Here’s some shocking news; I’m Muslim. Most people do not expect to hear that I associate with the religion of Islam because what they see is a tall, white girl with red hair and green eyes who would walk outside in a sports bra and shorts. Contrary to what my image may suggest, I do pray, fast, and attend Mosque in my hijab. I come from a very religious household. Being Bosnian, there is an even greater emphasis on being proud to practice Islam due to the attempt to ethnically cleanse Bosnia of all Muslims during the Bosnian war in 1995. My grandmother on my dad’s side is very religious. In her area, a woman is basically there to serve to the man and should stay at home to cook and clean. The women are also expected to have as many children
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My cousins, once they finished high school, ended up marrying their high school sweetheart. One cousin even dropped out of high school when she was 14 and got married to a guy that was 24. She immediately became pregnant, and became a housewife, which is the fate for majority of Bosnian girls. I am baffled by this concept; my culture has taught me to not have pre-marital sex, but a minor having sex is acceptable. I have been taught that I cannot have sex for pleasure, but only to procreate. I am told that it is the husband’s decision on when sex will happen, and that a woman can only have one sexual partner her entire life. These ideas do not sit well with me; a woman has her own sexual desires that need to be …show more content…
In the US, I am comfortable discussing and advocating for LBGTQ rights, whereas in Bosnia, judgmental comments are made and stares are given if I so much as mention the word “gay”. As I grew up in Atlanta, I became comfortable wearing my shorts and tank tops in the humid, hot days, whereas when I spent my summers in Bosnia, I was always told to wear jeans and a t-shirt because I shouldn’t show so much skin. Living in America but being taught through Bosnian culture has definitely caused many conflicting situations. I am constantly playing an internal game of tug of war when faced with decisions. Do I listen to what my parents have taught me or do I listen to what I am learning from my new American
My cousins, once they finished high school, ended up marrying their high school sweetheart. One cousin even dropped out of high school when she was 14 and got married to a guy that was 24. She immediately became pregnant, and became a housewife, which is the fate for majority of Bosnian girls. I am baffled by this concept; my culture has taught me to not have pre-marital sex, but a minor having sex is acceptable. I have been taught that I cannot have sex for pleasure, but only to procreate. I am told that it is the husband’s decision on when sex will happen, and that a woman can only have one sexual partner her entire life. These ideas do not sit well with me; a woman has her own sexual desires that need to be …show more content…
In the US, I am comfortable discussing and advocating for LBGTQ rights, whereas in Bosnia, judgmental comments are made and stares are given if I so much as mention the word “gay”. As I grew up in Atlanta, I became comfortable wearing my shorts and tank tops in the humid, hot days, whereas when I spent my summers in Bosnia, I was always told to wear jeans and a t-shirt because I shouldn’t show so much skin. Living in America but being taught through Bosnian culture has definitely caused many conflicting situations. I am constantly playing an internal game of tug of war when faced with decisions. Do I listen to what my parents have taught me or do I listen to what I am learning from my new American