for some of you I may look different but I’m your ordinary Muslim woman that you
I’m your ordinary Muslim woman that you
I’m your ordinary Muslim woman that you see on the streets at a grocery store or
see on the streets at a grocery store or
see on the streets at a grocery store or at the mall I’m a mother of four and
at the mall I’m a mother of four and
at the mall I’m a mother of four and grandmother of two adorable grandkids I
grandmother of two adorable grandkids I
grandmother of two adorable grandkids I shop at some of the same stores that you
shop at some of the same stores that you
shop at some of the same stores that you all shop at Costco Target Trader Joe’s
I was a soccer mom a Girl Scouts mom a
I was a soccer mom a Girl Scouts mom a Boy Scouts mom a PTA member some of the
Boy Scouts mom a PTA member some of the
Boy Scouts mom a PTA member some of the stuff that a lot of moms get involved in
stuff that a lot of moms get involved in
stuff that a lot of moms get involved in I’m very best I’m very honored do the
I’m very best I’m very honored do the
I’m very best I’m very honored do the for the careers that my kids have chosen
for the careers that my kids have chosen
for the careers that my kids have chosen and I’m very proud to be an Eagle Scout
and I’m very proud to be an Eagle Scout
and I’m very proud to be an Eagle Scout mom if you look around the room you will
mom if you look around the room you will
mom if you look around the room you will not find any two people who look the
not find any two people who look the
not find any two people who look the same unless they’re identical twins
same unless they’re identical twins
same unless they’re identical twins we all have differences we all have
we all have differences we all have
we all have differences we all have challenges at school at work at home
challenges at school at work at home
challenges at school at work at home with our parents with our siblings with
with our parents with our siblings with
with our parents with our siblings with our friends but we work through those
our friends but we work through those
our friends but we work through those differences with respect we don’t expect
differences with respect we don’t expect
differences with respect we don’t expect people to change
when I started meet a Muslim were
when I started meet a Muslim were conversations it was all about
conversations it was all about
conversations it was all about getting to know your neighbors
I’m very blessed to be living in the
I’m very blessed to be living in the community that I live in today forty
community that I live in today forty
community that I live in today forty years ago when I moved to the United
years ago when I moved to the United
years ago when I moved to the United States from Pakistan I did not envision
States from Pakistan I did not envision
States from Pakistan I did not envision that after living here for such a long
that after living here for such a long
that after living here for such a long time I will be holding meet a Muslim
time I will be holding meet a Muslim
time I will be holding meet a Muslim conversations to educate my community
conversations to educate my community
conversations to educate my community about Who I am I thought they will know
about Who I am I thought they will know
about Who I am I thought they will know by now
by now
by now it didn’t happen I have been an active
it didn’t happen I have been an active
it didn’t happen I have been an active member of my community for almost two
member of my community for almost two
member of my community for almost two decades I do a lot of interfaith work
decades I do a lot of interfaith work
decades I do a lot of interfaith work and every time that we do events it’s
and every time that we do events it’s
and every time that we do events it’s like preaching to the choir it’s the
like preaching to the choir it’s the
like preaching to the choir it’s the same faces the same people which is not
same faces the same people which is not
same faces the same people which is not bad at all
bad at all
bad at all preaching to the choir in fact is good
preaching to the choir in fact is good
preaching to the choir in fact is good because it helps deepen the
because it helps deepen the
because it helps deepen the understanding about the issue and it
understanding about the issue and it
understanding about the issue and it gives you the tools to answer questions
gives you the tools to answer questions
gives you the tools to answer questions or comments that are posed to you
in 2012 there was a shooting at a Sikh
in 2012 there was a shooting at a Sikh Gurdwara in Wisconsin there were six
Gurdwara in Wisconsin there were six
Gurdwara in Wisconsin there were six Sikh men that were killed there in my
Sikh men that were killed there in my
Sikh men that were killed there in my community we held a huge vigil hundreds
community we held a huge vigil hundreds
community we held a huge vigil hundreds of people were there when I went to the
of people were there when I went to the
of people were there when I went to the vigil I started thinking that why do we
vigil I started thinking that why do we
vigil I started thinking that why do we come together after the fact when
come together after the fact when
come together after the fact when something happens we come together why
something happens we come together why
something happens we come together why don’t we do something proactively but
don’t we do something proactively but
don’t we do something proactively but since I had no plans no nothing concrete
since I had no plans no nothing concrete
since I had no plans no nothing concrete in my mind nothing panned out
in my mind nothing panned out
in my mind nothing panned out but after San Bernardino shootings that
but after San Bernardino shootings that
but after San Bernardino shootings that happened in our own backyards I decided
happened in our own backyards I decided
happened in our own backyards I decided it was time to take action
