Interracial relationships

Candor As'Salaamu Alikum,

Apparently you didnt read all of my statement nor did you give it any deep thought, let me help you out. First off I was addressing the socio-ethnic problem in th Muslim community. This comes from the parental household who breed the philosophy that, "to sustain a community one must be equally 'yolked' and must desire to be with one of that community." Now in light of that and in the glorious words of the Qur'an to prefer another person based on race (and not of their good nature) contradicts Quranic philosophy.

So if I choose Jane because she is of Arabic Descent over Jamaal who is black even though Jamaal may treat me better and is much more on my intellectual plane is wrong of me. Number one I'm wrong in showing cultural favortism. Two I'm overlooking another's qualities because I desire to be with someone of my own kind regardless whether the other persons qualities superceed the others.

Cultural favortism in Islam is a plague and should be extinguished not only with the dying off of previous generations but through education. Dont get me wrong not saying here dont be proud of ones own culture, but in the decision of choosing one's decision shouldn't be based on culture its illogical to calculate any decision based on that because what it all boils down to is personality. Muhammad the prophet said no person of color is better than another person of non-color and vice versa except through piety...unfortunately candor your ending remark (asserting if I were to take your comments as deragatory) does not show true Islamic knowledge.

Walai kum As'Salaam,

And finally, if you still think I racially discriminate unfairly against you (and your community), and then feel free to racially discriminate against me, I don�t want anything from you (or your community) and I won�t mind.

I agree that was not well-thought out. It can be interpreted to have other meanings that I didn't intend it to have.

And after sorting out my feelings/views about the matter, I think my partiality is only for Western culture. That is because I believe "good nature" of a person (as is defined by Islam) is, usually, greatly determined by his/her culture.

I do acknowledge racial discrimination exists amongst the Muslims (although, I don't believe it exists in the form as you believe it exists). But there are other more serious problems that confront the Ummah and which require immediate political and miltary solution. It is pointless to feed a starving man if he is bleeding to death (bleeding should be stopped first).

Candor I assume you haven't delt with racism much when you stated:

>>>But there are other more serious problems that confront the Ummah and which require immediate political and miltary solution.<<<<

Candor perhaps you'd like to go back to Hadith where Abu Jahl calls Bilal "Son of a slave woman." If you think racism is not an even more important issue now than it was 1500 years ago then perhaps your ideas on what is important and not are definitely mixed up. Racism is perhaps the second if not most single important issue that effects this Ummah. Sure you have different cultures and sure you have different cultures banning together. But as the topic implies when it comes to marrying one another that is a different story.

It is usually "I'm your friend until you marry my daughter" type thing. Such as I'm good enough to pray next to you and make you my friend but the case is different in marriage....Think about it.

Oh BTW darker complexion doesn't come from hard work it comes either genetically or through the acclimation of sunlight......... 

Assalamu alaikum,

Sister Mishmish, thank you for forming a reply to Candor's ill informed comment on "weak-hearted Western converts to Islam".  My heart was too angry at the comment to form a civil reply.  You have done so, nicely.  May Allah reward you for your patience with a matter that surely tore at your heart, as it did at mine.

As to Candor's comment that "there are other more serious problems that confront the Ummah and which require immediate political and military solution".... that may seem true, but in real life, in people's day to day striving to survive and worship Allah as best they can, it is family which forms the core concern of any human being.

Politics, world affairs, struggles between nations, economy, business....these all take a back seat to what is really important in people's everyday lives - that being the people they care the most about, spouse, children, parents, kin.

When people view someone from the "other" as not an option for marriage, how can we expect humans to get along on a grander scale?  It is the marriage of two people that forms the very soul of human existence.  When we can learn to look beyond colour, culture, language, and ethnicity in our marriages, we human beings just might finally learn to get along at all levels.  Racism is an important issue, whether between two persons or between two factions/countries/ideologies - it is at the core of many of the problems in the world today.

Peace, ummziba.