veiled4allah: 'Will I be next?'

Souheila Al-Jadda: 'Will I Be Next?' Muslim veil can make someone a target in America

12:05 AM CST on Friday, January 16, 2004

By SOUHEILA AL-JADDA

"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 and 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; those physically or financially unable to do so are exempt. Staying in Mecca for about a week, Muslims complete their faith, pray and repent for past sins.

Male pilgrims must wear the distinctive clothes prescribed for the Hajj – two unstitched white garments called the ihram. Women must dress modestly, covering everything but their hands and faces. Symbolically and practically, the white ihram erases all divisions among people, returning the faithful to a state of purity.

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.

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, 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.

The rituals of the Hajj date back to the time of Abraham, patriarch of all three major monotheistic religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam. According to Islamic teachings, Abraham and his family migrated to western Arabia, where he and his son built the first House of God, known as the Kaa'ba, in what is Mecca today.

When Muslims throughout the world make their five daily prayers, they turn toward that great sacred structure.

Today, the Kaa'ba, draped with its easily recognizable black and gold embroidered cover, stands 15 meters high and remains one of the essential focal points of the Hajj and of Islam. During the Hajj, Muslims reaffirm their commitment to God by circling the Kaa'ba seven times.

The end of the pilgrimage culminates in the Festival of the Sacrifice, known as Eid al-Adha, commemorating Abraham's faith and devotion through his willingness to sacrifice his son.

At the last moment, God spared the life of Abraham's son and instead replaced him with a lamb as a gesture of mercy. Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid al-Adha by sacrificing an animal and distributing its meat among family, friends and the poor in gratitude for the blessings of the year.

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 who serves as an Arabic translator for Mosaic, a Middle East news program on Link TV.