TSJ: Can you say your name, age, occupation and hometown?
AK: Yes, so my name is Anisah Khan. I’m 21 years old. I’m currently working at Accenture as a Strategy Analyst and I was born in New York but I’ve been living in Houston for ten years now.
TSJ: My first question is can you talk a little bit about your relationship to Islam, just generally?
AK: I was born into a Muslim family who has been practicing Islam for generations. Growing up I went to Sunday School and my parents gave me an Islamic upbringing but, really during my time in high school and middle school I started going to Islamic conventions on my own with my cousins and uncles to learn more about Islam and what it means to me. I think ever since high school it’s a conscious decision I’ve made to be a Muslim, to wear hijab, to be a practicing Muslim. It’s not something I follow because it’s been a tradition in my family but it’s something that I follow because I truly believe in the teachings and how it tells us to be as a person and how to treat others. Those are things that I truly believe in and that’s why I choose to be a Muslim everyday.
TSJ: What specific sect are you in?
AK: I’m Sunni Muslim.
TSJ: And then in terms of the Q’uran, do you follow it word for word? What is your interpretation of the Q’uran?
AK: For me, the Quran is one of the fundamental parts of Islam but the basis of it is the five pillars. The Quran and the teachings of the Prophet are both really important guides and supplements to the way of life and the philosophy but I do have to say that there are different interpretations of the Quran and by your gender, by your background, your interpretation of it changes because it’s all your perspective. How I choose to follow the Quran is by putting into context in terms of: here is a story and this is what happened in it but the teachings behind it doesn’t have to be...If the Quran is telling you you can have four wives--that’s a common thing that you hear people bring up--it has to be placed into context so in my opinion that practice isn’t very applicable in today’s day and age so I take everything in terms of how it can be reflected today in our context in our society.
TSJ: How does culture influence your religious practices and understanding of Islam?
AK: Islam is void of any culture. Islam is a practice and a religion but the way we do practice it changes based upon the context we grew up in and our upbringing, all those things. I don’t think it’s correct to say that Islam changes by your culture: that’s not true. Islam is the same for all cultures, it’s how we end up practicing it. How I practice it is somewhat more American, it’s not the same way my parents practice it because a lot of how they practice it is very cultural-they’ll have a mix of Bengali traditions that they’ll sometimes unintentionally mesh with the religion. How I try to practice it is that I know this is American culture and I know that not all I do as an American will fit into the Islamic teachings and stuff but I try my best to follow Islam to the cores as much as possible but obviously not everything that our culture promotes always translates perfectly to Islam and the Quran so finding that balance of what is modest dressing?, what is halal food?, finding that within Islam but also as an American. It’s hard to explain because I’m also trying to figure out how to practice the best way possible in this changing, growing world and environment so it’s a learning process for me too as I’m growing up.
TSJ: What are the biggest influencers of your decision to cover each day and have you ever struggled with I don’t want to cover today or in this situation?
AK: Yeah, absolutely so I started wearing hijab in the seventh grade and I made that decision because like I mentioned I started going to Islamic conventions to socialize with other Muslims and learn more about my own faith. I was really inspired by a specific lecture about the hijab and modesty and how it can empower you as a Muslim and so, initially, that’s how I started wearing it, as a way to remind myself that I’m Muslim so I can reflect those teachings because sometimes you get wrapped up in your day to day life and you forget your faith so in that way it’s a reminder for myself. How I pray, to conduct myself in a manner that I would be proud of so those are the reasons that I keep wearing it but definitely I have struggled with keeping it on because I feel like by wearing it you’re making a statement and you are visibly a Muslim and so if you end up doing anything...I guess how I’ve struggled with it is say I say a bad word or I’m accidentally rude because I’m having a bad day because I’m wearing a hijab it translates more to Islam and not to me having a bad day. It looks like “oh Muslims are rude” and it kind of makes it easier for people to stereotype because I’m so visibly Muslim and so that’s I guess why I’ve struggled with it but at the end of the day I remind myself I wear it because it’s a good reminder for myself and it helps me become that better person. Even though it’s a struggle sometimes and on a vain level sometimes you just want to look cute at school or work or something but I’m able to overcome those distractions because it is so important to me.
TSJ: Is there anybody in your family who doesn’t cover?
AK: Hijab is a choice, right? No one pressures you...at least I was lucky enough not to be pressured into wearing it and so yeah my family is huge and everyone is at a different level of faith, everyone interprets Islam differently. Just because we’re from the same family doesn’t mean we are all practicing the same way. So yeah I definitely have cousins, aunts, my mom doesn’t cover all the time so that’s a choice. It doesn’t mean that they’re not practicing Islam properly it’s just however they interpret it. It doesn’t mean that they don’t dress modestly, it’s just their personal choice and you can definitely see that in my family and friend circle. There are people that don’t cover.
TSJ: One big thing we’re studying in class is Islamophobia and discrimination and we were curious as to whether you have ever faced discrimination based on your choice to cover and, if so, could you describe that?
AK: Yeah, honestly though, I think there was one time I went shopping at the outlet mall and we got some bad treatment at one of those fancier stores but I never know what to peg it to. I don’t see bad treatment towards me as a reflection of “oh, I’m Muslim that’s why they’re treating me badly” personally. Maybe they’re having a bad day, maybe in the past they haven’t had good interaction with other individuals who’ve decided to cover. Honestly, I don’t take it to heart if I do get treated badly because there could be many reasons. I personally haven’t been targeted specifically because of hijab and that’s why I’m able to say that I attribute it to other things. If I am treated badly and if something does happen like that I try my best to be kind to them just so that maybe the next time they run into someone that’s covered or even the next person they interact with they’re able to change their mind set or have a more positive attitude as they’re moving forward in their day. I don’t think Islamophobia or bad treatment should ever be reciprocated with bad treatment. Sometimes it’s easier said than done and sometimes the level of bad treatment or specific discrimination against you because of whatever reason may be stronger and the actions look different but personally I’ve never had to deal with it to a great extent where I had to take some sort of conscious action to like resolve it or even confront that interaction if that makes sense.
TSJ: As you mentioned women are often victims of hate crimes for their decision to cover. Does seeing hijabi women being victims have any impact on your decision?
AK: Recently there has been a lot of terrorist activities which I try-the people that do commit these atrocities...honestly I don’t believe are practicing Islam to the truest form of it, a lot of the things that are carried out are politically driven and personally...there are lots of motivating factors as to why these atrocities are conducted so I can see why Muslim women are targeted because of the way the media and the way that society sometimes presents the Islamic faith and Muslims and after the Paris attacks my mom kind of warned me and said “Are you sure you still want to wear hijab because you are so visibly Muslim you are more likely to fall victim to these discriminatory acts or hate crimes or what not?” but for me I want to keep wearing it so that if someone does come talk to me or even if they’re mistreating me...I’ve never faced a hate crime so it’s really hard to say what I would do or how my perspective on that would change because I have never personally faced it. Even though I know that other Muslim women have been attacked I decide to keep wearing it but I think that if I ever was to be targeted specifically with actual abuse I may reevaluate it at that point in time but I haven’t actually faced a tragic incident like that. This is from my point of view at this moment.
TSJ: How do you view other Muslim women who don’t cover and the discrimination they might face for this?
AK: My perception is that just as I choose to wear the hijab there are other people who choose not to wear it and that is because their choice and their views on the truest form of the religion may not be the same and that’s totally fine. Everyone has the right to practice as they wish as long as it’s not harming other people and putting another person’s life at risk and so in that regard I don’t even blink an eye. You’re just talking to another person. Everyone in the faith and even outside of the faith is just like my brother and sister so for me to treat them badly for a decision they’re not making it makes me hypocritical and so I’m not here to judge anyone or be a hypocrite I try to practice my faith as much as I can and I try to learn more about it and that’s my personal journey and I have no right to judge anyone else’s. Definitely if you go to more conservative cultures-that’s the main key it’s not so much the religion but the culture that you’re brought up with. We’re brought up with such a broad mindset and so, yeah, there may be some judgement from those types of individuals but I think they’re judgement comes from a place of not having a broader understanding and having a very specific upbringing. Yeah it sucks that there are such judgemental people but for most of them it’s not their fault so it’s not our responsibility but if you want to see change you have to have dialogues with those people and try to explain to them how you choose to follow Islam and how your interpretation might not always match theirs and you have to be ready to accept the fact that just because you have that dialogue doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll agree with you or that it will change their minds but at least you know that you’re doing something to advocate for something that you believe and for me that’s practicing Islam to the best of your abilities and not judging others on how they practice their faith because at the end of the day it’s a relationship between me and God not a relationship between you, me and God. There’s no third person in that relationship unless you're interacting with people and as long as you’re not throwing faith at them it should be okay.
TSJ: One of the themes in class is that the “Muslim World” is seen to be oppressive of women. How do you feel when you hear people say that Islam or covering is a sign of oppression?
AK: When I hear that it makes a lot of sense because honestly that’s what’s portrayed in the media. You believe what you hear the most often so it doesn’t surprise me. It makes me a little sad but it doesn’t upset me. I think how you change that is by not trying to change their minds but talking to them and explaining to them how the choices that you make as a Muslim, like wearing hijab, praying, those are...I also don’t want to generalize and make a holistic statement but, for me, this[covering] is something that I choose to do. For a lot of my peers growing up in the U.S. like in New York and Houston anything we do isn’t really forced upon us. It’s a decision that we’ve made because we researched about the religion, the teachings resonated with us, those are the reasons that we choose to follow it. In my opinion, a lot of the people in our generation...that’s why they choose to follow it but the media misconstrues certain cultures and I’m emphasizing cultures because that’s completely different from religion. And yes, there’s cultures that treat woman as second class citizens and I wouldn’t be too far from saying that the U.S. is one of them. You could say that the U.S. is oppressive or they treat women like second class citizens in many different aspects like unequal pay or different areas whether it’s in politics or economics or X, Y, Z. So it makes sense that they focus on a certain culture and try to project that as a complete religion but I think that’s an absurd idea because billions of Muslims-and in our generation there’s millions of us- who are not “oppressed,” we make conscious decisions and to say that woman in our generation in the U.S. are subjected to oppression is actually an insult. We grew up here, we went through the same education system we fully understand our rights and we have a mind of our own and so everything we do is our own choice. But it doesn’t surprise me that other people think we’re oppressed because either they haven’t spoken to other Muslim woman and men growing up in our generation in the U.S. or even older generations who have been here. They just follow whatever the mainstream media throws at them which is usually not accurate but we all know that.
