Muslim In America
Muslim in America – Voices

When there are crimes in the Church, no one blames it on the Catholics. No other religion gets penalized the way Islam does, and nor does any other religious get penalized the way Muslims do.
That fear stems from a level of understanding, and because there is no one really out in the public eye that is educating or showcasing Islam that is positive. Whenever you turn on the news, you have the President, and one of the most powerful people in the world s*** on it and saying that anyone who follows it is violent or crazy, or you have people that are very radical on social media that get brought up as the poster child for all Muslims.
Christians, Catholics, and even Jews do not face the same penalties and attitudes the way Muslims do. If someone who’s Christian commits a crime, it’s not seen as the way all Christians are. I feel like people have a fear because of the lack of understanding and past acts like the Bush administration virtually saying Muslims caused 9/11 and ‘this is a religion of violence, this is a religion of hate.’
I am not originally American, I came here for school and applied for citizenship. I feel like Muslims in America have it so hard, yet it’s been a decent amount of time since 9/11.
Muslims are still suffering from the extremists and who should not be the poster child for Muslims across the world. If you are a practicing Muslim and you wear a Hijab you are seen as a terrorist, an awful human, and you automatically get a target on your back.
If you are Muslim and you don’t look like the European standard you are seen as a terrorist. One Direction had a Muslim member, Zayn, and when Zayn left there was a joke about Zayn leaving for ISIS.
I remember thinking ‘how was that funny?’ and ‘who agreed for that to be broadcasted for people to agree with?’ Why are brown people and Muslims automatically seen as terrorists? It’s crazy.
The news is extremists in its own way. It paints Muslims as extremely violent and constantly waits for a way to show that they can kill Americans.
Whenever a terrorist attack happens it’s always ‘oh there’s those Muslims again’ It’s stupid. When a KKK rally happens, no one goes ‘oh there are those Christians again.’ It’s frustrating.
It’s almost 17 years and the attitude has gotten worse. The President doesn’t give power to the people who have different views. It’s gotten worse, but I also see fellow Muslims and people who aren’t Islamic fighting for the perception of Muslims to change.
I have the hope it will get better. I feel like right now the country is so divisive on hate and against change that anyone who is not white and does not have a substantial amount of privilege has a target on their back.
It’s crazy but I don’t know what the future may hold. I pray it gets better for not just Muslims, but also people of color in the country.
Muslim In America
Muslim in America – Voices

Instead, I just changed my whole outward appearance and decided I wanted to be Muslim. I come from a Catholic family with strong values, and to them, they believe that Islam is controlling.
They felt that I wouldn’t have rights as a Muslim woman and that I was going to become miserable. As you can see, this transition was not an easy one, to say the least.
While I was focusing on growing in my faith, my mother just kept worrying about me marrying a terrorist. My aunt even went as far as reading me Bible verses to bring me back on the ‘right path.’
Sometimes, my family still teases me about not eating pork anymore. Growing up Catholic, I use to eat pork freely but now that I don’t, I get made fun of. While it doesn’t bother me anymore, it used to hurt me to have my loved ones put down my beliefs.
Often times, the general public associates Islam with oppressiveness or violence. They misinterpret the Quran and end up fearing us because they do not understand us.
The media does not help us build a positive image either. Usually, women are portrayed in the media as slaves who are oppressed by ‘barbaric’ Muslim men.
Women like me are seen as easy targets because we chose to represent who we are through our dress. This should not be so, but it is and a lot of this hatred and confusion exists because of 9/11.
See, even though it has been 17 years since 9/11, Islamophobia still sits heavy in the hearts of many Americans. However, if people reach out to their fellow Muslim neighbors, there could be a better understanding of Muslims nationally.
Muslim In America
Muslim in America – Voices

This can be a struggle within one’s soul that causes them to give into impulses and stray off of their path. This is something that I believe everyone goes through in life.
Although it is rather difficult to do, I personally try to teach people about my faith. Currently, I am the treasurer of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at Pace University.
I really wanted to make MSA a big thing at Pace. But, so many people just aren’t that interested in the idea. Whenever I ask my non-Muslim friends to even come to a meeting, I usually get a ‘Are you joking?’ or ‘You’re really a part of that?’
While the lack of support is rather discouraging, it just goes to show me that people still view us in a negative light. And that the negative light they see us through can be traced back to how the media portrays us.
I think the fear of Islam stems from 9/11 and how Islam is portrayed in the media. The media never focuses on the peaceful and religious aspects of Islam. Instead, they focus on the daunting acts of terrorists from the Middle East.
My family hasn’t suffered to the extent that some other families had, but I still have heard some rough remarks. For instance, in high school, one of my closest friends said that I looked like a terrorist. Although it was just a joke, I was very offended by it.
More recently, I personally underwent an embarrassing TSA pat down at the airport last year. A security woman touched every aspect of my body. I felt humiliated.
Although there is a long road to walk before Islamophobia disappears, I do think that, recently, people have become more accepting towards us. Individuals are realizing the world could be a better place if we learnt to love each other for who we are. Therefore, I am very hopeful that more people will be accepting towards Muslims in the near future.
Muslim In America
Muslim in America – Voices

I live in a very diverse area where being something other than ‘white’ is not exactly uncommon. In general, I tend to hang out with a crowd of other Muslims. So, I never really feel out of place.
I have never really felt any sort of discrimination. But, it was not until recently that I learned that my parents had not had that same luxury.
Although our religious practices in our family have become laxer as my siblings and I have aged, my mother recently confessed she made us practice religion so heavily as children because she wanted us to make friends with other Muslims.
My parents, specifically, chose to live in a more diverse area so we did not stick out from the crowd. She did not want to draw attention to us, so we could avoid as much prejudice and discrimination as possible.
I think people today are much more tolerant and accepting of Muslims than they used to be. Based on what Muslims used to face, I’m sure my parents’ fear and paranoia is justified. However, I feel that people are starting to let go of their preconceived notions.
People are beginning to learn that stereotypes are not based in truth. Once people realize that terrorism is not linked to the Muslim religion, maybe they will be less afraid.
Extremists and terrorists are not a true reflection of Islam. Once people begin to realize this, we may be one step closer to working toward peace and harmony between all people.