Will I Be Next?

by Souheila Al-Jadda

This article was published in the Dallas Morning News before Al-Jadda made her Hajj, a religious pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where Muslims from around the world gather in January.--Editors

Souheila Al-Jadda discusses her experience as a veiled Muslim woman in the U.S.

"Are you a terrorist?"

"Do you have a bomb in your bag?"

"Are you going to blow up this bus?"

Those were questions that a group of laughing teenagers bombarded me with as I rode a bus to work the other day.

I sat silently, staring straight ahead, pretending their remarks didn't hurt me. But they did.

As a veiled Muslim woman, it may have been my clothing that set me apart. Yet I knew it really was my faith that was the object of their ridicule.

And with nearly 7 million other Muslim Americans who may be subjected to similar stereotypes, I knew I wasn't alone.

During the 10-minute bus ride, I found strength by remembering Rosa Parks, the black woman who, despite racist jeers and taunts, took her place at the front of a bus to demonstrate her resolve against racism in the 1950s.

I also took solace in knowing I would be one of more than 2.5 million Muslims from around the world, including 10,000 American Muslims, who will gather in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the annual Hajj pilgrimage this month.

Every Muslim is required to make the pilgrimage at least once in his or her life. Staying in Mecca for about a week, Muslims complete their faith, pray and repent for past sins.

While I am excited about fulfilling one of Islam's most sacred rites, I also see the Hajj as an opportunity to seek comfort at a time of difficulty for many American Muslims.

MUSLIMS UNDER ATTACK

While President Bush repeatedly has declared that the "war on terrorism" isn't a war against Islam, the words and actions of senior officials in his government say otherwise.

The USA PATRIOT Act, our country's new anti-terrorism law, allows the government to conduct intrusive search-and-seizure raids without prior notice. It also expands federal wiretapping capabilities, threatening our rights to privacy. Many Muslim immigrants and visitors have been swept up in the government's dragnet, and detained in prisons for months without charge, access to an attorney or contact with family members.

Meanwhile, hate crimes continue to be committed against mosques, Muslim homes and businesses.

I ask myself, "Will I be next?"

In preparing to make the Hajj pilgrimage this year, I am reminded of the sacrifices the prophet Abraham endured, and I am encouraged to carry on.

Worshippers find redemption and purification through their own hardships during the rigors of the Hajj. They also find the strength to persevere with their own personal struggles awaiting them at home.

For me, I may discover at the Hajj many young, Western-educated Muslim women just like me, who share the same experiences and concerns for the future of our community. That may be the spiritual comfort I need to feel more optimistic about the direction of my faith and my country.

I will return home to the challenges of living as a veiled Muslim woman in America. Meanwhile, I will pray for the strength to rise above the voices of hate and discrimination and for the will to offer my own voice as one of tolerance, understanding and peace.

Souheila Al-Jadda is a free-lance writer and Arabic translator for Mosaic, a Middle East news program on Link TV.

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