TSJ: Do you have a perspective on countries that do require women to cover? How about mosques in the U.S. that require that?
AK: Like I said, a lot of the countries and societies that mandate covering, I think that’s because their culture and society in general is very patriarchal. It impacts the way that they practice their religion, they moreso reflect their culture on the religion than having the religion impact their culture so that’s why you see all these oppressive mandates on woman and I feel like I’m lucky and every person in the U.S. is lucky because, to a certain extent, we can practice our religion without having our culture or political system impact the way that we cover, practice, whatever the religion entails...we are able to do it freely for the most part but unfortunately those other countries have more of a political agenda and more of a cultural push that they inflict upon the entire nation and the woman that are citizens of there. So from how I practice and from what I believe-this is all my opinion so there’s no 100% truth or accuracy to it it’s just what I interpret and believe the faith to be- so when we pray usually there’s, from what I believe, you’re covered from head to your ankle and so it makes sense that during that act you’re covered and so I guess when most people go they go for the purpose of praying and so they are usually covered but I will say that mosques are run by an older generation who kind of carry their cultural and conservative mindsets into the way they run the mosques so I guess that’s why they force woman to cover but honestly I haven’t really seen that. In my scope-which is limited to all of my interactions- all the mosques I go to the women do take off their hijab in the woman’s section because they are there to listen to lecture and no one is really governing them telling them to put the hijab back on. If you’re older, like an older conservative woman might give you a dirty stare maybe and that’s like a stretch but I guess that is why it is kind of mandated-the prayer aspect of it but in my opinion if you’re not praying and you don’t wear it on a regular basis because you choose not to, there should be no reason why you’d have to cover in the mosque because that’s a communal place where everyone goes to learn about the faith and has spiritual connection so it really shouldn’t bother anyone else. If you’re there to focus on your own faith you should go and do that you should go and judge someone while they’re trying to connect with their faith because that may end up pushing them away from the faith altogether so that’s my view on it.
TSJ: Do you feel the need to defend Islam when the mainstream media attacks it? When you do defend it how? Are you ever apprehensive to do so?
AK: Generally, you can’t...mainstream media is mainstream media it has such a wide reach that it’s very difficult to defend it unless you have a large platform to do so. I know that the online media platform has grown quite a bit and there are people that go on Youtube and Facebook and lots of social media platforms to defend Islam or just try to prove that that’s not the majority there’s just a few bad actors within society. I don’t even want to say our religion because what they do is far from what our faith teaches us. The thing is that I defend it to the certain extent that when I leave the house everyday I try to be a good example of what I think a good Muslim is so that’s how I try to defend my faith-by my actions. I’m personally not one to...and that’s just my personality, it has nothing to do with not being a defender of the faith I just don’t like to go on social media and draw attention to myself and that’s not anything to do with faith just personally that’s not who I am. I don’t think just because you’re Muslim you’re automatically an agent to represent that “Islam is good, oh look at all of us we practice it so peacefully.” I don’t think that has to fall on individuals because that’s a lot of pressure. If you think these bad actors are making such a big, portraying such a bad example of us on mainstream media to have that pressure to go on and disprove that is a LOT so I think the individuals who do are doing a great job of trying to push forward that message that Muslims are peaceful and moderate Islam is a new term that’s approached on social media platforms and what not but it does change people’s minds to a certain extent but for me at an individual basis I think the biggest impact I can make is just by having conversations with people who are unfamiliar with the faith or have misconstrued conceptions of it like at the workplace, at school, at the grocery store when I’m conducting myself to the best of my ability and not only is that a good representation of my faith but a good representation of my culture and that also shows that as Americans we’re very open minded, we’re trying to reflect a lot more than our faith, you’re also trying to represent yourself as an American and what our country stands for: that’s acceptance, that’s being able to pursue your dreams and practice your faith openly without any apprehension or facing any fear of discrimination. Your question was whether I defend it or not and it’s a long way from it but I’m American, I’m Bengali, I’m Muslim- I try to conduct myself so that all of those attributes are represented in a good light. By wearing it and by being the best I can be is the best way I know to defend it and that’s just because my personality doesn’t push me to have a larger platform
TSJ: A lot of people believe that the words Muslim and American are binaries. When you think of your two identities how do you see them go together or do you ever see them as incompatible?
AK: Yeah so with that question I have another component because I’m Bengali, like that’s what my parents are so there’s three identities that I hold more than just two and so a lot of, not the restrictions but a lot of the more conservative and the more nurturing-basically if I had any restrictions it was from my parents who grew up in Bangladesh and have a certain cultural definition of how to raise kids so that was where a lot of my ‘restrictions’ came from but as an American I don’t think that I’ve ever really had an issue trying to bring my two perspectives. Being a Muslim and an American has never really contradicted itself because what does it mean to be an American? That’s very subjective as well. For me, to be an American, as I mentioned earlier, is being able to work hard, it’s being able to make a living, it’s everything that normal individuals peg with being an American-whether it’s going out or the party culture. There’s a certain persona that’s given to Americans and that’s not what I believe to be an American for me it’s never been an issue but if you associate being an American with doing certain activities then yeah, you’re going to have conflicting values or teachings because you’re definition and your view on what an American is is very specific. For me it’s not very specific. I am living and breathing as an American and so I’ve never faced a contradicting issue it’s more about how you define it and trying to fit into that specific mold that you face conflicting issues.
