Peer Pressure for Muslims Teens



Peer Pressure for Muslims Teens

Introduction

Peer pressure is one thing that all teens have in common. You can't escape it. It is everywhere. Whether it is pressure to conform to a group norm or pressure to act, peer pressure is something everybody has to deal with at some time in his or her life.

According to the article “Non-Muslim students at San Jose High Academy, where Ms. Haque is president of the student body, went to the school's coed prom last month -- renting cars or limousines, dining at the Sheraton, going to breakfast at Denny's and, for some, drinking”. Teenagers, especially during adolescence, begin to spend a lot more time with their friends, and less time with their family. This makes them more susceptible to the influences of their peers. It is important to remember that teenage friends can have a positive influence on your teenagers, you should therefore help them find friends that have similar interests and views as those you are trying to develop in your teenagers, including doing well in school, having respect for others and avoiding drug use, smoking and drinking, etc.

Peer pressure for M
Muslim teenagers in America are confused. They live in two worlds: one of Islam and one of their un-Islamic, or at least non-Muslim surroundings. In these two worlds, clashes are inevitable. It can be difficult to maintain an Islamic identity as a teenager in America because of many surrounding factors that prevent us from practicing our Deen.

It appears that many Americans have been fascinated with the status of Muslim teens for quite a long time now. While early nineteenth-century Orientalist literature often portrayed Muslim teens as sexually exotic in “harems” at the height of colonial exploits and sex tourism. More recent American images of the Muslim woman include distorted stereotypes of oppressed, muted and veiled teens living in what is most often described as a misogynist (hatred of teens) and brutal religious culture. Although popular media in America often attach “Muslim” with “Arab”, the Islamic world extends far beyond Arab nations, across Asia, Africa and into Europe. It seems that through immigration and conversions, Islam is steadily increasing in America, where it is today the fastest growing religion.

The article says that “Nearly all parents of adolescents worry about the pressures of sex, drugs and alcohol, but the anxiety is especially acute in Muslim families who strictly adhere to traditional Islamic dress and gender separation. Many Muslim parents disapprove of what they see as an excessively secularized and liberalized American culture, and are deeply concerned that young Muslims, especially girls, not be put in compromising situations.” Even as things for Muslims weren't any better before, it became almost surreal since Sept. 11, 2001 where a large majority of Muslims living in America were mistreated, spat upon and called despicable names such as “terrorists”.

Nevertheless, rather than looking at the Muslim community as whole, the focus of my article is on Muslim teens in America America and the anti-racist ...