If you are a Muslim woman reading this, it’s great to be able to teach people who don’t know much about Islam about your religion. However, there are some questions that really get to you. Questions so blandly ignorant, you really wish you could push them over a bridge.
When Muslim women are portrayed in the media, a lot of the times, she’s covered head to toe, and I say that literally. Even her hands and face are covered, and you wouldn’t be able to see much of her save for the eyes. There have been a few images of the “modern” Muslim popping up in TV commercials and advertisements but not as much as there should be.
So with a large section of people still ignorant about what a Muslim woman is, here are five common phrases/questions a lot of them are sick and tired of hearing of and really wished you stopped.
1) “Aren’t you hot?”
The problem with this question is that people see covered up and immediately associate that with being hot. Here is the thing though: it’s entirely false. If you want to feel the breeze on your skin or feel the burn of the sun, that is entirely your choice. However, covering up doesn’t always result to the person being hot. It depends on what one is wearing. How tight or how loose are her clothing? What material is she wearing? The material matters and sometimes, the looseness as well. If she’s wearing loose linen pants, she may not feel it as much. However, if she’s wearing thick tight jeans, you can bet that her legs are sweating underneath them. Religious reasons aside, covering up lessens the risk of skin burn and cancer.
2) “Do you speak Muslim?”
First, sit down for a second. Two, open up a dictionary and read the definition of “Muslim.” For the love of God, please. When we hear this question, we’re not sure if we should be annoyed or if we should feel bad that you don’t know the definition of “Muslim.”
3) “Were you forced to wear that?”
Forced??? Look, hun, they choose every day to be freaking fabulous head scarf divas. No one can dare be a match for their fierce sense of style. (But on a serious note: the answer is really no.)
4) “Do you take a shower with that on?”
Yes – they do! And it changes color and style every single time they go in! Like magic!
