Top Ten Questions/Statements that Irritate me as a person raised under Islam and of Arab descent
1. “Why are you fasting?” followed by “Want a bite of my sandwich?”
No, fool, I don’t want your grubby sandwich.
2. “Why is your hair not covered?”
None of your business. Why do you use tampons or pick your nose when no one’s looking? Bugger off.
3. “Why don’t you drink/do drugs/etc.?” or my personal favorite, whistle-blowers who aren’t a part of my religion who want to call me out on things I don’t do right like wearing a cat sweater.
My lifestyle isn’t your business. I don’t ask my Jewish friends why they’re eating a pepperoni pizza or my Christian friends why they drink the blood of Christ or my atheist boyfriend why he calls out “GOD” in the bathroom when he’s doing his dirty work. I don’t ask you why you’re such a raging douche.
4. “Why do you hate/like/generally neutral on the topic of Israel/Palestine?” and general political questions concerning my ethnic background.
Are you looking for a verbal ass-whooping? My politics have nothing to do with my background. Maybe I’m a ~*~free-thinking individual~*~ WHAT A CONCEPT.
5. “You don’t look Egyptian/Turkish/etc.”
Maybe because we all don’t look like the Team America puppets. I’m sorry, I’ll sit out in the sun a little longer like my Bedouin ancestors so I can live up to your preconceived notions of how people are supposed to look. BONUS POINTS: mistake an Arab for a Persian. That will get you laid, bro!
6. “Can you speak arabic good?”
None of your business if you can’t speak English properly.
7. “Let’s talk about Salman Rushdie.”
Oh, hell no. I’m not touching that one unless you have some sense of perspective.
8. “You’re not white,” or, the real zinger, “You’re not a Semite.”
Actually, the first one isn’t as bad. It’s just a preconceived notion that we are considered “Asian.” But being of Egyptian origin and white-passing, I’m classified legally as Caucasian. Deal with it. Race is white, ethnicity is much more complicated.
The second one, however, is just plain ignorant. Wikipedia is free. Use it.
9. Fact checking historical details on the prophet.
READ A BOOK. I am not your knowledge cesspool.
10. “Do your parents beat you/prevent you from going to school/etc.?”
Hands down the worst question I have ever received. This shit should never be asked. Ever. Ever ever. Unless there are visible signs of abuse or a cry for help. But to assume that misogyny and abuse are linked intrinsically into a religion is ridiculous. Do you bomb abortion clinics?
This concludes my way-to-long list. Night.
