The Baby

"What is the gender of my baby? Boy or Girl?"
"It's a baby girl, looks very heathy. Congratulations.."

"I don't want that baby girl. You take it away from me immediately."

That's how my Grandma gave away her babies, right after the giving birth in Hospital. Eventually the Muslim nurse adopted my Aunty, while the rest of them (like 3 babies) were adopted by other Muslim family too..

As elder China citizens were taking sons as the treasure of family, while daughters weren't. As what happening to the most of tribe's tradition, daughters always treated as a "second class" family members.. There's no such thing as "protection" and family planning back in 50 years ago, my grandma was giving birth 13th times and what I barely know is about 8 of them is still remained as our relatives. As for babies girl that given away, everyone of them grown up as Muslims.. While only two of them were trying to trace back our family roots and reintroduce themselves as our "New relatives".

Biologically Chinese, culturally Malay, religiously Islam.
They have fair skin and slit-eyed, working as professionals and fluent in BM/English speakings. During age 8 years old, I was shocked when my parents trying to explain with me why there was a Chinese Aunt showed up and wearing headscarf..

"She is our long lost relatives.. Your father's youngest sister."

Ever since then, I always asking myself how imbalanced with the pre-era of China community. Even till today the discrimination among genders is still rooted in major community around the world.. Till the day I was started to read Qur'an verses, these two verses remind me of what my grandma did.

"And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked
For what sin she was killed"
(al-Qur'an, AT-TAKWIR (THE OVERTHROWING) 81:8-9)

While Arab was in the age of jahiliyyah, poor family were killing daughters as young girls treated as sex slaves during thousand years ago. They have no choice but perform the "honor killing" in defend the pride of family.. Allah SWT brought justice and human rights for their lives. There's no discrimination of genders in Islam, which explained to me why were those Muslim strangers willing to adopt my aunties. And now, they're back to my family with the faith of Islam in their heart.

At the day I was going to tell my parents that I have embraced Islam, actually I called one of my Muslim aunt in order to calm down the situations.. And yet she did persuaded my father, telling him that don't even feel bad of my decision.. Without my aunt's help, I believe till today my father won't forgive my personal decision of faith.


The baby girl that once seems unimportant and adopted, is the one who saved my faith and family kinship.