Sierra Cowan interviewed Zulfa Quadri, a senior at Rice University. Zulfa was born in India but grew up in Houston her entire life. She is a Sunni Muslim who's father is an imam at her mosque. You can read the full transcript of her interview here. So how does culture influence your religious practices and understanding of Islam? So this is kind of difficult because I have to kind of mish-mash both my Indian and my [Muslim] culture and make it fit with the Western culture that I live in. And so, a lot of the things that are strictly prohibited in, I don’t take part in. So for example, I don’t drink alcohol, but I still to go parties. And you know, that isn’t necessarily a huge part of Indian culture or Muslim culture, to go out and party or whatever, and so that is kind of a mish-mash. I do a lot of that. And then Muslim culture tends to be a little bit more conservative, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s void of any kind of conversation about difficult topics. So, for example, something that I encounter a lot is talking about sex and feminism. Those are very hot button issues. And I understand if some Muslim cultures don’t wanna talk about that, but I’m apart of one that does, if that makes sense. So have you ever experienced discrimination based on your choice to cover, and can you describe such?
It’s like microaggressions. Nothing super blatant like that has happened to me, but there’s definitely been points where it’s like some people aren’t willing to approach me. Or they automatically think that I’m not as educated or that I don’t know how to speak English. That happens a lot when we go to the airport. It’s hilarious because I’m speaking with a full American accent and yet you still don’t think I can understand what you’re saying. Wait, even after you talk, they still treat you like you don’t get it? Yeah! They’re like, “Do you understand that word?” And I’m like, “Yes! 100%. I’ve been educated here my whole life.” You know, so stuff like that. Does seeing violent hate crimes against Hijabi women have any impact on your decision? Yeah, it definitely makes me angry. I kind of just want to wear it even more in their face. Yeah, I am afraid, but at the same time it’s kind of burned a fire in my belly to do more activisty things and advocate for Muslim women who wear the Hijab and don’t have the ability to advocate for themselves. And so that’s really important to me. Especially right after the election, I think I was really afraid to go out and I talked a lot about it with my friends, and my mom was like, “Oh you’re just being stupid, like don’t let them win,” you know. And I understand that it was kind of silly, but at the same time it was a legitimate concern. But it’s very important for me to still be myself and I’m not going to change. And how do you feel about countries or mosques that do require women to cover? It should definitely be 100% her choice. Whether you wear it or not, no matter how you dress, whether you dress modestly or not, doesn’t reflect how good of a Muslim you are. And countries who do, unfortunately, force women to veil themselves are not doing the right thing, honestly. They’re taking the product of the cultural, because there’s Islam the religion and Islam the culture, and they’re taking that product of the culture and then they’re just broadening it. And that’s when that’s oppression. If you’re not giving the Muslim woman a choice, then that’s oppression. Do you feel the need to defend Islam when mainstream media attacks it? I don’t think I necessarily have to defend Islam, but I do have to defend Muslims and their right to exist, and their right to go about their lives just being normal.
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