title: They call it Islamophobia

That’s the word for people who are afraid of me. Well, of us. Muslims.

The very word ‘Muslim’ or ‘Islam’ sends some people into fits of rage. The political climate around the world, to which the media lends it’s often skewed platform, has reinforced so many misconceptions, has made Islam a bad word, has convinced people that their local Hijabi is a radical ‘Islamist’ whose clothes prevent her from assimilating into society (that she may have grown up in) and that her husband is plotting to ‘Islamize’ the country by every violent means imaginable.

“Go back home”

As a new muslim in New Zealand I noticed a significant change in the way people spoke to me and interacted with me. Overnight, I became foreign, no longer your average kiwi girl (as if I ever was), no longer a friendly face. Generations of New Zealanders before, no longer made me a Kiwi. I was white, but my clothes were foreign which made me foreign, my fair skin and blue eyes were not visible through the scarf that covered my hair (even though my face was not covered). I surprised one man in a mall one day who exclaimed not once but twice about the ‘White Somalian’ that he had just seen.

I had family tell me I was no longer welcome. I had family friends make all kinds of remarks and ask all kinds of insinuating questions. To this day, my Mum almost every day is forced to defend Islam, My Husband and Me for my decision to become a Muslim. People are told to fear Islam, and they do, no questions asked.

I’m fortunate enough to have family that weren’t afraid to ask, and their fear has long been replaced with respect and more and more understanding.

No question is a stupid question.

So ask. As a Muslim woman myself I have met a variety of other Muslims, and I have yet to meet one that fits any sort of stereotype or one that gave me any reason to fear them. Most muslims would be more than happy to be asked and have the opportunity to teach someone a little bit of truth about Islam and to dispel a few myths.

Muslims, be prepared to answer. Remember that we are ambassadors of Islam and even though the majority of us had no part in developing the fear that surrounds us, we are in the best position to offer a remedy, it’s up to us to stand up and say ‘Hey, that doesn’t represent me! This is the Islam I know…’

But what about…

*Insert name of muslim in the news here* The truth about these people is that they do not represent us. End of story. They are not leaders among us, they are not dictators of Muslim action, they are not teachers who tell us how to behave as Muslims. They are people who are on the world stage for whatever reason, but being on the world stage, for whatever reason they say they are there, does not automatically make someone a representative of almost a billion people simply because we all identify as Muslims. Just as Hitler does not represent all Germans, Bush (or Obama) does not represent all Americans, Angelina Jolie does not represent all actresses. And so on.

If you fear them, I cannot help you with that. If you fear me, let me help you.