TSJ: Has anything changed from being on a campus like Rice to going into the real world. Could you describe your life at Rice and then your transition out of campus life?
AK: I think whether you wear hijab or not that transition is going to be different for everyone whether you’re covered or not, whether you’re a boy or a girl, moving out from college life is an adjustment and it’s definitely different and so just like everyone’s Rice experience is different your experience going into the real world is so very different. I’ve interned in corporate professional environments since my freshman year and I’ve never really felt the difference in the way people treated me at Rice vs. in the workplace and that’s because a lot of the demographics that you’re surrounded with are essentially the same. Houston is a very diverse community. If you were to intern in a less diverse area then yeah you’re probably going to have a slightly different experience but because most of my internships have been in Houston and Rice is in Houston you don’t really feel the difference. For me it wasn’t really a huge adjustment because I’m used to conducting myself in a professional environment and asking different questions or maneuvering my faith and being an American in the workplace. I’ve done that for the past four years so, for me, it wasn’t a big deal but I will say that where you’re located has a lot to do with your experience. So my experiences have been pretty similar because I’ve been in a very similar demographic, the people I interact with are very diverse in terms of their socioeconomic background and I feel like, regardless of faith, I fit in more with the work force than I did at Rice. This doesn’t have anything to do with my faith but more so because I jive better, am able to relate more to the people in the workforce than I did at Rice and I think that just goes to show you that it doesn’t...an individual is more than just their faith so where you connect and where you’re able to shine the most really depends on your personality and wherever you’re most comfortable more so than it does have to do with how you practice your religion. Life is just as good outside of Rice or even better because Rice is very specific in the types of people that you’re surrounded with. Even if you think about it, yes, Rice is very diverse but in a sense it’s very similar in the types of personalities you have on campus so sometimes you have a few personalities that don’t blend into the Rice community as much and I felt that was me and so when you go to the workforce you’re able to find people who have similar interests as you and that’s going beyond just your faith.
TSJ: Has the choice to party or drink have an effect on you differently from Rice or consulting?
AK: At the end of the day you surround yourself with people you’re comfortable with so for me a lot of my friends didn’t really party that much and they did drink. We’d have alcohol in my suite and they’d drink around me for movie nights and stuff but when you surround yourself with people who are just as open and understanding as you are they don’t pressure you, they’re really understanding of where you come from and they even try to accommodate your needs. So they’ll buy me juice or soda or whatever: same thing in the workforce. If you surround yourself with people who are understanding and open-and even if they’re not as understanding and open-if you explain to them your situation I don’t think that anybody pressures you into doing anything that you’re not comfortable with. Personally, I’ve never felt pressure to do any of those things but, yeah, I have been to parties. That’s not because that was like a contradiction to my faith I was just interested in going and seeing and enjoying that Rice experience and I never did anything at those parties where I felt would contradict with my faith. I participated and I will continue participating in activities just as much as everyone else but I also know my personal boundaries and my limits so if you make that clear to the people you’re with usually (I’ve never faced any issues and most people I’ve spoken to haven’t really faced issues but I’m sure that you can) but that’s also your personality type some people can be pressured and feel the need to do certain things to impress others but that’s not even to do with that’s just you being a people pleaser.
AK: One last thing: everything that I said now it’s because of my experiences and it obviously doesn’t reflect anyone else’s experience it’s very specific to me and one thing is, as a disclaimer, everyone is growing and changing every day so tomorrow I may wake up and my circumstances in life may be completely different so everything that I just said may completely change. That’s something to always remember, one person’s point of view at a certain point in time might not be constant throughout and it’s important to remember that I think.
TSJ: Can you think of anything specific that would make you reconsider how you practice?
AK: I think if I ever did anything in the name of my faith that ended up hurting someone or inflicting pain on someone, whether physically or emotionally, and I would find out later that whatever I did made that happen to someone I would reconsider because obviously the faith doesn’t condone any of that but if I inadvertently practice my faith and it lead to a very negative consequence then, yeah, I would reevaluate my faith and what that specific action and then I would reevaluate how I had interpreted that specific action but besides that I’m not sure like I said earlier it’s really up to consequences and what happens in the future but that is definitely one thing that would make me reevaluate how I practice my faith.
AK: There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world and 3.3 million Muslims in the United States. Every Muslim has a different personality, different upbringing, different life circumstance, and different religious philosophy. To peg the actions of a handful of irrational individuals onto 1.6 billion people is absurd to the nth degree. The media pushes for this type portrayal because their sponsors and corporate partners profit from it. Stereotyping is a double edged sword. If we stereotype all Muslims as “terrorists” or “oppressed”, then you can only image what other nations think of Americans based on our leader Donald Trump and bad actors like Stephen Paddock (Las Vegas Shooter).
