Fifteen years ago, I attended my first presidential rally. I arrived early as a student volunteer and was happy with the spot I had secured for myself — right in front of the stage. As the venue filled up, I felt myself, and my maroon hijab, stand out in the crowd. It was the reality of being Muslim in a small town in Iowa.
As I waited for the rally to start, I noticed a young man wearing a headset pointing and motioning to me. He clearly wanted to talk. Afraid to lose my perfect spot in front of the stage but curious to find out what he wanted, I approached him. "Will you join us on stage?" he asked. He whisked me away and directed me to my new seat before I could answer. Who would say no?
I sat directly behind a row of local elected officials, next to some community members. The stage was far more diverse than the crowd, and I knew that was the reason I was invited to sit there. I was asked to sit on stage with a presidential candidate because I'm visibly Muslim.
Fast-forward to the current presidential election.
The GOP is imploding with bigotry. Presidential candidate Ben Carson said weeks ago that he would not support the United States having a Muslim president. Donald Trump's Islamophobia and hate rhetoric is unprecedented. His proposals are reminiscent of horrific events led by fear and bigotry: Japanese internment camps, genocide of the Jewish people by the Nazis, McCarthyism, Jim Crow and institutionalized racism against African-Americans.
As president, Trump said he would shut down mosques, create special IDs and a database for Muslims, and bar all Muslims from entering the United States. His bigotry comes with real consequences. With backlash from Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., Trump's call for a ban on Muslims in America escalated an already-hostile environment.
In the past few weeks, the American Muslim community has experienced mosque arsons, vandalism of Muslim homes, pig heads being thrown at places of worship, Muslim women shot at, a Muslim store owner assaulted, harassment and verbal abuse in public places, school bullying, and other acts of hate and discrimination. Many American Muslims are feeling nervous and have legitimate concerns for their safety.
When I posted on Facebook asking people to share their experiences, a Fridley resident wrote the following: "My brother was leaving [Life Time Fitness] in Fridley Saturday evening. He entered his car and was waiting for his car to get warm when a white man approached his … vehicle and tapped on his window asking my brother to lower it, presumably to speak with him. My brother complied, and the man proceeded to lift his shirt to reveal a gun and with a look of what my brother calls pure hatred, asked my brother if he was Muslim. My brother was terrified and replied that he was. Trying to diffuse the tension, my brother replied that he was just trying to go home without any problems. The man eventually walked away."
