Muslim In America
Muslim in America – Voices

This is due to lack of knowledge of what Islam really is. For example, associating the use of scarves by Muslim women to being oppressed and not being respected by our counter-men, when that is not the case. Also, hearing of a shooting on the news, on TV, and immediately thinking that it was terrorism induced, which means that it was a Muslim Man that initiated it.
It’s sad to witness. I can’t even imagine living in that kind of environment with so much prejudice towards your faith.
People fear Islam because of what media has been feeding them and having a world leader that is actively trying to create barriers between his country and Muslim countries. He tells people that they have every reason to not trust Islam.
If your president tells you that, he is not going to allow any Muslim in the U.S. The average citizen would believe they must be dangerous.
Muslims are discriminated on a daily basis. From the moment we wake up in the morning, to the end of the day.
The Muslim man that decides to keep his beard, and goes to the coffee shop to order his breakfast, is more likely to experience delays in getting served just because he looks Muslim. The staff at the coffee shop might not feel comfortable or feel threatened.
Some get ignored, some get served while the staff is hostile. Few receive decent service. It’s sad and unfair.
17 years post 9/11, attitudes towards us Muslims has gotten worse. It feels like non-Muslims have condemned all Muslims for the mistakes that some mentally disturbed people have perpetrated.
We are paying for it on a daily basis: we are not 100% comfortable to send our kids to school, because they are more likely to be bullied by the children and by some of their teachers. Us parents should not feel like that at all.
I believe in humanity, and it’s the youngest generation that understands Islam a bit more than the older generation and knows that we do not mean any harm. There are some non-Muslims who try to understand Islam and stand up for Muslims in the face of discrimination. However, there are only few.
It’s down to this young generation to change the general perception of Muslims, and make our Muslim children feel comfortable in believing in their faiths without any prejudice. It will take a long time, but I believe we will get there, God willing.
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.