AK: Yes, so my name is Anisah Khan. I’m 21 years old. I’m currently working at Accenture as a Strategy Analyst and I was born in New York but I’ve been living in Houston for ten years now.
TSJ: My first question is can you talk a little bit about your relationship to Islam, just generally?
AK: I was born into a Muslim family who has been practicing Islam for generations. Growing up I went to Sunday School and my parents gave me an Islamic upbringing but, really during my time in high school and middle school I started going to Islamic conventions on my own with my cousins and uncles to learn more about Islam and what it means to me. I think ever since high school it’s a conscious decision I’ve made to be a Muslim, to wear hijab, to be a practicing Muslim. It’s not something I follow because it’s been a tradition in my family but it’s something that I follow because I truly believe in the teachings and how it tells us to be as a person and how to treat others. Those are things that I truly believe in and that’s why I choose to be a Muslim everyday.
TSJ: What specific sect are you in?
AK: I’m Sunni Muslim.
TSJ: And then in terms of the Q’uran, do you follow it word for word? What is your interpretation of the Q’uran?
AK: For me, the Quran is one of the fundamental parts of Islam but the basis of it is the five pillars. The Quran and the teachings of the Prophet are both really important guides and supplements to the way of life and the philosophy but I do have to say that there are different interpretations of the Quran and by your gender, by your background, your interpretation of it changes because it’s all your perspective. How I choose to follow the Quran is by putting into context in terms of: here is a story and this is what happened in it but the teachings behind it doesn’t have to be...If the Quran is telling you you can have four wives--that’s a common thing that you hear people bring up--it has to be placed into context so in my opinion that practice isn’t very applicable in today’s day and age so I take everything in terms of how it can be reflected today in our context in our society.
TSJ: How does culture influence your religious practices and understanding of Islam?
AK: Islam is void of any culture. Islam is a practice and a religion but the way we do practice it changes based upon the context we grew up in and our upbringing, all those things. I don’t think it’s correct to say that Islam changes by your culture: that’s not true. Islam is the same for all cultures, it’s how we end up practicing it. How I practice it is somewhat more American, it’s not the same way my parents practice it because a lot of how they practice it is very cultural-they’ll have a mix of Bengali traditions that they’ll sometimes unintentionally mesh with the religion. How I try to practice it is that I know this is American culture and I know that not all I do as an American will fit into the Islamic teachings and stuff but I try my best to follow Islam to the cores as much as possible but obviously not everything that our culture promotes always translates perfectly to Islam and the Quran so finding that balance of what is modest dressing?, what is halal food?, finding that within Islam but also as an American. It’s hard to explain because I’m also trying to figure out how to practice the best way possible in this changing, growing world and environment so it’s a learning process for me too as I’m growing up.
TSJ: What are the biggest influencers of your decision to cover each day and have you ever struggled with I don’t want to cover today or in this situation?
AK: Yeah, absolutely so I started wearing hijab in the seventh grade and I made that decision because like I mentioned I started going to Islamic conventions to socialize with other Muslims and learn more about my own faith. I was really inspired by a specific lecture about the hijab and modesty and how it can empower you as a Muslim and so, initially, that’s how I started wearing it, as a way to remind myself that I’m Muslim so I can reflect those teachings because sometimes you get wrapped up in your day to day life and you forget your faith so in that way it’s a reminder for myself. How I pray, to conduct myself in a manner that I would be proud of so those are the reasons that I keep wearing it but definitely I have struggled with keeping it on because I feel like by wearing it you’re making a statement and you are visibly a Muslim and so if you end up doing anything...I guess how I’ve struggled with it is say I say a bad word or I’m accidentally rude because I’m having a bad day because I’m wearing a hijab it translates more to Islam and not to me having a bad day. It looks like “oh Muslims are rude” and it kind of makes it easier for people to stereotype because I’m so visibly Muslim and so that’s I guess why I’ve struggled with it but at the end of the day I remind myself I wear it because it’s a good reminder for myself and it helps me become that better person. Even though it’s a struggle sometimes and on a vain level sometimes you just want to look cute at school or work or something but I’m able to overcome those distractions because it is so important to me.
TSJ: Is there anybody in your family who doesn’t cover?
AK: Hijab is a choice, right? No one pressures you...at least I was lucky enough not to be pressured into wearing it and so yeah my family is huge and everyone is at a different level of faith, everyone interprets Islam differently. Just because we’re from the same family doesn’t mean we are all practicing the same way. So yeah I definitely have cousins, aunts, my mom doesn’t cover all the time so that’s a choice. It doesn’t mean that they’re not practicing Islam properly it’s just however they interpret it. It doesn’t mean that they don’t dress modestly, it’s just their personal choice and you can definitely see that in my family and friend circle. There are people that don’t cover.
TSJ: One big thing we’re studying in class is Islamophobia and discrimination and we were curious as to whether you have ever faced discrimination based on your choice to cover and, if so, could you describe that?
