u/Zennoobee22

Anyone unfamiliar with Islamic customs, let alone Shiite rituals or the context of Muharram, thinks this is demonic. No matter how much you want to explain it to them, this is a way of "mourning." I actually only see this kind of weird, exaggerated latam among South Asian Shiites, and then they post it online. And then you think: as if no one is ever going to use it against us and say that we are misled or something. I mean, this is only done in private, thankfully, but imagine this out on the streets... and that's where we'd really get in trouble.

And before anyone says: "Why get so worked up about that?" or "we don't have to take non-Shiites into account" or something along those lines: I am mainly more concerned with POSTING THIS ONLINE without considering the consequences. Because if you knew what comments I found under that Threads post calling this a devil possession ritual... no explanation or context will defend this kind of latam being practiced among us.

Whatever we put online, it is our responsibility to say something about it and speak out. Am I saying that we should privatize our rituals from the public? Not really, unless you do it in a non-muslim country with a lack of organization to respect the environment. Am I against latam going that far and becoming public as well? Absolutely...

Just because we are being oppressed left and right by Sunnis and non-Muslims doesn't mean we have to make things even harder for ourselves like this, lol

((**No men, please!**))

I have unfortunately been talking with my mother and paternal aunt regarding the topic of tampons and why I really don't think tampons won't remove my virginity and why caring about one's hymen is a red flag. Especially when I struggle with heavy flows and how regular pads won't always be available when needed.

I backed up my arguments with how I'm convinced that mine tore up when I was little from an accident even though I'm still very much a virgin, and should a man I'd marry to accuse me of not being a virgin because I didn't "bleed".... better know I'd sue him and divorce him at the spot. Cause in Islam, a virgin is a virgin unless she has partaken in sexual intercourse.

Understand that I'm from an Arab and Afghan community, and so such a thing is, unfortunately, very much a thing. My mother has never studied whereas my aunt did study medicine in Europe and was even born here like me.

They told me why I shouldn't back up my claims and arguments with scientific sources from the West and use from those of Islamic or Middle Eastern ones instead.

"Why back up your claims from the kuffar when we have ours?"

"The Europeans are known to spread lies to get you to lose your virginity"

"Wouldn't you rather listen to someone who's born as a proper Muslim according to the teachings of our prophet and clerics?"

I immediately knew where the hell this was going and felt it was going to be a waste of time, but I attempted to reason with them back and forth but no "mother knows best".

It ultimately boiled down to how regardless if I'm right and it is in fact a sin to accuse your wife of lying without set evidence, people will spread rumors and thus stain the reputation of my divorced mother such and such...

Who would have thought that using a tampon, visiting a gynecologist who'd touch me there (if necessary) or even assume I don't have a hymen anymore in general as a virgin will make my "future Arab or Afgan husband" doubt me was gonna spiral me down more and more.

I understand that Islam ≠ its people perse since Islam is perfect and people aren't... but how is this supposed to be religiously enlightening for me when I'm already struggling with religion a lot these days?

Can we all agree that making and posting videos like this does more harm than good for shias these days?