Bringing up Children

Dear diary,
                         I am worried for my children.

I promised myself before Kirsty and Katie were born that I would never be the kind of parent to force my own beliefs onto my children, as my parents did to me, and I am not. Believe me, I am not. However, all the same I feel that my daughters are too young to be making an important decision about faith by themselves.They are ten and eleven years old, and I don't feel they know enough about the world's religions to be able to make awell-informed choice and to stray away from Christianity. Both John and I felt that a strict Roman Catholic school might stifle them, so we did not send them to one, but now I am wondering if this was a mistake.

Also...well, I admit, this isn't all just about them. It's about me too. Catholicism is all I have ever known. If they turn to Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, or any other religion? I'm not ignorant, I do have a working knowledge of most of the biggest religions in the world today, but I am by no means an expert. I won't be able to guide them through it, help them, show them what they must do, because it is simply not something that I have experience in. That thought scares me very much.
Futhermore, the fact is that religious discrimination is everywhere in today's world. I have not experienced it firsthand myself, I admit, but I see it everyday and there is not a thing that I, myself, as one person, can do about it. I want the best for my children and cannot bear the thought of allowing them to take their own religious route knowing full well what they are exposing themselves to. People can be cruel. I do not want my children to lead a life of being insulted, blamed, discriminated against because I did not give them enough guidance when they were young. 
Ultimately, if my children choose to follow a religion that is different from mine, it is their choice, and it is okay. But I worry about the consequences.

Peace ☮

Dear Diary,

 It’s Monday 15^th April 2013. Something major happened today. Two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston marathon. I don’t know exactly what’s happened yet, nothing’s been said, but I know that a lot of people have got hurt. I can’t even begin to imagine the terror those people faced and what their families must be going through. But the one thing that annoys me is that people automatically assume that Muslim’s are to blame. Even before anything has been reported or said, the Muslim’s always get the blame. I understand that because of previous events, people would jump to that conclusion but is it always right?

Growing up as a Muslim girl, people haven’t always been afraid to tell me what they think about my race or my religion (if you get what I mean). I’ve always known that there are Muslim extremists, who are power crazy, but people need to understand that not all Muslims are like this. If anything, I’m completely against terrorists and I hate what they do. Muslims are supposed to be caring and trustworthy people, yet some feel the need to cause harm to others to show power, which is disgusting. But, the media and society never really ask other Muslims what their feelings towards extremist’s actions, so people assume that we agree with what they do.

I want to be able to walk down a street wearing my hijab proudly, without being shouted abuse. Nobody shouts at Christians for wearing religious jewellery, so how is it fair that Muslims get abused for being proud of their religion? I wish the world, would just be simple. A place where people wouldn’t judge and hate on others because of their religion or race. I wish that there could be peace. Just as Jimi Hendrix once said, ‘When the power of love, overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.’

N.K  

Interfaith Marriages

       When people live in a multi-faith society, it is very possible that people of different faiths are going to meet, fall in love and want to marry. This can cause problems for religions parents because they will have different beliefs and could therefore possible have arguments about religion.

        If a couple of different religions decide to get married, they will not be able to have a religious wedding ceremony because both couples have to be a member of the same religion for a religious ceremony to be allowed. Also, if a married couple have kids, they have to decide on which religion their child is going to be brought up in. This could cause possible arguments and would then test the marriage.

        There is also going to be a problem that after you die, the couple would have to decide where they want their bodies to be buried after they die - e.g. in different cemeteries. This would mean the couple/whole family would not be able to be buried together.

         If people have interfaith marriages, the parents would feel quite betrayed by their child because they would usually want their child to marry someone within the same community as them, and would not like the idea of change very much because it might be new to them having two people of different religions marry.

C.S

Big hopes I had, big hopes my whole life. England this, Britain that, I'm sick of it. All of it. There is no way I can go back, I have nothing and no one there, well I suppose I have nothing and no one here either but, surely it's better 'cos it's Britain, no? No. I tried so hard, so hard, to prove to not only those around me, but to myself that I could be the one, the one to change the perspectives of these people so naive, so ignorant to me and my faith and who I am. But they don't listen, they don't care. I have dark eyes, hair and skin; my mother tongue isn't theirs, I don't pray to God the way they do, but I am a human, yes? Yes. So why is it, why is it that I am the one who gets the first and last surprise check at the airport before boarding the plane, the one to beep at on the road because he can't drive properly. Well, it's simple. Simple to me, simple to them. I'm a Muslim, and do you know what that means I am? Not so simply a man of Faith with a strong love and belief in God, nor just a man who tries and tries to do the best he can to work hard, to earn money and to do the exact same as any white non Muslim. No, oh no, me? I am a terrorist, who takes a bomb in his hand luggage onto a plane, blasting it to pieces in the sky, securing what they want; my death, my end, their safety. Because they don't care about, understand, or like people who are different, and hold different values, right or wrong. Nor do they understand that just like them, there are good and bad people of every community.    

They can say they accept us all they want, but they don't, they sneer and scoff and moan behind my back, making me feel worthless, laughing at my attire. I came here because I hoped of a better life, one of culture and expression, fulfilment and learning  So what is it about this -oh so accepting- multi faith society that I just don't see? I mean, it's not as if the dirty looks, searching police and street spitting youth's tell me that I am being treated any other way than acceptable, is it?  There is nothing superior about my faith, my God nor my race and to every person I have met, they understand this and I am grateful because they have had to see first. But why can't everyone else think the same from the start and not have this inherited prejudice because I wear a turban? Because they never had this hope, my experience, the feeling of starting fresh, they just don't know. 