AK: Yeah, honestly though, I think there was one time I went shopping at the outlet mall and we got some bad treatment at one of those fancier stores but I never know what to peg it to. I don’t see bad treatment towards me as a reflection of “oh, I’m Muslim that’s why they’re treating me badly” personally. Maybe they’re having a bad day, maybe in the past they haven’t had good interaction with other individuals who’ve decided to cover. Honestly, I don’t take it to heart if I do get treated badly because there could be many reasons. I personally haven’t been targeted specifically because of hijab and that’s why I’m able to say that I attribute it to other things. If I am treated badly and if something does happen like that I try my best to be kind to them just so that maybe the next time they run into someone that’s covered or even the next person they interact with they’re able to change their mind set or have a more positive attitude as they’re moving forward in their day. I don’t think Islamophobia or bad treatment should ever be reciprocated with bad treatment. Sometimes it’s easier said than done and sometimes the level of bad treatment or specific discrimination against you because of whatever reason may be stronger and the actions look different but personally I’ve never had to deal with it to a great extent where I had to take some sort of conscious action to like resolve it or even confront that interaction if that makes sense.
TSJ: As you mentioned women are often victims of hate crimes for their decision to cover. Does seeing hijabi women being victims have any impact on your decision?
AK: Recently there has been a lot of terrorist activities which I try-the people that do commit these atrocities...honestly I don’t believe are practicing Islam to the truest form of it, a lot of the things that are carried out are politically driven and personally...there are lots of motivating factors as to why these atrocities are conducted so I can see why Muslim women are targeted because of the way the media and the way that society sometimes presents the Islamic faith and Muslims and after the Paris attacks my mom kind of warned me and said “Are you sure you still want to wear hijab because you are so visibly Muslim you are more likely to fall victim to these discriminatory acts or hate crimes or what not?” but for me I want to keep wearing it so that if someone does come talk to me or even if they’re mistreating me...I’ve never faced a hate crime so it’s really hard to say what I would do or how my perspective on that would change because I have never personally faced it. Even though I know that other Muslim women have been attacked I decide to keep wearing it but I think that if I ever was to be targeted specifically with actual abuse I may reevaluate it at that point in time but I haven’t actually faced a tragic incident like that. This is from my point of view at this moment.
TSJ: How do you view other Muslim women who don’t cover and the discrimination they might face for this?
AK: My perception is that just as I choose to wear the hijab there are other people who choose not to wear it and that is because their choice and their views on the truest form of the religion may not be the same and that’s totally fine. Everyone has the right to practice as they wish as long as it’s not harming other people and putting another person’s life at risk and so in that regard I don’t even blink an eye. You’re just talking to another person. Everyone in the faith and even outside of the faith is just like my brother and sister so for me to treat them badly for a decision they’re not making it makes me hypocritical and so I’m not here to judge anyone or be a hypocrite I try to practice my faith as much as I can and I try to learn more about it and that’s my personal journey and I have no right to judge anyone else’s. Definitely if you go to more conservative cultures-that’s the main key it’s not so much the religion but the culture that you’re brought up with. We’re brought up with such a broad mindset and so, yeah, there may be some judgement from those types of individuals but I think they’re judgement comes from a place of not having a broader understanding and having a very specific upbringing. Yeah it sucks that there are such judgemental people but for most of them it’s not their fault so it’s not our responsibility but if you want to see change you have to have dialogues with those people and try to explain to them how you choose to follow Islam and how your interpretation might not always match theirs and you have to be ready to accept the fact that just because you have that dialogue doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll agree with you or that it will change their minds but at least you know that you’re doing something to advocate for something that you believe and for me that’s practicing Islam to the best of your abilities and not judging others on how they practice their faith because at the end of the day it’s a relationship between me and God not a relationship between you, me and God. There’s no third person in that relationship unless you're interacting with people and as long as you’re not throwing faith at them it should be okay.
TSJ: One of the themes in class is that the “Muslim World” is seen to be oppressive of women. How do you feel when you hear people say that Islam or covering is a sign of oppression?
AK: When I hear that it makes a lot of sense because honestly that’s what’s portrayed in the media. You believe what you hear the most often so it doesn’t surprise me. It makes me a little sad but it doesn’t upset me. I think how you change that is by not trying to change their minds but talking to them and explaining to them how the choices that you make as a Muslim, like wearing hijab, praying, those are...I also don’t want to generalize and make a holistic statement but, for me, this[covering] is something that I choose to do. For a lot of my peers growing up in the U.S. like in New York and Houston anything we do isn’t really forced upon us. It’s a decision that we’ve made because we researched about the religion, the teachings resonated with us, those are the reasons that we choose to follow it. In my opinion, a lot of the people in our generation...that’s why they choose to follow it but the media misconstrues certain cultures and I’m emphasizing cultures because that’s completely different from religion. And yes, there’s cultures that treat woman as second class citizens and I wouldn’t be too far from saying that the U.S. is one of them. You could say that the U.S. is oppressive or they treat women like second class citizens in many different aspects like unequal pay or different areas whether it’s in politics or economics or X, Y, Z. So it makes sense that they focus on a certain culture and try to project that as a complete religion but I think that’s an absurd idea because billions of Muslims-and in our generation there’s millions of us- who are not “oppressed,” we make conscious decisions and to say that woman in our generation in the U.S. are subjected to oppression is actually an insult. We grew up here, we went through the same education system we fully understand our rights and we have a mind of our own and so everything we do is our own choice. But it doesn’t surprise me that other people think we’re oppressed because either they haven’t spoken to other Muslim woman and men growing up in our generation in the U.S. or even older generations who have been here. They just follow whatever the mainstream media throws at them which is usually not accurate but we all know that.
