Majority of the Western media and the Pat Robertsons of the world will have you believe that Islam is the most backward religion in the world. They will make a case that Islam is oppressive to women; it preaches hate towards anyone and everyone. They will blow fire out of their mouths about how all practising Muslim men are nothing but wife beaters.

I have a simple question: why is it that even after all this oppression we never hear of Muslim women whether they are living in Islamic countries or even in the west converting to Christianity or Judaism or Hinduism or any ‘ism’ for that matter? We will hear the Irshad Manjis and Asra Naumanis trying to "INNOVATE" in Islam by pleading to us how lesbianism and illegitimate children are fine and how this behavior should be encouraged in Islam. But even they will never say that another religion is the answer. On the other hand, despite open prejudice and harassment to some degree, Islam is spreading in Europe and America like wild-fire.

According to an article in a famous right-wing magazine, The Christian Science Monitor, thousands of European and American men and women are converting (the word used should be reverting because we as Muslims believe that every human being is born in a state of submission to God, therefore revert instead of convert is a more appropriate term) to Islam every year. According to this article entitled "Why European Women Are Turning to Islam", the ratio of women converting to Islam is much higher than the men. The article states that the reason for this higher ratio is not what is widely perceived, that most women come within the fold of Islam because they marry a Muslim man.

On this issue of women converting to Islam because of their Muslim husbands, professor at Birmingham University, Dr. Haifa Jawad says, "Although in the past this was one of the most prevalent reason for the women to convert, now it’s mostly on the basis of their own faith and understanding". Peter Ford the author of this article writes that according to researchers, the rationale for this mass conversion amongst women is the moral bankruptcy and the superficial nature of the society that surrounds them. I guess what he is saying is that Islam doesn’t put emphasis on the “HOTNESS” of a woman, but rather on her character. Because we don’t sometimes have a say in what we look like (nature dictates that for the most part) but we as normal human beings have total control of our behavior. Therefore we should be judged on what we have the power to alter.

Karen Van-Newkirk, a Dutch researcher who has written extensively on the raison d’être for Dutch women’s inclination towards Islam, says that in Islam men and women both have specific rights and responsibilities. She further explains that the gender roles are well defined in Muslim societies and women are not considered merely a sex-toy. She goes on to say that Islam gives women uncanny respect in society, especially in the roles of mother, sister, daughter and wife. Even today in this age of materialism I am a personal witness to families back home, where women in their 80’s who are completely unlettered, are obviously not the bread-winners of the family, but yet they have the stature of the head of the household. My own grand-mother, while she was alive, made all the important decisions in our extended family. Her approval was needed in marriages of her grand-children; she had the final say in almost everything that happened in the households of her four sons. It was funny that I, as a four-year-old favorite of my grandmother, got away with anything and everything to the displeasure of my father, but he couldn’t do anything once my grandmother had laid the law (or lack thereof).

In an earlier issue, Christian Science Monitor published an article by Christine Armario entitled "Hispanics Are Finding Answers in Islam". In this article Ms. Armario makes a case that the reason Hispanic women are turning to Islam is the simple fact that they see respect and security for their gender. According to this article, in United States alone there are about 40,000 reverted Muslims of Hispanic origin. Every year in the USA about 20,000 men and women revert back to Islam, out of which 6% are Hispanics. I am not making any of this up; this is a fact that was published in a rightwing magazine. It is however ironic though that after all the persecution and bad media and your Orielys and 700 clubs, Rush Limbaughs and Michael Savages, Islam is still thriving in the heart of America. Ouch! Spare a thought for the neo-cons. No wonder Dick Cheney keeps getting one heart attack after another.

Here’s a million dollar question, though: Why are these western women with their freedom and mini skirts and open societies and whatever else that are the signs of a “Free woman” dumping all of that and running towards “The Big, Bad, Backward Islam”, obviously of their free will? (Unless the Bush administration is the Taliban in disguise.)

On the flip side we see a culture transforming in front of our eyes in Pakistan. I am baffled when I see slow dancing couples in an EID program. Can it get any more disrespectful? If this is not a mockery of our religious events, I don’t know what is? Please spare me the lectures on how times are changing and Islam needs to change with time. Having an educational and open discussion about how we make our Islamic banking systems affective so we can be competitive in the economic world, or whether "Hijaab" includes the face covering or not, we should and must discuss these and many other issues openly and should accommodate common sense.

But if someone is going to plead the case of "Mixed Prayers" or how dancing whether classical or otherwise is somehow part and parcel of our religion and Pakistani culture then you’ll get an earful from me and believe you me I am the voice of the majority on these issues. It is quite astonishing that just because I am not comfortable watching a woman dance, somehow it makes me less cultured and civilized. I shouldn’t automatically become a "Taliban" just because I am not able to appreciate the vulgarity in fashion shows and "Cultural Shows". Of all the people, I would think that "Liberals" would be a little more open-minded about my "Backwardness".

“There is something special about Islam!” It’s a cliché at this point among Muslims. If it’s so special then why do we see Muslims making a complete mockery of their religion? And why do the "Silent Majority" stand idly and let them dictate what our values and morals should be? If our true Islamic culture and values are so repugnant, how do you explain this massive conversion to Islam in societies where there is no compulsion on them? These societies have all the “Art” that one can want, and still there is hunger for that spirituality that only Islam can provide. It’s high time that we the majority of Pakistanis stopped being by-standers and let these “liberal bullies” shove their mental illness down our throats in the form of “Art”. We need to reclaim our media from these Indian wannabe’s.

I have always told my western colleagues and counterparts not to judge my religion through my actions (although that’s a natural recourse, therefore it’s incumbent upon Muslims everywhere to live Islam rather than just talk Islam). If you want to know what Islam is about then go to the source, which is Quran and the life and teachings of our beloved Prophet (PBUH). I find it amazing and it’s a lesson for the haters of Islam as well as the supposed “Mullahs” that when asked by his companions who are the best amongst Muslims, my beloved prophet said “The one who is polite and loving towards his wife”. All the wife-beaters are duly warned!