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Personally, I'd like to talk about my experience in the hospital, in which I've been interning for 6 months, and honestly I was very afriad
because I know that the people who I'm going to deal with are all from different religions, different sects and different backgrounds
So it was a big challenge especially when I as a Muslim might face a bigger challenge in this hospital specifically
When I went and met those people and despite our differences and divergent opinions, we became close friends, and in some cases I'd say as close as sisters
This caught my attentions that sometimes people tend to judge others before knowing them by virtue of them belonging to a different religion
or from a different background, and they forget that the first thing our religion taught us was to tolerate others
And not to judge them, on the contrary, show them a good view of what Islam is, and the most important thing is behavior and how to treat others
Unfortunately, now, even I through dealing with those people discovered that they have two views of Islam
One is that the people are too extremist, a religion where people are isolated, especially the veiled, they thought she can't work or go out and stuff
Ofcourse I told them that this isn't true, a veiled woman is just like any other woman she can come and go as she pleases, and she can dress as she likes
And the other image where people give a rather embarrassing and shameful image to Islam, where they are called Muslims but do things that Islam doesn't accept
And they ask "how do those people do this, is it allowed in Islam? How can they do this or that?" So it's also our job to raise awareness
That no. Basically our religion is the religion of balance. It's not extreme and it's not doing whatever we wish to do, no.
There are certain rules, regulations, these don't limit from our freedom on the contrary, they plan our lives in a logical way
So that we don't get hurt, and so we can distinguish between right and wrong. Because if we can't do that anymore, our conscience is lost.
We have a problem in the Lebanese society, you really feel like you have to fit in. In that hospital I felt that need as well
Maybe I should stop doing some things, that I shouldn't be looking at everything that's being said or done
Okay, maybe the person should change within himself and try to accept others without losing his/her identity or who s/he is
I used to be ashamed to tell them that "I'm going to go home and I'm going to pray" for example. or when there's an event with alcohol to tell that "I don't drink"
Sometimes you have to be firm, that you're like this. Just like they chose this behavior or that, I also chose my own behavior, and this doesn't hinder our friendship
We come and we go and they respect me and I respect them. But of course one shouldn't give who s/he is for the sake of others
And one shouldn't think that religion is something to be ashamed of, it's not, it's something to be proud of, and makes people respect you more
And I'm talking about a personal experience with people who have 100% different lifestyles and everything they do I can't do
But when they talk to me or deal with me of respect like "We can't believe there are still girls who act like this"
So yeah, unfortunately in our culture, you have to put in a little extra effort so people can accept you, but sometimes it's worth it
Because just doing this effort, you've spread the idea that "no. Islam is not what you think it is"