"A Day In The Life Of Me:
A Muslim Girl"
By Aisha Mohamed
Take a look at me...What do you see when you look at me? A girl? A middle schooler? Or maybe your first thought was a Muslim. And from the minute you saw me, you knew right away who I was, right? Did you know that Donald Trump's ban on immigrant Muslims coming into the country appealed To 55% of Americans? Listen...Growing up in a Muslim family is just like growing up in a Christian family or a Jewish family or even a Buddhist family, but from the way I get looked at, it seems like it’s not the case. I am not here to tell you that some people’s prejudices are wrong....I lied. That’s why I’m here.
A Day In The Life Of Me: A Muslim Girl
Let’s talk about the questions. I bet all you Muslims out there are about to relate to every question I’ve been asked. Now, I’m not saying your questions are dumb, I’m just sick and tired of the same questions over what and over again. Especially the ones that don’t make sense.
“Why do you wear a rag on your head?” Or other variations like towel, scarf, and etcetera.
Sorry. I accidentally put on a towel instead of a hijab this morning, and in a mad rush I made a mistake. You see, my math teacher gave us this boring assignment, and I stayed up all night thinking about Lightning McQueen and whether he needed health or car insurance.
“Are you bald under your hijab?”
*Sarcastic* Yes. And on some days, when no one is looking, I rub baby oil on my head and sing along to Justin Bieber. I’m joking. Yes, I have hair. I like to keep it short, just to my shoulders and it’s curly and fizzes up in humidity and rain.
“Is your marriage going to be arranged?”
Actually, good question but thank God the answer is no. As my mother said, “We should all have a choice....but make it a guy that I like and not a weird and creepy guy.” Okay, okay. She didn’t say that exactly but she did imply it!
There’s also things along the topic like, “So your going to be like a housewife and like let your husband oppress you right?”
My husband will be kicked outta the house and straight to Mars before he even so much as thinks of bossing me around. *snaps*
“Is it a choice to wear a headscarf?”
You're asking the wrong person. I don’t put scarfs on my head.
I know what you mean, though, and yes it is. My parents made the choice for me when I was younger, but obviously I’m an independent woman now and I’m able to make my own decisions. I choose to wear one. It makes me feel...safer.
A hijab by the way, is a veil worn by some Muslim women in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family, which usually covers the head and chest. Don’t get it confused with the long black ones that cover head to toe. Those are called Burkas.
Let’s continue with the questions..
“In Ramadan when you fast, do you like...ever sneak a little snack or something?”
....if my parents were here, I would say I swear I never have. I’m an innocent child. If my parents were not here I might say: I may have given into my temptations once or twice before.
And for those who don’t know what Ramadan is, Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad, the last messenger.
“Do you have ears?”
Huh? Can you repeat that? Sorry, I don’t have ears. I can’t hear you. Yes I have ears. Why else do you think I’m able to hear all these idiotic questions that get flung at me left and right.
Do you shower with your hijab on?
Yes I do. I like to bath fully clothed just like the rest of the human population does. Don’t tell me that you take showers.... *whispers* naked?
I’m messing with you. No I don’t wear it in the shower
“You're not allowed to speak your mind because it’s against your religion for Muslim girls to speak their minds, right?”
No that’s not true because I’m really loud, always say what I’m thinking, and occasionally annoy people until they shout at me and tell me I should stop talking. But I don’t because it’s fun to annoy people sometimes, am I right?
The one I get asked the most:
“Aren’t you sad your missing out on bacon?” Or “Are you vegetarian?
I have turkey bacon. It’s probably ten times better. And no, I can’t eat pork but that’s it. If you’ve ever heard of Kosher foods, the ones that Jewish families eat, they are pretty similar.
Those are the questions I usually get asked and I haven’t even told you half of them. Of course, these aren’t the worst. Sometimes I get, “Where’s the bomb?” or “Who’s on your kill list?” or sometimes even, “When are your terrorist buddies going to come.” I’m not going to lie. I play along to them sometimes.
In elementary school, someone called me a terrorist and told me to go back to my country. I didn’t know what it meant and my friends didn’t know either so i went home and told my mother about my day. Being the naive third grader I was, I didn’t think much of it but my mother was mad. The next day, the girl ended up in huge trouble. Now i know what the word means. It seems to have become a label that was put on me, before I was even born. I ask myself all the time, “What have I ever done to make people think I’m a quote unquote radical terrorist?” I realize it now. Society...
Society has put a label on Muslims around the world, deeming us to be terrorists. Society has decided to think that we are not welcome into the country that once welcomed my parents with loving arms and is now rejecting them. When a baby is born, they are born with many things. Maybe they have their mother's eyes or their father's nose, but a baby is not born with hate. A baby is not born with the idea of labeling. It is taught.
That day in third grade when that girl called me a terrorist, that was taught to her by the people who influence her daily: her family.
I’m speaking for all people when I say that labels can do despicable things to everyone. It can rearrange their entire identity over night and it becomes permanent. If we could all just quit labeling people and having it set in stone, we could end these constant labels, live happily ever after and eat tacos and ice cream until we start to hallucinate about rainbows and puppies....
