4thought.tv

This makes me feel glad. I learned something from it.

I don't understand the speaker's point of view at all.

She speaks about becoming a 2nd class citizen. Myriam, you should have researched the tenets of Sharia law BEFORE you decided to convert.

This makes me feel humbled and sad. It helped me understand the speaker's point of view.

It is so sad to hear of this woman being victimised in this way - we need to wake up to the dangers of islamophobia and to the effect the media and public discourse on muslims is having on our muslim citizens -in solidarity.

This makes me feel sad. I learned something from it.

http://myriamfrancoiscerrah.wordpress.com/category/videos-2/media-appearances/

If you want the full story on my views on multiculturalism, check out my blog for more detailed views on this topic
Myriam Francois-Cerrah

I have two cousins who married Muslim men, one in 1945 to a Palestinian and another in the 80's to an Iranian, neither found it necessary to cover their head in public. There is a moral here.
Mrs Cerrah complains of being spat at. The British have been bombed which is far worse.

This makes me feel angry.

I hope watching this film will make people realise that intolerance and racism exists within some non-Muslims and that British people need to do more to condemn and stamp this racist and extremist behaviour out.

This makes me feel humbled. It helped me understand the speaker's point of view.

Myriam Francois Cerrah does not address the question asked which is, Should Muslims adapt to Britain or should Britain adapt to Muslims? We should be tollerant to all faiths and by and large I believe we are. To test this I would be interested to see what would happen if a muslim 'woman' was to openly walk down the streets of a muslim country after converting to christianity. Then people would understand more about how tollerant the UK is.

I have a cousin who married a Bangladeshi Muslim guy but he is not a practising Muslim. He is a great guy. My family is both nominal and practising Christian and we love him. When ever I go to live and work in a foreign country I try to learn what I can of the language and adapt to what I can of their culture. This is because the locals are in the majority and it is their country, and not my country. I am very clear about this. This works, there is no tension, there is peace.

I think people ten to forget that theses people are REAL people and all have FEELINGS!!!

Possibly in this debate we need to revisit the original question, namely, "Should Muslims adapt to Britain or should Britain adapt to Muslims?" and address what has been done to date.

So far Britain has:
1. Allowed mosques and community centres to be built in large numbers.
2. Permitted the introduction of sharia courts as an alternative legal system in certain areas of the law and given them some semi-official status by allowing their judgements to be accepted after ratification by the British legal system.
3. Introduced in the 2003-6 Finance acts various provisions to accommodate sharia finance.
4. Passed various acts to protect both races and religions from 'hate' attacks.

Therefore, I would pose the question, what else would people propose if Britain is to adapt further to Muslims? Also, I do not know of any reciprocal moves by Muslim organisations towards integration. I am sure some have happened. I would be genuinely interested to learn what they are if anyone can supply details please.

This makes me feel sad. It reinforced what I already believed.

As a young married woman I had no choice but to wear the abbaya. It did not stop men abusing me. I could write a book on what I suffered. She doesn't have so why the hijab. It is not obligatory in the Koran. Is it so that she can say she is holier than thou?
Where is the 1st wife? How will she feel when the step daughter cannot play tennis or go swimming because she might be seen. Why does she think she is so so sexy that the sight of her hair will bring shame on her adopted family?
The segragation of the sexes is completely unnatural. We are all human and should be together in all our actions. Does she drive, does she go out alone?
I do feel sad at the choice she has made when so many muslim women have no choice and can never go out alone, will be forced to accept second wives, have their children taken away when they are divorced. I question why she has made such a decision.

This makes me feel angry and sad. I don't understand the speaker's point of view at all.

there are reasons that people dont like islam and this women needs to really look at the religion she has adopted. i dont condone the abuse she has received at all.however, i dont think she knows the truth about islam or how far womens rights have come in this country and how the dogma of islam and sharia threatens those rights. make no mistake - islam is not for equal rights for females.

Myriam complains about being insulted in the street, but how do people know she's a muslim? The answer is that she, like other muslim women, goes in for ostentatious displays of religiosity that many British people find offensive. Head-coverings and burkas are syptomatic of the way muslims want to broadcast their beliefs, and by implication reject the western values they have chosen to live amongst. No wonder they elicit such antipathy.

This makes me feel sad.

Before you ruin the rest of your life study the Koran and the sunnah and understand the ideology that you are signing up to. Start with verses 3:28; 5:54; 5:55; 5:57; 9:16; 60:1.

First and foremost, Myriam does not state whether the abuse she recieved was from British Whites or British Asians (racism can run both ways) although from one of the comments of racial abuse it can be inferred that the abuse came from British Whites. Secondly, if she chooses to adopt a primitive garb that has held women under an oppressive mantle irrespective of comments made by other female Muslims that the garb is not oppressive, I would say to them, go to an Islamic state and once they are forced to wear the headscarf etc. they may change their minds. At the moment, they feel empowered to speak out purely because England does observe liberal civil liberties, in Islamic states, women have no voice.