AB

Interfaith Marriage - EB

Dear diary,

Today David and I are planning our wedding! I am really excited but we both have different views on how our wedding ceremony should be conducted. This is because David is Jewish and I am Muslim but we are both willing to put aside our religious differences and have a perfect day that means something to the both of us.

Disaster! We knew that our families would not see eye to eye because of the conflict between our two religions. David's parents are unwilling to accept things that are different and my family are threatening to shun me because they want me to have an arranged marriage. What should I do?

The one thing I did not want was to tear our families apart. So to solve this, David and I have decided to take different aspects from both backgrounds of weddings. We thought that I should wear a  Salwar-Kameez outfit in scarlet with gold thread and have my hands and feet decorated with henna. Both of us and David's parents agreed to have a Chuppah which is a Jewish canopy that symbolises the new home being built by us when we are husband and wife and be wedded by a Rabbi on a Sunday because in Jewish religion you cannot get married on the Sabbath day. I do not know whether my family will support me in my decisions and come to celebrate my wedding. If they did not come I would still be able to forgive them because I have gone against all their teachings so I cannot blame them. Although, they should respect the choices I have made because I am very content with David and I am their only daughter!

Another issue that worries me is what other people think. This is because both religions are at war over Palestine and seems odd that one person from each faith are getting married. David does not seem to be fazed by this and just lets them think what they want to because we are happily together. I am just worried that our future family will be affected by this. 
  
There is another problem that David and I face, it is what religion should we raise our children? David thought that they should be raised as Jewish but I thought we should raise them as Muslim because I cannot disappoint my family anymore! I respect David's views and I am sure that we will come to an agreement because at the end of the day we both believe in similar beliefs and our God is all loving and so should accept whatever decision we make. I think we may raise them as Jewish but I am saddened by this because my religious heritage is not going to be continued throughout our family.

Not a Terrorist

Not a terrorist. Well, since the last time I checked. I am no threat. I am no trouble maker. I don’t even litter, ever!
I’ll set the scene; I’m travelling to New York for a business meeting, my job requires me to travel all around the world and it’s brilliant. Well, except for one aspect. I am not a man known for his punctuality. Due to this, I tend to end up sprinting to the airport, praying I’ll catch my flight. Oh, how foolish of me. As I stand in line, I see him. The security guard. I frantically look around me, hoping there’s another person who looks of the Muslim descent, selfishly needing the guard to pounce on them instead of me. There is no one, a large, white man in front of me, a tanned, Spanish-looking family behind. Let the ‘random’ searching begin. He approaches and I sigh, “Hello Sir!” he says, “ you've been selected for our random search, do you mind if I scan you and search your bags, it won’t take long.”
“Actually…” I begin to reply but he had already started. The same routine, the same questions. My replies are fast and snappy, as I know almost all of them by heart. I’m done in record time and there’s still time to catch my flight.
I rush towards the gate, relieved. That’s when I see her. It’s too late for me to rush off, I can’t afford to look suspicious. “Hello Sir,” she begins, as she repeats the same line that I had heard only 2 minutes previously. “How random,” I thought to myself, “I just experienced déjà vu.”
I missed my flight and I missed my meeting.

I get a phone call that night from my boss. I explained the situation, he’d heard it all before. “Maybe leave the turban at home next time, buddy.” I hang up the phone. I think about what I just heard. His lack of decency. His patronizing use of the word ‘buddy’. How offensive.
I rang him the following morning, informing him that I quit and I’ll be staying in the hotel and using the all-inclusive perks, as planned. I told him I’d send him a postcard from the Empire State Building, maybe attach a novelty pen along with it. I told him I’d remember to leave my turban at home, to avoid any inconveniences. I told him some things I should be ashamed of but I’m definitely not. I told him.

So, just to recap. Muslim, not a terrorist. Not a threat, just a victim of media, assumptions and just plain ignorance.

GH

Bringing Up Children in a Multi-Faith Society - ES

I am going to be taking the role of a Catholic Christian Mother who is worried about her children questioning the Roman Catholic faith and the existence of God.

Dear diary, 
                  I have made a huge mistake, ever since I allowed Lucy and Oliver to go to a mixed faith secondary school they have been questioning our faith. I was having second thoughts at the time, I should have just followed my instincts and sent them to a Roman Catholic school. 
                  It was a few weeks ago, I wasn't paying attention but they were discussing their school day over dinner and gradually they got on the subject of their Muslim friends Abdul, Nafiah and Rashida (I think these are their names) and they began telling me about their culture and traditions. I wasn't really paying attention at the time as I was doing some cleaning, until they began asking me "does God really exist?" and "could Allah be the true God?" I brushed it off but ever since they've been questioning me on how I know God exists and why I don't believe in Allah. I brush it off and try to change the subject but they're at that time in life where they have all these questions and decisions to make. 
                  I know for a fact going to both a Roman Catholic Primary and Secondary school was one of the best experiences of my life, and it brought me closer to God as my faith grew over the years. However, I'm worried Oliver and Lucy are going to disagree with our faith, and now I feel they've missed out on a wonderful Christian Catholic upbringing. One of my tasks in life was to spread the word of God and now I feel I've failed. John (my husband) doesn't seem to be concerned, however lately I've been quite upset about the whole situation. I mean I've been trying to teach them to follow the Christian faith for the first 11 years of their life, and now they've only been at Secondary school for several months and they're already questioning our faith. I don't know whether to feel extremely proud of their intelligence and strength to explore other faiths or whether I have failed to raise them as good Catholics who believe in God. I was certain I was going to send them to a Roman Catholic Secondary school but I felt bad I was separating them from their friends, although now I feel I've made a bigger mistake.
                 I always knew I would face issues when raising my children in a multi-faith society, however nowadays I just feel they're slipping away from God and not appreciating the things he has and is doing for us. I know I cannot force them to be a Catholic Christian, but if there was just a way I could get through to them so they too believe God has and always be there for them, of course I would do it. I just pray that God will reach out to them and help them to discover their faith once again. 


