Giorgio Montersino\/Flickr Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMy Facebook and Twitter feeds are full of friends and acquaintances wondering if they should replace their headscarves with hoodies. Muslim women afraid that they will bear the brunt of violent Islamophobic backlash to the San Bernardino shootings, as we\u00a0have borne the brunt in most Islamophobic backlashes.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sad and angry on your behalf, my dear Muslim\u00a0sisters, that so many of you fear for so much for your safety that taking off your hijab<\/em> seems like a viable option. Islamophobia is real and it is often gendered. Muslim women are typically the \u201cvisible\u201d Muslims, and as such, are often victims of Islamophobic backlash anytime a terrorist attack or crime perpetrated by Muslims occurs.<\/p>\nI\u2019m afraid, too. I live in a \u201cred\u201d area with local KKK activity. But what would taking off my hijab do for my safety? I can\u2019t scrub off my skin color, burn straight my hair texture and strip it blonde. Nor would I want to. My skin, hair, features reflect\u00a0my East African ancestors and I\u2019m not ashamed of my ethnic origins, even if very few people in my mainly white, middle-class suburban town have positive feelings about Africans (if they think of us at all).<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t have any romanticized notions\u00a0of hijab<\/em> \u2013 it\u2019s not the end all, be all of my religious identity. I don\u2019t think it makes me a jewel, or puts me on a pedestal. And I barely think modesty has anything to do with veiling at all, because I believe that\u00a0modesty is related more to taming internal arrogance; than external\u00a0sartorial choice.\u00a0Hijab\u00a0<\/em>is not a golden armor protecting a diamond nor a lollipop wrapper that keeps flies away; but for me it\u00a0is<\/em> a physical manifestation of my\u00a0deepest beliefs.<\/p>\nBeliefs that ground me\u00a0an in intimate, cosmic relationship with our Creator. Beliefs that connect me with all other other creation. \u00a0Beliefs that are protected under our\u00a0Constitution. Beliefs that are constantly under attack, as our own bodies are increasingly under attack. Take it off, keep it on, do what is right for you and your family, dear sisters. But please don\u2019t be afraid.<\/p>\n
Unveil your fear and take self-defense classes. Get to know your neighbors. Let your family and friends know your whereabouts. Volunteer in your community. Notify CAIR if you experience Islamophobia.\u00a0Serve others. Tell your story \u2013 online, to your coworkers, in your local newspaper. Tie your camel, take your precautions \u2013 but please don\u2019t be afraid.<\/p>\n
We inherited the strength of our\u00a0mothers Eve, Hajar, Mary, Aasiya, Bilquis, Aminah, Khadija, Aisha, and Zaynab, may God be pleased with them. We share the strength of our sisters Khawla bint al Azwar, Umm al-Darda, Rabia al-Adawiyya, Fatima al-Fihriyya, Queen Zubayda, Roxelana, Razia Sultan, and Nana Asma\u2019u, may God have mercy on their souls.<\/p>\n
These diverse women lived in different times. Some lived\u00a0in splendor, while others let go of all worldly possessions. Some were rulers while others had been enslaved. Some were warriors, while others were academics. Some veiled\u00a0their faces, while others did not cover at all. What unites them is a strong sense of self and a commitment to serve others. Their strength and bravery is embedded in the DNA of our Islam. We can\u2019t control what others do, but we have agency over our own actions.<\/p>\n
We\u00a0stand on the shoulders of giants, my dear sisters. Please don\u2019t be afraid.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My Facebook and Twitter feeds are full of friends and acquaintances wondering if they should replace their headscarves with hoodies. Muslim women afraid that they will bear the brunt of violent Islamophobic backlash to the San Bernardino shootings, as we\u00a0have borne the brunt in most Islamophobic backlashes. I\u2019m sad and angry on your behalf, my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1151,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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