Page 20 - Pakistan Link - December 31, 2021

P20 – PAKISTAN LINK – DECEMBER 31, 2021 COMMENTARY
n By Mahasin D. Shamsid-Deen Being Muslim at Christmas Time lutionary thought was a thread in
Chicago, IL the African-American community
at the time and family members
hristmastime can be a – Some Muslims’ Stories viewed her nonparticipation as an
time of stress for Ameri- ‘eccentricity’ that would soon pass.
Ccan Muslims because it is a As time progressed, she returned to
month-long celebration of televi- family gatherings out of respect for
sion shows, movies, songs, post- them and their observation of ‘their’
ers, commercials and activities holiday.
that are unavoidable due to the Our Muslimah whose parent
level of proliferation. embraced Islam while she was a

The American Muslim re- child has a before-Christmas and
sponse to Christmas is as varied as after-Christmas experience. As a

American Muslims themselves, who child she looked forward to Christ-

are distinctly diverse in ethnic and mas. After her mother embraced Is-
cultural make-up, as well as Mad- lam, she was an adolescent and was
hab (school of thought) practice. In told the holiday was false and that
order to get a glimpse into Christ- liking it in any way was a form of
mastime from the view of Ameri- Kufr (disbelief). This created angst,

can Muslims, we quizzed American confusion, and guilt. By the time
Muslim women, most of whom had her mother had embraced Islam,
embraced Islam. Within each of Christmas was part of her American
their stories is a viewpoint or expe- cultural heritage. To give up Christ-
rience that is relatable. Within each mas, was to give up a part of her
story shared, we look to Surah Kafi- own worldview. She often wondered

run (Chapter 109) in the Qur’an, if she was “Muslim enough” when
whereupon the Muslim understands she found herself absent-mindedly
that people have their own religious humming a song or wanting to view

beliefs and Alhumdulillah, as Mus- ebrated Christmas in her country. stressful. Religion and culture were African American culture the older a classic holiday tv show. The Eid did
lims we have ours - Islam. Through When she came to America, she felt intertwined as one in her com- family members – the grandparents, not compare – it was not national, it

it all, the Muslims learned to balance the holiday was wonderful and col- munity. The major challenge was grand aunties and grand uncles – was not as festive, and frankly dur-

their Islamic beliefs with respect for orful, and that the Muslims were up- that there was simply not a strong simply did not understand a rejec- ing her adolescent years, it was not
family and community traditions. tight, militant, and judgmental. She safety net and support group for tion of family celebrations. Rejec- even known by non-Muslims.
Our sister who converted to Is- felt the holiday was too secularized her. The Muslims in her area were tion prompted painful recollections Our third generation Muslimah

lam after marriage found Christmas to have any religious connotations overwhelmingly of a different eth- of Jim Crow laws and repercussions had neither a positive nor negative

very stressful. Initially she was apol- that conflicted with Islamic prin- nic background and did not under- endured, that other family members experience about Christmas. She
ogetic to her family, as she explained ciples, and would often participate stand the reality of being a Mexican- resented being brought up. So, the had distant family members who

why her spouse was distant and ac- in Christmas events and simply not American and what was expected Muslimah would make a quick ap- observed the holiday and immedi-
cepted gifts in a perfunctory man- discuss it with others. from mothers, grandmothers, and pearance out of respect or deliber- ate family members who did not.

ner. However, the real stress came Our US-born Pakistani-Ameri- aunties at Christmastime, wheth- ately miss the party to keep tensions She was comfortable telling friends
when she embraced the religion can sister whose parents were immi- er one was a practicing Christian down. However, one of the sisters at school about her own holiday and
and children were born. She was grants was full of angst. As a child, or not. A lot of time was spent in did not give up Christmas altogeth- was not overly concerned about it.

often torn between wanting to be she felt guilty that she wanted to prayer, and a lot of the time she was er because she knew she personally The school calendar listed Christ-
with her family and not wanting her experience it and was even a little in isolation, not knowing where to was not celebrating the birth of a mas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Cinco de
children to endure any controversy. uncomfortable at how large, bright, turn. messiah, but was instead enjoying Mayo, Ramadan and others so she

