During middle school, AP Environmental Science teacher Nihal Abdelnaby made the transatlantic move from Egypt to Foster City. As a Muslim American student, Abdelnaby faced a number of cultural barriers, including language and religious differences. Feeling peer pressure, Abdelnaby strove to adapt to her new environment, as her past slowly faded into the background. However, for Abdelnaby, religion became a more prominent aspect of her life during college.
“One thing I saw at Berkeley that really made [an] impact on me was a group of students praying in public, on the lawn. If they’re not afraid to be shunned or afraid to be made fun of, then why should I? That was really the turning point where I wanted to know more,” says Abdelnaby.
Following the 2001 Sept. 11th terrorist attacks, many Americans have come to see Muslims in a negative light. Now, with media emphasis on ISIS beheadings and other terrorist activities, Muslim Americans have faced another wave of criticism. Recently, political commentator Bill Maher sparked controversy on his show when he credited terrorist activity to Islamic teachings.
Regarding stereotypes of Muslim Americans, sophomore Ashley Alkhatib, who wears a hijab to school, says, “Of course, I’ve been called a terrorist before. Sometimes I’ll get mad and yell at them, but sometimes I just don’t do anything.”
While names do damage, the negative associations hurt most. “That’s just what they think,” says Alkhatib. “A terrorist is someone who kills people, and I’m not a terrorist.”
However, a difficulty lies in distinguishing between actual and perceived discrimination.
Abdelnaby says, “It’s so easy to say, ‘Oh this person is treating me this way because I’m veiled,’ but you don’t know if they’re treating you that way because you’re veiled or if they just don’t like you.”
To illustrate this point, Abdelnaby continues, “At the airport, I was searched, but was that because it was my turn to be searched, or because I was wearing a veil?”
Someone’s perception of Muslim Americans depends on many factors. According to Aragon alumnus Ayah Hamdan, the media seems to be largely responsible for perpetuating negative perceptions of Muslim Americans.
Hamdan says, “I think the media does everything it can to paint Muslims as bad people, as violent people, as sexist people. It’s just a result of people judging a religion without really understanding it.”
Hamdan adds, “Violence against anyone innocent is very wrong. In certain situations, like if you’re protecting yourself or your country, then there are exceptions. There are people out there, like ISIS for example, that say they are fighting for Islam, but really what they’re doing is not pro-Muslim at all.”
Although Islam has peaceful aspects, extremist actions largely impact the perception of Islam.
Junior Danya Sandler says, “As any other orthodox religion, Islam is highly patriarchal in its more traditional form, forcing women to hide themselves in robes and other cloths whilst labelling it modesty. As for violence, so many people have interpreted the Qur’an to incite violence against non-Muslims that the peaceful majority is now irrelevant.”
By definition, Islam is a monotheistic religion centered around the Qur’an, the Islamic holy text which Muslims believe came from the prophet Muhammad as revealed by God. Islam also centers around the “Five Pillars of Islam,” which include Shahadah, the acknowledgment of one God; Salat, the ritual prayer performed five times a day; Zakat, the almsgiving to the needy; Sawm, fasting during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan; and Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca performed at least once in a lifetime.
Abdelnaby says, “Religion has influenced my life in the way I dress. I dress differently. I dress very conservatively. I always wear long sleeves, long skirts, or pants. When I was younger, I used to get very upset when things didn’t go my way. Like, if I didn’t get the grade I wanted, or if I didn’t get chosen for something, I would get very upset. Now I know that it’s God’s will. Things happen because God wants them to happen.”
Hamdan agrees, saying, “Basically everything I do is based on my religion. For every decision I make, I have to consider whether or not it violates my religion. The way my religion works, Islam, you have to put religion over everything. It’s the most important thing.”
Regarding the Aragon environment, Abdelnaby says, “There was a young student in my class who [is] Muslim, and he want[ed] to start a Muslim club. I said that’s a great idea. Maybe people want to join the club, or people might just want to come in here in the middle of the day to pray.”
Alkhatib concludes, “Islam is a peaceful religion. That’s what the Qur’an says a lot. It’s all about peace.”