TSJ: Do you have a perspective on countries that do require women to cover? How about mosques in the U.S. that require that?
AK: Like I said, a lot of the countries and societies that mandate covering, I think that’s because their culture and society in general is very patriarchal. It impacts the way that they practice their religion, they moreso reflect their culture on the religion than having the religion impact their culture so that’s why you see all these oppressive mandates on woman and I feel like I’m lucky and every person in the U.S. is lucky because, to a certain extent, we can practice our religion without having our culture or political system impact the way that we cover, practice, whatever the religion entails...we are able to do it freely for the most part but unfortunately those other countries have more of a political agenda and more of a cultural push that they inflict upon the entire nation and the woman that are citizens of there. So from how I practice and from what I believe-this is all my opinion so there’s no 100% truth or accuracy to it it’s just what I interpret and believe the faith to be- so when we pray usually there’s, from what I believe, you’re covered from head to your ankle and so it makes sense that during that act you’re covered and so I guess when most people go they go for the purpose of praying and so they are usually covered but I will say that mosques are run by an older generation who kind of carry their cultural and conservative mindsets into the way they run the mosques so I guess that’s why they force woman to cover but honestly I haven’t really seen that. In my scope-which is limited to all of my interactions- all the mosques I go to the women do take off their hijab in the woman’s section because they are there to listen to lecture and no one is really governing them telling them to put the hijab back on. If you’re older, like an older conservative woman might give you a dirty stare maybe and that’s like a stretch but I guess that is why it is kind of mandated-the prayer aspect of it but in my opinion if you’re not praying and you don’t wear it on a regular basis because you choose not to, there should be no reason why you’d have to cover in the mosque because that’s a communal place where everyone goes to learn about the faith and has spiritual connection so it really shouldn’t bother anyone else. If you’re there to focus on your own faith you should go and do that you should go and judge someone while they’re trying to connect with their faith because that may end up pushing them away from the faith altogether so that’s my view on it.
TSJ: Do you feel the need to defend Islam when the mainstream media attacks it? When you do defend it how? Are you ever apprehensive to do so?
AK: Generally, you can’t...mainstream media is mainstream media it has such a wide reach that it’s very difficult to defend it unless you have a large platform to do so. I know that the online media platform has grown quite a bit and there are people that go on Youtube and Facebook and lots of social media platforms to defend Islam or just try to prove that that’s not the majority there’s just a few bad actors within society. I don’t even want to say our religion because what they do is far from what our faith teaches us. The thing is that I defend it to the certain extent that when I leave the house everyday I try to be a good example of what I think a good Muslim is so that’s how I try to defend my faith-by my actions. I’m personally not one to...and that’s just my personality, it has nothing to do with not being a defender of the faith I just don’t like to go on social media and draw attention to myself and that’s not anything to do with faith just personally that’s not who I am. I don’t think just because you’re Muslim you’re automatically an agent to represent that “Islam is good, oh look at all of us we practice it so peacefully.” I don’t think that has to fall on individuals because that’s a lot of pressure. If you think these bad actors are making such a big, portraying such a bad example of us on mainstream media to have that pressure to go on and disprove that is a LOT so I think the individuals who do are doing a great job of trying to push forward that message that Muslims are peaceful and moderate Islam is a new term that’s approached on social media platforms and what not but it does change people’s minds to a certain extent but for me at an individual basis I think the biggest impact I can make is just by having conversations with people who are unfamiliar with the faith or have misconstrued conceptions of it like at the workplace, at school, at the grocery store when I’m conducting myself to the best of my ability and not only is that a good representation of my faith but a good representation of my culture and that also shows that as Americans we’re very open minded, we’re trying to reflect a lot more than our faith, you’re also trying to represent yourself as an American and what our country stands for: that’s acceptance, that’s being able to pursue your dreams and practice your faith openly without any apprehension or facing any fear of discrimination. Your question was whether I defend it or not and it’s a long way from it but I’m American, I’m Bengali, I’m Muslim- I try to conduct myself so that all of those attributes are represented in a good light. By wearing it and by being the best I can be is the best way I know to defend it and that’s just because my personality doesn’t push me to have a larger platform
TSJ: A lot of people believe that the words Muslim and American are binaries. When you think of your two identities how do you see them go together or do you ever see them as incompatible?
AK: Yeah so with that question I have another component because I’m Bengali, like that’s what my parents are so there’s three identities that I hold more than just two and so a lot of, not the restrictions but a lot of the more conservative and the more nurturing-basically if I had any restrictions it was from my parents who grew up in Bangladesh and have a certain cultural definition of how to raise kids so that was where a lot of my ‘restrictions’ came from but as an American I don’t think that I’ve ever really had an issue trying to bring my two perspectives. Being a Muslim and an American has never really contradicted itself because what does it mean to be an American? That’s very subjective as well. For me, to be an American, as I mentioned earlier, is being able to work hard, it’s being able to make a living, it’s everything that normal individuals peg with being an American-whether it’s going out or the party culture. There’s a certain persona that’s given to Americans and that’s not what I believe to be an American for me it’s never been an issue but if you associate being an American with doing certain activities then yeah, you’re going to have conflicting values or teachings because you’re definition and your view on what an American is is very specific. For me it’s not very specific. I am living and breathing as an American and so I’ve never faced a contradicting issue it’s more about how you define it and trying to fit into that specific mold that you face conflicting issues.
