Islamophobia: Dislike of or prejudice against Muslims due to their religion, or perceived religious, national, or ethnic identity associated with Islam.

I am not Muslim. I am an Indian woman who has the dark skin, dark features, nose and eyes similar to the one of Muslim women. I might not wear a Hijab but I have many times mistaken to be Muslim. I have felt the spectrum of behavior and decimating attitudes that have existed towards Muslims for a very long time in our society. I have been in public places where I felt like an outsider and felt like my presence was making people feel uncomfortable. The most prominent memory that comes to mind is the day at the airport where I could hear people whisper things about me, have worried looks on their faces, even at times move their children closer to them. I remember this day so clearly because it was the day after the Terrorist attack in Paris.

I remember my mom calling me after the attack had taken place questioning if I should still fly home the next day. She knew the reality most people try to deny; I would face heightened scrutiny and calls for vigilance because the color of my skin and ethnic dark features. People would mistake me to be Muslim and in our society that would automatically categorizes me as a terrorist. That is the disconcerting reality of our society and that is what defines Islamophobia.

I remember walking down to the security line feeling stares on my back and split second glances before looking away. I wish I could say I was not treated any differently than every other person in the security line but that would be untrue. I was taken through additional security, asked of my background; questions from "why are you travelling today? Where are you traveling? What college do you attend?" To specific tentative questions like, "where has your laptop been? Who dropped you off at the airport?" While additionally all my belongings were being checked thoroughly.

We are judged by the color of our skin, features, and clothing and given labels based off of stereotypes time after time. That is the reality of our society and there is no way to sugar coat it. I grew up in a culturally diverse enviroment and I understood what most people in our society fail to recognize: there are only two types of people in this world. People whom do-good deeds and people who do evil deeds. That is the only thing that separates people. Not what we look like, not what religion we are, not where we are born, just merely if we are a person who does good and spread love in life or if we are person who does evil and spread hate.

Being mistaken for being Muslim never offended or angered me. However what makes me angry is society’s inability and fear to learn how complex, layered, passionate and loving Islamic culture and religion is. What makes me angry is how just a day later I received news that a Muslim women my age was physically attacked in the school parking garage for wearing a Hijab. What makes me angry is that almost every Muslim woman has a disturbing story of isolated attacks or is victimized for wearing a Hijab or niqab because they are the visible representation of their religion. It is intellectually dishonest to believe that Anti-Muslim bias does not exist.

In the Netherlands, 90 percent of victims reporting incidents of violence to Meld Islamophobia in 2015 were Muslim women; in France, the Collective Against Islamophobia reported that 81 percent of violent incidents involved Muslim women. In the USA poll on average, 55 percent of those it surveyed held a "disapproving" opinion of Islam. The poll also revealed that the majority of respondents also had limited contact with Muslims, with 74 percent of respondents saying they didn't work with someone who is Muslim and 68 percent saying they did not have any Muslim friends.

These are not just numbers these are real life stories of individuals who are being bullied, attacked and categorized as terrorist for being passionate and committed to their religions a right everyone is “given”. If freedom of religion is right we are all given why does society label Muslims as terrorists for wearing their Hijabs? Why are they faced with negative comments about their choice to wear traditional Muslim clothing? Why are they forced to remove their burkinis in security lines at an airport and humiliated with unnecessary questions? Freedom of religion is defined by the ability to practice religion not depending on the place or people but depending only on what one believes in.

I am an Indian women who has been mistaken to be a Muslim women because no one can look at the color of my skin and distinguish me between a Muslim or Indian, just as no one can look at a Muslim and label them a terrorist since it is not our skin color, religion, culture or where we come from that separates us but it is our willingness to do good or evil in this life. Good people and bad people there is no other difference.