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Sunday, November 19, 2006
Better Than Reading About It
I have been wanting to do this for a long time. I have to say that the build-up was much bigger than the actual experience, though.
Today I went shopping with a Muslim friend. She wears hijab. Today, I did, too. I don't know what is more shocking - the shopping (I DON'T DO shopping!) or the hijab.
If you are reading this and you are Muslim, please know that I did this out of total respect for your religion and out of a desire to know how hijab-wearing Muslim women are treated in the U.S.
I think that it will take many more times out on the town before I have a real picture of what it feels like to be a Muslim woman living here. I know for a fact that my friends have had some not-so-good experiences, especially since 9/11. I am sure that those experiences are not the norm.
But I had a great time at the mall today.
Leaving the house, I felt a little, um, OBVIOUS. I worried about what I would say if one of my neighbors saw me (how would I explain my sudden conversion?). Silly me!!! I live in suburbia. You never see a human outside in suburbia!
So, then, I thought that I would look out of the corner of my eye when stopped at stoplights in order to see if people in the cars around me were looking at me. (But why would people suddenly start looking at other people now that I have on hijab? Once we get in those metal cans on wheels, we are CARS, not PEOPLE).
Okay, SURELY at the busy mall, with bright lights, SURELY there, I'd get THE STARE.
no
Everyone was really nice. Maybe more nice than usual. I am normally the person who blends in with the crowd. I don't stand out. In fact, I am not usually comfortable standing out. Maybe I stood out a little more today and people responded to that.
Maybe most people are just...
nice.
.
.
posted by Carol at 10:24 PM
6 Comments:
Carol..through recent actions I have come to believe our anger and hate have simply burned out..more and more people are not responding to images we were programmed/encouraged to respond to...
....at the same time it points out the obvious where in Europe they contemplate banning this...
...on another note it would be encouraging to see more of this..
Drew http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1120/p01s02-wome.html
Hey Drew,
Maybe you are right.
I notice that your complete link doesn't show up here. I will incorporate it in my post today. Thanks for pointing it out. I hope that the actions in Gaza will be the beginning of a shift. Humans DO have the intelligence to figure this out!
Thanks for the solidarity and glad you had a smooth experience!
BTW I live in Colorado Springs - not too far?
Not far at all!
mashallah!!! u should convert! islam is the religion of peace...
may Allah bless u!
Jennah
Thank you!
I aspire to Gandhi's words that were something like, "I am Hindu, I am Muslim, I am Christian..."
I only know one God and that God is the God of all people.
Thank you for writing me.
And may Allah bless you, also!
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