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Essay On Muslim Americans

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The minority group that I choose was Muslim Americans. I recognize these people face a lot of discrimination in our society today. Even so, they are steadfast in their beliefs and I wanted to gain insight into their beliefs and lifestyle. I attended two separate events at a nearby mosque. The first was a prayer service and afterwards I went on a tour and talked with a few people in the library afterwards. One of these individuals was the leader who gave the message during the service, he is called the Imam (M. Syed, personal communication, February 4, 2016). The second event I attended was their monthly community dinner which included the fourth daily prayer, fellowship and a meal, and concluded with the final prayer of the day. Most Interesting …show more content…

My experience at the Mosque and with the Muslim people confirmed this. On my way to my first visit I was very anxious and nervous, but once I was there I felt very welcomed and accepted. It was apparent that they were glad I was there, even though they knew it was for a class assignment. This was a surprising relief for me. It made the remaining of the experience very positive and insightful. In much of my previous research it was apparent that Muslim Americans face discrimination and judgement on a daily basis (Eid, 2013). To gain a better understanding of what that feels like I decided to wear a hijab the entire day of my first visit. In my own town I experience many double takes, stares, and faces of disgust. I was really embarrassed and shamed even though I knew that the identity I was representing was not a true part of my identity. I think feeling this shame instilled in me compassion for the constant feelings of discrimination experienced everyday by the people I interacted with at the mosque, even though I recognized it was only a small measure of what it feelings like for

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