Islam Post 9/11: Islamophobia in Austin

Before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the word "Islamophobia" was not part of American vocabulary. Now, more than three years later, the fear of Muslims or their potential link to terrorism has permeated the American psyche.

Austin Muslim Nahid Khataw would have described herself as shy and introverted in the past, but now she considers herself outgoing, even an activist.

Khataw and her friends began spreading the word about Islam to clarify misconceptions.

"I've done quite a bit, and I would like to see and go to other places, and to other churches and synagogues and teach them or just tell them about Islam. This is my mission," Khataw said.

Khataw began her mission to teach people about Islam after her son was harassed at school for being a Muslim. She also decided to stop wearing the hijaab, the traditional Muslim veil, to protect herself.

"I was scared. I heard so many cases that people were being harassed because they were wearing hijaab. Children were pulling the hijaab off and hurting them. I thought it would be better for me and my family not to wear it," she said.

The word hijaab literally means screen or partition. Muslim women wear the veil to prevent the mingling of opposite sexes, which could lead to pre-marital sex, a sin according to the Quran.

But many modern Muslim women believe the hijaab is too restrictive. They say after Sept. 11, 2001, wearing the veil is like stamping the scarlet letter on your chest.

"They would be portrayed as a terrorist if they're wearing it – 'Muslims who wear a hijaab - they are bad,'" Nahid said.

To negate those stereotypes, one Muslim woman, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, embraced the hijaab after the terrorist attacks.

"It really has made me more self-aware, as far as when I'm in public that I am representing Islam. And that I need to do all that I can to really show people what Islam really is. Through that, people are more invited to ask me about it," she said.

Raja said the veil has liberated her and helped her create a strong Muslim American identity on campus.

"I live with 11 other girls and I'm the only Muslim. They all know, they'll see me praying - my roommate will just walk in and see me praying. It's not a big deal to her at all. I'll pray in random buildings on the UT campus," she said.

Muslims from 65 countries attend the University of Texas. Students say they don't stand out as much because of the large international population.

"We have found that it's easier to be a Muslim and easier to practice Islam faith in college cities, in college towns like Austin, because people are more open-minded," student Zafar Sadiq said.

However, Jim Harrington, of the Texas Civil Rights Project, said he's seen many Muslims leave the country because of Islamophobia.

"There is Islamophobia here in Austin. I don't think there's any doubt about that. It's not that you can point to concrete things like cross burnings in front of the house, but it's sort of indirect words, sort of indirect pressure, unwelcome suspicion, remarks that make people feel very uncomfortable. When you put that together with government policy, people would rather go somewhere else, and that's a loss to us," he said.

Harrington said Islamophobia has manifested itself in four ways: racial profiling at airports surveillance of Muslim students hesitance to hire Muslims police treatment and detention of Muslims

"Austin is not quite as liberal as everybody thinks it is...we have an East/West divide in terms of race right now, in terms of I-35 ...we've had that for years...even if you are more progressive than other parts of Texas, in that sense, it still doesn't mean that everybody in that community is progressive," Harrington said.

In the past three years, Harrington said about a dozen Muslims have come forward to report discrimination in Austin. He also said these blatant incidents don't represent the subtle Islamophobia that exists on a daily basis.

My letter to News8 :

Dear News8,

I've read parts 1 and 2 of your 4-part series, Islamophobia in Austin. I'm
not really surprised at the tone of the 2 parts you've published. That is,
I expected this to be a totally sympathetic piece on Islam and the Muslims
living in Austin.

I sincerely hope that you include the following subjects in the remaining 2
parts :

* The frequency that the Austin area Muslim population publicly condemns the
acts of the terrorists worldwide (kidnappings, beheadings, torture), if this
condemnation exists amongst our fellow Muslims here. If they are not
condemning these acts, why not? What do they have to say about it?

* The general feeling of our area Muslim population towards Israel and the
peace process between the terrorist orgs. such as Hamas, the PLO, and
Hezzbollah (sp?) and the Israelis. What do they have to say about the PLO
charter, which calls for the destruction of the Jewish race?

* Perhaps some translations of the Friday prayers and the calls by Imams
around the world (I'd venture to guess that this point is also relevant in
Austin, as it certainly is all over the US) to slaughter ALL infidels, the
Jews especially, and the promotion of violence by said Imams to achieve
these goals?

* The origins of Islam, and how it was founded to be a violent religion, not
the religion of peace as so many news outlets portray it to be.

