The Muslim Diaspora

I miss my old school when we have discussions like this; I knew girls there who wore veils and had arranged marriages, but I never did gain the courage to ask them how they felt about that. Islam is frequently cited to be the fastest growing religion in the world so it's really no wonder that there are Muslims everywhere. NPR had a story about an American girl who has not lived in Pakistan for 20 years, but who is reluctantly agreeing to let her parents find a husband for her there. I was surprised the article said that her veil scared potential husbands way, because they thought she would be too conservative for them. In Pakistan?? In any case, I can understand the girl's point of view. How do you keep the traditions of your culture, but also have the life you want, when you've lived in America for so many years? In some ways this debate is the opposite of the young adults in Iran who celebrate Valentine's Day. I don't know what the answer is.