainba can fight 10 men at one time. He makes his daughter his power. They were not a burden to him. He teaches us that our daughters are not a burden. His own wife was a businesswoman. Even in the Quran ( Muslims holy book.) says daughters are rewarded. Parents should be honored to have daughters.
I learned that daughters, mothers , and women are not burdened.Me and my sister are not weak or burdened. We have the right to do jobs, buy property, etc. No one is weak, not you or me.Our religion gives us so much right and power. Power to live , stand up for self and be a burden. Culture is there to control us, our rights and they put limits to your success. Culture makes us weak. Culture is a way to brainwash people. Only and one thing is common that is the we are Muslim and should follow Islam but culture bond us from doing that. Just like this woman in my sister’s funnel.
Works cited
1) Otaif, Mohamed. “Burial of Newborn Girls Not Common Practice in Pre-Islamic Arabia, Argues Saudi Academic.” Al Arabiya English, 10 Jan. 2012, https://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012%2F01%2F10%2F187514.
2) News.com.au. “Woman Buried Alive after Worst First Date Ever.” New York Post, New York Post, 4 June 2014, https://nypost.com/2014/06/04/woman-buried-alive-after-worst-first-date-ever/.
3)“Hand of Murdered Woman Buried under the Ground.” 123RF, https://www.123rf.com/photo_26322532_hand-of-murdered-woman-buried-under-the-ground.htmll.
