I Am A Muslim And Proud Of It !

* I'm just sharing this & it's entirely not mine .

I went to the mall , and a little girl called me a terrorist . 

My name is Ela . I am seventeen years old . I am not Muslim , but my friend told me about her friend being discriminated against for wearing a hijab . So I decided to see the discrimination firsthand to get a better understanding of what Muslim women go through . 

My friend and I pinned scarves around our heads , and then we went to the mall . Normally , vendors try to get us to buy things and ask us to sample a snack . Clerks usually ask us if we need help , tell us about sales , and smile at us . Not today . People , including vendors , clerks , and other shoppers , wouldn’t look at us . They didn’t talk to us . They acted like we didn’t exist . They didn’t want to be caught staring at us , so they didn’t look at all . 

And then , in one store , a girl ( who looked about four years old ) asked her mom if my friend and I were terrorists . She wasn’t trying to be mean or anything . I don’t even think she could have grasped the idea of prejudice . However , her mother’s response is one I can never forgive or forget . The mother hushed her child , glared at me , and then took her daughter by the hand and led her out of the store . 

All that because I put a scarf on my head . Just like that , a mother taught her little girl that being Muslim was evil . It didn’t matter that I was a nice person . All that mattered was that I looked different . That little girl may grow up and teach her children the same thing . 

This experiment gave me a huge wakeup call . It lasted for only a few hours , so I can’t even begin to imagine how much prejudice Muslim girls go through every day . It reminded me of something that many people know but rarely remember : the women in hijabs are people , just like all those women out there who aren’t Muslim . 

People , please help me spread this message . Treat Muslims , Jews , Christians , Buddhists , Hindus , Pagans , Taoists , etc . , exactly the way you want to be treated , regardless of what they’re wearing or not wearing , no exceptions . Reblog this . Tell your friends . I don’t know that the world will ever totally wipe out prejudice , but we can try , one blog at a time .