I am a Muslim American. Throughout my life, people have said that my faith makes them uncomfortable, told me to go back to my country and openly called me a terrorist. Growing up in Fairfax, Virginia, which is 70% white and predominantly Christian, I’ve become accustomed to being a minority in all spaces, with respect to both my religious and racial identities. I was only one of a handful of Muslim students in my high school graduating class, and the discrimination and alienation I faced forced me to constantly hide my identity from others. As I slowly abandoned my religious community, the Islamophobia I experienced and witnessed made me lose sight of what makes being a Muslim in the U.S. so special.
Islamophobia can best be described as a fear of Muslims and Islam or discrimination against those who practice Islam. To eradicate Islamophobia in the U.S., both non-Muslims and Muslims alike must do more than just acknowledge the discrimination that Muslims face: we must examine our own biases, evaluate Western media from a critical lens and educate ourselves about Islam and the values that comprise the religion.
In a 2020 Institute for Social Policy and Understanding study, 60% of surveyed Muslim Americans experienced religious discrimination and 40% faced discrimination in institutionalized settings such as airports, healthcare facilities and job interviews. This clear intolerance extends past adults: 51% of Muslim American adults reported that their child was bullied for their faith in the past year. When examining Islamophobia, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the horrific violence that often accompanies these discriminatory remarks.
In 2019, the FBI reported 7,314 hate crimes, marking the third year that over 7,100 of these crimes have been reported in the U.S. More specifically, a Pew Research Center study reported 127 assaults targeted against Muslims in the U.S. in 2016, surpassing the record-number 93 assaults seen after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. These attacks often occur in our own neighborhoods and threaten the livelihoods of Muslims daily.
In 2015, Craig Stephen Hicks shot Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and Razan Abu-Salha, three Muslim college students, in Chapel Hill, N.C. over a parking dispute right outside their home. The families of these victims noted that this was not the neighbor’s first time threatening the students, adding they believed the killing was indeed a hate crime solely committed by Hicks on the basis of the students’ faith.
Western media is a key source of anti-Islamic sentiment in the U.S. In the case of Hicks, journalists still debate whether his shooting constitutes a hate crime. When the perpetrator of an attack is Muslim, researchers from the Washington Post found that there is a 488% greater chance that the crime will be deemed terrorism. In a broader sense, major U.S. news outlets are also quick to misattribute violence to Arab countries without giving proper context, falsely deeming violence and civil unrest in these regions as terrorism.
Additionally, attacks committed by Muslim perpetrators receive 357% more media coverage than those committed by non-Muslims or individuals with unknown religious backgrounds. By blatantly associating Islam with terrorism, Western media promotes Islamophobia and further perpetuates these harmful views toward Muslims in the U.S. In the fight for social justice and anti-racism, we must be critical of the Islamophobic biases deeply ingrained in major news outlets.
The Muslim community at Emory is no stranger to Islamophobic incidences. Rehnuma Islam (21C) recounted one of her medical scribe shifts, during which a patient at Emory North Decatur Hospital glared at her and pointed at her hijab, stating, “‘Oh she’s a terrorist.’”
When the doctor Islam was working with said she could step out of the room if she was uncomfortable, Islam mentioned that she wanted to “forgive the patient because I might be the first hijabi they’ve ever seen.” Islam did not leave the room; instead, she wanted to show the patient that she was not violent — that her hijab could be attributed to her “kindness … so people can see Muslims differently.”
In regard to the specific actions that Muslims and non-Muslims alike can take to eliminate Islamophobia in their communities, Islam encouraged students to “make an effort to diversify your friend group and immerse yourself in different settings to become more open-minded … to combat Islamophobia and break down predispositions that the media builds.”
When addressing Islamophobia in the U.S., we must look toward the sources of these behaviors. Americans today continue to marginalize and belittle Muslim individuals on account of the extremist behaviors that Muslim terrorist organizations commit instead of recognizing that these events do not represent Muslims in the U.S. nor Islam as a whole.
Together, we can eliminate Islamophobia, but it starts with making an effort to understand Muslims and what we stand for. Take the time to talk to a Muslim peer, listen to TED talks by Muslim speakers and read memoirs from Muslim Americans. Learn about the core values of Islam and how the religion does not condone violence. Understand your role in rampant Islamophobia and actively strive to counter it in your daily life.
The Qur’an states in 2:190, “Fight in the cause of Allah only against those who wage war against you, but do not exceed the limits. Allah does not like transgressors.”
