Almost tired of screaming from inside my scarf describing how difficult it is to be a Muslim [girl] and deal with the many "different looks" that people give everyday in my own hometown [in South India], I have started viewing things differently.
What if I was on their side? Would I think and act the same way they do to me? Perhaps, yes. Because that is what people are trained to believe and think. But, isnt there a meaning to literacy? Doesnt literacy mean that people think individually.
Last evening, I had to go to the ATM. While I was on the phone with my mom, the security guard at the ATM thought I am wearing a hood in my head. He said, please remove your scarf before you enter the ATM room." I was flabbergasted. It took me a full minute to come back to senses. "Are you kidding me" was my first reaction. But how would he understand. He was just doing his job [but without attention to sensitivities].
The guard needed another person to tell him that it was ok to allow me to enter the ATM because I was not covering my face. [!!] What?!!!
Anyway, this is just one small clip from my everyday confrontations. Doesn't sound like a big thing to many. But honestly, I have forwarded the scenes, where I had to lose my cool and had to give serious stern looks to predators of Muslims.
Point is, I don't understand why people feel so insecure with people who carry "religious accessories." We are just regular people with some "fanship for certain belief system" Why would a two liner belief system inside my head bother them to shed pearls of sweat inside their shirts?
What if I was on their side? Would I think and act the same way they do to me? Perhaps, yes. Because that is what people are trained to believe and think. But, isnt there a meaning to literacy? Doesnt literacy mean that people think individually.
Last evening, I had to go to the ATM. While I was on the phone with my mom, the security guard at the ATM thought I am wearing a hood in my head. He said, please remove your scarf before you enter the ATM room." I was flabbergasted. It took me a full minute to come back to senses. "Are you kidding me" was my first reaction. But how would he understand. He was just doing his job [but without attention to sensitivities].
The guard needed another person to tell him that it was ok to allow me to enter the ATM because I was not covering my face. [!!] What?!!!
Anyway, this is just one small clip from my everyday confrontations. Doesn't sound like a big thing to many. But honestly, I have forwarded the scenes, where I had to lose my cool and had to give serious stern looks to predators of Muslims.
Point is, I don't understand why people feel so insecure with people who carry "religious accessories." We are just regular people with some "fanship for certain belief system" Why would a two liner belief system inside my head bother them to shed pearls of sweat inside their shirts?
3 comments:
Though they are living here for many decades still in many parts of India Muslims are considered as UFOs.Misconceptions and myths are leading the general public to a worst form of Islamophobia.but no one can deny that we Muslims are also contributing our part in this image building.we wish to remain as a closed community-a kind of self imposed ghettoizing
I often get this question from my friends, 'Does this happen in India, I mean IN INDIA?!" Sadly, the truth is, it does. And we are helpless. Starting from work places to super markets, people have discomfort with Muslims. Even time seems to have little control over changing this situation...
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