My headscarf doesn't represent hate, you just think it does.

The truth about why my headscarf is an issue for small-minded ignorant people.

The western culture has changed the way Muslims are viewed significantly based on how Muslims are portrayed in the media. I went from being just another normal person to being part of a terrorist organization called ISIS. How did people come to that conclusion?

Whenever I was on the bus or the train, I could hear people talking about me or the generalisation of ‘Muslims’ and they did this not quietly, but boastfully and loud. They seemed really proud of themselves and I suspect they wanted to get a reaction out of me. But I never cave. Why?

For starters, they are not worth my time and what they say has little to do with me and it says more about them as a person. Secondly, and I believe this is one that many Muslims fear is the idea that the people around us will support the discriminator rather than me, an innocent bystander to what is really happening in another country. I have to face the backlash of what other crazy people are doing 6,695 miles away from here. The last reason why I never cave is simply because it’s an entertainment for me. Often enough, what they say makes me laugh. They have no idea what they’re talking about and rather than looking intelligent, I see their small-minded ignorant selves.

Let it be known, that Muslims around the world are not OK with the situations that occurs surrounding ‘fake’ Muslims. Islam is peace and what these terrorists are doing should never speak in volume about the rest of us Muslims. The truth is there are good people and bad people in the world, you have to take away everything that is a part of them such as their religion, their beliefs, their jobs etc. and realize that the actions they make is what defines them, not what defines a majority of people. It’s often hard to stop yourself from judging someone based on how they look and what others have said about them, we all do it and from my experience and knowledge, I have to say, I blame most of the issues surrounding Muslims on the way the media has portrayed us.

How can my headscarf, which is essentially just a piece of cloth, make you think that I’m part of a cult? How do small-minded ignorant tradition people believe such a ridiculous notion that somehow, because I am wearing a hijab, the Islamic term for headscarf, I’ve managed to transform myself into a killer machine? Where is the logic in this?

People have the freedom to choose and believe what they want. The media has divided us in ways we can’t visually see and yet, we will fight back. The truth is, I don’t care if you don’t like my headscarf. It’s my choice, my right and my freedom to wear whatever it is I want to, without you stopping me in any way. I chose to veil myself because it holds more power to me than if I was to unveil myself.