Feeling Crushed by the Way Muslim Brothers Are Put Down Online
As-salamu alaykum, everyone. I'm a 26-year-old South Asian guy, raised in a pretty traditional home with good sense. Lately I keep seeing all this stuff about Islamic feminism online. And just so you know, I’ve never thought women are below men-my parents didn't raise me that way, and I see them as equals, always have. But man, scrolling through social media these days, whether it's Instagram pages or those discussion forums, it feels like there's this big push to lump all men together and push them away. Even a lot of Muslim sisters online seem to be jumping on that bandwagon. I'm not saying misogyny isn't a real problem, but the way the conversation goes now, it’s like even a practicing brother who fears Allah is still labeled toxic or unsafe just for being a guy. I'm gonna be real with you: seeing this over and over has really messed with my head. It’s made me doubt myself and feel totally discouraged. Thinking about getting married honestly fills me with dread now-like, what if I try my best to be a good husband, but one small misunderstanding gets me written off or made out to be the villain? Let me make this clear: I respect women fully as partners in life. But is it fair to tar an entire gender like this? All the negativity floating around is hurting a lot of young Muslim men, including me, and really tearing down our confidence. Are we all really the same? Is it right for these online voices to push such blanket statements? It honestly feels like this path is breaking up our families and making so many young men just feel hopeless about marriage entirely. I think what we really need is for righteous men and women to unite against actual mistreatment and injustice, instead of driving a wedge between us all. I'm struggling to work through these thoughts, so any advice or new ways to see this would mean a lot. JazakAllah khair.