Why did you choose to convert to Islam?
I converted to Islam in the fall of 2016. I had taken multiple courses through the Arabic Studies program at West Virginia University, and was exposed to the literature of many incredible Arab Muslims. Through the program, I met some of my dearest friends, who are practicing Muslims. Their overwhelming kindness and generosity led me to to study more about Islam on my own. I so quickly fell in love with it, and have never looked back.
What does Islam mean to you?
Islam is a powerful force of peace and love. It engenders respect and mutual understanding between people. Since I converted, Islam has profoundly affected the way I look at and interact with those around me. Islam unifies people across the world—no matter your race, ethnicity, gender, or social class, we are united as one Ummah (nation). The more I learn about in, the more it enriches my life.
What does being Muslim mean to you?
To me, being Muslim is setting yourself apart through your actions. Our current society is incredibly self-focused and hate-filled, yet Islam is a driving force to reject that. Since my conversion, Islam has taught me so much about caring for others selflessly and only acting with immense forethought.
What does wearing a hijab mean to you? What do you wish others would see it as?
Wearing hijab is a beautiful outward show of faith and a voluntary act of worship. Hijab allows me privacy and agency over my body—I get to choose who sees what parts of me and in which context. It’s a deeply empowering act. Strangers have asked me who is forcing my scarf onto me, and the answer is no one. It goes against our faith to force the veil on anyone. Some sisters veil and others do not, and none should be stripped of their personhood.
What did you think about Trump’s travel ban?
The travel ban is a xenophobic, Islamophobic violation of human rights. It was an attempt at dehumanization of those hailing from the Arab world, and it shows the continued conflation of Arab ethnicities with Islam. There are 1.7 billion of us, and you cannot ban our existence.
Did the ban effect you or anyone you know personally?
No.
Have you ever experienced any discrimination on campus? If so, what was it like? If not, do you know anyone who has and/or what happened to them?
I haven’t experienced any direct discrimination, and this may be because I have the privilege of being visibly white, but, that being said, my scarf also makes me visibly Muslim. The first few months I veiled, I would notice all the people staring at me on my walk to class. At this point, I simply do not look. I am proud to be a symbol of Islam on the campus, and I will not allow the stares of others to discourage me.
What do you wish others would know about you or perceive about you rather than just a stereotype?
Muslims come from all different backgrounds. I’m from an Appalachian coal-mining family with Irish roots. The conflation of Islam with the Arab world feeds into xenophobia. Muslims are a diverse people. We hail from all backgrounds, and no two culminations of identity are the same. Do not reduce us to singularity, we are one Ummah, but we are also individuals and should be treated as such.
What advice would you give to other students so that they can spread awareness to try and end the stigma associated with Islam?
Talk to us. I know it can be intimidating. Before I began to study Islam, all I knew about it was the misguided information put forth by the media. Learn our stories. Do your research. We are authors, filmmakers, artists. Know our work, and share it. Let us have the agency we deserve.