it was time to take action
it was time to take action I put an announcement in my local
I put an announcement in my local
I put an announcement in my local newspaper titled meet a Muslim and I
newspaper titled meet a Muslim and I
newspaper titled meet a Muslim and I went to the coffee shop that I had
went to the coffee shop that I had
went to the coffee shop that I had chosen to hold this event there were 20
chosen to hold this event there were 20
chosen to hold this event there were 20 people 30 minutes before the event
people 30 minutes before the event
people 30 minutes before the event started and by the time the event ended
started and by the time the event ended
started and by the time the event ended they were over hundred people it was
they were over hundred people it was
they were over hundred people it was overwhelming I thought I just took my
overwhelming I thought I just took my
overwhelming I thought I just took my laptop with me I thought somebody will
laptop with me I thought somebody will
laptop with me I thought somebody will show up I’ll talk to them if nobody
show up I’ll talk to them if nobody
show up I’ll talk to them if nobody comes out do my work and come back home
comes out do my work and come back home
comes out do my work and come back home I didn’t realize that people were so
I didn’t realize that people were so
I didn’t realize that people were so thirsty
thirsty
thirsty to learn about Islam and Muslims it gave
to learn about Islam and Muslims it gave
to learn about Islam and Muslims it gave me a jump start since then I have done
me a jump start since then I have done
me a jump start since then I have done over 80 such events and the average
over 80 such events and the average
over 80 such events and the average attendance at each event is close to 40
attendance at each event is close to 40
attendance at each event is close to 40 people the questions that I’m mostly
people the questions that I’m mostly
people the questions that I’m mostly asked is like what is the difference
asked is like what is the difference
asked is like what is the difference between Shia and Sunni why are women
between Shia and Sunni why are women
between Shia and Sunni why are women oppressed in Islam why are people
oppressed in Islam why are people
oppressed in Islam why are people getting radicalized today some of the
getting radicalized today some of the
getting radicalized today some of the things that are in the news that people
things that are in the news that people
things that are in the news that people hear all the time and that those are the
hear all the time and that those are the
hear all the time and that those are the questions that they ask my own friends
questions that they ask my own friends
questions that they ask my own friends don’t ask me questions because I think
don’t ask me questions because I think
don’t ask me questions because I think they will offend me this gives them a
they will offend me this gives them a
they will offend me this gives them a platform not only to them but to
platform not only to them but to
platform not only to them but to everybody I wanted to provide a safe and
everybody I wanted to provide a safe and
everybody I wanted to provide a safe and conducive environment where people could
conducive environment where people could
conducive environment where people could come and ask questions without feeling
come and ask questions without feeling
come and ask questions without feeling judged without feeling that they are
judged without feeling that they are
judged without feeling that they are going to be there going to offend me I
going to be there going to offend me I
going to be there going to offend me I wanted them to be able to ask any
wanted them to be able to ask any
wanted them to be able to ask any question but at the same time I informed
question but at the same time I informed
question but at the same time I informed them that I’m a layperson
them that I’m a layperson
them that I’m a layperson I’m not an expert or any scholar in any
I’m not an expert or any scholar in any
I’m not an expert or any scholar in any shape or form that I will try to answer
shape or form that I will try to answer
shape or form that I will try to answer their question to the best of my ability
their question to the best of my ability
their question to the best of my ability in the most sincere and honest rate that
in the most sincere and honest rate that
in the most sincere and honest rate that I can there are a lot of misconceptions
I can there are a lot of misconceptions
I can there are a lot of misconceptions misunderstandings and stereotyping done
misunderstandings and stereotyping done
misunderstandings and stereotyping done for Muslims I want to tackle and answer
for Muslims I want to tackle and answer
for Muslims I want to tackle and answer those those scenarios at one of my
those those scenarios at one of my
those those scenarios at one of my events
events
events an elderly man came and he told the
an elderly man came and he told the
an elderly man came and he told the organizers he came before the event
organizers he came before the event
organizers he came before the event started he told the organizers that he
started he told the organizers that he
started he told the organizers that he will slash my throat if I offended him
will slash my throat if I offended him
will slash my throat if I offended him and he also said that he was armed with
and he also said that he was armed with
and he also said that he was armed with a knife but I heard that my jaw just
a knife but I heard that my jaw just
a knife but I heard that my jaw just dropped I could not imagine a fellow
dropped I could not imagine a fellow
dropped I could not imagine a fellow community member a fellow American would
community member a fellow American would
community member a fellow American would say such an intense thing to me I had to
say such an intense thing to me I had to
