Practicing Islam does not equate to radicalism

The news of the Tsarnaev brothers have left the front pages but the question, ‘Why did they do this?’ hasn’t left our minds. While the suspects’ parents, Anzor and Zubeidat, and the great-aunt, Patimat Suleimanova, are vehemently denying that the Tsarnaev brothers are guilty of any wrongdoing, the media are busy connecting Tamarlan and his mother to a radical interpretation of Islam. Their assertions stem from the fact that Tamarlan quit boxing and immersed himself in Islam while his mother gave up teasing her hair, wearing dark eyeliners, and started covering her hair with a hijab.

But does going from a non-practicing Muslim to one who has a spiritual rejuvenation make a person want to blow up innocent people? When a non-practicing Muslim starts to practice Islam, to an outsider his observance of religious obligations and the frequent use of Arabic phrases such as, “Inshallah (God willing)” may raise some eyebrows. And even some Muslims, such as, Asra Nomani don’t know the difference when she noted that “the increasing use of these phrases of religiosity are code inside the community for someone who is becoming hardcore. It doesn’t mean that they’re becoming violent or criminal, but it’s a red flag.”

I know how a person can undergo a spiritual transformation. I know because I have been there. Though I was born a Muslim I never truly practiced Islam during my childhood or in my early adulthood. Religion was not something that was discussed at home or in our social gatherings. I never visited mosques growing up because women were discouraged from attending them. When I came to the US as a college student I fit right in because no one knew or cared that I was a Muslim. It was not until I hit my late thirties that I realized a spiritual awakening and a desire to practice Islam and learn about it.

“Sister, it is fard (obligatory) to cover your head. Your coat is okay but you must cover your head.” This was a direct instruction given to me by a complete stranger at an Islamic bookstore on a cold wintry day some seventeen years ago. I was taken aback by the remarks coming from a person who was neither my friend nor a relative. But, instead of getting angry with him I felt a sudden urge to find out more about the Islamic dress code for Muslim women. I asked the owner of the store if he had a book on Islamic dress. He brought a small paperback and handed it to me. It quoted verses from the Quran which instruct Muslim women to “not display their beauty… and that they should draw their head coverings over their bosoms”. I bought the book and drove back home thinking that it is time that I accept Islam whole-heartedly and adopt a life that conforms to the teachings based on the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad.

Now I am a practicing Muslim woman who dons a hijab when in public, attends the mosque regularly, and frequently use such Arabic phrases as, “Inshallah (God willing)”, “Mashallah (What God wishes)”, and “Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God)”. I also greet my fellow Muslims with the Islamic greeting of “Assalamu Alaikum (peace be on you)” and not “Hi”.

I don’t know what truly motivated the Tsarnaev brothers to commit the heinous act on April 15 and I do not condone their action but the religion of Islam has become tarnished again. Fortunately, there has been very little backlash after the bombings- much less compared to post 9/11. However, the anti-Islam sentiment is alive and kicking among several politicians as well as the public.

So, next time you see me in the grocery store, or at the gas station, or at my daughter’s school, in my Islamic dress, please don’t label me as ‘radical’ and a ‘potential terrorist’. Come and talk to me instead and learn about my faith from me and not from the media or the anti-Islam talk show hosts and politicians.