MRS. BERNICE HOLTON
Mrs. Bernice Holton is a British biologist who embraced Islam more than twenty years ago. She married a committed Muslim scientist and has three children. In an interview with a local magazine, Mrs. Holton speaks about her early inclination toward religion in general and Islam in particular. Following is the text of her interview.
A: As a child, I attended the church as is usual for Christian families to do. Then I became a teacher in the church; however, the teaching and the contents of the Bible did not convince me. Hence I left the church and turned to other religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism... and Islam as well. The problem in the West is that one reads about Islam in books that cannot tell the true meanings in Islam. Writers play with words to distort information. I gave up thinking of religion. Then in college, I saw people from all over the world. Some were Muslims, and I asked them about Islam. At that time, the Muslims and the Arabs were ridiculed in the magazines and newspapers. They were portrayed as being silly and stupid, and it was said that one Jew could mislead a thousand Arabs.
However, when I talked with true Muslims, they furnished me with good, reasonable information which proved them to be clever and intelligent. I asked for books written in English by British Muslims. I never thought of becoming a Muslim woman, because I knew my family, friends, and co-workers would oppose me and create trouble for me. Hence I put away all the Islamic books in a place where I could not get them easily. Yet I could not tolerate the situation and hurried to get them back. I accepted Islam after I received my college degree. I got a job in Toronto... It was not easy for me to work with Jews, Christians, etc. They mocked my new belief, but I used to tolerate their behavior and talked to them sociably.
When I started to fast, I could not arrange the times for eating: Iftar and suhur (eating after sunset and before dawn). When I suffered poor health, my colleagues hurried to get me a doctor and from that time on, they were so nice to me that they even supplicate me on fasting days with chocolates or biscuits at the time of eating. They are still my good friends.
A: Women have gained some freedom in recent years. They have entered all fields of knowledge. The West talks a lot about freedom but never talks about duties and obligations. For women, it is good to study and achieve social status. Women can work as doctors, engineers, and in business. The problem is not to work or not outside the home. The problem is that she is being cheated, misled, and sexually abused. In this regard you can see the article of Dr. Frances Conley published in« Time » No. 27, July 1991.
In a capitalist society, companies compete for the highest profits for their products. Now who is to buy their products? Of course, men, women, and children. Women also take the husband’s money for their own use. Here the companies encourage women to buy even useless items. Women, in turn, try to find the latest fashions, cosmetics, furniture, luxurious cars… They think about how to spend the evening and where. The company’s profits increase. In the West, nothing is encouraged if it is not profitable. As a result, immorality and deviation spread, families break down, and children suffer psychological damage. Women also suffer. This is the result of the media campaigns which don’t differentiate between reasonable freedom and interference in one’s obligation...
In regard to a Muslim woman wherever she lives, she suffers hardships in her community. Even those who agree with her decent (Islamic) clothes (hijab ) find it difficult to have her at work. She faces difficulties in bringing up her children in an environment where the schools (usually with secularist curriculums), the T.V. programs, and the media teach them something in contrast with their belief. Hence the Muslim mother must be aware of Islamic ethics (ideology) and must know that which is forbidden and that which is not forbidden.
A: Every person can play such a role. A woman can have such a role if she brings up her children according to Islamic instructions. Speaking for myself, I like reading scientific and social books as well as books about environment. I like very much to join organizations caring for the disabled. I think disabled people throughout the world are in great need of help. The work with the disabled may not seem fruitful since improvement is not always obvious... However, in Third World countries, we see few organizations caring for them. Everyone is concerned with his own affairs. In the results of the territorial wars, one can see thousands of helpless citizens.
The disabled may not suffer from a missing leg or hand. He may suffer from a mental disorder, a bullet in the liver, etc. The disabled often feel they are a burden to their families, and they may develop other sicknesses. Organizations can be of great help. We are all supposed to demonstrate sympathy, compassion, and help towards those who need it.