Personal Narrative-The Story Behind Me As A Egyptian/Muslim

Everyone goes through one point of life not being able to fit in a group. Some people believe that being an outsider isn’t universal, however, if everyone fits in why is would bullying be a big problem in schools. People also believe that everyone has groups to fit in, but not everyone fits in social classes. From my experience, I know what it’s like to not fully fit in with the popular kids. They don’t really talk to you and they believe that they are more superior, which is not the case at all. They believe that they have the right to judge you, but makes them look bad in the long run.

Throughout my life I have come from and created a few identities for myself. Perhaps, the most dominant identities that have been apart of my life are being an athlete and being a family orientated man. In this paper I will write about how my identities have shaped my life.

The world is filled with people, and like snowflakes, each person is not the same as another. Each person identifies with different aspects of their lives to create their own personal identities. I personally identify with my Italian side of my family to help form who I am today. I have found myself connecting with this side more so than the other parts of my identity. It affects how I live my life by becoming the center to the culture surrounding me. However, my ethnic identity as an Italian American also influences how I live when it comes to my religion, and how my religion affects my life alongside my ethnicity. I will expand on this issue on how I express my ethnic and religious identity in regards to each other.

Even though I have never been on an airplane, I consider myself an international traveler. I live in the U.S. but I also have Lebanese immigrant parents. When I was younger, I used travel back and forth across international borders to fulfill my daily routine in one city. But; I was never Arab enough to fit in with “Arab” natives, and being Arab means that I would never be considered “American” enough. Because of this, I suffered from “identity jet lag”; and I always questioned where I belonged. My first stigma to my identity wasn’t from the outside world, but from the people who looked like me; Muslim/Arab women are often discouraged from following their passions, and told to follow a more traditional role. But as I grew older, I recognized

A serious, distressing issue in our world. It is supposedly prejudiced against Islam or Muslims, but is it really? Every terrorist attack caused by any bearded man of colour is known as “Islamic terrorism” but if the attack is caused by a white man, he suddenly becomes “mentally unstable”. Isn’t that injustice towards everyone non-white? One thing I know is that the internet doesn’t seem to think that.

My pulse suddenly dropped as soon as my parents told me the big news. For a little girl to transition after moving to a different country can be very difficult, especially when you are completely unknown to the language. Although it might seem like a necessity for an individual to fit in, it’s not; do not be afraid to be yourself.

American Muslim Hijabis fight for social consciousness and social justice, advocating for cultural diffusion rather than the removal of a symbol of cultural identity. She concludes, “This more than a fabric its choosing to be different and a nonconformist and wearing it with pride”(Gomma). This is an act of empowerment, and liberation from societal popular expectations in regards to “beauty,identity,race, and culture”(Gomaa). Women like Mariam Gomma exemplify the points that the hijab is a choice, and doesn’t limit their potential or ability whatsoever.These sources paint a different narrative from the ostracized and victimized American Muslim woman that is oppressed by the hijab, but of strong, empowered women moving forward to fight for their rights and their identity in our culture liberated by the hijab.

An obstacle that my mother has faced is being Black Muslim women in America. It 's more of a problem than what reaches the surface and mainstream media. It 's rarely talked about in America. In america there are people who want to smear our entire faith and say that Islam is an inherently violent religion. These are exciting times to be an American Muslim. My mom said it was harder for her getting a job from being a black woman and her religious beliefs. Two negatives that have been around before she was boring the civil rights movement and women 's suffrage. I’m not here to talk about her being black, but being a Muslim women in america. The easy target for prejudice and violence and harsh words from uneducated people in the world and in

The assigned reading for chapter 6, Testimony by Sonny Singh is a firsthand account of the author as he fell victim to the prejudice towards certain racial and ethnic groups that followed the events of September 11,2001. Sonny Singh belongs to an ethnic group called Sikhs which are very identifiable because of their appearances. Most Sikh men wear a turban and have beards. This is a religious requirement for them and they consider it a matter of faith and prestige. In this article, the author has mentioned various instances where he has faced prejudice by strangers even years after the 9/11 attack and how it affects his everyday life as an educator and musician.

Fitting in. In other words “to fit in.” How can two simple words influence society and hold such weight over adolescents and even adults? Though my mind can’t understand the idea of what this phrase truly means, these words genuinely took a toll on me for a period of time during my semester here at Stony. If someone asked me what fitting in meant two years ago, I would have responded stating that “in order to “fit in,” you must have a lot of friends, do things you might not be comfortable with in order to please someone or a group, be skinny, wear make-up, wearing expensive clothing so that you won’t be considered a bump, etc. On the other hand, if someone asked me what fitting in means today, I would say there is no need to go through all of

When I was fifteen years old and in middle school, there was this one kid in my grade that was Muslim. He sat by himself minding his own business but everyday a group of kids in the grade above us would come and make fun of this young boy, each day it would be the same thing, they would call him names and tell him to go back to where he came from. All because he was a Muslim boy in Australia. One day he fought back to the bullies and threw a punch at the main culprit, of course he got beat up and all the boys had to go to the office and talk to the principle but what was astonishing was that the Muslim boy got suspended for three days and all the bullies did not get into trouble. From that day, I saw how the world target Muslims and how there is this witch hunt for them.

Creating my own religion, this task does seem pretty fun. Well my religion would be very similar to the army and sports, it will contain structure, a need to compete/exercise, guidelines on how to treat others, and most of all it will be fun. There will be no reliance on a god/s, no prejudice against others and most of all, history will be made by each individual. And what I mean from that, yes there will be history but each person will be in charge of choosing their own paths in life. There will be no guidelines to follow (except to treat others kindly), just the freedom for one to create their own greatness. The goal of my religion is to instill hard work throughout life, and overcome obstacles to achieve success. I personally don’t believe

On September 11, 2001, 19 militants linked with al-Qaeda hijacked four airliners and carried out suicide attacks on different locations in the United States. Roughly 3,000 people were wrongly killed. This tragedy affected Americans all over the country, but one specific religion was attacked twice; first by terrorists, then by their fellow Americans. This religion is known as Sikhism. Followers of Sikhism thrive for justice, equality, and honest conduct and livelihood. They make up the world’s fifth largest religion, but are often misunderstood as Muslim because of their distinct appearance. A Sikh’s features embrace unshorn hair, a beard, and a turban for those who are Amritdhari or Keshdhari.

My opinion about racial profiling is split between it being effective and racist. Racial profiling does good for a community because it often gets someone who has committed a crime. Racial Profiling has kept crime off the streets. The media and politicians turn it into a big issue. At the same time I understand why racial profiling is racist. Innocent people are blamed for a crime they did not commit and sometimes are guilty for something they did not do. It puts many people in a tough position because they can’t really do anything about it. Many Hispanic, black and middle-eastern people feel offended by racial profiling because it violates their human rights. I would also say because of the racial issues and remarks black and Hispanic

Many Muslim families are labelled, judged, and in some cases feared by the American people. Many major cities have mosques, and it is important to acknowledge the presence and value this individuals have in our society. In effort to achieve a better understanding of the faith itself and the lifestyle of those that follow the faith, I visited a worship service and a community event held at one of the mosques in Iowa. In some ways this experience felt very foreign, yet in many ways it felt very comfortable. The people invited me in, and respected my own boundaries as an observer and learner. This immersion journey began with feelings of fear and hesitation, and concluded with feelings of respect and