* Some of the tenets of Islam which suggest domestic violence. Strict
interpretation of the Koran leads to Taliban style conditions. How strictly
do our area Muslims interpret the Koran.

I'd sincerely appreciate more balance in the remainder of this series and a
reminder that we're at war with Muslims worldwide. That is a fact, no
matter how much you try to portray it differently.

One other thing I'd like to discuss is the 4 ways Islamophobia has
manifested itself in Austin, as described by Jim Harrington. The racial
profiling at airports is b.s. It's just the opposite. Surveillence of
Muslim students is a fact. Most of the hijackers of the airplans on 9/11
were students studying in the US. The Muslims were the ones who committed
911, not ANYONE from ANY OTHER religion! I am a bit chagrined that you
didn't make any attempt to refute Mr. Harrington's points. I doubt the
validity of 3 of these, and have my doubts about the problem for Muslims to
find jobs here just because of their religion. If that were true, I'd
expect to see many lawsuits filed on their behalf for discrimination. Since
you don't discuss any such legal actions, I can assume that the problem is
made up, along with the other 3, by Mr. Harrington.

FYI

Encycloaedia of the Orient
hijab
http://lexicorient.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct-frame.pl?http://lexicorient.com/e.o/hijab.htm

Head scarf used by many Muslim women, generally intended to cover the hair. The hijab has in recent decades more and more come to be associated with Islamism, hence it is partly prohibited in some Muslim countries, like Tunisia.
Hijab comes in numerous fashions, several of these have backgrounds with specific countries, regions or ethnic groups. It is assumed that these variations of the hijab are continuations of pre-Islamic customs, but adjusted to the regulations of Islamic theology.
The head scarf is not uniquely Muslim, it is also found in Judeo-Christian traditions. It has been, and is, worn by adherents, with nuns as the most distinct example, and it is mentioned in Biblican texts, like in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians 11:5, where women are commanded to cover their heads when practicing their religion, or be punished.
It is assumed that sura 33:59 in the Koran orders women to wear hijab, but this passage is open for alternative interpretations. A slightly clearer command on using the hijab comes in the hadiths, but even this cannot be concluded to imply a general obligation for a Muslim woman to cover her head, as it really only refers to the wives of Muhammad.

Koran sura 33: Confederates
59 O prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters, and the women of the believers, to wrap their veils close round them. It is better that way, they can be recognized but not annoyed. God is forgiving and merciful.

Koran sura 24: Light

31 And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts, and display not their ornaments, except those which are outside; and let them pull their kerchiefs over their bosoms and not display their ornaments save to their husbands and fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or what their right hands possess, or their male attendants who are incapable, or to children who do not note women’s nakedness; and that they beat not with their feet that their hidden ornaments may be known. But all turn repentant to God, O believers! May you prosper.

Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 8, Number 395

2 And as regards the (verse of) the veiling of the women, I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! I wish you ordered your wives to cover themselves from the men because good and bad ones talk to them.' So the verse of the veiling of the women was revealed [probably the following].

Koran sura 33: Confederates

53 (...) And when ye ask them for an article, ask them from behind a curtain; that is purer for your hearts and for theirs. It is not right for you to annoy the prophet of God, nor to wed his wives after him ever; verily, that is with God a serious thing.

Koran sura 42: Counsel

50 It is not for any mortal that God should speak to him, except by inspiration, or from behind a veil

From the Koran 33:59, it may appear that a woman not in danger of being annoyed, does not have to veil herself. Moreover, the Arabic word translated into the English "veil" is actually not "hijab", but "jalãbîb", a plural form of "jilbab". A jilbab would normally be translated into "woman's dress", a dress that covers most of , or the entire body, and not necessarily the head. Hence it is possible that this aya does not requisite women to cover their hair or even their faces, but to wear the body garment in such a way that they cover and hide erotically laden parts of a women's body, like her breasts.
In the Koran 24:31, often the preferred aya for proving the need to wear the hijab, the word in question is here is "zîna", and can be translated with "ornaments" or "jewels" or even "clothes". This is by some Muslim commentators believed to be understood as hair, but seen from the context it appears a woman's nipples is a more correct translation. The hair theory seems farfetched.
While hijab today is commonly used for the head scarf alone, hijab is fundamentally any partition which separates two things. In the Koran 33:53 "hijab" is used, but not denoting a head scarf, but a curtain behind which Muhammad could hide his wives from other Muslims. Another use of "hijab" is found in Koran 42:50, where it is told that the hijab separates man from God.

(note: Encycloaedia of the Orient, I've found it to be a pretty good source of info.)

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