It is undeniable that militant groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda misconstrue these words of the Qur’an for their own personal benefit. However, we must remember that those acts of terror are not, and never have been, substantiated in Islamic texts. Unjustifiable violence is not the answer. We are not extremists; we are not terrorists. To suggest otherwise would be nothing short of bigotry.
Sara Khan (23C) is from Fairfax, Virginia.
Sara Khan (23C) is from Fairfax, Virginia, double majoring in neuroscience and behavioral biology and English. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching Netflix shows, playing sports and listening to music. Contact Khan at sara.a.khan@emory.edu.
Thank you for writing this beautifully written piece Sara! This is so important more than ever.
We need to live as humans and not religious beings. Religion has be divisive and we need to recognize it as divisive. You cannot change your name, it is equally difficult to change others. A middle path needs be looked at.
You are a scientist and you need to let others know that you are a scientist, a doctor who saves people’s life and therefore others need to know you as a doctor you who would save the life of the person who wants you you to go back, wherever.
We need to acknowledge that religion plays an enormous part of many human being’s lives.
Of course religion will cause divisiveness, but part of being an open-minded human being living in a world of diversity,
we need to understand where the divisiveness stems from? How can we embody mutual respect and prevent the hostilities.
The life of a human is intersectional. You cannot talk about people without neglecting culture, religion, ethnicities, race, socioeconomic status, politics, etc.
Not sure what you’re trying to get at with saying that a scientist needs to let others know they’re a scientist and the same for the doctors? What is the issue with it in regards to religion?
Your article is very meaningful. I’m a sophomore in high school and we are learning about discrimination towards different people around the world. I feel like Islamophobia and ethnic discrimination is rarely talked about in media and education. Your article is important for education. It is inspiring to hear other minorities struggling with discrimination in a predominantly white populated area. As a Mexican girl, I get called Dora and am made fun of for my features. To hear other stories from people with similar struggles is very inspiring. I find it important that as minorities, we must lift each other up to end our struggling. Thank you for writing such an informational article.
This Utopia of the Global Brotherhood and the baloney that all religions have 1 Goal and 1 God ! The failure to reckon and recognise REALITY
Y Islam and Paulinity are fundamentally irreconciliable and normatively opposed – with the Old Testament , probably doubting the Prophet Hoof of the Prophet of Islam and Islam blowing apart the Man-God and Trinity of Christianity !
Type 1
Muslims do not believe in the concept of Holy Trinity (Quran 5:73).
“They do blaspheme who say: God is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One God. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.” (Koran 5:73)
Say not “Trinity” : desist: it will be better for you: for God is one God: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is God as a Disposer of affairs.” (Koran 4:171)
Type 2
God is not Jesus and vice versa (Quran 5:72
“O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of God aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of God, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in God and His apostles.
Unless the 2 religions reconcile and respect each other – the people will ALWAYS be at war !
The Koran CANNOT be changed (as per Islam) and the Interpretations of the Old Testament cannot be changed – as per Theologians !
Hence,the road to doom is spotless and with no brakes and the path is downhill.dindooohindoo
Hi Sara! I am a sophomore in California. I am taking an English honors class and we are currently studying the dehumanization of certain groups. Some of the memoirs we have finished are Night and Farewell to Manzanar. Both memoirs address the concentration/internment camps the authors were placed in. Sometimes it’s hard for me to fully comprehend that certain religious groups, ethnicities, and people were treated as criminals and animals. It was really difficult for me to read that Japanese-Americans were being persecuted in the United States, as well as your situations of discrimination. However, I now see that these genocides and camps are immoral and here in the United States, unconstitutional. I have a Muslim friend and I am a Christian. We attend the same school and we have different beliefs and hold different values. However, we don’t argue but show respect for one another’s beliefs, knowing that our values should not separate us or make us feel superior or inferior to each other. What I have learned is that people in America and all around the world have a difference in opinion, have different religions, vote differently, and might not share the same values but this is not a reason to let the persecution of the innocent be seen as tolerant or moral. We are all different but that doesn’t give the person who doesn’t share the same opinion as you the right to murder or threaten you. I might not argue with all your statements, beliefs, or opinions but that does not mean I am going to tolerant the persecution of any innocent group. Proverbs 31:8 states, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.” Notice how it doesn’t say speak up only for those who share your beliefs or values. I think this is what is holding us back, we don’t want to speak up because we don’t agree with that certain political party or belief. But if we wait for everyone to agree with us in order to say something, people all over the world will continue to be persecuted unjustly.