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Catholic Woman's Blog

I will be writing as a 24 year old catholic woman posting on her daily blog about how she has fallen with a Hindu man.

Hi everyone, I hope you’ve had a good day so far.

So around about this time I’d usually be posting about my day, or the latest book I've read, or my opinion on the latest Sherlock episode, but, well, today I’d like to tell you about a problem that I'm facing.  I know what you’re probably thinking. “Do I really need to hear about your problems? I have enough of my own”, or something similar, right?  Well, to be honest, I would usually agree with you, but I feel like this topic is really important, and should be discussed.

I’ll start of by telling you some background information. I belong to a good Christian family, who, as you can maybe guess, are very strict. They’re always telling me to do this, or to not do that, and sometimes it can be very hard to please them. Don’t get me wrong, they love me very much and they know best, and I know everything they do is to help and protect me. Well, almost everything.

The general rule in my family is ‘your parents say it, you believe it’, and generally, I follow this rule. But there is something, which leads me onto telling you about my problem, that I just can’t follow. The one definite thing that my parents want of me is to marry a committed Catholic man. I love to make them happy, and make them proud of me, but, it seems I have fallen in love with a Hindu man named Ravi. Ravi is great, he is honest and kind, and he would never do anything to upset me. He is as good as any Catholic man, and he has even proposed to me. But again, as you can probably guess is the problem, he is Hindu. I don’t know what to do to. So many people have been in this situation before, and I know the best thing for me to do would be to tell my parents, but I know that they wouldn't understand. I don’t want to disappoint my parents, and I know that I would shame them if I told them, and I know at some point I will have to choose.

It could be worse I guess. I could be forced into an arranged marriage. But I guess this is just as bad. I can’t be with the one I love, so I don’t know if I will ever be happy again. No one should have to choose between their parents or partner, and I am sorry if you have found yourself in a similar position to me.

Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Oh well, tomorrow expect the usual blog. Thanks for taking the time to read this; I know it’s not what most people like to think about. 

GK

Conversion

Converting to another faith or from no faith at all is meant to be a happy time, especially in so called 'Multi-faith' Britain right? Wrong. I have lived in this country for years now, most of those years, were spent as a practising Catholic, and my time in Britain was going well, I had a supportive family and was doing well at University, but when I took a life changing decision to become a Muslim, everything seemed to slowly change.

My family even struggled to accept my decision, I think mostly they were confused, as to why I suddenly decided to convert, changing from a faith that I had been brought up to believe in. And there seemed to be no questioning these beliefs. One main thing I have discovered during my time as a Muslim, is that it is human nature to feel the need to make others believe what you believe, and we seem to find it very hard to accept people's different beliefs. I feel like my choice is not socially accepted in even in this apparent multi faith society. I am 'randomly' searched more often, making me try to avoid travelling when I can, whereas before my intentions were the opposite, to travel as often as possible. After events like 9/11 and 7/7 the Muslim faith was generalised, making some Muslim's lives a living hell, now I'm beginning to experience that hell.

Trying to convert followers of other religions when you are living in a multi-faith society is a form of prejudice and discrimination against others with other faith's to you. Yet I am still asked frequently when I'm going to snap out of this 'faze', by my own friends and family.

Some find it very easy to judge other religions when they know barely anything about them. How can you regard a religion as wrong, or useless, unless you have studied them and compared the differences? Well some find this very easy.

SC

Issues in a multi-faith society

One of the things I find particularly upsetting is the fact that in today’s multi-faith society we are now watering down our religious festivals and traditions for fear of offending people of other faiths. In many state schools nativity plays being cancelled, or we are being told not to wish people happy Christmas but instead offer them a ‘happy holiday’ in order to avoid any offense

.

If I was in Israel I would not be offended if someone wished me happy Hanukkah. Nor would I expect Israel to change their traditions or customs just because I am a Christian. Travelling around the world we should embrace and welcome the difference between our different cultures and religions.

When people travel to the UK to live they should be free to be able to worship in accordance with their religious beliefs. That said we should remember that the UK as a Christian country and visitors to our country should understand this and we should not have to change our customs for the fear of ‘possibly’ upsetting a very small number of sensitive non Christian visitors. 

E.M 

Sky News: Issues with Interfaith Marriages in a Multi-Faith Society.

