Back Story…

I have been a Muslim for ten years and for ten years I have apologized for the way Muslims behave. I have covered it up and bottled it in and I am tired. So, after much deliberation I realized that I had two options: apostasy or revolution. And then I remembered the hadith of the Prophet (SWS): “By God! If they were to place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand in order to abandon this mission, I would not do so until it has been well established or I would perish in my attempt to do so.” With that I pulled myself together and started writing. www.theskinnyjeanrant.com is my cathartic journey, a way in which to revolt against the cultural ideologies that have been imposed on me. Now, after a long struggle within myself I am heeding the words of Fauzia Mohammed who asked: “What have you done with your time in this country? Don’t leave a place without really investing yourself where you are.” This is an extremely powerful statement. How could I ever walk away from the beauty that is Islam? I couldn’t. What I would really be walking away from is the cultural baggage within the Muslim community and the labels imposed on me by Western society. Alhumdulileh, I am a Muslim and I will NEVER give that up but if you insist on pushing me and hurting me don’t think that I won’t go down without a fight. I am here to stand up and be present. I am here to be a positive drop in the ocean of this Ummah.