Muslims in the elevator

We were in Ottawa two days ago and we pushed the button to get on the elevator. Now because there was one elevator down and the elevators were REALLY slow, we were determined to squeeze into the elevator no matter what. So finally the elevator stopped at our floor and the doors opened. In the elevator were at least ten young muslim women, around 18-22 years of age with their dresses on and their head scarves. It was such a foreign sight (pardon the pun) and all these young ladies were speaking Arabic or something and looked horrified that we had the nerve to get on their elevator. We (Chris and my three sons) walked into the elevator and the second Chris stepped in, all the ladies pressed their bodies on the perimeter of the elevator, but it was so squished that of course they had no where to go. Chris was in the middle and the young ladies beside him were desperately trying to not touch him. The girl beside him was a hair distance away from lightly brushing up on his arm and the girl beside her pulled her away from Chris and held here like that.

Have you ever done that experiment with a bowl of water? The one where you sprinkle pepper on the surface of the water and then rub soap on your finger. Once you touch your finger to the water with the pepper on it, the pepper quickly shoots to the sides of the bowl. Well, if you have never done this, go try it, and you will have a better idea of how these young ladies reacted when Chris and the boys got on the elevator.

So on the ride down to the lobby, we are all crammed in there, the ladies desperately trying NOT to touch Chris or Josh especially since they are man sized and they are talking among themselves and pressing themselves on the elevator walls to avoid touching the 'white devil' in the elevator.

I started to think about what these ladies have been taught, that it is a 'shameful' thing to be near a man, much less accidentally brush up against his arm in a very crowded elevator and I was sad for them, and sad for Chris. Chris seemed to be viewed as this great evil. I think the muslim faith has done these ladies a great dis-service, causing them fear and shame for such a small unavoidable incident. And their religion has left a bad taste in my mouth because of their loathsome behaviours towards Chris and the boys on the elevator. For them to go through life feeling that men are bad and a source of shame is a sad thing.

Ironically, when we got to the lobby, they were all gathered at the mirrors on the wall checking how they looked and seemed quite vain. Grooming themselves to make themselves beautiful and them shaming men if they are looked at. It makes no sense. In this country, this behavior is not acceptable to me. It is shameful in Canada to behave in such a way, to bring these views to our country.

In the tour of the Parliament building, we were near a muslim family, all the daughters (4) covered with head scarves and dressed, and the one boy and father looking quite comfortable. It is such an inequality. The father was kind to me, as was his wife and I offered to take a family picture of them because the mother was taking the picture and I felt badly that she was not in the photo. But still, I wish they were not compelled to cover up so much and fear the 'infidel'. We are all just people, looking for love and acceptance, they are not different, but view themselves as different, or us as different and seem to walk around with this difference at the forefront of their consciousness.