Allah

Allah

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is an American holiday. Therefore being an American Muslim, I traveled home to my parents house to stuff myself with turkey and pumpkin pie. As you all know, I have always been a little nervous coming home to my hometown, since I have become a Muslim. My hijab has always felt like an obstacle between my old life and my new one. This time was quite different...I made it through my father picking me up at the train station, Thanksgiving dinner, and Black Friday before I realized I had been wearing my hijab without thinking the entire time. It felt great...it was like...all of the "super awareness" I had was washed away. My family and I had a great time...not like before...something better than before. Helping my mother make pies and dinner, listening and playing music with my brother....I felt like we haved moved into new territory. As I walked along the water as the sunset, I realized that the strangled feeling I got everytime I went home was gone. My hometown no longer felt like a liability, just a place where my family still lived, and where I had begun my life. I hope this is indiciation of times to come...thank you all for your dua and prayers...

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

My Airport Experience

The last airport excursion I had was a flight to Chicago for the ISNA convention. It was not a happy experience for me. I was searched repeatedly and treated really junky. I felt like everyone was looking at me like I did not belong. I had never been treated like that before in an airport. I had even worn hijab previously while flying, and had NEVER been treated even similar. I thought about what variable had changed. I realized my previous two flights wearing hijab, I was wearing "American" or "Western" clothing. This last flight, I had thrown on an abaya for ease. This past weekend as I flew to Indiana, I wore more "Western" hijab. I was again treated well and was not patted down, other than a quick feel behind my scarf. I could not believe how differently I was treated. Coincidence? I think not. However, I will need to travel again to make sure...