When I was in college in the 1960s, one rarely came across people who were deeply radicalized. No one was afraid that he would be beaten up for not fasting or being clean-shaven. We interacted with all kinds of people without being uncomfortable.
Nowadays, almost everyone between the ages of 20 and 50 is an extremist. A near relative of mine is deeply troubled because his sons are unemployable due to their brainwashing for many years by the Tableeghi Jamaat people. His grandson (about twenty years of age) can't hold a job due to his beliefs. Recently he was sacked because he objected to his employer insuring his imported goods (this is mandatory under the law). I suppose in his next job he will insist that all employees be heavily bearded.
In a way, I knew this would happen. The boy's father was forced by his mother to spend as much time in the neighborhood mosque as possible. I suppose the mother thought her sons would never need jobs, they would work in their father's factory. But in the factory, both sons spent most of their time lecturing everyone on how to be good Muslism, as a result of which their father told them to find jobs elsewhere. In fact, one son was such an extremist that he threatened to run away from home if his father made clothes with the "Micky Mouse" sticker on them. The poor father had to close the factory and pay compensation to buyers. He is virtually bankrupt nowadays.
So, with his sons useless, it's his grandsons now who are unemployable, the only people they can work with are shopkeepers who don't have bank accounts and deal only in cash. I only hope other relatives can learn from this and prevent their children from going down the same road.
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