Wanabees---Arab doesn't Equal Islam

Ange wrote a post on this a long time ago, and I had to too because of some haters, not to name names. Please, people don't. Anyways, some "converts" take it too far. They become a Muslim but not out of true understanding of Islam. They aim to marry only a khaleeji man, or to please some Gulf guy's family instead of marrying a man of understanding and adhearence to the sunnah, and so they dye their blonde hair black [harraam ladies], stick brown contacts in their eyes (to look Arab), draw on cat-eyed kohl, use tanner (or lightening lotions), pluck their eyebrows into Arabic arches [harraam ladies], listen to Arabic music [if containing stringed instruments or certain lyrics harraam ladies] calling their native music "haraam", start only wearing black, eat only arabic food... Get stuck in some damn crappy life with a husband that tells them they have to sit in the backseat of the car because "it's in Islam" and tonnes of other Arab culture things that are miserable because they are not the way of Islam. It is SAD actually. LOL, I know some "sisters" try and accuse me of being an Arab wannabee because I like black abayas. I like green, brown, and pink ones too though. And the fact that I admitted to wearing brown contacts lenses once in a while. It does get me less attention and makes me look more ordinary so sometimes I do it though it has nothing to do with looking Arab. I simply look French---and related to my non-arab family who are all brown-eyed but me. And it a fun thing to try once in a while, like painting your hands with henna. I think it is okay to pick up the halaal things from another culture, but not the ones that go against Islam. You shouldn't have to abandon the good in your culture simply because you aren't Arab when you become a Muslim. FOR THE LAST TIME PEOPLE ARAB DOESN'T EQUAL ISLAM. SAUDI DOESN'T EQUAL CALIPHATE/SHARIAH LAW.
And Arab girls? Don't pursue the haraam or the unhealthy (makruh) of the West, thinking it makes you better, more educated, more accepted, modern, and beautiful. It makes you look like vain mindless puppets.
And just because I wear a black abaya doesn't make me an Arab (or as I have been accused, a wannabee Arab). Wearing any Islamic clothing makes me a Muslim. What is this line of thinking? Ange, I hope you don't mind me borrowing your line of thinking in order to rant. Sister S says to me: "You are a wannabee Arab because you copy khaleeji style black abayaat!" Random stranger on the street: "You where abaya. You must be an Arab!" I WANT TO BASH MY HEAD INTO THE WALL AT THIS SORT OR IGNORANCE/STUPIDITY. It is like me saying "You are wearing plaid. You must be a Celt." Or to Sister S, "you are a wannabee Scottish lass."
Or what about this? So you're wearing Chanel? Oh, you must be French. That isn't what it is, and you know it. So I cry ignorance. Let's all wear hijab, the hijab of the Qu'ran, any way that we can manage, anyway that we like (so long as we know what it is comprised of and why we wear it based on the sunnah). Let's all study to know what makes a Muslim. It is certainly not his nation, or her ancestry. You cannot claim the mercy of Allah with borders and skintones.
And I totally wanted to add this video posted by Ayan http://beyoutifulhijabi.blogspot.com/2009/06/beauty-issues-part-i.html even though it might not tie in because it is so frank about the wannabee and the woman that knows her own history:

Comments

Fatou Thioune said…
assalamu alaykum changin hair color is haram? what about dyin it with henna? i never knew that i was intendin of doin a lil bit changin lol
great post lol even though i know nothin of this problem lol
Al-Muhajabah said…
Assalam u alakum,

Very true!!!!! Wearing anything we like which comes under hijab rules doesn't mean that we are following some culture blindly or are wanabees..........

I second you on this 100%. Black Abaya looks very glam and anybody has a right to like it and wear it as she likes it.

take care
Ange said…
yah its cool pix. and also some girls go way to far in the transformation. people should just be themselves, take bits from here or there, but never completely change yourself.
Anonymous said…
Great post, I love this!

I've also been called a wannabe Arab just because I wear black abayas, it's ridiculous!
I would never dye my platinum blonde hair black, I'm Scandinavian and that's it.
Asalaamu `alaikum wa Jumu`ah Mubarak :-)

Good reminder, alhamdulillah!! BTW there is a hadith by Rasool-ul-Allah (sallalahu `alayhi wa salam) that says, Take the good out of culture but leave the bad.

