As a parent of young children, I wish I never had to talk to my kids about Islamophobia. If only it didn’t exist, and that I didn’t have to taint their innocence with such an unpleasant and possibly frightening topic!
Helping kids learn life lessons can be like guiding them through a maze, especially when they're young. For parents, it can be a big challenge, too, especially when tackling complex topics.
If there’s one quality that is generally lacking in the modern world, it is patience. Many of us have grown so used to instant gratification that we get irritated at the slightest delay. We expect information to download within seconds and we demand next-day delivery for our online purchases.
We live in a world that promotes instant gratification at every turn. Technological advances have made it possible to constantly search and find answers in the blink of an eye, to make an online purchase with delivery the same day, to find entertainment 24/7 for just about any taste.
Muslims are understandably guarded when it comes to matters of interfaith for fear of compromising their beliefs. Certain texts also seem to discourage exploring religious ideas beyond Islam, contributing to the reluctance to interact socially with followers of other faith traditions.
For nearly two decades, my family and I lived within the cozy confines of a close-knit Muslim community in Southern California. Our kids attended Islamic school and later homeschooled, and we primarily associated with other Muslim families.