God-fearing, good looking and a medical graduate from a top-ranked school that spent his days off volunteering at a local soup kitchen – by all accounts he was a catch. What family wouldn’t open their doors to this unicorn of sorts? The scales were disproportionately tipped in his favour. So, why did he feel disheartened during a meeting with ‘the parents’? It must have been the objectionable look the bride-to-be’s father gave him the moment tribe was brought up. The gentleman boldly asked, “Why is a learned man such as yourself blaming my parents for siring a son that came to ask for your daughter’s hand?”
Her father was a worldly man – a preeminent scholar of anthropology, fluent in many tongues and a virtuoso of the kaban (oud). He was cultured and prided himself for rising above the herd mentality afflicting his people. Yet now he too was gripped by the same sickness and brought to his knees by the invisible strings of cultural conditioning, which dictated he was not suitable for marriage due to clan stigma. If this was a different world he would accept him and parade him around the promenade, while gloating that this man was his son-in-law. However, her old man was a self-preservationist that justified his reluctance by indicating the callous and cruel nature of his people was beyond reformation. They were trapped in an old paradigm and nothing could be done to change their minds. Conscientious of the opinions of others and aware of how this union could adversely impact his daughter’s well-being he had to disapprove. Why would he not shield her from marginalization and away from vultures waiting in the wings to find faults to peck at and exploit?
The young man then addressed him by saying, I'm held accountable for a past I had no part in making and hampered by a history blanketed in superstition. I am forced to make penitence for crimes never committed where the nature of the offense is not known. However, I must serve out the length of multiple life sentences that I inherited from my ancestors and will pass on to future generations if this cycle is not broken. Let me set the record – I am not a tyrannical king that terrorized people, nor do I find dead meat palatable. Any thinking person would know that is no reason to relegate my clan to subordinate status. We are tantamount to you. I cannot wrap my head around why my hands are still stained with deeds that I have not done and I do not know why my ancestors are sullied with a reputation grounded in fiction.
Her father then asked the lad what he would do if the shoe were on the other foot and the young man replied, “I would accept a man that would love, protect and provide for her. I would be pleased she found someone she shared innumerable commonalities with – faith, ethnicity and values.” He went on to say, “Why not accept a man, whose heart was full of compassion that knew no bounds, which extended even to individuals blinded by ignorance and coloured by visceral hostility toward him?”
Her father then said, “You are a good man with akhlaq, a kind heart, pleasant appearance and financial stability, but with all due respect I cannot allow my daughter to marry you.” The young man got up from the table and proceeded to grab his coat and slip on his shoes. On his way out he exclaimed, “You cannot protect your daughter forever and one day you and the irrational fears you have will be dead. The world will be unrecognizable to you and the badge of shame I am forced to bear will be discarded. You are a future-thinking man and strike me as an innovator ahead of the curve, not a laggard – that will be left behind.” The father’s mouth was agape, and before he had a chance to respond the young man proclaimed, Madhiban baan ahay! Then he slammed the door shut.
https://atypicalnomad.wordpress.com/201 ... g-to-qado/
That's my latest post from my blog. Tell me your thoughts and please spare me of the "didn't read" gifs.
I see the parallels both are MDs and stoic men that are facing prejudice, but let's not forget the cultural idiosyncrasies within the article (i.e. intra-ethnic marital discrimination), which is is senseless. The agenda is certainly different. 
Also, I left the article at a door slam. <<< It reminded me of the drama in Henrik Ibsen's (1879) play a Doll's House. You are not really sure what came of the man. Did the father actually chase after him, or let him walk out forever. I also intentionally made the girl's father "highly educated and well travelled" to show they can also be biased and fearful for no reason. Didn't Margaret Atwood say, "'There is no fool like an educated fool." 
It's sad, but I've actually heard of that happening - girls exchanging diamonds for a gumball machine trinkets. 
You can only neglect yourself and take care of others for so long, you know. How do you go about shifting properties?
