Seclusion and Islam

I was just thinking about how secluding Islam can be today, in fact it crosses my mind a lot. It's not cos I'm a racist..religist? I swear. It's because one of my best friend's Muslim and we've had innumerable, polite, civilised debates on religion, philosophy, everything. And it's difficult not to question something you are so heavily exposed to.

So in the most respectful way possible I was pondering the seclusion of Islam, especially between men and women. As it so happened there was a lecture on "Love and Relationships in Islam" held by the Islamic Soc today and I had decided to go. I'd been to a lecture last week and was just very interested in Islam and all these areas.

I arrived at today's lecture, got settled. Then I was asked to leave. It's not as dramatic as it sounds, Aaron pulled Sarah to the side and explained the situation, that it was Islamic Soc members only.

There's the first question. Islamic Soc members..what does that even mean? Does that mean Muslims only? Or does that mean people have contributed to "ISOC" significantly. Either way I have supported ISOC on various accounts. The number of events I've attended, but that's not the point. I don't feel like I deserve to have been left alone but..I don't know. It was embarassing. No matter what I told Sarah.

And so returning to the whole seclusion of it all. I have pondered the seclusion of Islam. Scolded myself for thinking such thoughts, told myself it's wrong to judge, it's not my place, they have their reasons. But this, this is really pushing me to no longer feel guilty for feeling Islam is secluded. After having been kicked out of a lecture for not being Muslim, I feel the seclusion and I'm sitting here wondering if Muslims themselves feel it too.

I doubt it, they are so dedicated and absorbed (as negative as this sounds, I definitely do not mean this in a negative way) in their religion, I doubt they feel it is wrong. Now here I sit, telling myself, just don't go again, don't go to another talk no matter what they say, no matter if they say it's open to everyone. It's not worth the risk and humiliation and the fact of the matter is, you do not belong.