There are many issues with interfaith marriages however in a multi-faith society it is very difficult to prevent interfaith marriages from occurring. In a multi-faith society, young people of different faiths are going to meet, fall in love and want to marry each other. Unfortunately, this can cause many problems for certain religious families. One of the main issues is that in many religions it can be frowned upon, if someone marries another person outside of their own religion. It is believed in some religions that you should only marry people within your own religion. Also, very often if two people from different religions fall in love and want to get married, there can be no religious ceremony because both couples have different beliefs and this means they do different rituals at wedding ceremony's. Couples can only have a religious ceremony if both of them are from the same religion.

Another issue with interfaith marriages is that it can cause problems in a community. If the couple come from two different religions then this can cause issues between the families and the couple themselves. Sometimes arranged marriages happen because the family want to make sure their child marries someone in the right religion. The families have different religions and therefore this can cause a lot of arguments between the families. In some cases the families could try and keep the couple apart and make them fall in love with someone else because a lot of shame can be brought onto a religious family if one of their children marries outside of the religion.

An interview with a Muslim lady, who for this article preferred to stay anonymous. She talked about her marriage with a Christian man and how it affected their family lives.
She said 'I met my husband at my work place, we both worked in the same office and were very close friends. When our relationship started to develop neither of us thought that it would cause so may implications between our families. Neither of us lived at home with our parents and therefore we didn't see any problems with our relationship. When me and my husband got engaged we decided to tell each others families together, we knew they didn't agree with our relationship but however thought they might support our marriage choice. My husbands family wasn't very keen on the idea of our marriage but in time they came around to support us. However my family were very much against it and wanted me to choose between them or my husband. I chose to be with my husband hoping they would soon support me but they didn't, still to this day 8 years after my wedding my family do not talk to me, the shame I brought to my family was unforgivable. I support anyone who wants to marry someone in another religion, you can't help who you fall in love with and it shouldn't matter what religion.'

There are also many other issues with interfaith marriages such as deciding what religion your children will be brought up to believe in and what place they will worship in. Also deciding what will happen after death with your bodies because in some religions there are special cemeteries or special rituals the body goes though once the person has died.

There are many other issues but these are the main issues that most interfaith couples have to face. Living in a multi-faith society means it is hard to stop people falling in love with someone from another religion.

K.L

An overview on life in England

Britain is portrayed as a multi-cultural and faith society, but what has become of this image? My religion brings great torment to my life it would appear and judgment at each new page I try to turn. I had come to England to study at the University of Bristol, assuming that I would make friends easily, gain a better knowledge of the language and settle into the housing I myself paid for. I did not claim any ‘state benefits’ as you call them, and nor did I require any additional help settling in. However, despite being self-sufficient, I have yet to make anything more than acquaintances. It may be because I’m quiet; the fact that I am not the one to start a conversation or even to end one. My appearance is greatly respected in my home country of Saudi Arabia and all men are required cover themselves from shoulder to knee and wear plain clothing; no silk, the colours red or gold and trousers below the ankle.

Daily I face crude comments and suspicious glances from people everywhere I go; security guards in shops, police officers patrolling the street, porters in hospitals and staff at the airports. I can hear the whispering behind my back; the name calling, rude gestures, hurtful and degrading comments. It would appear that my faith is of great significance to everyone here, but for all the wrong reasons. No one I’ve met has taken any notice other than to turn their nose up at me, or from what I can tell since it is required for my gaze to be lowered at all times. Racism takes on many different forms and unfortunately, some don't even realise they are taking part in an sometimes illegal offence.

I feel like an outcast in what is supposed to be an accepting and inviting place that I chose to come to based on my studies and my older brother, who emigrated to this country about 4 years ago and has since made a family for himself. He 'gave up’ his religion of Islam if that is even possible, just to be with his now wife. I know that Allah would forgive him. My parents have banished him from the family… I hope he is happy with his Christian wife. My life is made quite awkward sometimes by the fact I am required to pray 5 times a day…wherever I am at daybreak, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening. I speak Arabic during these intimate prayer times- I honor my traditions.

I know now that without 'friends at this time', staying here will be hard for me. I feel forced out of the country purely on the basis that I love my God so therefore I am a practicing Muslim, I appear different and speak a foreign language as my first language. Many Englishmen cannot understand the way I live my life. I knew when I came here that the most practised religion was not Islam, but Christianity. I have no problems with other religions- each person can believe in their own God or even no God at all. A way of life is your own choice. Religion unites communities of people in times of trouble, grief and happiness. I have recently been in contact with a Muslim society for males here. They are much more accepting and understanding and they too have said that they have, and still experience racism and false accusations based on their beliefs.

Never judge a book by its cover. A truly false statement for many western countries, but one that can hopefully be rectified and England grows ever more in different faiths.

"Islam teaches tolerance, not hatred;universal brotherhood, not enmity; peace, and not violence."

