Comments on: Where Do I Belong? The Dilemma of a Mixed-Race Muslim http://www.TeenPerspectives.com/where-do-i-belong-the-dilemma-of-a-mixed-race-muslim/ Muslim Teen Perspectives on Islam and Life, by Somayya Gefori Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:26:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Sarah http://www.TeenPerspectives.com/where-do-i-belong-the-dilemma-of-a-mixed-race-muslim/#comment-316 Sarah Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:08:28 +0000 http://www.TeenPerspectives.com/where-do-i-belong-the-dilemma-of-a-mixed-race-muslim/#comment-316 Hi there Somayya, First I want to say that I'm sorry you had that bad experience. On the bright side, thank God you weren't physically hurt and at least there were people kind enough to help you out. Inshallah it wont happen to you again. Second, I agree that it's hard to be "mixed". My father is Palestinian and my mother is Filipino. We are a Muslim family, but my mother was Catholic before getting married--so her relatives are Christian. To add to the mix, I grew up in a foreign country (neither Palestine nor Philippines!) and studied in international schools. So my entire life is just a big jumble of everything! People (even my relatives) always try to make me feel ashamed for not knowing the cultures & languages of my parents very well. I usually feel out of place. I can't say where I belong or what I am...People stare at me and ask me lots of questions. They laugh when I speak in broken Arabic or Filipino. Even these little things can make me feel humiliated and unaccepted sometimes. But when I really think about it, the truth is that my faith is what makes me feel most at home. And although it's hard, I am proud to be from everywhere and nowhere at the same time--because I've experienced so many things, met so many different people...my life is so colorful, al hamdulillah, and I wouldn't have it any other way. :) Hi there Somayya,
First I want to say that I’m sorry you had that bad experience. On the bright side, thank God you weren’t physically hurt and at least there were people kind enough to help you out. Inshallah it wont happen to you again.

Second, I agree that it’s hard to be “mixed”. My father is Palestinian and my mother is Filipino. We are a Muslim family, but my mother was Catholic before getting married–so her relatives are Christian. To add to the mix, I grew up in a foreign country (neither Palestine nor Philippines!) and studied in international schools. So my entire life is just a big jumble of everything!
People (even my relatives) always try to make me feel ashamed for not knowing the cultures & languages of my parents very well. I usually feel out of place. I can’t say where I belong or what I am…People stare at me and ask me lots of questions. They laugh when I speak in broken Arabic or Filipino. Even these little things can make me feel humiliated and unaccepted sometimes.
But when I really think about it, the truth is that my faith is what makes me feel most at home. And although it’s hard, I am proud to be from everywhere and nowhere at the same time–because I’ve experienced so many things, met so many different people…my life is so colorful, al hamdulillah, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. :)

]]> By: IMAN BENOMRAN http://www.TeenPerspectives.com/where-do-i-belong-the-dilemma-of-a-mixed-race-muslim/#comment-303 IMAN BENOMRAN Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:05:02 +0000 http://www.TeenPerspectives.com/where-do-i-belong-the-dilemma-of-a-mixed-race-muslim/#comment-303 <p>Great article Somaya,<br /> Im sure it will be of help to many people.<br /> Having four boys of my own of mixed race Hamdilallah, Libyan and British. I always tell them how fortunate they are to be of two cultures. I find that they experience a lot more things which is good for their character building. My boys love going to Libya for visits, its their second home is what they feel. They have a large loving family their, who love them all very much and i think that this is what they miss the most.<br /> The also love England too. But I always tell them say Hamdilallah you have a choice to go and visit any time you want to. They can take the good from both sides. The main thing is wherever the are they are still Muslim.<br /> Iam sorry Somaya to hear about your incident, but keep up your good work writing your articles as you will be inspiring to so many muslims Young and Old.</p> Great article Somaya,
Im sure it will be of help to many people.
Having four boys of my own of mixed race Hamdilallah, Libyan and British. I always tell them how fortunate they are to be of two cultures. I find that they experience a lot more things which is good for their character building. My boys love going to Libya for visits, its their second home is what they feel. They have a large loving family their, who love them all very much and i think that this is what they miss the most.
The also love England too. But I always tell them say Hamdilallah you have a choice to go and visit any time you want to. They can take the good from both sides. The main thing is wherever the are they are still Muslim.
Iam sorry Somaya to hear about your incident, but keep up your good work writing your articles as you will be inspiring to so many muslims Young and Old.

