I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.Â
My name is Ela. I am seventeen years old. I am not Muslim, but my friend told me about her friend being discriminated against for wearing a hijab. So I decided to see the discrimination firsthand to get a better understanding of what Muslim women go through.Â
My friend and I pinned scarves around our heads, and then we went to the mall. Normally, vendors try to get us to buy things and ask us to sample a snack. Clerks usually ask us if we need help, tell us about sales, and smile at us. Not today. People, including vendors, clerks, and other shoppers, wouldnât look at us. They didnât talk to us. They acted like we didnât exist. They didnât want to be caught staring at us, so they didnât look at all.Â
And then, in one store, a girl (who looked about four years old) asked her mom if my friend and I were terrorists. She wasnât trying to be mean or anything. I donât even think she could have grasped the idea of prejudice. However, her motherâs response is one I can never forgive or forget. The mother hushed her child, glared at me, and then took her daughter by the hand and led her out of the store.Â
All that because I put a scarf on my head. Just like that, a mother taught her little girl that being Muslim was evil. It didnât matter that I was a nice person. All that mattered was that I looked different. That little girl may grow up and teach her children the same thing.Â
This experiment gave me a huge wakeup call. It lasted for only a few hours, so I canât even begin to imagine how much prejudice Muslim girls go through every day. It reminded me of something that many people know but rarely remember: the women in hijabs are people, just like all those women out there who arenât Muslim.Â
People of Tumblr, please help me spread this message. Treat Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Taoists, etc., exactly the way you want to be treated, regardless of what theyâre wearing or not wearing, no exceptions. Reblog this. Tell your friends. I donât know that the world will ever totally wipe out prejudice, but we can try, one blog at a time. Â
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