I spoke with a young woman from Alexandria, Egypt. She is a hijabi student that comes from a very religious family. It’s obvious talking to her that faith is vital to her. She details stories about Astoria centered around the Al Iman Masjid, talks about her political beliefs being shaped by her Muslim moral code, and, when asked for an object to represent her journey, turns to Quranic scripture. Suratal Ikhlas is the 112th chapter of the Quran, and is also one of the shortest, meaning that nearly all Muslims have the passage memorized for their five daily prayers. For her, the surah brought back the childhood memory of her mother advising her to recite it whenever she needed comfort. She says that the surah helped her feel stronger and less alone in the face of bullying she would experience at school.

She’s experienced the same trademark Islamophobia that many hijabi women have shared with me. She’s been made fun of in school for wearing it, has had boys attempt to rip it off of her, and, as a result, told me that she doesn’t feel American because of it. When asked why, she says it’s specifically because she doesn’t “look like the average American.” She directly connects this with the hatred she’s experienced, saying that while she thinks it is possible for Muslims to feel American identities, it’s never been something she could identify with. 

– Ismaeel El-Shafei

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant