I was once a semi-secret Muslim

Hello everyone I am back from my break. This is my experience I wanted to write about, I have been working on bringing this to you enjoy.

I was once regretfully a semi-secret Muslim, I was afraid of social consequences and how my friends would react to it. I began to become envious of my coworkers friends and family, who could openly talk about their religion with happiness and without fear. I remember in the break room filled with crafts, I wanted to make a card saying Salam I am Muslim but I threw it away out of fear of how they would react. While I did wear my hijab out, I did not wear it to work nor formal important events. I was what others would call a half hijab not by complete choice though, it was out of familial pressure and self-doubt and fear that stopped me. I one day found an episode of Muslim & American on YouTube, a story that I was drawn to. The story of Aisha Rawji, an advertising professional in Manhattan, who took a stand against Islamophobia. This episode resonated so much with me. I felt that I was not alone with Aisha Rawji story out there, only after finding so many stories of ignored fears of Muslim people. I could not take it anymore and told my friends and coworkers that I was Muslim, they had thankfully accepted me I began to wear my my beloved crown fulltime but even though I am much happier, I was still having fears of social and economic reproductions and still feared some harassment for my choice. It took me a long time to tell others that I was Muslim. I felt that I was not alone with Aisha Rawji story out there. My family and close friends are still scared for me when I wear hijab and modest Muslim clothing, but I don’t blame them. They do not want me to be a target because of all of the stress and trauma, this tends to bring. I still do feel a bit like an outsider, but it makes me more determined to fight for our Muslim brother and sisters that are in hiding. We must give them our support during their jihad, struggle. If you are a secret Muslim reading this, you are not alone. For resources on Islam and islamophobia see https://amuslimwomansblog.com/home/resource-page/ and if you have any questions or need connections to our Islamic community do not hesitate to reach out.

written by amuslimwomansblog July 7, 2021, at 9:42 p.m.

resources that were used for this post

in this is an episode of Muslim & American the episode follows Aisha Rawji, an advertising professional in Manhattan who is taking a stand against islamophobia