Sometimes, when people ask me why God doesn’t let Muslims eat pork I tell them that since men can be such pigs it’s probably just too close to cannibalism. We laugh and move on but I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t appreciate the joke or understand exactly what I’m talking about.

Men have been trying to control women throughout history. God made us different, and differences breed conflict, but Islam is all about conflict resolution. When you study the Qur’an in the context of the Sunnah (Prophetic traditions) it becomes obvious that Allah wants us to live in harmonious peace with everyone. There is no greater place in which to act peaceably than our own homes.  Unfortunately, instead of following God’s plan for us, men have time and again twisted words, ignored commands and done pretty much anything else to stay in control.

Children are our treasure; we must cherish them as such and nurture them with mercy.

As-Salaamu alaikum and Peace be with you! In Islam, children are a great blessing from Allah Almighty, to be cherished, loved, respected and guided to imbibe the values of Islam. The family is a pre-eminent unit of society and both parents and children are commanded to honour one another. A child is considered as such until he/she hits puberty, after which he/she is considered a young adult.