Taylan Harman
It is as if the grace of God to remain entrenched in the ideological cloud of ‘two very different societies’, namely Islam and the West. The truth (small t), per usual, is, alas, further from the nexus of public discourse as is the sun from the Earth. This is not to say we do not identify so called differences, which clash in our daily lives’.
A Tottenham Play-write, Gemilla Shamruk, is the milleniual infusion of these two supposedly separate ideals on life: Her father, a Palestinian, instilled Islamic beliefs in her, which is perceives to be part of her identity’s core.
“I have lived half my life with my mum, who allows me to do what I want, and half with my dad, who has his restrictions,” explained Gemilla, speaking to the Enfield Independed. “So in terms of temptation I have been around it all and done everything, but then rooted inside me I still have my Islamic beliefs.”
Her mother’s values flowed through that which is called ‘western’ (Neo-liberal society).
Gemilla’s test came with her pregnancy at young age of 16, as she was getting ready to leave Broomfield school to study Drama; this gave birth to a new paradigm: A struggle with family with two different set of cultural values.
“It was definitely a surprise”
She told the Enfield Independent: “but I was really determined to keep him even though everyone said it was not the best thing for me.”
She adds: “My dad didn’t talk to me for the whole of my pregnancy and it took us a long time to get back in contact because of the whole family shame thing, so I was affected by that.
“But at the same time I understand because I have been brought up in that environment, so while I was hurt I didn’t hold it against him because I knew that would be the reaction.”
She speaks further of her father: “My Dad and family are really religious but when they speak to me about certain things they don’t do it in a pushy way; you sort of understand and are told stories about the Koran and you see the beauty of their life.”
The space in which the identity is brewed may, in fact, be flawed. A supposed difference may only a reconciliation of a inner, more difficult existential leaning. Our identities are not established in two objective ideals (bad faith), but a repository of various relative ideals, values, ideas and notions; all one can do is to wish luck to the other.
