Oh Brother

I've thought many times of making a post of this kind, but each time I've relented, either for lack of a drive to actually have to think of how to write it, or perhaps (and this might seem uncharacteristic of me) for fear that some might take it the wrong way or be offended.

So what is this about you must be wondering by now. It's about how I find odd and off-putting certain mannerisms and ways often seen in a cross-section of the Muslim population. I'm talking about ostensive and overbearing efforts to include 'religious lingo' (almost invariably in Arabic though not always) as part of regular conversation, and what often accompanies it, an even more obvious effort to try to properly pronounce the Arabic.

I have nothing against Arabic, quite the opposite - I consider it a singularly sophisticated and beautiful language. Neither do I have a problem with deference to God while speaking (again, quite the opposite). What I find odd is what is clearly a deliberate effort to generously, and often seemingly unnecessarily, sprinkle phrases like in sha Allah ("God willing"), elhamdu lillah ("all praise is to God"), subhan Allah ("glory to God"), estaghfer Allah ("I seek God's forgiveness") and many more, while conversing and even over email. That's not all. There are also the inevitable titles "Brother" or "Sister" used when addressing another Muslim person. And if that doesn't sound odd enough, consider how some prefer to use Arabic equivalents like Ya Akhi ("O Brother"). Remember, I'm talking about the regular "Hey, how's it going" kinda talk in the old English language, but now with this overtly "Islamic" flavour added by people who, nine times out of ten, are not familiar with Arabic beyond this limited set of words and phrases.

I may be accused of overstepping a little, because it is common and natural across the spectrum of the Islamic world - from the Atlantic to the Pacific - to have many of these phrases, in their original Arabic more or less, fused in the local culture. So yes, it's not really that weird for people to have them in common use, to some extent. What I'm talking about is when the use gets so extensive that it is obvious the speaker is making a point to ensure that his or her speech is lined with them. What is the reason for this I wonder? Is it because they think it is more virtuous to speak this way? Possibly (actually, likely). But that doesn't remove from the fact that it is also unnatural, and that it is obvious that it is unnatural, and might often turn off some people who may think the person they're talking to is trying too hard to be overtly pious, condescending and holier-than-thou.

Some would suggest this phenomenon is part of the wider identity issues surrounding Muslims in the West. "I am Muslim therefore I should speak this way." But I don't intend on getting into that discussion just right now.

For now, my two cents for such people: keep it real.