say such an intense thing to me I had to take a deep breath and move on with my
take a deep breath and move on with my
take a deep breath and move on with my event add another such event a woman
event add another such event a woman
event add another such event a woman came up to me after the event ended and
came up to me after the event ended and
came up to me after the event ended and she said that I cannot talk anything in
she said that I cannot talk anything in
she said that I cannot talk anything in dissent of my government and I asked her
dissent of my government and I asked her
dissent of my government and I asked her why she said just you can’t I said I’m
why she said just you can’t I said I’m
why she said just you can’t I said I’m as American as you are I think I have
as American as you are I think I have
as American as you are I think I have the right and neither duty and the duty
the right and neither duty and the duty
the right and neither duty and the duty to talk if things are being done in my
to talk if things are being done in my
to talk if things are being done in my name by my government that are unjust
name by my government that are unjust
name by my government that are unjust and unfair she goes no you can’t because
and unfair she goes no you can’t because
and unfair she goes no you can’t because you’re wearing this she circled my face
you’re wearing this she circled my face
you’re wearing this she circled my face telling me that I’m very heavy job that
telling me that I’m very heavy job that
telling me that I’m very heavy job that I’m a Muslim woman that I don’t have the
I’m a Muslim woman that I don’t have the
I’m a Muslim woman that I don’t have the same right as she does so this is the
same right as she does so this is the
same right as she does so this is the time that we are living in
time that we are living in
time that we are living in people are taking things in their
people are taking things in their
people are taking things in their control they feel that it’s okay to say
control they feel that it’s okay to say
control they feel that it’s okay to say or do things the way they please it’s
or do things the way they please it’s
or do things the way they please it’s very scary because
very scary because
very scary because most as Muslim I’m afraid of somebody
most as Muslim I’m afraid of somebody
most as Muslim I’m afraid of somebody walking towards me on the street and
walking towards me on the street and
walking towards me on the street and probably they’re afraid of me because of
probably they’re afraid of me because of
probably they’re afraid of me because of all the stuff that they hear in the news
all the stuff that they hear in the news
all the stuff that they hear in the news they don’t know what to expect and I
they don’t know what to expect and I
they don’t know what to expect and I don’t know what to expect of them
meddlesome conversations are all about
meddlesome conversations are all about getting to know your neighbor we want to
getting to know your neighbor we want to
getting to know your neighbor we want to know who lives in our neighborhood we
know who lives in our neighborhood we
know who lives in our neighborhood we want to come out of our comfort zone and
want to come out of our comfort zone and
want to come out of our comfort zone and get to know them because people when
get to know them because people when
get to know them because people when they see us on the streets all they know
they see us on the streets all they know
they see us on the streets all they know that there are some countries of which
that there are some countries of which
that there are some countries of which Muslims are banned from coming to the
Muslims are banned from coming to the
Muslims are banned from coming to the United States they don’t remember the
United States they don’t remember the
United States they don’t remember the countries or anything all they see is
countries or anything all they see is
countries or anything all they see is this Muslim person is banned from coming
this Muslim person is banned from coming
this Muslim person is banned from coming to this country and they’re bad people
to this country and they’re bad people
to this country and they’re bad people can you imagine living in your home or
can you imagine living in your home or
can you imagine living in your home or going to your school or anywhere and
going to your school or anywhere and
going to your school or anywhere and people looking at you in person
listen I’m thinking maybe we learn about
listen I’m thinking maybe we learn about a person but I don’t belong here I
a person but I don’t belong here I
a person but I don’t belong here I should go away it’s a very disheartened
either there are enemies there in memory
either there are enemies there in memory evening dinner and we do the rent they
evening dinner and we do the rent they
evening dinner and we do the rent they need their community members children
need their community members children
need their community members children socialize and we get to know each other
didn’t I
didn’t I but today I can guarantee you
but today I can guarantee you
but today I can guarantee you Oh
we need to be the best out of it we need
we need to be the best out of it we need to make sure that you know
into the fire to carry on conversations
into the fire to carry on conversations about the song
but we have to drive Wrangler barriers
but we have to drive Wrangler barriers so that
like I said not really
like I said not really smile smile is a weakness
trying right away describe a
trying right away describe a conversation because it’s a person
conversation because it’s a person
conversation because it’s a person interaction that really makes a
interaction that really makes a
interaction that really makes a difference
I started
I started it
in the passion because you need to
in the passion because you need to change
”
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