TSJ: Has anything changed from being on a campus like Rice to going into the real world. Could you describe your life at Rice and then your transition out of campus life?
AK: I think whether you wear hijab or not that transition is going to be different for everyone whether you’re covered or not, whether you’re a boy or a girl, moving out from college life is an adjustment and it’s definitely different and so just like everyone’s Rice experience is different your experience going into the real world is so very different. I’ve interned in corporate professional environments since my freshman year and I’ve never really felt the difference in the way people treated me at Rice vs. in the workplace and that’s because a lot of the demographics that you’re surrounded with are essentially the same. Houston is a very diverse community. If you were to intern in a less diverse area then yeah you’re probably going to have a slightly different experience but because most of my internships have been in Houston and Rice is in Houston you don’t really feel the difference. For me it wasn’t really a huge adjustment because I’m used to conducting myself in a professional environment and asking different questions or maneuvering my faith and being an American in the workplace. I’ve done that for the past four years so, for me, it wasn’t a big deal but I will say that where you’re located has a lot to do with your experience. So my experiences have been pretty similar because I’ve been in a very similar demographic, the people I interact with are very diverse in terms of their socioeconomic background and I feel like, regardless of faith, I fit in more with the work force than I did at Rice. This doesn’t have anything to do with my faith but more so because I jive better, am able to relate more to the people in the workforce than I did at Rice and I think that just goes to show you that it doesn’t...an individual is more than just their faith so where you connect and where you’re able to shine the most really depends on your personality and wherever you’re most comfortable more so than it does have to do with how you practice your religion. Life is just as good outside of Rice or even better because Rice is very specific in the types of people that you’re surrounded with. Even if you think about it, yes, Rice is very diverse but in a sense it’s very similar in the types of personalities you have on campus so sometimes you have a few personalities that don’t blend into the Rice community as much and I felt that was me and so when you go to the workforce you’re able to find people who have similar interests as you and that’s going beyond just your faith.
TSJ: Has the choice to party or drink have an effect on you differently from Rice or consulting?
AK: At the end of the day you surround yourself with people you’re comfortable with so for me a lot of my friends didn’t really party that much and they did drink. We’d have alcohol in my suite and they’d drink around me for movie nights and stuff but when you surround yourself with people who are just as open and understanding as you are they don’t pressure you, they’re really understanding of where you come from and they even try to accommodate your needs. So they’ll buy me juice or soda or whatever: same thing in the workforce. If you surround yourself with people who are understanding and open-and even if they’re not as understanding and open-if you explain to them your situation I don’t think that anybody pressures you into doing anything that you’re not comfortable with. Personally, I’ve never felt pressure to do any of those things but, yeah, I have been to parties. That’s not because that was like a contradiction to my faith I was just interested in going and seeing and enjoying that Rice experience and I never did anything at those parties where I felt would contradict with my faith. I participated and I will continue participating in activities just as much as everyone else but I also know my personal boundaries and my limits so if you make that clear to the people you’re with usually (I’ve never faced any issues and most people I’ve spoken to haven’t really faced issues but I’m sure that you can) but that’s also your personality type some people can be pressured and feel the need to do certain things to impress others but that’s not even to do with that’s just you being a people pleaser.
AK: One last thing: everything that I said now it’s because of my experiences and it obviously doesn’t reflect anyone else’s experience it’s very specific to me and one thing is, as a disclaimer, everyone is growing and changing every day so tomorrow I may wake up and my circumstances in life may be completely different so everything that I just said may completely change. That’s something to always remember, one person’s point of view at a certain point in time might not be constant throughout and it’s important to remember that I think.
TSJ: Can you think of anything specific that would make you reconsider how you practice?
AK: I think if I ever did anything in the name of my faith that ended up hurting someone or inflicting pain on someone, whether physically or emotionally, and I would find out later that whatever I did made that happen to someone I would reconsider because obviously the faith doesn’t condone any of that but if I inadvertently practice my faith and it lead to a very negative consequence then, yeah, I would reevaluate my faith and what that specific action and then I would reevaluate how I had interpreted that specific action but besides that I’m not sure like I said earlier it’s really up to consequences and what happens in the future but that is definitely one thing that would make me reevaluate how I practice my faith.
AK: There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world and 3.3 million Muslims in the United States. Every Muslim has a different personality, different upbringing, different life circumstance, and different religious philosophy. To peg the actions of a handful of irrational individuals onto 1.6 billion people is absurd to the nth degree. The media pushes for this type portrayal because their sponsors and corporate partners profit from it. Stereotyping is a double edged sword. If we stereotype all Muslims as “terrorists” or “oppressed”, then you can only image what other nations think of Americans based on our leader Donald Trump and bad actors like Stephen Paddock (Las Vegas Shooter).