Face/Book Anyone?

Today is Sunday. Ever since I've found my way around FB, I've got mesmerized and lost in pages of friends and families. Some friends have been lost to me since 1989...and now, with FB, reading about their life is merely a click away. Thus, I've been quite a 'busy-body' catching up with many of my long lost class-mates and school-mates. Often times, I am just a silent reader. Not daring to acknowledge my presence...shy and worried that they might not even remember me. How many of us have changed. We used to be young school girls - ambitious and idealistic. Now, mostly we are mothers - focused and realistic.

I am glad that my hubby is not at home. He is off for his monthly 3-day khuruj. If he sees me glued to the screen for hours at a time…I might be in for an earful of zihin. I know…I know…time is wasted. ..amal is lessened and khidmat is inferior. Frankly, this internet is addictive . I am weak and in serious need of help. Reading and reading from the i-net; fbs, blogs and e-books are consuming many2 hours of my life. It feels like I am walking into an infinite library…filled and lined with books and books. How do the others do it? How do they use internet casually?

I've always been passionate about reading. Once I get my hands on a good book, then, I will not put it down until the last sentence have been read. This reading habit have caused me quite a many sleepless nights. Some may think that reading is noble. But for me, I am beginning to feel that my reading habit is destructive. When I am engrossed in reading, I tend to ignore everything and anything around me. This includes my family, my daily chores, my career and finally even to the point where my amal will be down to a minimum…i.e. only the fardh. Additionally, when I read, I love to savor each words. I love to create the emotions and situations from the author into my consciousness…thus, sometimes, I read and re-read phrases, sentences , paragraphs and even pages. Speed reading does not exist in my vocabulary. Needless to say, I love my reading.

Thus, reading is my weakness. I know governments and libraries are campaigning for a reading culture. Still, I feel, as a parent, we must be cautious of our children's reading habits. What are they reading? How are they reading and When are they reading? Our children's reading materials must be especially scrutinized. After all, our children are at the time of their life when they are most susceptible to influences. We should ensure that they are reading Islamic ally acceptable contents. From my personal experience, I've learned that reading books on non-Islamic contents have greatly influenced my values and my intellect. I became tolerant and insensitive to many issues which was against my religious beliefs. Of course, I was unaware of this, after all, I was mainly reading novels for pleasure. How harmful are they? Have you read Sidney Sheldon? Some books are quite graphic. What about the Jackie& Joan Collins' novels (which are raunchy), Judith Krantz, Jude Deveraux etc…until I came to Anne Rice and her vampire& witches series (includes devil/satanic verses). Even both the Harry Potter & Twillight series aren't that aligned for young Muslim readers.

Am I overtly sensitive about these issues? You tell me. I guess I sound like the Book Censorship Board. Hmmm…its tough…being a mother means I am concerned about my children's values . Enough said, just be careful of what you feed your children's mind. Books are wonderful...If I have all the time in the world, I would probably curled up in a comfortable spot and read. I am glad that nowadays, many Muslims are starting to write. There are now a wide variety of books to choose from. In both English and Malay, my children can read books which potrays characters with Islamic values. Kudos to the islamic authors and publishers.