I have noticed that certain contributors are villifying Islam. What I would state is that Jack Straw recently made something of a gaff by stating that 'white girsl are easy meat for asian men to exploit...' These girls were a target for exploitation by any men, as it happened it was asian men that exploited them. To put this statement and the current topic under debate into context - it is a fact that a larger proportion of british white working class girls do engage in sex whether it be through exploitation of through voluntary intercourse or general promiscuoty. British, white working class girls have been stereotyped as being of loose morals. The majority of BNP and EDL supporters are of British working class backgrounds although they are playing on the sympathies of the middle classes. If I was to state that all white working class girls are promiscuous and members of the BNP or the EDL, this would be making a gross misstatement. Not all British, white working class girls are promiscuous and subscribe to the policies of the BNP or the EDL. However, a number of contributors to this debate are making that type of generalised assumption about Islam and Muslims. Please take a step back and realise that just as there are decent British, white people, there are also decent Muslims who do not subscribe to some of the extremist views that have been posted on these 4thought posting boards.

This makes me feel confused. I don't understand the speaker's point of view at all.

Please forgive me for any misunderstanding here but I can't see the point of what the speaker is saying. I understand that she converted to Islam, she has been attacked and all that. She said we have more in common than what separates us. What do we have in common? How can Islam contribute positively to Britain? This does not make any points about the theme of this program and does nothing to answer the question "Should Muslims adapt to Britain or should Britain adapt to Muslims?" In not answering the question and giving reasons why, she is just making people raise more questions.

This makes me feel sad. It reinforced what I already believed.

All Religion Causes Death and Devision amongst people around the world. Muslims should enjoy the freedom of speech that Britain allows them and what countless British generations have died for. Look at all the muslim countries that are fighting oppression these days, they want freedom of speech and freedom to disagree with their rulers without the fear of abduction and torture. Go and live in Saudi Arabia for three years like I have done and then I think you would be glad you were born British and with the freedom to express yourself Myriam.

so sad to see her make such a ridiculous decision to join a way of thought that goes back to a time where women were regarded as the same status of a sheep, in that they are the property of their husband in Allahs eyes. She is week in her mind.

She is revelling in her position as a persecuted victim. Apart from a tiny majority most Brits don't care what religion you are as long as you abide by the law. Britain has adjusted to Islam; all Muslims are allowed to worship and evangelise if they wish. In muslim countries tolerance of other religions is declining and non Muslims are persecuted. The Christian minorities in Iraq, Iran and Egypt, whop have been there for 1600 years are declining.

myriam obviouly is ignorant about her place if she were under Sharia or in a Place like Saudi Arabia where she would not even be allowed to drive a car. or go out alone withou being accompanied by a male relative. or express her oinion on television as she did here.She is definitely ignorant about the fate of non-Muslims in Muslim countries.In Britain the law protects you. even white British are harassed in non-white areas here. But the law protects all....not under Sharia.

try and take a cross and a bible into saudi arabia. try and get within 50 miles of mecca (if your not muslim)

Head-coverings and burkas are desert dress adopted by muslims; they are not intrinsic to it. there is no requirement for it, it is not stated in the koran that women need to wear burkas. this is more self inflicted segregational behaviour that is symptomatic of extremism and largely adopt by 'westernised' muslims. race, religion, culture and customs all too often are mixed up as a mechanism for pro minority discrimination or in a deliberate attempt to invoke emotive reactions for claims of 'racism'. it is actually more symptomatic of an unwillingness to integrate and tolerate.

But you believe you are different Myriam, and you have even changed your name to that haven't you. You can't then turn around and blame people for taking the hint.

Right, being in your situation it is understandable, but in truth if only a common word is plausible to which:"Say: "O People of the Scripture! come to a common word as between us and you: that we worship none but God" and the Biblical commandment to love God, and one’s neighbour.."
And my personal remind of firstly me and you and the other brethren of faith and humanity for that matter, Men said to them: "A great army is gathering against you": And frightened them: But it (only) increased their Faith: They said: "For us God sufficeth, and He is the best disposer of affairs. And they returned with Grace and bounty from Allah: no harm ever touched them: For they followed the good pleasure of Allah: And Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded."[3:173-174]
...May you always be in Steadfastness and success by His Mercy and Grace.Amen

In no way did this brief monologue address half of the question - whether Muslims should adapt to Britain. It's so easy to make generakisations about prejudice against the Muslim community. What about the prejudices in the opposite direction? No one has a monopoly on truth and wisdom apart from God.

What about the discrimination against non-muslim women and their lifestyle? When walking down the street I am constantly (almost every time I walk by a group of muslim men) disrespected by Muslim men who think that because I don't cover my head I am a whore or a piece of meat that should be spit at, called names, listen to sleazy disgusting comments, sexually harassed, stared at... WHAT ABOUT THAT? What about educating Islam men to respect ALL women, not only the ones that follow the same religious costumes? Sure, other men that do it, but it seems its a 99% of the times (and I speak by daily experience) it is this group who is doing it.

Baffling. Baffling, that such an obvious intellectual, with sharp analytic skills, with serious educational and professional credentials, a journalist, a former actress, who has studied oriental culture, who speaks (from what I heard) fluent Arabic, is a reference on the Quran,... repeat: baffling, not that she converted to Islam herself after studying it in depth, but rather, that such a person becomes a religious person at all.