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Ah, the delightful journey of converting to Islam in the United States — a land where Hollywood screenwriters apparently moonlight as religious scholars. I chose this spiritual path during one of the most “interesting” periods in modern history, and let me tell you, it has been quite the ride.
You see, once I came out as Muslim, the verbal assaults started. The most bizarre platform for this was LinkedIn. Yes, LinkedIn, that bastion of professional networking and unsolicited messages about synergy and teamwork. A former coworker, whom we’ll call X (because who doesn’t love a mysterious variable?), decided that two months of shared employment two years ago was the perfect foundation for a crusade against my new faith.
Once he discovered I was Muslim, X transformed into a verbal ninja, flinging insults with the precision of someone who had too much time on their hands. I had only been Muslim for a year at this point, and the level of Islamophobia was both shocking and educational. Raised as a Roman Catholic and having dabbled in Kabbalah for 24 years, my conversion to Islam was a deeply personal choice, not something I advertised with billboards or dramatic wardrobe changes. I don’t wear a hijab or have any visible markers of my faith; it’s an internal commitment.
In this great land of freedom and movies, many people’s understanding of Islam comes from the silver screen, where we’re often typecast as the villains in some action-packed blockbuster. Hollywood, doesn’t exactly portray us in the best light. Apparently, if you’re Muslim, you must be up to no good. This narrative has been the go-to reference for many, leaving us to deal with centuries of misunderstandings and prejudice.
So yes, Islamophobia in the United States is real. I’m not asking anyone to join the club, convert, or even buy a ticket to the show. All I’m asking for is a smidgen of basic human respect.
A Screenshot of said racist:
Next time you see someone in a hijab, try this wild experiment: say “Hi.” See what happens. Spoiler alert: the world won’t end. In fact, you might even have a pleasant conversation and discover that, shockingly, people of different faiths are still just people.
So, how about stepping out of your comfort zone and ditching the whole “racist” routine? It’s outdated, overrated, and frankly, it doesn’t look good on anyone.
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