Six panelists convened Wednesday March 4, and took turns speaking about American society’s media-driven misconceptions concerning Muslim women and Islam in general.
Daniel Abdullah Hernandez, Imam of the Pearland Islamic Center and National spokesperson for Islam in Spanish, began the discussion by discrediting some of the errors in people’s understanding of Islam.
According to Hernandez, one of the most common fallacies is the belief that Muslim women are not granted autonomy.
“Islam dictates that women and men are spiritual equals,” explained Hernandez. “Both genders have an obligation to seek knowledge of God, of the world, and of their own interests.”
Another common misperception that some might have concerns the hijab – the traditional Muslim head-covering.
Despite public assumption, women are not forced to wear it. Moreover, the hijab is not as foreign of a concept as some Americans imagine. As a Muslim who converted from Catholicism, Hernandez is in the unique position of drawing parallels between both religions.
“Christianity has a similar link between God and veil,” Hernandez noted. “This can be seen in the garments worn by nuns.”
Mujidat Saaka, strategy and development consultant for various nonprofit organizations, expanded on Hernandez’s “unveiling” of the truth about Muslim women.
Saaka practices Islam, but like many American Muslims, she wears characteristic American attire. The stereotypical image of a Muslim – veils, abayas – represents only a fraction of Islam’s cultural diversity.
“Media has created a one dimensional portrayal of a multifaceted identity,” Saaka said. “In the city of Houston, over 90 different languages are spoken. That’s 90 different cultures in one city. So, how could it be possible that the second largest religion in the world has only one culture?”
Maryam Chambler, a post-graduate student at the University of Houston and member of many organizations including the Student Veterans of America, expounded upon why this narrow perception of Muslim women exists.
“Humanity has yet to evolve past bigotry,” Chambler said. “Recall public opinion of the Jewish community in Germany before World War II, or of African Americans post-emancipation, or of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor. People have the need to stereotype and group, and Muslims are the new target group.
“Unfortunately, because of traditional garb like the hijab and abaya, Muslim women attract more attention and therefore more prejudice. The only way to end this prejudice is by spreading knowledge of culture.”
Shireen Jasser works at a UT Family Practice and focused her speech during the panel on the impact of discrimination on the mental health of Muslims in America.
According to Jasser, “since 9/11, Islamiphobia has become much more prevalent. The media tends to show Islam in an extremist light, making Muslims seem more prone to violence, or more likely to be terrorists.”
“Muslims are getting a lot of negative attention. We’re under surveillance due to unfair legislation like the Patriot Act which disproportionally targets American Muslims. Law enforcement focuses a lot on the Muslim community; going to homes, asking ‘what are you doing,’ or ‘where are you going.’ What’s tragic is that we don’t see a lot of religious communities having to deal with this, but American Muslims do.”
With all of the negativity surrounding the perception of Islam, many Muslims reportedly suffer from identity confusion. They have an unjustified sense of guilt derived from the allegedly inseparable bond between Islam and terrorism. Such stress has led to an increased number of depression and anxiety cases in the Muslim community.
“We need to challenge Islamiphobia,” stated Jasser. “An individual shouldn’t feel like they have to internalize the wrong-doings of another. You answer for the actions of one.”
Afshan Jilani is active in the Spring Interfaith Dialogue council which brings several religions together to promote unity in diversity. Jilani believes that helping society is more important than any one religion.
“The media fuels this culture of mistrust which is perpetuated by fear of the unknown,” explained Jilani. “And a myopic attitude leads to xenophobia. Interfaith work is so important because we are seeking commonalities. When you do that, you’ll find that they far outweigh our differences.”
Lauren Santerre shares Jiliani’s advocacy of interfaith programs. Santerre believes that the solution to the problem of prejudice is simply to learn how to be humans in a pluralistic society.
“Use your heart,” she advised. “And use your ears. Often, we’re too quick to talk and too slow to listen. People will tell you what they need either through what they say, and often what they don’t say. It’s important to educate yourself about others, but also about your own religion. People will want to know. We all have our spheres of influence, so give your resources: time, talents, and money.”
Organizations like CAIR are doing their part to break the cycle of xenophobia. Knowledge is the only way to accomplish this goal, so it is vital to seek and distribute information about America’s misrepresented minorities like women in Islam.
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