Research into Islamic Practices...
I always read up on things that interest me and Islamic practice has always been one of those things.
I was doing some research into the common myth that believes you can tell if a girl is a virgin or not by testing to see if the hymen is still in tact or not.
It is now common medical knowledge that the hymen can be broken by physical sports such as gymnastics and horse riding, among many other ways that do not involve sexual penetration.
I stumbled across this site, 'The Islamic Garden' and went for a nosey. This article held great interest, not only as it was extremely well written, but because it comes from the perspective of an Islamic female. She even had some advice for Western feminists such as myself! Always happy to gain a few helpful tips from insiders!
"Western (non-Muslim) feminists often fail in their efforts to educate other societies about such issues because they approach the situation from the wrong direction, one which Muslims find offensive. They do not take into account the values of the Islamic religion which state that men and women both should be pure at the time of first marriage; rather they often suggest that women should be liberated from this idea and allowed to date and have boyfriends with whom they may choose to be intimate. This idea is unacceptable in Islam, and it should not have a place in the movement to educate Muslims about the nature of the hymen. Instead, the focus should be on scientific facts and on understanding the true Islamic position on this matter."
This is why I do so much research into things I disagree with or do not fully understand yet want to, as you can only work towards change, knowing something about what you want to change. You must enter into something armed with all the facts, otherwise you would not have a leg to stand on.
Kind of like why I always read about Paris Hilton. I could not fully explain why I DETEST her if I knew nothing about her...
(FULL article from 'The Islamic Garden')
http://www.islamicgarden.com/article1007.html
