'U?...Who-Are-You?'
Why, I hardly know, sir. I've changed so much since this morning, you see...
No, I do not C, explain yourself.
I'm afraid I can't explain myself, you see, because I'm not myself, you know.
I do not know.
I can't put it any more clearly, sir, because it isn't clear to me
. . .
A serpent! Help! Help! Serpent! Serpeeent!
But please! Please!
Off with you! Shoo! Shoo! Help! Serpent!
I'm not a serpent.
You're not? Then just what are you?
I'm just a little girl.
Little? Little? [Laughs]
Well, I am... I mean, I was.
And I suppose you don't like eggs, either?
Yes, I like eggs, but...
Aha! I knew it! I knew it! A serpent! Serpent! Serpeeeent!
Oh, for goodness sake!
Alice in Wonderland. Disney 1951.
Salaamz everyone.
Themed reminder- based on a pretty odd dialogue...but I think you guys will get
why I quoted the whole darn thing in a minute ^_^ (If you have the patience to
read on that is...)
That scene from my sister's all time favourite movie has always been scripted
into my head. Its the scene where Alice is forced to deal with the issue of her
rapidly changing identity upon entering a new world. She doesn't know any one
there, and no body knows her. She doesnt fit in with anyone because as the
Cheshire Cat explains, everyone in Wonderland is insane. Alice doesn't want to
fit in by being insane, so she has to explain an identity/concept to people that
don't have a clue as to who or what she exactly is.... (see where I'm going with
this?)
Ok. Let me break it down in black and white.
When she first encounters the caterpiller, she tells him she has a problem.
What's your problem? The caterpiller asks. Alice replies- I want to be my old
self, exactly the way I was- the same height the same shape- before I came to
this horribly odd world. The caterpiller is extremely offended- what's wrong
with being 3 inches tall? he asks- I am exactly that height! What's wrong with
living MY way? And looking the way I look? At which point Alice quickly replies-
no no sir, that isnt what i meant- i'm me and you are you- i cant be like you,
because i'm not a caterpiller- i'm-
-And at this point she's asked the vital question. Fine, then who exactly ARE
you?
To which Alice has no clear answer.
Don't you think Muslims today are in this odd predicament?
We know what it is we AREN'T- we ARENT terrorists, we ARENT extremists- we ARENT
any of the labels people pin down on us. But why is it that I, like most of the
Muslim community, find myself rejecting 'different' labels that pretty much mean
the same thing on practically a daily basis?
Is it, maybe because, when the outside world (or the 'caterpiller') looks down
on me and bluntly ASKS me who I am, I'm too busy explaining what I'm NOT? No-
no- no....so negative, so dismissive- so defensive...its no wonder people leave
with the wrong impression.
And why this lack of voice on our side? Is it maybe because we ourselves don't
know Who we are? I mean, don't get me wrong, we have a religion, we have a
culture- and I'm only a first generation Pakistani, so I dont have to go too far
until I reach My roots- but my concern stems out to the vast majority of the so
called 'British Muslims'- Who Are You? I mean, pretty soon- I'll be one of you,
because as of next year, I would have officially spent more of my life in this
country than back home, and I'm getting cold feet here people because- I don't
exactly see much of a distinctly unique identity that's evolved off the back of
THIS COUNTRY.
Do you know what i mean? I mean- ok lets take our mosques for example. British
mosques. What do you think of straight away? Domes. Minerates and Domes right?
Well (history lesson)- did you know that the Prophet SAW didnt even SPECIFY the
shape of the building we have to pray in? Which is why some of the first mosques
were built to represent the prophets house- but pretty soon the mosques started
taking shape of local architecture and local elements that in time were
coperated into 'Islamic Art'. Those domes were Bizentian you know-
Syrian...Palestinian- JEWISH. Which is why so many Synagogues have em too. They
didn't copy us, you know.
So anyway, my point is, there was this love of the land- this 'Ok-ness' if you
will with IDENTITY- 'ok were muslim but were palestinian too- jews are cool, why
don't we try assimilating a little and borrowing from their rich culture? Maybe
we could meet half way'- that sorta thing. Do you see that here? Uh- no. Total
holding-on-to-old-crud-that-doesnt-belong style of things we have going on atm.
Seriously. Green dome in the middle of a 21st century trading estate? What were
these people thinking? Making a statement is what they're thinking- we DO NOT
WANT TO BE LIKE YOU is what it looks like they're thinking. How arsy is that you
know? Im not gna be nice about it- seriously, attitude problem- our current
state of confused identity just screams OH THOSE GOOD OLD DAYS WHEN WE RULED ALL
-sigh-
I mean, im all for vanacular structures etc, old things drawing from your past,
your heritage, your culture- but not in a political way. Not in a way that makes
other people think, damn, is this my ONLY identity? Is it really THIS black or
white? I can either wear shalwar kameez- or spray on jeans? I can either wear a
mullah cap- or a beany? One way will lead me to heaven- the other to hell?
See what i mean?
Which leads me onto my second quote. The old bird in a tree that screams at
Alice when she sees her long neck shoot through the tree (after she eats the
mushroom that makes her grow so tall- you gotta see the movie people). She
labels her straight away as something dangerous and vile- SERPANT! Alice is
hence on the defence straight away, no! no! please listen- but the bird won't
give her a chance. Of course, she's scared for her eggs that she was nesting
before she was so rudely interrupted. She fires questions at Alice which are
more like accusative statements (we get those a lot too right?) and because
Alice is already so flustered- she answers them the wrong way. Note how she
answers them- again negative, again telling her what she ISNT, rather than what
she is. And when she DOES say what she THIINKS she is, shes directly challanged-
little? Little?! You're 100 feet tall! Youre neck is shooting through my tree!
You're anything BUT little- to which Alice replies, well, I USED to be little-
implying she has no clue what she is now. The rapid changes, the constant need
to explain those changes- leaves her completely lost and confused. But there is
still a constant within these changes she doesnt seem to pick up on. It doesn't
matter how big or small she is, at the end of the day, even if she isnt a LITTLE
girl, shes still a girl, shes still a human- not a snake, or a reptile...
If we're not Pakistani, Arab, African or Chinese Muslims anymore...
Aren't we still Muslims? The beauty of this religion is in its simplicity, its
free from all this self imposed cultural lark- you can mould it into any culture
you want! Do you guys REALISE how LUCKY you are? YOU are the ones that get to
decide what British Muslims ARE and can be- and your'e just like- not DOING
anything about it!
I know its hard, but seriously, now that a couple of generations have been
established here, there's definitely no turning back 'home' for a lot of us.
This IS home. So what is it? What are you? You you you-
Who
Are
You?