Comment: Siddiqui is describing growing up in a religious pathocracy: the inescapable social pressures to conform to anti-human ideals, the internal contradictions that result when this becomes impossible for the non-psychopathic majority, the need to develop 'acting' skills to pretend to conform to the unrealistic and pathological ideal. But even though he is describing an Islamic pathocracy, the dynamics apply to every kind of pathocracy: whether Christian, atheist, capitalist or communist.
I have been meaning to write about what it means to grow up in the Saudi Arabian Wahhabi model, what has held me back thus far is more about "Where do I begin?"
The beast is complex, pathological and has many facets to its manifestation in various areas of your life. It simply permeates every little part of your existence either willingly, subconsciously or via the guilt complex that it feeds on.
My intention here is not to proselytize nor is it to prescribe a remedy. Instead it is to share my experience with you.
I was born in the heydays of the oil boom in Saudi Arabia to expatriate parents from my native Pakistan. We lived happy - somewhat dysfunctional - lives as most would assume. We did better than our extended family and made sure we shared with those back home. My parents were average Sunni Muslims who observed prayers whenever they remembered - with the exception of Friday prayers that most Muslims religiously observe - and tried to generally stick to the 'norms' of the faith but nothing too strictly.
Comment: More on Common Core: