

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 of Tumblr, 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.
(via
rannasubhan)