-Pervez Musharraf

S.G

What dishonour is love? OC

Dear Diary,
                     Why don't my parents understand? If I love Matthew, and he loves me, what's the big problem? They know he makes me happy, and yet they still persist with my arranged marriage to Masood. When will they ever accept it's about true love now, and no longer about what God I or he believes in?
                  Part of me wishes I had never met Matthew whilst I was studying in London two years ago, because if I hadn't of I wouldn't be in this situation, but my heart knows he's the 'one', and the only person that can make me truly happy. My parents said before I left Egypt that if I met a Muslim man in England they would totally support me, but the fact I met a white Irish Catholic they're now threatening to disown me? I understand my parents being upset, but I never imagined they would be so angry to the extent of banishing me from making contact with any relative I have.
                                                                          Today has been the worst day so far since I mentioned Matthew's proposal over a week ago, the same day I returned home to Cairo. I argued with my father for more than eight hours today, which is more than I have in my whole entire lifetime. The constant shouting is starting to get me down, and I am seriously contemplating leaving Egypt for good. My father insists I don't know what I'm doing, and I haven't thought seriously about problems we may face as a couple, such as; what religion our children will be, or where will our marriage take place, but I am past caring. My mother weeps for me too, insisting I think about this long and hard, and that I should marry Masood because that is what my father wants for me. But what about what I want for me? Does that not count? She also said I should realise what a dishonour I am serving to my family. I don't understand. How can love be a dishonour when it is one of the greatest gifts presented to us by Allah?
           At this moment, I believe there isn't a right word to describe how I'm feeling, because no word could express the amount of pain and heartache that fills my body and soul. It's as if I've been given an ultimatum, choose my family, or choose Matthew.
                                                                What should I do?
                                                                       Halima

Muslim and Catholic Marriage - OK

My name is Adila and I am a practicing Muslim. I have been married to my Catholic husband Simon for a year now but this did not come about without any difficulty. Many members of my family still do not speak to me or even acknowledge my existence just because I did not marry a fellow Muslim.

Why should all Muslim girls be forced into marring someone they barely even know and maybe do not even love? Marriage is permanent and frankly I would rather spend the rest of my life with someone I fell in love with not who my parents put me with just to make sure I am a married woman.

When Simon proposed to me I immediately knew that my parents would not agree to the marriage but this would leave me heartbroken so I said yes as I love him and nothing would get in the way of us living the rest of our lives together. I told my parents that Simon and I were to be married and as I suspected they immediately disagreed and said that the marriage would never take place or they would never speak to me again. Of course I took this into consideration but I love Simon and I am an independent woman who has her own mind and can make her own actions and decisions so I went against my mother and father's wishes and married Simon.

Eventually my parents came round and are now speaking to me and Simon. They have learnt that tradition is not always the answer and sometimes it can be broken and have got to know Simon and really like him! I am so happy with the way things turned out. I have my mother, father and husband who all love me and care for me and that is all I need!

Adila

Muslims and Terrosism - JH

Terrorism

I really can’t stand it anymore; I think I’ve finally had enough.

This is not the life I want for me or my family. It was today that I was walking through Heathrow Airport, eyes watching me as I travelled past different terminals. As I walked past, people whispered and tried to hide their stares but I’m too used to this behaviour now not to notice. It still hurts that just because I am Muslim, I am automatically a terrorist suspect.

As I stop for lunch with my family and put our bags to the side, I see a panicked look spread throughout the crowd, I really just want to say ‘get a life!’ but of course that would only make matters worse. I was sad at the beginning but then I got angry, especially because my children had to go through this with me. We just wanted to pass through the airport like any other family, excited to go on holiday but of course this is never to be. I really don’t think anyone knows how I feel?

The worst bit was when we went through security. The security guards seemed to put most of their efforts into searching me and my family. It is hard for me to get my head across why this happens.

There is so much stereotyping in today’s world, yes I know that Muslims have been terrorists, but that does not mean that every Muslim is. People judge me by what I look like and what I believe in, but my faith is very important to me and I would never change my beliefs.

I hope that when my children grow up they will not have to deal with this prejudice and discrimination; we are as human as anyone else.

I hope attitudes change soon

Syed  

JH

Muslims and Terrorism VK

VK

Muslim….. Terrorist

These words somehow seem to go hand in hand. Why do people think that every Muslim is a terrorist, an evil mastermind, wanting to kill?

I have faced this issue all of my life. I remember once, passing through airport security, feeling ashamed and alone. The security men would whisper to each other as soon as walked up to the security screening. Them looking me up and down and giving me filthy looks. They always stopped and searched me, always, asking me more questions than any other passenger. Once through to the airport lounge, passengers would be sacred as soon as I walked away and left my bag whilst going to the loo, thinking a giant bomb was inside, waiting to explode. Do you know how horrible that feeling is? People actually believing that you are here to ruin lives, to blow up buildings. It makes me feel so sad.

The airport is not the only example of this. Travelling to work is a problem too. I work in London and take the tube to work. Every time there is a security threat, passengers automatically look at me and pin the blame just because of my religion. They all seem to think I would want to hurt others. Yes Muslims have been terrorists before but does that mean everyone is? Not every Christians is kind and nice.

I wish attitudes and beliefs would change. I really hope people soon see that Muslim people are not all terrorists, that they are just normal human beings living their lives!

Why is this world full of judgement and prejudice?

Ahmed

Arranged Marriage - RF

Arranged marriage in a multi-faith society

Dear diary,

I don’t want to marry him, I don’t. I spoke to my older sister, Aisha, she is married and has been for 3years now, mum and dad arranged her marriage to a young man from a family relations friend, Aisha was only 18 at the time and Raj was 22 when they married. Aisha didn’t mind the marriage at the time as she liked Raj, and they got on well, but I don’t even know the man I’m marrying, his name is Alee, and he’s  20,  so only a year older than me. I will meet Alee for the first time at our engagement celebration like Aisha did, as it’s a family tradition.