Of course that’s a little far fetched. For most, labeling is a habit. “That black girl.” “That redneck.” “That dumb blonde.” It seems so innocent but it’s not. I have a few questions for you? Do any of those define who we are? Is it helping us in anyway? No, it doesn’t. And setting these invisible restrictions on people isn’t helping society grow. It’s only holding us back and bringing people down. I ask you again, what do YOU see in ME?
A Day In The Life Of Me: A Muslim Girl
Let’s talk about the questions. I bet all you Muslims out there are about to relate to every question I’ve been asked. Now, I’m not saying your questions are dumb, I’m just sick and tired of the same questions over what and over again. Especially the ones that don’t make sense.
“Why do you wear a rag on your head?” Or other variations like towel, scarf, and etcetera.
Sorry. I accidentally put on a towel instead of a hijab this morning, and in a mad rush I made a mistake. You see, my math teacher gave us this boring assignment, and I stayed up all night thinking about Lightning McQueen and whether he needed health or car insurance.
“Are you bald under your hijab?”
*Sarcastic* Yes. And on some days, when no one is looking, I rub baby oil on my head and sing along to Justin Bieber. I’m joking. Yes, I have hair. I like to keep it short, just to my shoulders and it’s curly and fizzes up in humidity and rain.
“Is your marriage going to be arranged?”
Actually, good question but thank God the answer is no. As my mother said, “We should all have a choice....but make it a guy that I like and not a weird and creepy guy.” Okay, okay. She didn’t say that exactly but she did imply it!
There’s also things along the topic like, “So your going to be like a housewife and like let your husband oppress you right?”
My husband will be kicked outta the house and straight to Mars before he even so much as thinks of bossing me around. *snaps*
“Is it a choice to wear a headscarf?”
You're asking the wrong person. I don’t put scarfs on my head.
I know what you mean, though, and yes it is. My parents made the choice for me when I was younger, but obviously I’m an independent woman now and I’m able to make my own decisions. I choose to wear one. It makes me feel...safer.
A hijab by the way, is a veil worn by some Muslim women in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family, which usually covers the head and chest. Don’t get it confused with the long black ones that cover head to toe. Those are called Burkas.
Let’s continue with the questions..
“In Ramadan when you fast, do you like...ever sneak a little snack or something?”
....if my parents were here, I would say I swear I never have. I’m an innocent child. If my parents were not here I might say: I may have given into my temptations once or twice before.
And for those who don’t know what Ramadan is, Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad, the last messenger.
“Do you have ears?”
Huh? Can you repeat that? Sorry, I don’t have ears. I can’t hear you. Yes I have ears. Why else do you think I’m able to hear all these idiotic questions that get flung at me left and right.
Do you shower with your hijab on?
Yes I do. I like to bath fully clothed just like the rest of the human population does. Don’t tell me that you take showers.... *whispers* naked?
I’m messing with you. No I don’t wear it in the shower
“You're not allowed to speak your mind because it’s against your religion for Muslim girls to speak their minds, right?”
No that’s not true because I’m really loud, always say what I’m thinking, and occasionally annoy people until they shout at me and tell me I should stop talking. But I don’t because it’s fun to annoy people sometimes, am I right?
The one I get asked the most:
“Aren’t you sad your missing out on bacon?” Or “Are you vegetarian?
I have turkey bacon. It’s probably ten times better. And no, I can’t eat pork but that’s it. If you’ve ever heard of Kosher foods, the ones that Jewish families eat, they are pretty similar.
Those are the questions I usually get asked and I haven’t even told you half of them. Of course, these aren’t the worst. Sometimes I get, “Where’s the bomb?” or “Who’s on your kill list?” or sometimes even, “When are your terrorist buddies going to come.” I’m not going to lie. I play along to them sometimes.
In elementary school, someone called me a terrorist and told me to go back to my country. I didn’t know what it meant and my friends didn’t know either so i went home and told my mother about my day. Being the naive third grader I was, I didn’t think much of it but my mother was mad. The next day, the girl ended up in huge trouble. Now i know what the word means. It seems to have become a label that was put on me, before I was even born. I ask myself all the time, “What have I ever done to make people think I’m a quote unquote radical terrorist?” I realize it now. Society...
Society has put a label on Muslims around the world, deeming us to be terrorists. Society has decided to think that we are not welcome into the country that once welcomed my parents with loving arms and is now rejecting them. When a baby is born, they are born with many things. Maybe they have their mother's eyes or their father's nose, but a baby is not born with hate. A baby is not born with the idea of labeling. It is taught.
That day in third grade when that girl called me a terrorist, that was taught to her by the people who influence her daily: her family.
I’m speaking for all people when I say that labels can do despicable things to everyone. It can rearrange their entire identity over night and it becomes permanent. If we could all just quit labeling people and having it set in stone, we could end these constant labels, live happily ever after and eat tacos and ice cream until we start to hallucinate about rainbows and puppies....
Of course that’s a little far fetched. For most, labeling is a habit. “That black girl.” “That redneck.” “That dumb blonde.” It seems so innocent but it’s not. I have a few questions for you? Do any of those define who we are? Is it helping us in anyway? No, it doesn’t. And setting these invisible restrictions on people isn’t helping society grow. It’s only holding us back and bringing people down. I ask you again, what do YOU see in ME?