WHEN the news about a Saudi girl embracing Christianity a few days ago began to spread, many in the Kingdom believed the story while others questioned its authenticity. On one hand, some believed that the girl converted because of mistreatment under the guise of religion and pent up feelings as a result. Others denied the report and claimed that the girl who appeared in the YouTube clip was not Saudi and the entire story was an attempt to smudge the reputation of the Kingdom. A third group of people was angry and said such a thing would have never happened had the woman not been given the freedom to travel and work alongside men. Some believe that there is an ideological conspiracy against Muslim youth. This group insists that the girl fell prey to a Christian man who made her believe that a happy life was awaiting her if she converted. In all of these reactions, there seemed to be an underlying fear that young men and women will follow Maryam and convert to Christianity. However, if the news is indeed true, we should have no reason to fear. Why should we have any fears that our sons and daughters will renounce their religion when we know that they have spent a great deal of their lives studying religion, memorizing the Holy Qur'an, performing prayers and listening to sermons at mosques? Any parent who is certain that the faith and religious convictions of his children are strong should not worry that they will convert. I believe the parents who should be worried are the ones who did not instill the proper religious conviction in their children nor a strong knowledge of Islam. Are we scared because we have doubts about the level of religious knowledge of our kids or because we have doubts that our educational system and sermons are not effective enough? Are we scared because we might lose our children to other faiths? Or is it because deep down inside we feel that we have deprived them of many things and forbade them from others to the extent that they became easy prey to anyone who promises them freedom from such restrictions? It is high time we considered the means and methods we use to raise our kids. It is extremism which turns them into killers and it is extremism which deprives them of freedom and makes them fall victims to those who wish harm upon this country.
