This happened when I had just finished my school education. I had begun ruminating over what my religion taught me and the purpose of my existence. Reading about the plight of Muslims often produced a tinge of shame somewhere within me, particularly when for no reason at all, my classmates would throw a glance at me every now and then during our classes. I wondered why it was so that Muslims were painted that way and whether they were really so backward? I wanted to know whether all that we read in books and newspapers were true or was it just to demean a community that they were being presented in such a bad light? After my finals, I got the opportunity to find out more about the truth of all these things which used to perturb me immensely. Why not make an in-depth study of the Holy Quran to find out for myself what was true, I thought. This led me to inquire about which translation would be easier to read and understand. Of course I could read the Arabic text quite fluently as I had been reading it regularly ever since my childhood, but unfortunately as it is with most Muslims, I could not understand anything.
Very diligently, I set myself to this task and then, all of a sudden things started getting clear. Actually, more perturbing to me was the condition of Muslim women because they have been targeted for being backward. It is thought that as they are cloistered within the four walls of the house, they are a deprived lot. The hijab and modest dress of Muslim women was at that time being made fun of and quite often I came across the progressive section of society who took pleasure in making a mockery of the Islamic mode of dressing as an abominable form of dress. Somehow, the thought would keep me worried and agitated because I found that those among Muslims who were getting education like me in missionary schools or other secular institutions gave up this dress more out of contempt than anything else.

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