A Pleading

Dear anyone who cares enough to listen to this,

Please listen, just for a few minutes.

If you are new to my Vocal page, I am a Muslim. I don't hide that.

I reverted to Islam three years ago. I've been wearing a head covering for about three and a half years.

I am white, so I don't deal with racism, generally. Unless someone thinks I'm Arab. Although I'm Muslim, I have had many people express anti-Muslim and anti-Arab sentiments towards me.

I like the colour yellow. It's my favourite. I bought yellow hijabs when I first started wearing them. I love wearing skirts and long sleeve shirts of light fabrics or linen button ups.

I watch The Office and BoJack Horseman and Friends. I grew up playing with Barbies and Polly Pockets. I loved playing grounders on the playground.

I used to eat bacon in the mornings with my eggs and toast. My favourite food was, and still is, chicken wings.

I like to ride my bike and go swimming. I like to go to the gym. I like rock climbing. I like going camping. I like hiking. I like to go outside when it's raining. My go-to coffee order is two cream two sugar. Dark roast.

I'm telling you all of this because I want to humanize myself.

Because the moment I said "I am a Muslim," a lot of you might have perceived me as an alien. As something less than human. Something that doesn't deserve to live.

I am a revert. Muslims use the word "revert" instead of convert, but it just means I wasn't born a Muslim, and in a world of Christians, I chose to be Muslim.

And I am writing this now, to ask of you, please, not to generalize the people that follow my religion.

I understand that there are things to dislike about some of my religion's followers. The bolded statement does not mean that I tolerate or condone the Taliban. It does not mean I agree with ISIS. My being a Muslim does not mean that I would fly through buildings or terrorize people of another religion, nor would I condone it.

It's actually against my religion.

And I think that that's something a lot of people don't understand. Mistreatment of non-Muslims, mistreatment of women, mistreatment of children, are all against my religion.

And I feel the need to say this because of what I see online. Because of the utter hatred that I see pass online unchecked. Because it's only wrong when it's against certain people, but not Muslims.

This is a post I was sent earlier. For anyone who doesn't understand the context, it's basically implying that the wisher asks for world peace, and by asking for that, all Muslims disappear.

And then there are the comments.

I've blocked out the names, out of courtesy. I'm not asking for justice, but just awareness.

This post and these comments are not an isolated event. This is what I see on my feed all the time. These are the comments I find all the time. And it's heartbreaking and mentally draining.

Especially given the fact that we have a large population of people who are being killed and starved, without aid or intervention, because the world does not care about Muslims.

ALSO.

Notice how Islamophobia is being used in correlation with other kinds of racism and discrimination. The people that want Muslims gone are the same people that don't want Jewish people, Black people, or Indian people, or anyone else who isn't white.

I hope we can change the way things are.

A little bit.

If you have any questions, any misconceptions you want cleared, anything you saw or read that you think is missing context, my comments are open. I know it's not the most ideal way to have this kind of conversation, but I'm willing to talk. I have an educational series on here about Islam for those of you who are interested. It's pinned on my profile. You can ask questions there if you'd rather.

So, this is my pleading.

From the Muslim girl that wasn't always Muslim,

who loves the colour yellow,

who wants to become a teacher,

who wants to help people,

who used to play with Barbies,

who watches The Office,

and grew up watching SpongeBob,

and loves to read books,

and wants to see the world change.

I hope maybe one day it will.

𔘓 Belle 𔘓