Discrimination against Muslims

By: JOE-ALI G. MANAMPAN

We are not ignorant, we are not uneducated, and we are not terrorists. We are Muslims!
Muslim-specific intolerance and prejudice are nothing new. Ever since I was a little, the
discrimination against my culture has been uncontrolled because of disinformation and
people who are not willing to educate themselves. Every time I ask my friends who are
not Muslims if they want to visit Muslim places, they always reply, "I don’t think it's safe
there." This prejudice gives us the question: if we Muslims went to a city where there are
a few Muslim people, do you think we would also feel safe? There is no difference
between what you feel and what we experience when we are out of our comfort zone.

Like in other religions, there is good and bad, but what is most important is that we knew
how to differentiate between both kinds of deeds. We Muslim people want peace and
freedom: peace from wars against us and freedom to be part of society without judgment.
We want to live a normal life where no one will try to take advantage of our weaknesses
to deceive us; we want to live a normal life where our children want to have a good
foundation in learning; we also want to live a normal life where people welcome us and
treat us equally; and we want to live a normal life where no one is scared to ask about
Muslim culture.

Thus, many Muslims consequently encounter a variety of forms of prejudice, including

verbal abuse, hate speech, violent assaults, and religious profiling. Many also have
barriers to their ability to practice their religion openly and are denied equal chances in a
job, housing, healthcare, and education. I am hoping that someday people will educate
themselves and realize that despite differences, we can still have a good environment
without discrimination in our culture and beliefs.