I tried to speak to mum, asking if I could just meet him, to get to know him, but she says I have my whole married life to get to know him. I’m sick of “tradition”, I want to fall in love just like in the movies, rather than be told who you should love. Aisha says you get to know your new husband quickly, but she was lucky that Raj and her get on, what if my fiancé has nothing in common with me , or he stops me from doing the things in like?

I’m so scared, no one at collage has these problems, and they can do what they want, I can’t even wear shorts in the sun. I want to make my parents proud, and be a good daughter, but if this is how, I’m not too sure. It’s only a week to the wedding, and in will meet Alee in 2 days, so there’s no backing out now. I suppose I’ve got to go with it, let’s hope it turns out for the best like, Aisha and Raj.

Anyway going to bed now, Night.

My Sister's Multi-Faith Marriage

My name is Priyanka Singh and I’m a Sikh woman. Today, I’m going to be writing about an experience in my life that has made me look at multi-faith marriages in a new perspective and gain more insight about problems faced in a marriage like this.

2 years ago, my sister, a practising Sikh married a Catholic man, David Richmond. She had fallen in love and decided to get married. Despite her strong feelings about both of them respecting each other’s faiths, beliefs and values, she was still faced with disapproving attitudes which was to be expected. In our culture and faith, it is not usual to marry someone who is not a Sikh; it is seen as shaming the faith and the family’s name.
 

Our parents were against her decision to get married and when she went against their wishes and got married anyway, they turned her away. It was not until a year later, did our parents speak to her again.
 

As I had still kept in contact with my sister, she made me aware of all the challenges she faced being in a multi-faith marriage and how it would often make her doubt the decision she made to get married. One of the main challenges she faced was deciding whether to bring up her newly born daughter as a Sikh or Catholic. As her husband had been raised a Catholic, he was determined to raise his daughter as a Catholic, however my sister wanted her daughter to be raised as a Sikh to become more knowledgeable about our culture and to give her parents comfort in knowing that she had carried on her faith through her daughter. In the end, she came to the conclusion of teaching her daughter about both faiths so she can make the decision for herself in the future. Although my sister had eventually come to this conclusion, she had faced many disagreements with her husband. This highlights one of the many problems faced in a multi-faith marriage.

--David was raised as a Catholic and was a practicing one, who went to mass regularly and even Sunday school classes so it would make sense for him to want to raise their daughter as a Catholic. However, he was conflicted as he didn’t want to put any religious pressure on my sister or their daughter so he too finally came to the conclusion that it should be the personal choice of their daughter. Although he felt disappointed he wouldn’t be able to give his daughter the same opportunities that he had being raised as a Catholic, he was happy to share his experience of being one. He was also keen on their daughter learning about Sikhism.

Overall, I found my sister’s multi-faith marriage had proven to be successful as both her and her husband were happy with decisions made involving their faiths. I have also found multi-faith marriages in general to be faced with many problems one must overcome, many of which include the possibility of excommunication from the community, disapproval from parents or disagreements about your child’s faith. These problems, I have found, however difficult to overcome, can be dealt with in time and with patience.

E.L

Loneliness - EN

I am now in Year 10 and it has been 4 years since I started Secondary School and ever since my first day at school it has been very difficult to get through the day. I have been bullied about my faith in my form. There are 9 girls in particular who make me feel that I have done something wrong and that my opinion does not count.

I have been brought up in a strict Muslim household and I have never felt that I have been on my own until we moved in this local area. Before, in my previous estate, each weekend I would meet with my Uncle and the neighbours and pray. Since my Uncle died, we moved here to try and move on and forget the loss of my loving family member. My little sister does not understand that much and she has just started primary school. It has been hard to try and explain why people do not have friends round this area to my sister as she has been discriminated by her teachers in the school. 

My parents are finding it difficult to get a job and find a secure income for the family. Why can't we move to a different area? We have already put money on out current house and we have no extra money coming in. We just can't afford to pick ourselves up to move somewhere different.

See, most people where I currently live follow the same religion and in their eyes my family and I are different and not welcomed. I want to make my family happy and myself happy and not feel lonely. Each day at school people call me names and laugh at me. I have found it difficult to find the strength to not cry and carry on like normal. 

I wish there was something I could do to make this pain go away....my family and I deserve to be happy for once in our lives....

EN

Muslim & Catholic Marriage - SOK

Dear Diary,

I am so confused. This morning, I was discussing wedding arrangements with my fiancé Abdul-Rashid who is a Muslim. He wants to have a traditional Muslim wedding in a mosque but I prefer a Catholic one because I have been a Catholic all my life and my whole family are Catholics as well. I really want any children we have to be baptized, brought up in the Catholic faith and have the Catholic education. Even the Roman Catholic Church says that if one parent is Catholic, all children in that relationship should also be brought up in the Catholic faith. Abdul-Rashid however, wants them to be Muslim as in their religion they believe that the children should follow their father’s faith. I can’t imagine my beautiful future kids being forced to wear headscarves to conceal their lovely hair and wear clothes up to their ankles and wrists all the time-even during summer! It just wouldn’t be fair on them or me because he would try to convert me to Islam. I am seriously having second thoughts…

Maybe this marriage isn’t going to be such a good idea. It would put a lot of strain on both of us and our children. I don’t think this marriage will work, so it’s probably best to end it now. I will talk to him this evening. I should have thought about this before. This is a lesson for everyone and an experience for me.

Goodnight diary,

Amanda

S.O.K. 

