Question of the Week: Who, What, When , Where, Why, How!?

The question I am going to respond to is in regards to a post (the picture up above) that I put on instagram last week and I stated that, "Hmm I think this is contradicting itself. There are many women that don't want men to look or touch their body and I agree 1000% BUT they continue to wear clothing that puts everything on display. That doesn't make any sense. That's like leaving a diamond out in the open and saying you don't want anyone to steal it, and they shouldn't, but you know there are people who aren't right in the head that will. To protect something is to shield it from danger by covering it, putting it in a safe, etc. you don't leave it exposed! Moral of the story: Modesty is the best policy."

Here is the question in regards to that post...

"I dress for me, and I deserve respect regardless. I'm not an object, I am a person. There are societies that have little to no cases of sexual assault and it's a major crime to commit. It is seen as a crime against basic human rights. I read an article of a rape free environment where people face the consequences. The country was in the Middle East. If you can't control yourself then stay at home or in a crazy house. No woman should walk around in fear or told if she was covered head to toe she would be safe. People would just find another way to rape and justify it. If I want to walk around exposing my body then let me and even in a safe things are taken.

When you post things like that you are looking at life through a black and white mirror and are condemning women and putting the blame on the victims. Why do you do that?"

Answer:

Well, let me first say that the post was not specifically about rape, it was about women who oppose to men looking at them with lustful eyes and trying to touch them. I was not going as far as rape but since you mentioned it I will touch on that subject.

Now, I agree with you when you say that you deserve respect and you are not an object. I agree 1000%, all women should be treated with respect and I have never stated that women who don't cover themselves shouldn't be respected. What I do say is that both men and women should take responsibility for their actions. Men should control themselves when it comes to their sexual urges and women should do the same BUT if a man is striving to do so women should respect that and cover themselves. It does not have to be from head to toe, just wear clothes that don't show and accentuate your form. It's like putting an recovering alcoholic around a bunch of alcohol. He will be tempted to drink or even start drinking again, but if he wasn't put in that situation or put himself in that situation he wouldn't have relapsed. He was not mentally strong enough to deal with his weakness. The same with men, sex is EVERYWHERE and it is difficult for men to keep their sexual urges in check especially when they have not been taught to do so. So it does not help when he sees the majority of women with their adornments on display. To put the blame all on men saying they just need to suck it up and control themselves while women walk around half naked is selfish. To completely ignore the male population is not reality and will never be reality. So we, as women have to take that into consideration, and so do men. We were not placed on this earth haphazardly nor were we placed here to do whatever we want. That is why we were given rules on how to live in harmony with each other and those rules came from God. Even though I am saying it, the original instructions came from Him. Ultimately, He is the One we should be trying to please and listen to as best as possible. The women who were around Jesus, how would you expect them to dress and act? They did not come before him in miniskirts, crop tops, etc. They were covered because they were not only respecting themselves as the women of God but they also respected Jesus as the man of God. We are all God's children and should respect ourselves and each other as such.

Now about the Middle East, in the Middle East rape is punishable by death and they are very strict, but let's look at why that is. The majority of the people in the Middle East practice Islam and in Islam rapist, murderers, pedophiles, etc. are condemned to death. Also, in Islam both men and women have duties to uphold in regards to how they should treat each other and how they should treat themselves and this is very strict and even extreme in Islamic countries.

In the Holy Quran Surah (chapter) 24 verse 30-31 it states, "Say to the believing men that they lower their gaze and restrain their sexual passions. That is purer for them. Surely Allah [God] is Aware of what they do. And say to the believing women that they lower their gaze and restrain their sexual passions and not display their adornment except what appears thereof. And let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms. And they should not display their adornment except to their husbands..." The Holy Quran places responsibility on both the man and the woman in upholding their chastity. In the Middle East the men are not supposed to look at a woman with lustful eyes and the women don't give them a reason to by covering themselves up. They both strive to be responsible for their actions. The whole of society respects the woman and because of that rape is low in the Middle East.

