"Nadine" is a 19 year old student who was interviewed by Alec Tobin. She asked that we use a pseudonym. A full transcript of their conversation can be found here. AT: Ok. Can you talk a little bit about your choice to cover or not cover and what influences that? N: My choice to not cover for now is just my family. They didn't cover when they were young, but they usually cover when they're older. It's usually a personal choice and it's never something that should be forced in our opinion, or maybe in the Lebanese culture. Just because in Lebanese culture there are many religions and we are, I would say, more liberal in terms of Islam. So for now, I don't have to or necessarily want to cover. Just because I'm here in America and I don't want to and I don't see the need as much. But maybe later on in my life when I start to feel like "Ok, yeah, I want to cover." But I don't think I would be living in America if I do that. It would be later in my life.
Do you come into contact a lot with stories of people who face hate crimes or discrimination because they cover, and does that change anything about your choice to cover in the future? I have heard a lot but I don't think that would affect me in the future. It's my choice whether or not I want to cover and I don't care what other people do or say about it. Is there anything else that would make you change your decision, maybe make you decide not to in the future? Nope. It's 100% - it's basically just about when I feel that I'm ready. But no, I don't see any factors really changing that. The only thing is just depending on where I live, but that's like the only factor How do you feel when you hear people say that covering is a sign of oppression? And what is your perspective of countries or mosques that require women to cover? I think it's stupid because it's a woman's choice and the whole point of feminism is about letting women choose. So it's not oppression because number one, the woman is choosing to cover herself. I mean sometimes that's not the case, which I personally don't think that's right. This is the last question. Many people suggest that Muslim and American identity are incompatible... I mean here I am. I think it's compatible. Like it's fine, it's not easy, but it can be done. So it just depends on whether or not you want to try to make it work, but it's definitely not easy. Like 100% it would be a lot easier if I was living in a Middle Eastern country, it would make practicing a lot easier. But it's fine, it works. There are a lot of Muslims in America, so...
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