Persecution

[dianek]

I am wondering if you as foreign Muslims in America or even american born muslims have felt persecution or prejudice from your community. I was reading a Muslim operated paper in Northern VA and found that it was very derogative towards the general population and indicated how "unfair" society is muslims. From my experience, my husband has never been treated poorly or judged for his faith or nationality. And I would think if it would happen anywhere it would be HERE in little old GOOD BOY town.....by that I mean large population of red necks! HA! Instead I have found people maybe to be curious but not negative. I would be interested in knowing if it is bad for you as that paper made it seem. I just felt that the articles were exaggerated to "insight rage" if you will.........maybe what if it were a race issue would be called reverse racisim or prejudice.

 

[Faisal_01]

To be honest, living in the U.S for about 12 years now, my family and I have never really felt like we were being judged based on our faith. No one really talked bad to us or did anything. In fact, they were very friendly and was curious about our religion. Growing up mostly in TN you would expect a lot of persecution, but really it was the other way around. In my highschool in fact most of TN, exists a large population of Muslims. Mostly consisting of Kurdish people. Everyone got along with everyone. The only racism I've ever really dealt with was in highschool, but thats not really racism. That was actually highschool stuff that everyone deals with. I'm sure that some sort of racism exists in the hearst of everyone. It's when you bring it out and act on it is what causes the problem, and to that extent I'm glad to say I've never really had too much trouble.

If there is one thing that I have noticed from my experiences with racism, people generally don't do things unless they are provoked first. If you keep your cool with everyone and control your emotions, then you're fine.

Just like I always say, "Dont mess with people and people won't mess with you."

 

[dawahforever]

Asalaamu Alaikum

Are you kidding? I could write a book! Here's a way to test it ..go for walk with your hijab, go to work with your hijab, go to your parents with hijab..then come back and tell us how it was and then think about the fact that you can take off your hijab and just blend right back in with your Christian name and white skin (er I'm assuming here). But our poor muslim brothers and sisters don't have that luxury. I've been discrimated against, my husband has and my kids too. Sept 11th was the tip of the iceberg...strange how we the so-called terrrorists had to hide in our houses terrified!!!!

Wa Salaamu Alaikum
D4E

 

[rony]

Asalaamu Alaikum

Are you kidding? I could write a book! Here's a way to test it ..go for walk with your hijab, go to work with your hijab, go to your parents with hijab..then come back and tell us how it was and then think about the fact that you can take off your hijab and just blend right back in with your Christian name and white skin (er I'm assuming here). But our poor muslim brothers and sisters don't have that luxury. I've been discrimated against, my husband has and my kids too. Sept 11th was the tip of the iceberg...strange how we the so-called terrrorists had to hide in our houses terrified!!!!

Wa Salaamu Alaikum
D4E

As-Salam sister, I totally agree with you.
I went through so much thing, I even can not remember all of them.
The most serious one was when I was woke up early in the morning on gun point by F.B.I. Some of you may think I am kidding, but I am not. Me and my room-mate had to answer their questions for almost two hours. They search every single place in my house you can imagine. Not only me a lot of my close friend faced same thing. Only reason we are muslim.

 

[dianek]

As-Salam sister, I totally agree with you.
I went through so much thing, I even can not remember all of them.
The most serious one was when I was woke up early in the morning on gun point by F.B.I. Some of you may think I am kidding, but I am not. Me and my room-mate had to answer their questions for almost two hours. They search every single place in my house you can imagine. Not only me a lot of my close friend faced same thing. Only reason we are muslim.

I am shocked! Not one of the muslims I know here have been harassed or persecuted for being muslim........if they have been pinpointed by INS it was because their papers were not legal or not current. Which is fair. The treatment you described amazes me, it sounds so 3rd world.........I am sorry you endured that.....

 

[dawahforever]

As-Salam sister, I totally agree with you.
I went through so much thing, I even can not remember all of them.
The most serious one was when I was woke up early in the morning on gun point by F.B.I. Some of you may think I am kidding, but I am not. Me and my room-mate had to answer their questions for almost two hours. They search every single place in my house you can imagine. Not only me a lot of my close friend faced same thing. Only reason we are muslim.

That is much worse than anything I've been through. May Allah make things easy for you.

D4E:tti_sister:

 

[Libinette]

Pssst, it's not only in America ..it happens in Europe too and not only in Uk..

A close member of my family..is in serious trouble..simply because he is a practising muslim.. who fulfills his duties.. ie: is a proper muslim.. not some hypocrite..

 

[TheHumbleWun]

I am shocked! Not one of the muslims I know here have been harassed or persecuted for being muslim........if they have been pinpointed by INS it was because their papers were not legal or not current. Which is fair. The treatment you described amazes me, it sounds so 3rd world.........I am sorry you endured that.....

Salaamalikum,

If brother Rony's story shocks you then what about the hundreds of innocent Muslim Guantanamo Bay captives that are being held without cause and without trial? What about the innocent Palestinians being held in Israel's prisons? What about the invasion of Iraq? You don't think these people have been "harassed", "pesecuted" or "prejudiced." This is beyond "3rd world," it's inhumane.

wasalaam

 

[dianek]

Salaamalikum,

If brother Rony's story shocks you then what about the hundreds of innocent Muslim Guantanamo Bay captives that are being held without cause and without trial? What about the innocent Palestinians being held in Israel's prisons? What about the invasion of Iraq? You don't think these people have been "harassed", "pesecuted" or "prejudiced." This is beyond "3rd world," it's inhumane.

wasalaam

I think you may have taken me wrong.....I agree that the atrocities against muslims OUTSIDE of this country are WRONG and INHUMANE, my question was speaking to those who live here everyday that shocked me with their story. I in NO way endorse our government and its unjust wars on the muslim world. But I was commenting on how we are treating our own citizens.......it amazes me the discrimination within our borders. I sit here in my world never feeling an ounce of prejudice, but I am a typical American woman why would I feel any? and my husband and children NEVER experiencing anything like this and my husband is visibly not American and will stop on the side of the road to do his prayers.........People have never negatively commented or cursed him. So that anyone of you in the US would experience that treatment saddens me. That is all I meant.

