Comments for the days are . . . shiny

Comment on when do you come out of the closet? by karen

karen — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:00:24 +0000

I really don’t care what others think of me. I have no problem telling anyone i’m muslim. I look at it this way, if you don’t like me for who i am then the friendship wasn’t worth it to start with. Sry i am a little blunt sometimes. LOL

Comment on when do you come out of the closet? by Mombeam

Mombeam — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:03:12 +0000

I wear hijab but this often happens to me when I first initiate contact via email. I just moved to a new town and due to past experience I just decided to come out immediately, via email. I could avoid it because I’m American and I have an American name but when I show up with hijab (and 3 girls who also wear it) I think I’d be pretty shocking. But mainly I do it up front because I have seen people do COMPLETE 180-degree turnarounds in their treatment of us– either of me or of dh, after they find out that his wife wears hijab. So, rather than waste my time on a arranging for a relationship with somebody (or a group) who is going to drop me like a stone later on, I just find a way to slip it into my introduction to the group so that if the place is going to be hostile, I know to avoid it up front.

It is so cool that you found somebody who likes the call the prayer. Every once in a while I’ll come across somebody who has worked in the Gulf and has some positive experiences to relate but in the Bible Belt that was pretty rare.

On a side note, I can’t believe everyone where you live has GIRLS! I have 3 girls and I’m stuck because everyone here has BOYS! I also know what you mean about having primarily non-Muslim friends, especially due to the homeschooling. It drives me crazy. I wish more Muslim families were homeschooling.

Comment on long time no friday photo by Achelois

Achelois — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:32:11 +0000

Beautiful photos, Shawna! Mashallah.

Comment on ooph by Mama Kalila

Mama Kalila — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:39:30 +0000

You just made me hungry….

Comment on when do you come out of the closet? by aynur

aynur — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:51:21 +0000

It looks like unlike the earlier posters here I’m one that doesn’t wear hijab, so by looking at me you can’t say ‘oh that lady is Muslim’. If someone is friends with my on facebook, they’ll see my posts or if they look at my info they’ll see it listed. I normally don’t delve into religious issues with the women I meet up with, since the ones I normally spend time with are other moms, at playdates or kid’s activities. They might thing it’s weird that I don’t wear low-cut tops or short-sleeves/tank tops during the summer. That being said, I’m not super talkative anyway. :p But if the topic comes up I won’t hide the fact I’m Muslim, and all my closer friends know I am.

Comment on when do you come out of the closet? by Mama Kalila

Mama Kalila — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:08 +0000

Well, I’m not Muslim, but I understand what you’re talking about in a round about way… I’m Catholic and went to a very small coC college in the Bible Belt. I was not expecting it to be like that and despite being shy I almost flaunted it? I was def never in the closet about it lol. I made friends despite that, but it wasn’t easy at times either…

Beyond that, something that hasn’t happened while making friends, I’ve also been mistaken for Muslim several times because I like to wear hijab. I don’t do it full time, but still. I can usually tell when that happens whether they speak up or not, but I don’t explain unless they ask. My husband on the other hand feels the need to explain to everyone.. even when I’m not wearing hijab and we’re eating out and I ask if there’s pork on something (I don’t do that either) or ask for the alternative he points out why i don’t do it. I understand why, but it almost makes me laugh when he does it.

Comment on when do you come out of the closet? by Organica

Organica — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:26:16 +0000

Interesting.

I remember when I wasn’t as visible as a Muslim and passed for a Hispanic or Indian woman it took a while for me to open up about my faith and identity. It’s especially difficult when there are very few people similar to you. It’s sometimes easier to just keep your faith like a dirty secret.

I’ve been there and I sorta hated the pressure.

I guess now with the way I choose to dress, this has eased the pressure. That being said, I never advertise my Muslimness. Like last semester I had an awesome lab partner. We talked for hours every week during our lab. Towards the end of the semester, something about alcohol was mentioned and that is when my lab partner revealed at her old job a coworker was Muslim and she knew all about it although he didn’t follow the rules.

Comment on a g post! by ammena

ammena — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:05:07 +0000

very cute masha’Allah wish I had seen it

Comment on when do you come out of the closet? by ammena

ammena — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:01:15 +0000

masha’Allah thats great.. i love it when people totally take you by surprise. As I wear a headscarf the majority of the time I dont really have this issue.. but when I didnt wear it, I remember telling a girl I was doing a french course with, it was our first ‘date’ away from college and she just asked what religion I was. I find without a scarf many people dont believe me lol

Comment on when do you come out of the closet? by iMuslim

iMuslim — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:56:43 +0000

I wear hijab, but it is still not obvious to everyone whom I meet that I’m Muslim; though I’ve noticed that more with foreigners. I think the British media is so saturated with images of veiled women, that many, if not most, Brits know that a headscarf = Muslim.

I have more problem talking about Islam in general; or avoiding talking about things frowned upon in Islam. I am facing that issue now. My current project group regularly crack jokes related to sex or being gay. It’s not like I lack a sense of humour, but I just don’t want to go there myself. So I usually remain quiet, and the thread dies away eventually.

What could I say to them anyway? Haram! I do feel a bit pathetic at those times.