Western Culture and Its Effect on Muslims

Muslims all over the world, especially over the last decade or so, have found themselves in the middle of a grave identity crisis. This is more applicable for Muslims living amidst the western culture. Which identity should they take up for themselves: The Western or the Muslim? Few youngsters have the inborn ability to discern right from wrong and good from bad. Add to this, the confusion that the definitions of right and wrong and good and bad vary from a person to the other, and you have a fine concoction for going down a confused pathway.

Western culture seems to be presented to the world as the superior culture which advocates personal freedom, freedom of speech and freedom of thought. It seems the Muslim culture is presented to people as being ‘backward’ or ‘unyielding.’ This is understandable as the West had advanced in technology far faster than Muslims. A hold over technology allows the West to spread its views faster, and create a public opinion in favor of itself. By no way does this mean the West can be held in contempt; quite the contrary, in fact. The West should be admired in the way it effectively spreads its messages: either in favor of itself or against Islam. Muslims should pick the pace a bit when it comes to defending their religion against the millions of anti-Islamic misconceptions circulating the world.

These Western views have started to erode the Muslim minds into believing that the Western civilization is better, with more opportunity for development and that it is the only way to realize personal freedom. More and more Muslims these days are getting deviated from the traditional Islamic model. Let us look at just one of the most vital differences between the Western world and the Muslim world. It is that of ‘purdah.’ The covering up of the female body, how this is interpreted by the West; whereas, purdah actually applies equally to men, as well as, women. No doubt, the extent of purdah varies between the genders. The West interprets this as discrimination against women, violating their right to expose themselves or be fashionable. They think of the purdah as being a cage.

In reality, the differences in purdah between the two genders exist in Islam because a woman needs protection more than a man. It is not a cage, but a fortress of which the woman alone is the queen. Any woman, who has no idea of the special place Islam gives her in a society, will undoubtedly opt for the Western idea of freedom. The man, in Islam, is left to shoulder every burden and to deal with the dust and dirt and grime of everyday life, while he must treat his woman with the utmost respect, and shelter and protect her like the most precious and delicate flower.

While more and more of Muslim youngsters are being convinced into the Western way of life, there are those that have been through the Western stage. Many Muslims are converting back to the ways of Islam. There are more conversion to Islam in the world as compared to all the other religions combined.

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