The Quran also states, "O Children of Adam, let not the devil seduce you, as he expelled your parents from the garden, pulling off from them clothing that he might show them their shame. He surely sees you, he as well as his host, from whence you see them not. Surely We have made the devils to be the friends of those who believe not."- Surah 7: 27

The modest behavior that is seen in the Middle East is not advocated in America, it is the complete opposite. Women are disrespected and demeaned every single day, whether its on the radio, television, billboards, etc. They even have strip clubs here! You will not find a strip club anywhere in the Middle East. So to say that they have little to no cases of rape in the Middle East and compare it to the laws of America is not accurate due to the morals of not only the people but the whole of society in the Middle East. America has no religion. America has no morals.

I hope I answered your question clearly and thank you for your question!:)

If you would like to see your question(s) answered or topic discussed, email me your question(s) at qweensfashions@gmail.com, tweet me @Qweens_Fashions or if you're following me on facebook, Naeemah Zaakirah, inbox me.

I hope you all enjoyed this week's article! I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. If there is anything you want to add or don't agree with just post a comment right below this article and let's talk about it. Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!

R.E.S.P.E.C.T Find Out What It Means To Me!

   

Love yourself enough to protect your value.

I'm sure we have all experienced a friend, family member or a random person doing something that have us saying, "why!?" But what does this have to do with modesty? Well, why in the world are there so many men and women that don't respect themselves?

Let's begin by looking at the definition of respect, most importantly self-respect. Simply put, self-respect is your ability to protect your value. One of the first steps in respecting yourself is knowing your worth. We are potential gods. Why do I say "potential" gods? Because we are not there yet. We have a lot of work to do. Do you think a god should be walking around with a muscle shirt and sagging pants? Should a goddess be walking around in a miniskirt and crop top? Emphatically no! We should always strive to treat ourselves like God has instructed us to do, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" I Cor. 3:16 When we respect ourselves we are also respecting God. We are appreciating what God has blessed us with.

After understanding who you are, it is time to act on it. Self-respect includes respecting your mind, body and spirit. When we, men and women, respect and protect our bodies we are protecting it from the eyes of those who look to gain, the hands of those who seek to destroy and the minds of those who seek to corrupt. It is no secret that this world is a world of indecency. They promote it any and every way they can. They are succeeding in their attempts to strip away our pride, self-respect, dignity and most importantly our godliness. This world is perverted! To pervert means to alter something from its original course, meaning or state to distortion or corruption of what was first intended or to cause to turn away from what is right, proper, or good. A pervert is someone whose sexual behavior is regarded as abnormal and unacceptable. This world promotes abnormal behavior such as the degradation of women, the feminization of males and other indecent behavior. We are acting other than ourselves, and we are potential gods.

Respecting your mind, as previously stated, comes with knowing your value. We must strive to protect our environment. How do you protect your environment? Good question. Let's say you're at work and some of your coworkers are involving themselves in activities that you do not agree with. What do you do? Just simply remove yourself from this environment or this may provide you with an opportunity that allows you to teach them why they shouldn't do it. Here's another example, let's say your friends invite you out to a party and you know there will be drinking, smoking and other indecent behavior, just don't go. The ultimate goal is not to allow yourself to be in an environment that warrants indecent behavior. What you constantly put yourself around is what you'll eventually become. "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

Last but not least, let's talk about how to protect your spirit. The steps to protecting your spirit and protecting your mind go hand in hand. Try not to put yourself in situations that will encourage indecent behavior will always stand true. In order to combat all of the indecency on television, radio, magazines, etc. READ! Fill your mind with things that will aid in your (mental, physical and spiritual) growth not hinder you. Read about how to start your own business or learn how to be consistent. At some point or another we all have had that procrastinating streak in us:) The goal is to strive to read about and engage in things that will aid in your growth as a potential god.

Now, I am not saying that it isn't okay to have fun just have fun in a way that you won't have to compromise yourself or anyone else for that matter.

Here are some good books that I highly recommend you read: The New Psychology by Charles F. Haanel, Message To The Black Man In America by Elijah Muhammad, Trusting God Through Tears by Jehu Thomas Butron, The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews by The Nation of Islam, How To Eat To Live Book 1 and 2 by Elijah Muhammad, The Coming Economic Collapse by Stephen Leeb, PhD and The Making of a Slave by Willie Lynch

I hope you all enjoyed this week's article! I encourage everyone, both men and women, to give their opinion on this topic and the previous topics. If there is anything you want to add or don't agree with just post a comment right below this article and let's talk about it. Please keep your comments respectable and refrain from using any profanity. Thank you so much everyone for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated!