Waiting and Seeing

At dinner with some other Muslimahs this evening, the topic of conversation of what we are going to do came up. Do we stand our ground and keep showing up, and demand they let us into the Women's side (if all they really want is the air conditioning bill paid, we can do it) to continue? Ramadan is coming in 2 and a half weeks and we don't meet then anyway...and we don't know what they have told the woman they chose to speak with about the situation. And although I love this woman to death...she will be as kind as possible in relaying whatever messages they have, and leave out anything harmful. I love her. And maybe it's for the best. Being accused behind my back of misdeeds, having my daughter picked on, being POINTEDLY excluded from the conversation because of my race (actually it's opposite..it's because of what race I am NOT)..all has me in a bit of an angry ball. And really, this is not going to get me anywhere.

      Some women want to stand our ground and not budge, keep attending Masjid Noor because it is not something they can do...exclude us. Even though what we are supposedly being accused of are all lies...they are things we can immediately solve. We COULD and WOULD donate to the masjid if we knew where the money went or if it actually went into the masjid or the community. But we don't know where it goes and there are no improvements or necessary materials. Now we are being told the cost of the air conditioning is too much to let us continue to use the facility (The Great Irony: The Air Conditioning unit and installation was donated to the masjid by a Kuwaiti woman who was visiting a couple years ago because it was so hot for the women..so the "Society" didn't even get it themselves for the ladies..A VISITING WOMAN BOUGHT IT FOR THE WOMEN!!!!!). If they want us to pay the bills we will. We can.They said it was dirty all the time. Even though the women clean up after every meeting, Sunday School cleans after themselves, and the old Imam's sons would come every Thursday to clean it too. But if they want, we can clean it white glove style EVERY week. They don't approve of our materials...ok...then provide some for us.. preferably materials we have had a hand in selecting as it is for us and our benefit. See? All problems easily solved. We could even get materials OURSELVES so they don't have to pay. Hell, if they want cash to rent the space we could pay them. Whatever.

      Then there are some women who just want to walk away and start our own thing. We could rent our own place together and do all the things they have been wanting and asking for. The converts want their own place where they feel welcome too. For those who want to just stop going to Noor and do our own thing Now is the time. As for me, I have no idea which I want to do. And I don't know what the "Executive Committee" has said to the woman who runs the Friday Meeting, so I cannot really make a clear call. A friend posted a quote from a sermon of Imam Ali when I logged on this evening and it made my heart soften and remember just how complicated this all is when brothers and sisters in faith turn on each other. And really, I don't want ANY fighting, or splitting, or nonsense. I just want Utah's Ummah to UNITE.