Commentary: Our Differences - Muslims and the West

by Patricia Santos

August 26, 2007 - It never ceases to amaze me how people all over the world ‘fear' what they do not know, yet make no effort to actually learn about what they so readily point the finger at.  The major finger pointing being done in the 21st century is at Muslims. Again, it's people's ignorance that leads them to such childish behavior. The Muslims are backward, they are a barbaric people that live in ignorance. Better yet, the Muslims are against the whole world and want to bring down the West.

Well, that is a great task indeed for a so called ‘ignorant' and ‘barbaric' community of over 1.25 billion and growing at a rate of about 2.9% per year.  We have to contend with such views as that of Joseph D'Agostino  of the Population Research Institute who says that the future of the world will certainly be quite different if Muslims become the dominant population group.

"I think we can see what life is like in Islamic countries," he declares. "We can see that the Muslim world is becoming actually more radical and, in many ways, is headed backwards into its barbaric phase" To add injury to insult he goes on to say, "If you don't want the world to turn upside down, maybe people other than Muslims need to start having some kids at the rate the Muslims are having kids." This is D'Agostino's opinion.

It becomes quite apparent that the general populace of the world garners their knowledge on Muslims from the information commonly being force-fed by the single-eyed view of the general western media, which, as we know, functions largely on sensationalistic reports that often fail to fill in the blanks to properly educate and truly inform. Media which in fact is run and dictated by a certain few who ultimately decide what gets passed on. The world in general fixates on such superfluous issues as women not being able to drive in Saudi Arabia or how the poor Muslim woman is ‘forced' to don the hijab every time she leaves her home. Images shown by newscasters always portray Muslims as an angry mob burning flags and, lets not forget, we all carry guns or explosive materials... Right...

These images appear on your TV with no clear insight as to the real reasoning why, which, in my mind, makes me question their veracity. This kind of view is as far from the truth as one can get. This is the 21st century and it is high time that you learn something true about the so-called ‘barbaric' Muslim population.

I can't help but analyze the radical changes the West has undergone in the past five decades. In just three generations the Western world at large has gone from a very conservative society to a society riveted with moral contradictions. Societies that used to find their basis in good, sound family values now struggle to find respect within their own family fabric, with children rampantly disrespecting their parents, and teachers in schools refusing to teach younger students because of the level of their insolence.

Violence in Western societies is widespread and shows no sign of diminishing.

Issues such as child pregnancy, drug abuse and juvenile delinquency are gaining momentum and to top it off the current musical ‘pop' culture glorifies such decadence. Your youngsters look up to these so-called ‘idols' and dream of emulating their every move. Meanwhile, Muslim societies have vastly lower crime rates, practically no child pregnancy out of wedlock and other evils that plague your societies have a minor presence. Yet we are the backward ones?... I fail to see the logic of this statement.

Not so long ago our grandparents wouldn't dream of having pre-marital sex and would date through letters, with male suitors serenading their prospective brides from the street as the ladies watched from their windows. Fashion in the 1950's reflected the level of societies' conservativeness with female attire porting sleeves, showing no cleavage, and dresses that barely rose higher than their shins. However, by 1966 one saw Twiggy supporting Mary Quant's mini skirts and the women's Lib movement took off with a bang. Nothing against women's ‘liberation' but was it really necessary to ‘strip' in order to liberate yourselves?

Women in Muslim societies attain masters and PhDs, work and own their own businesses, all the while supporting the hijab. It never hinders their success, yet people in the west can't bring themselves to realize that. You focus so hard on getting Muslim women to bare all but fail to understand why they prefer not to follow in your footsteps. Were your grandmothers less for being conservative? Do you prefer seeing your teenaged daughters with baby in hand and no man to claim responsibilities and give support? Is it that bad to see children that respect their parents and live responsibly? Why is a society low on crime, drug abuse and teenage delinquency such a barbaric notion in your eyes?

You claim that Islam is out to attack your ‘values'; I fear that it is the other way around. It is you who wish to change our values & our ways. You bombard us with your TV shows, music and movies, which normally portray a rather seedy way of life. That in itself is an attack, yet we, who merely wish to maintain our way of life, are severely criticized for doing so.  The Qur'an dictates; ‘You to your religion and we to ours'; past Muslim empires always gave freedom to other religions to live and prosper without interference.

However today, the ‘Western Empire' is hard bent on forcing the rest of the world to be like them or suffer the consequences. The harder you push, the harder they will push back. If you, the west, wish to live in such an immoral society, we in the east can respect that and understand your ‘freedom' to do so. However, I do not believe that attacking our ‘freedom' by forcing us to conform to your ways or so-called ‘values' is expected much less welcome.

‘You to your ways, we to ours'.