Because of the “hatred towards Muslim women during the election and after the recent presidential inauguration,” University of Michigan sophomore Fatima Haidar says she “had no choice” but to do something.
And that something was giving an outlet for “students and community members” to tell their stories about what it means to be a hijabi.
As noted by The Michigan Daily, Haidar and fellow UM sophomore Alyiah Al-Bonijim resurrected the Hijabi Monologues, previously seen on the campus back in 2013. This past Friday was the opening act, “Halfway Hijabi,” in which Haidar and Al-Bonijim “explained the importance of coming together during a difficult time and fostering a safe space for the speakers.”
“We came up with the name ‘halfway hijabi’ because we feel being Muslim in America often feels like we have a sly identity,”Al-Bonijim said. “With increasing xenophobia and Islamophobia, hijabi women have become the battleground for Islam-based politics because we are easily identified as Muslim. We are here to claim our voices and our space in the discussion of the hijab.”
Muslim women have been at the center of post-election tension. In December, the Ann Arbor Police Department issued a report of a female student forced to remove her hijab, provoking large student protests — though AAPD later determined the incident did not occur. A similar crime alert labeled as “ethnic intimidation” a few days later — in addition to a spike in hate crimes around the country — fed a series of protests and vigils after the election.
LSA junior Noor Sulieman, a Syrian-American hijabi Muslim, began the night with her journey with the hijab as one of personal rebellion against society. …
[Sophomore Mariam] Doudi said President Donald Trump’s recent immigration ban on seven Muslim-majority countries made her feel personally attacked. …
MORE: ID of Muslim student suspected of hate-crime hoax may soon be revealed
“Your 9/11 is our 24/7,” [high-schooler Khadega Mohammed] said. “America would not be America without me, without Muslims, Blacks and Hispanics and minorities. Once upon a time, we were not a threat to your Americanism. Once upon a time people chose love over hate.”
Being a Black Muslim woman is tiring, Mohammed emphasized, in her second piece titled “Breathe.”
“I wish my skin color didn’t define whether I’m a Trayvon or a Zimmerman,” she said. “I wish the scarf on my head didn’t stereotype if I’m a devout Christian or a Taliban.”
Indeed, the noted incident which “did not occur” could more accurately be called a “hoax.” The other one, as described by The Fix, bore an uncanny resemblance to alleged “hate” incidents/hoaxes at other campuses and cities.
Many media outlets, including those at universities, have relied on the Southern Poverty Law Center for statistics on the increase in “hate” occurrences before, during, and after the presidential election. However, not only does the Center utilize unverified claims of hateful acts/behavior on which to base its reports, it omitted some 2,000 that were anti-white in nature.
MORE: U. Michigan lecturer’s alleged ‘hate’ assault remarkably similar to others
MORE: SPLC omits 2,000 post-election anti-white hate crimes from report
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