One evening when I returned from work and accessed the mailbox to check if there were any letters, notifications etc. I noticed a colourful flyer which arrested my attention. It was about Muslim dating. I was a little amused at first. Australian culture permits dating at the age of 16 and hence it is not an unfamiliar idea as couples meet at public venues with the intention of finding a suitable partner for an intimate relationship. After careful consideration, I thought it was a daring move by the Muslim communities to approve of such a courtship as every male or female has the right to choose who he or she wants to be with. Besides, it is the one occasion where the young or not so young couple get to socialise without the interference or company of friends and family.
Nothing is permanent and everything is subjected to change. This is also the case with religious beliefs, culture, lifestyle etc. Christianity emphasised on chastity one or two centuries ago and sex before marriage was a taboo. Nowadays, there are hardly any couple who wait for marriage to lose their virginity. Christians have embraced the change in lifestyle as part of modernisation. As far as Muslim culture is concerned, moving from patriarchy to establishing a fair and equitable society becomes the need of the hour. Progress and modernisation have made these changes inevitable. One culture would appear to be primitive and stunted when compared to other advanced cultures, which is an undesirable outcome. Once the communities overcome initial impediments such as disapproval from the extremists, supporters of patriarchy, hurdles raised by religious practitioners, scathing criticism of older generation etc., the march towards a liberated society where gender equity exists becomes complete.
I was curious about the number of successful Muslim actresses in both Hollywood and Bollywood and my surfing revealed an impressive number of women who were bold to lead unconventional lives and stand by their choices despite objections and other stumbling blocks. Dating might be one of the channels through which change could be initiated. I could see the purpose behind the advertisement of these sites and my positive outlook was confirmed when I viewed the video about the benefits of dating which explained the rising popularity of dating apps.
A Writer's Exposé 