 

[TheHumbleWun]

I think you may have taken me wrong.....I agree that the atrocities against muslims OUTSIDE of this country are WRONG and INHUMANE, my question was speaking to those who live here everyday that shocked me with their story. I in NO way endorse our government and its unjust wars on the muslim world. But I was commenting on how we are treating our own citizens.......it amazes me the discrimination within our borders. I sit here in my world never feeling an ounce of prejudice, but I am a typical American woman why would I feel any? and my husband and children NEVER experiencing anything like this and my husband is visibly not American and will stop on the side of the road to do his prayers.........People have never negatively commented or cursed him. So that anyone of you in the US would experience that treatment saddens me. That is all I meant.

Salaam,

Thanks for clearing that up. So you want to know INSIDE scoop of harassment and prejudice. Would the internet count? I see a lot of Islamophobics there. I've read even post 9/11 many masjids were being vandalized and many Muslims were being jumped and ill treated. I think one masjid in Michigan had some guy left a pig head in the masjid while everyone was praying! The local masjid I attend was even vandalized.

I've also had some personal experiences of prejudice when I was applying for a job.

 

[TheKnowledgeSeeker]

Assalam,

I did and i still do but guess what i get over it because it didn't kill me, never did and never will it only made my stronger. Being Muslim is hard in nonmuslim world but living in a world that has different religion than you is always going to hard (guarantee at one time or two) whether you are Muslim, Jews, Charistian,etc. At the end being a born citizens or just citizens of country does't matter because people will always choose to see your different belief than you as human. Sis Dianke judgement, prejudice,ect. is part of life although you might not face it. Think as a package of life you either take all or leave all!

 

[ama6621]

Assalam Alaikum,
What about being 'randomly' searched at every airport?! With a muslim name and a beard/hijab you will invariably be picked 'randomly' for a search. Talking about America here, no idea how it is in Europe.

Assalam Alaikum

 

[dianek]

Salaam,

Thanks for clearing that up. So you want to know INSIDE scoop of harassment and prejudice. Would the internet count? I see a lot of Islamophobics there. I've read even post 9/11 many masjids were being vandalized and many Muslims were being jumped and ill treated. I think one masjid in Michigan had some guy left a pig head in the masjid while everyone was praying! The local masjid I attend was even vandalized.

I've also had some personal experiences of prejudice when I was applying for a job.

Do you still see that 6 years later or was that just following 9/11? I am just trying to educate myself here.

 

[dianek]

Assalam Alaikum,
What about being 'randomly' searched at every airport?! With a muslim name and a beard/hijab you will invariably be picked 'randomly' for a search. Talking about America here, no idea how it is in Europe.

Assalam Alaikum

Well, I am as western world looking as they come and I have been randomly searched at airports travelling alone and pregnant........so I mean I think that is just the norm.

 

[TheKnowledgeSeeker]

Assalam Alaikum,
What about being 'randomly' searched at every airport?! With a muslim name and a beard/hijab you will invariably be picked 'randomly' for a search. Talking about America here, no idea how it is in Europe.

Assalam Alaikum

Assalam,

Sis, let's be honest here...Can you blame than when our brothers decided to kill innocent people (which they admited)? To be honest with you the thing we as islam go through in Airport are our brothers fails who choose to hostage our religion and kill innocent people. We all know that Islam doesn't allow the killing of innocent and they want against Islam. So put yourself in their shoes... You have one muslim that is good and a bad one although they should stop considere than self as islams (killing innocent people) and you are the airport people and the safe of thousand of people are in your hand so how are you going to know if you search the good one or bad unless you are a psych and can tell which is good or bad. Sis, i would do that if i was mulsim working at an airport and so would anyone for the safe of other lives. Would you prefer the airpot people to say "hi, i want to search you because you are muslim" or "hi, i am doing a random search" i would go for the second one. And if we want to change this we as Muslims should fight to get our religion back. Stand up for our religion just as all the prophet did for us! So My muslims sisters and brothers STOP WHINNING if you are not going to fight to get our religion back from our own sisters and brothers (what a shame!)

 

[TheHumbleWun]

Do you still see that 6 years later or was that just following 9/11? I am just trying to educate myself here.

Salaam,

Like sister Nihm said, everyone experiences prejudice - in the past, present and will in the future. There is no escape. Currently, I've experienced less direct prejudice but there is still indirect prejudice. Which includes the way I'm being treated or talked to every day. I can feel some tensions with non-Muslims.

I remember during this past summer, an African American guy on the basketball court saw a group of brothers with long beards come and he said, "look at those Taliban, damn terrorists." I looked at him and said "you better chill out, because I'm Muslim" and he remained silent afterwards.

One thing is for sure, the kuffar will remain as they are, whether inside or outside America or any other country. Their hearts are hard and they will continue to show hatred towards Muslims, either directly or indirectly, after all prejudice is prejudice.