Christian & Hindu Marraige - JN

I am going to be taking the role of a Christian man and his struggles as his faith prevents him leading a happy life with the woman he loves.

I am a man who is in love with a beautiful girl, we wish to marry, have kids and grow old together as any loving couple would.  Yet it is not that simple. I am a Christian man and my girlfriend Alisha is a Hindu woman. We have been dating for many years now and I wish to propose, but there are a mounting number of issues that I’m not sure we can deal with as a couple. Our clashes in faiths are the only things holding us back.

Firstly the marriage ceremony, Alisha’s family wishes for her to have a Hindu shaadi in India whereas I want a Christian marriage in a church with all my family. Then if we make a choice there is also the issue of raising our children, would we make them choose between faiths or make desictions for them?  Would we get them baptized or not, would we have them educated in a Christian or a Hindu school? This could not only cause tension between us but in our families as well, which is something me and Alisha do not want to risk.

Faith plays a great part in both mine and Alisha’s life and I am not certain we can both carry out good lives in the eyes of our Gods if we marry.

J.N.

Muslim 'Suspect' - JF

I am getting seriously sick of this. I travel round the world a lot, it's part of my job, and so I should be used to the airport security by now but honestly, I would really like to make my plane just once. This morning, whilst leaving the US at JFK airport I was stopped and searched not once, not twice but three times by border control! 

I'm a Muslim and, despite having lived in London my whole life, people still seem to think that I would love to blow them up. I despise those who go against my God's teachings and who take their religion to the extreme, what they do is pure evil and though I completely disagree with their beliefs I still suffer the repercussions of their selfish actions. 

Ever since I was a child I have seen people of my faith being singled out by authority and checked over constantly for bombs and other suspicious possessions, whenever they search me at airports the most suspicious item I'm carrying is probably a toothbrush because everyone knows that Muslim's love to brush people to death.

This 'random' searching is not so 'random'. From the moment people of my beliefs enter the airport grounds, to the moment we leave the airport at the end of our flight, we are religiously profiled and marked as 'high risk'. Statistics show that those who are Muslim or are of middle-eastern ethnicity are much more likely to be screened again. I once wrote to the border agency about the searching and received a reply saying that I was selected randomly each time and it was no way affected by my religion. If what they said is true then I'm the Queen of England!

I know that those in border control are charged with the duty of keeping all the inhabitants of a country safe but could they at least try and get some solid evidence before searching someone again. A small piece of me dies every time I am stopped and searched because I know that I will have to put up with this treatment for the rest of my life due to the stupidity of fanatics and the Islamaphobia of the rest of the world. 

This is Abdu Safar signing off...

J.F.

Muslim & Christian Marriage - MG

I will be writing a diary entry as a young Muslim girl dealing with the problems faced when different views from different religions collide within society:

Dear Diary,

I told everyone at school today about my parent's plans for me. Honestly, I was really surprised at their reaction! They said it wasn't normal for your parents to choose who you marry, and that you should only marry someone you love! They said that my marriage will be forced, not arranged. But all my friends are Christian, and their parents don't care who they marry. They don't understand the Muslim culture. 

Although I told my friends what they said was offensive, their opinions made me think. I mean, I've never met Abdul before. What if I don't like him? He could be really boring, or annoying, or grumpy. We might not have anything in common.

But my parents know what's best for me. They've met him and they say he's nice. They would NEVER marry me to someone I wouldn't like. NEVER.

I still worry, though. Sometimes, I imagine what it would be like to be a Christian, and not have to marry Abdul. I would be able to marry whoever I choose. None of my friends are even thinking about marriage yet. It might be nice to go out and meet new people before I get married. 

I know that what Mum and Dad have done for me will provide me with a stable future, but talking to my friends has really opened my eyes to different beliefs and faiths. In a way, I'm glad I am able to talk to my friends to help me understand different religions. It has really widened my cultural knowledge within society.

Sincerely, Aisha

M.G.

Blog: Interfaith Marriage & Relationships - GW

Today on BBC News we are focusing on the multi-faith society with the issues of interfaith marriages and relationships.

The first issue with interfaith relationships and marriages is that many couples either break-up or end up just staying as a couple with no legal marriage rights. The reason for this is because their religions are stopping them from being able to progress in their relationship as there would be many complications in a marriage. One of the complications may be that because of their faith it may mean that they are only allowed to marry someone who has the same faith as them or the fact that there are two different faiths may mean that they can not be married as they each have different rights and regulations that may hold them back.

Another issue with interfaith marriages and relationships is that it many lead to them having lots of arguments between themselves and between their families. This is because the fact that the couple with two different religions are together may annoy the families and if that annoys them then any proposal of a marriage may leave them in uproar. The families may decide to keep the couple apart and tell them that they have to marry someone of their own faith otherwise they don’t want anything to do with them and their community may shun them. Due to this it may progress into one partner asking the other if they will convert to their religion. This can have major issues as many people think that it is a great prejudice and discrimination against their faith and may suggest that their religion is superior. Also it wouldn’t be far for the partner to choose to leave their faith and have to choose over their families or their beloved.

Our final issue is that after interfaith couples marry they tend to find that they have to face tough decisions and problems about the way that they choose to bring up their children. Most religions encourage parents to bring up their children into their religion and consequently not allow them to learn of other religions.