]]> By: najwa fares-pazli http://www.TeenPerspectives.com/where-do-i-belong-the-dilemma-of-a-mixed-race-muslim/#comment-302 najwa fares-pazli Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:04:33 +0000 http://www.TeenPerspectives.com/where-do-i-belong-the-dilemma-of-a-mixed-race-muslim/#comment-302 salaam alaikom , inshallah this reaches u in a well state. i just read ur story .. and i can really relate to ur story. i am a muslim woman who is the daughter of a lebanese muslim man and a jamaican catholic woman.i was born in lebanon , but grew up in leb, usa and jamaica.. i have been living in usa since 1995 and i am still here. i have never had such public hostile eevents happen to me like u had,and i thank allah that it has not..but sometimes i think that it would be an easier sometimes if i was just one race.. but like one brother posted a comment previously as long as we are muslim, that is all that matters. but the only thing that my mixed identity has brought are just alot of stares from people, because i do not " look like a certain group". so they are curious .. what i am ? sometimes they ask me and most of the time they just stare at me.. but i know what they are thinking. it's ok. i love being mixed , because i have so much culture from each side and i am open mined... my ex-husband was from afghanistan and inshallah the next man i marry i will be open to that also.. and i just think , how beautiful my kids will be. and i smile... as long as you are happy with yourself.. who cares what others say about your ethnicity.. and i think you were attacked because of the fact that you were muslim , not mixed. because i have lived and visited london ... more than half of the population there are mixed with 2 or more races. so do not get discouraged. the idiots that attacked you are ignornant and uneducated people. keep your head up and allah will guide you. may allah bless you and ur family, inshallah your sister in islam, najwa fares-pazli ;) salaam alaikom ,
inshallah this reaches u in a well state. i just read ur story .. and i can really relate to ur story. i am a muslim woman who is the daughter of a lebanese muslim man and a jamaican catholic woman.i was born in lebanon , but grew up in leb, usa and jamaica.. i have been living in usa since 1995 and i am still here. i have never had such public hostile eevents happen to me like u had,and i thank allah that it has not..but sometimes i think that it would be an easier sometimes if i was just one race.. but like one brother posted a comment previously as long as we are muslim, that is all that matters. but the only thing that my mixed identity has brought are just alot of stares from people, because i do not ” look like a certain group”. so they are curious .. what i am ? sometimes they ask me and most of the time they just stare at me.. but i know what they are thinking. it’s ok. i love being mixed , because i have so much culture from each side and i am open mined… my ex-husband was from afghanistan and inshallah the next man i marry i will be open to that also.. and i just think , how beautiful my kids will be. and i smile… as long as you are happy with yourself.. who cares what others say about your ethnicity.. and i think you were attacked because of the fact that you were muslim , not mixed. because i have lived and visited london … more than half of the population there are mixed with 2 or more races. so do not get discouraged. the idiots that attacked you are ignornant and uneducated people. keep your head up and allah will guide you.
may allah bless you and ur family, inshallah
your sister in islam,
najwa fares-pazli ;)

]]> By: Hudhayfa http://www.TeenPerspectives.com/where-do-i-belong-the-dilemma-of-a-mixed-race-muslim/#comment-301 Hudhayfa Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:06:32 +0000 http://www.TeenPerspectives.com/where-do-i-belong-the-dilemma-of-a-mixed-race-muslim/#comment-301 Salam, good article there big sis :-p But yeah you know i can do better! Only joking! But yeah it is good and makes you think bout your background and all that! Salam, good article there big sis :-p
But yeah you know i can do better! Only joking!
But yeah it is good and makes you think bout your background and all that!

]]> By: Mabrouka http://www.TeenPerspectives.com/where-do-i-belong-the-dilemma-of-a-mixed-race-muslim/#comment-300 Mabrouka Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:54:27 +0000 http://www.TeenPerspectives.com/where-do-i-belong-the-dilemma-of-a-mixed-race-muslim/#comment-300 Big up to my fellow halfy Somayya!I'm sorry to hear what happened to you, alhamdullillah ala salamtik. Having to deal with two cultures can be conflicting sometimes, but I think the most important thing is placing yourself as Muslim first no matter what your race(s) may be. I think it's a shame that people put too much emphasis on race and nationality with all their discriminations and prejudices, we're all human at the end of the day. An article well written, keep it up. Big up to my fellow halfy Somayya!I’m sorry to hear what happened to you, alhamdullillah ala salamtik.
Having to deal with two cultures can be conflicting sometimes, but I think the most important thing is placing yourself as Muslim first no matter what your race(s) may be. I think it’s a shame that people put too much emphasis on race and nationality with all their discriminations and prejudices, we’re all human at the end of the day.
An article well written, keep it up.

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