Often, family members would insist and festive Christmas was compared Our three African-American the season. did not really hyper-focus on the

on buying Christmas gifts and scold to the Eid. However, even though Muslim sisters had one common Our senior citizen Muslimah day. After all, they all had one day

her for not participating. Eventual- she felt she was missing out and thread in that part of the reason had embraced Islam in American of gifts – whereas she had two Eids.
ly, she gave in, and her children basi- hated not being part of the crowd at why Islam was embraced was be- during the 1960s, when she said Is-

cally received gifts at Christmastime school, as she got older, she still felt cause Christmas and other reli- lam was militant and ethnocentric. https://www.soundvision.com/

and during the Eid. sure that her own Islamic celebra- gious holidays had lost meaning Her Islam was a definition of her- article/being-muslim-at-christmas-
Our sister who had migrated tions were wonderful and satisfying. and importance. Each purposely self and Christmas was something time-some-muslims-stories?eType=
from Lebanon had a completely Our Mexican-American sis- distanced themselves and informed uniquely centered around people EmailBlastContent&eId=8b561cd8-
different story because she had cel- ter found Christmastime extremely their families of their new view. In who were not Muslim. This revo- 68da-4812-99ab-35b62f9d0b41

What to Expect from Covid in 2022?
wo years in, as the now lapse and political turmoil ensue.

Omicron-fuelled Covid cri- This is one of several “plau-
Tsis rages, there is still hope eryone on the planet. sible” scenarios, according to Ryan.
the pandemic could begin fading But glaringly unequal vac- “The double-pandemic one is

in 2022 — though experts say gap- cine access has meant that as many of particular concern, because we
ing vaccine inequalities must be wealthy nations roll out additional have one virus causing a pandemic
addressed. doses to the already vaccinated, now, and many others lined up.”
It may seem like a far-off real- vulnerable people and health work- But better global vaccine cov-

ity, as countries impose fresh restric- ers in many poorer nations are still erage could mean that Covid —

tions to address the fast-spreading waiting for a first jab. though not likely to fully disappear
new variant and surging cases and a About 67 per cent of people in — will become a largely controlled
depressing feeling of deja vu sets in. high-income countries have had at endemic disease, with milder sea-
“We’re facing another very hard least one vaccine dose, but not even sonal outbreaks that we will learn to

winter,” World Health Organisation 10pc in low-income countries have, live with, like the flu, experts say.
chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus UN numbers show. It will basically “become part of

said last week. That imbalance, which the the furniture”, Andrew Noymer, an
But health experts say we are WHO has branded a moral outrage, epidemiologist at the University of
far better equipped now than a year risks deepening further as many California in Irvine, told AFP.
ago to tame the pandemic, with bal- countries rush to roll out additional
looning stocks of safe and largely ef- doses to respond to Omicron. Overwhelmed hospitals
fective vaccines and new treatments Early data indicates that the of immunity. they have gotten rid of the problem.” But we’re not yet there.
available. heavily-mutated variant, which has “No country can boost its way Experts caution against too
“We have the tools that can made a lightning dash around the out of the pandemic,” Tedros said ‘Part of the furniture’ much optimism around early in-
bring (the pandemic) to its knees,” globe since it was first detected in last week. Ryan suggested increased vac- dications that Omicron causes less

Maria Van Kerkhove, the top WHO southern Africa last month, is more cination should get us to a point severe disease than previous strains,
expert on the Covid crisis, told re- resistant to vaccines than previous “Blanket booster programs where Covid “settles into a pattern pointing out that it is spreading so
porters this month. strains. are likely to prolong the pandemic, that is less disruptive”. fast it could still overwhelm health

“We have the power to end it in While boosters do seem to push rather than ending it.” The emer- But he warns that if the world systems.
2022,” she insisted. protection levels back up, the WHO gence of Omicron is evidence of fails to address the imbalance in vac- “When you have so many,
But, she added, they must be insists to end the pandemic, the pri- that, WHO emergencies chief Mi- cine access, the worst could still lie many infections, even if it is less

used correctly. ority must remain to get first doses chael Ryan told AFP. ahead. severe... (hospitals) are going to be
to vulnerable people everywhere. “The virus has taken the oppor- One nightmare scenario envi- very stressed,” top US infectious

Glaring inequity Allowing Covid to spread un- tunity to evolve.” Gautam Menon, sions the Covid pandemic left to disease expert Anthony Fauci told

A year after the first vaccines abated in some places dramatically a physics and biology professor at rage out of control amid a steady NBC News last week.

came to market, around 8.5 billion increases the chance of new, more Ashoka University in India, agreed barrage of new variants, even as a That is a depressing prospect

doses have been administered glob- dangerous variants emerging, ex- it was in wealthy countries’ best in- separate strain sparks a parallel pan- two years after the virus first sur-

ally. perts warn. terest to ensure poorer nations also demic. faced in China.
And the world is on track to So even as wealthy countries get jabs. Confusion and disinformation The scenes of intubated pa-

produce around 24 billion doses by roll out third shots, the world is not “It would be myopic to assume would shrink trust in authorities tients in overcrowded hospitals
June — more than enough for ev- safe until everyone has some degree that just by vaccinating themselves and science, as health systems col- COVID, P24
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