This is an issue because the parents will have to choose between which faith they will choose to bring up their child in. Also most religions teach that only those who follow their religion will have a good life after death and so the parents may worry that they wont see their children in the after life if they don’t bring them up in their religion and so makes them have a difficult decision that may lead to arguments and in some cases divorce. Finally nowadays people care a lot about what society thinks of them and so may the interfaith couple may have to deal with social and peer pressures which may make them put pressure on their children to remain in either one parents or the others faith and stick to their traditions etc. This can be an issue for them because it is essentially making the child choose between their parents and that isn’t far for a child to have to do that.

 

G.W.

Blog: Religious Freedom & Terrorism - ET

While thinking about the issues of a multi-faith society it became apparent to me that for society to function correctly and be successful it needs to be based on respect.

Religious freedom comes in here, religious freedom needs to be freely available to everyone. This also includes children, when they are old enough they need to have this freedom, they should have the freedom to choose follow to choose, follow or reject religion as they please.

However, for them to understand and respect this freedom, they need to understand different religions even if they have not chosen any of them, respect all it is vital; to the success of society, that they respect other's beliefs even if they are not religious themselves.  Respect is they key element here for a multi-faith society to function well.

And if people do not have religious freedom when they are young then they grow up to be adults who have no respect for religion and this is what causes us all the problems in society, so being taught of religions while still young helps society.

An example of how respect is not in play is how many biased people believe that all Muslims are terrorists which of course of wrong. After the 9/11 attack which was by Muslims, people wrongly discriminated against Muslims and to make this matter even worse if the attack was by white Americans not all white Americans would be discriminated against, so this proves that this discrimination is purely due to religion. So here is where our problem lies.

If people were educated to understand and respect religion there would be no problems, and our world-wide society would function so much better, and respect would be available to all.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the missionary task implies a respectful dialogue with those who do not yet accept the Gospel. Believers can profit from this dialogue by learning to appreciate the truth and grace which are found among peoples, and which are, as it were, a sacred presence of God.

This indicates that if people understood at least one religion in their lifetime then in their local society and in the world-wide society everyone would be happier and more respected and the world would be a better place for all.

E.T.

Blog: Multifaith Marriage, Conversion, Children - HH

This weeks Daybreak topic is issues in a multi-faith society, especially in relationships. I asked you to send in your veiws and the response was huge.
  
The first issue I came across alot, to do with multi faith marriages. One letter I recieved was from a jewish boy call Isacc who wants to marry his muslim girlfriend. He wrote saying " It's really hard because I love my girlfriend but my family mean alot to me to. They want me to marry a jewish girl as that is what my religion says is best for me. Either way I willl end up upsetting both of them." As you can see this is a very big dilemma. Isacc will either end up upsetting his family or his girlfriend. This would be a very hard decision for anyone to make, and I wish you all the best, whatever the outcome.
    
The next issue I came across was conversion. Many relationships have two people of diffrent religions or one person religious and the other not. This can be very conflicting as they have diffent views on their faith. I recieved a letter from Claire, who is not religious, who is going out with a catholic boy, John, who is trying to convert her to catholicism. She said " I really love my boyfriend, but it's hard.I have never had a religion before and I don't want to change." This is a hard issue because Claire wants to please her boyfriend, but she doesn't want to have a faith. This issue is very common in our multi religious society and I believe the best solution is talking it out.
  
Our final issue is bringing up of children in a multi-faith society. Many faiths have diffrent views on how they should raise there children. I had a letter from a catholic and muslim couple. Rose is a catholic girl, who is pregnant with her muslim husband Tamwar. Rose said " Me and Tamwar have been discussing the faith of our child since I found out I was pregnant. We both want diffrent faiths for our child, and it is causing arguments between us." Faith is a big part in bringing up a child, but the most important thing is that the child is healthy, then to discuss the faith of the child.

H.H

  

Blog: Interfaith Marriage & Children - JS

This week i decided to write about issues in a multifaith society as i feel that it has become a more common problem these days. I am specifically going to talk about what religion to bring your children up in. This is a common problem. I spoke to several people and one person said:                     

'I have been raised a Catholic since I was born, but my husband is Jewish. I have always been open about other religions and my husband is happy to raise our daughter as a catholic. However, it has caused a lot of upset and tension on his side of the family. I think that they automatically thought that we were going to raise her as Jewish. '

This is a common problem and can put a strain on marriages, especially when it creates upset between families. The best thing to do is sit down with the whole family and discuss the issue. Remeber that it is your child and that you shouldn't be forced to do something that you don't want to. As long as your child is happy and taught morals then that it is the most important thing. You may chose to bring them up in one religion, but you can always talk to your children about the other religion as well.

Also, there are many problems in relationships where people are only allowed to marry someone from the same religion.

Cornelia said: 'I have had several issues involving my relationship with Syed who is muslim. His family isn't very happy with our relationship and it is causing a lot of stress.'

This is a very difficult topic and is best to sit with the family and have a discussion about how important it is for you to all get along and how important your relationship is.
 

 

J.S.

Welcome!

Welcome to our Y10 blog featuring our creative writing on issues to do with community cohesion in society. We have studied some of the issues raised for religion by a multi-faith society as part of the EdExcel GCSE in RE Unit 3.

We are trying to write with compassion and understanding about the issues we have learnt. Please feel free to offer feedback on our work via the comment box on each post. Please keep this feedback constructive and polite. All feedback is moderated.

Many thanks!