The old saying "Pick your battles" is often ignored by most Muslims. We want to fight for all of our rights, when some rights just really shouldn't be that important that we don't hand them over to the One who can fight them for us.
Every day in the news, some one, some where, in some part of the globe is fighting for their rights or for the right to exercise their rights. To me personally, some of these fights are a bit over the top when we clearly have an alternative to exercise the same rights in a different way. It's not so much what we do, it's how we do it.
For instance, Paris ban on Muslim street prayers comes into effect. We are fighting for the right to pray on a filthy street? Especially from a woman's point of view, the best place for us to pray is in the inner most room of our home, not even in a group with men. I personally wouldn't be caught trying to pray in a street when I have a home to pray in, a much more suitable place for prayer for me. There is also an Islamic rule against blocking the path or roadways. Don't you think this is a bit much to be trying to have a right to do? Ok, so the people in Paris, France say, "Well they won't give us an adequate Mosque to pray in, so we have to pray on the streets." Come on, for real? You don't have a home either? See, this type of action will only create more division because prayer is supposed to be an intimate act between an individual and the Creator. It is better to pray in a Jamaat (group), but no one has a home a group can pray in? Being from Memphis, Tennessee, most of our Masjids (Mosques) were started in a house and grew into a building (Musala) used for prayer and then as our community grew, we got our monies together and built a proper Masjid (Mosque). Allah (God) makes us ready to face anything when we strengthen ourselves.
Muslims are falling into the same mindset of "entitlement" that everyone else is in the world. First of all, no government HAS to give you a place to pray, but with that being said..."Interior Minister Claude Gueant has offered believers the use of a disused fire brigade barracks instead (of praying in the street)." So, the French government is still trying to accommodate Muslims. So, where in Islam do we have the right to strong arm anything from anyone? And when they try to accommodate us, we deem it unusable as if the street is a better place than a clean building? Come on, now. Are we serious about this? There is a specific law under Shari'ah that states we MUST obey the laws of the land. So, the French law is "no to street prayers". Hadith says don't block the pathways and roadways. So, because it's the French government saying not to do the same thing, you defy it? Many Muslims, unfortunately, have therir Deen (way of life) twisted into Bidah (innovation) and we want to make a fight out of everything, even what we have no right in to make a fight. What we should be fighting for, we have no interest in fighting for, we want to take something that we have no rights in and fight.
This whole topic is getting old. We fight for foolishness and ignore the real violations of our rights. Like the rights being violated in Sudan, Somalia and other countries where people are truly suffering, not being allowed the basic right to live unmolested and free. Like the rights right here in America to not be corporate slaves. But, we want to cry about not being able to pray in the street, one of the most filthy places to pray when we have cleaner alternatives. The Hijab fight is valid, but praying in the streets? Pick your battles wisely before we are viewed as a group of people who are whining cry babies, who want every little thing our way and want everyone in the world to bend to accommodate us. This is how you make enemies. No one likes a bunch of brats. We don't live in this world alone and our rights stop when the next person's rights begin. Non-Muslims should not have to be subjected to watching and waiting for Muslims to pray, while the Muslims block the path and the non-Muslims lose their right to travel an unobstructed road. We have to share this world and have patience and acceptance for everyone and let Allah (God) bestow upon us what is our right rather than trying to make a fight about every single thing. People aren't going to respect us until we get our own situation together. All dignity and honor belongs to Allah (God) and he places dignity and honor upon whom he chooses. If I am wrong, may Allah (God) forgive me, but Islam is mostly about logic and common sense. And Allah Ta'ala (God, the Most High) knows best.