I think that's pretty self-explanatory!!
Suslique said…
assalamu aleykum, sis, there's a typo in the tag "islam doesnt equal islam" :)
Anonymous said…
yahooo *jumping for joy*
arab does'nt equal islam (most ppl misunderstand this point).
Some arabs are so proud of their heritage thinking that they own the religion or something.Some ppl just do not seem to realise that it is stupid to take credit for something u have no control over(like ur skin colour or ur looks).
but yeah lets just emphasise this point....
islam is not limited to certain ethnicity, and ppl who think we wear abayeh to be like them should seriiusly go get a life cos the world does not revolve ard them!
luv this post
~baddoora~
Anonymous said…
Gee reminds me of that one sister that was raggin' on Ange...now SHE was a wannabe Arab.
LOL...

anyway, I havent really run into too many women like this but I'm sure they exist.
fyi that chicka w/ the nose job is actually Iranian, but yup...even in Iran this IS RAMPENT! Everyone wants to be Western and many many urbanites try to get nose jobs so they have "western noses" and not the big ol' Persian bini. LOL
Pixie said…
Habibti: wa alaykom e salaam ramatullah wa barakto! Dyeing one's hair black with pure black dye was forbidden in one sahih ahadith. Not any other shade though. The Prophet sallalahu alahi wa salaam actually encouraged the practice of dyeing the hair with henna after one's hair turned grey or white, to be different than the Jews and the Christians, who encourage that one should leave it white, with no evidence from the words of Allah subhanhu wa ta 'ala.
Pixie said…
Najm-Us-Sahar: Wa alaykom e salaam ramatullah wa barakto. LOL, yeah, in my culture the black dress has always been good for business or date nights:D
Pixie said…
Ange: Hoped you hadn't minded (alhamdulilah ya don't) cuz I had one sis attacking me over the subject and thought I`d clarify the point.
Pixie said…
Hijab Chic: I HATE when non-muslims try and do that or Muslimas who don`t wanna wear jilbab. My hair naturally black always has been, but I always dyed it blonde before Islam. And I never was a big-on-fake tanner or skin whiterner girl because my skin likes nothing on it, even foundation. Some people have no clue though. I prefer to have my hair dyed blonde though, so I don`t get and harraam police from some Arab chicas. Ìt`s harraaam to dye your hair black. I am like, I`m sorry, it`s my natural colour. When I`m lazy, the roots do come in. What do ya do:D
Pixie said…
Baddoora: it really is sad some people cant distinguish a sunnah from their cultural practice.
Pixie said…
Aalia: wa alaykom e salaam ramatullah wa barakto and juma mubarak to you too sis. LOL, my day is just starting now. Jazzakallah kheiran for reminding everyone about that hadith.
Pixie said…
Suslique: wa alaykom e salaam ramatullah wa barakto. LOL, Yeah, I`m sorry. I am bad for that because the blog is pretty fast and I never have time to spell check ebfore I go to bed.
Pixie said…
Umm Ibrihim: ASalaam alaykom ramatullah wa barakato. Yeah, I knew she was Iranian. It is pretty acceptable there ot get surgery, but I know girls who get into `car crashes`` back in their home country where it is not so acceptable, as an family lie for how they suddenly emerged with different faces. That`s more acceptable you see. SAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.
A said…
Wonderful topic, people need to educate themselves!!

Damn even being Somali people would still assume I'm either Arab (ie from Sudan) or trying to be one. Especially, when I wear abaya or all black :(
Aida said…
I see this a whole lot with the girls who start dating men from the Khaleej. Some girls I know think that being Arab over an other type of Muslim is better and thus one should thrive to marry an Arab. Really messed up. One lady even went as far as to tell my Bangledeshi friend that she was not Muslim that Islam was brought to Arabs. BTW she wasn't even Arab!
Unknown said…
am i wrong or my long comment on this subject is not published?im upset cos i used much of time to write it,did u get my comment?
Pixie said…
Aisha: I never reject a comment unless it is anonymous without a name or it contains swearing or backbiting. So no, I did not get your comment. I didn't reject any comments on this post at all:D

Sometimes comments don't post right so I always copy my comments made on other blogs to make sure I have a record of them so i don't have to re-type the long ones. Hope that's helpful.
Pixie said…
Or if it full of sufi bs.
Pixie said…
which no comments have been of late.
TKG said…
You are right on sis!! I didn't convert to being Arab. I converted to Islam!!!