Donald Trump’s America: Muslim Women Are Terrified To Wear Their Hijabs
Muslim American women are really scared for their safety right now
Muslim women in America are feeling extremely vulnerable right now and it is heartbreaking. They’re scared for their safety and the safety of their families. Their hijab – the symbol of religious faith, dignity, and modesty that they wear proudly every day — is becoming a target.
These women feel threatened and their fear is palpable and painful. Reading their tweets on social media will break you into a million pieces. One woman tweeted about how her mom is terrified for her.
A Muslim woman expresses real fear for herself and her family on Twitter.
Some are even scared at their jobs as one woman tweeted.
A woman tweets out this dagger to our hearts, her eight-year-old sister is afraid to be who she is.
A daughter of a Muslim woman tweets that she is upset that her mom is scared to wear her hijab.
Some are tweeting about not wearing the hijab, just to be safe (even though they totally shouldn’t have to be in this position).
Many American Muslims fear that under a Donald Trump presidency intolerance will become, or is becoming, acceptable. Trump’s proposed ban on Muslim immigrants and xenophobic rhetoric is real. The hateful language that the president elect used while campaigning is at the forefront of these women’s minds and they probably won’t forget it anytime soon. American Muslim women are afraid of being labeled “terrorists” and are scared to think about what could happen to them with such erroneous and hurtful branding. These women are not being overly sensitive or dramatic – their fears are sadly playing out in real time.
Two Muslim women have been attacked at universities in the United States within the past 24 hours. One was allegedly robbed by two men that made comments about President-elect Donald Trump, according to the Washington Post. Another female student was beaten, robbed, and had her hijab ripped off of her head by two men, one of which was wearing a white Trump hat.
Writer and prominent social justice voice, Shaun King posted the university’s alert on his Facebook page with the caption: “Muslim student brutally assaulted by two Trump supporters in Louisiana. Hijab ripped off. Day 1.”
This is not OK. Our fellow American Muslim sisters are not OK. They are in a very vulnerable position because of hurtful things our president-elect has said and the overt bigotry that has been stirred up among some of his supporters. Although, there is a tiny sign that Trump may be trying to tone his Islamophobic language down a bit. According to ABC News, Trump’s controversial proposal of a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims coming into the US, has disappeared from his campaign website. The page that originally contained the statement now redirects to the site’s home page.
Even if Trump tones down his bigoted language, the aftermath of what has already been said is rippling through our society. The threat exists to American Muslim women and they need to be safe. We hate that we even have to give tips on how Muslim women can stay safe during these times of increased threat, because this should NOT even be happening right now. But, we care about all women and want them to be as safe as possible.
Here are two great resources for Muslim women, their families, and their allies created by the publication Muslim Girl:
Crisis Safety Manual For Muslim Women
An A-Z Guide For Being A Good Muslim Ally
[free_ebook]
