peace be upon you all few days before
the election my seven-year-old daughter
came up to me and asked me mama what
happens if Donald Trump becomes
president I looked at her and said it
wouldn’t hurt if we go and live with
Grandma in Beirut for a few years so she
answered me I love that idea
but isn’t that called running away from
our problems so I really had to
contemplate about her answer so I
thought to myself how can I use my
communication skills and media
experience so that I can help eliminate
prejudice against Muslims here in the US
you see I grew up in Lebanon in Lebanon
we have more than 18 religious groups
and I never thought about that
the country mostly comprises of Muslims
and Christians who live side-by-side
whose political disagreements at some
point led to a civil war and political
violence specifically when when religion
was being politicized but let me tell
you how the community actually survived
this meet my group of friends a
Christian married to a Muslim Sunni girl
married to a Shia man a Christian couple
and me and my friends are Muslim couples
Muslims and Christians are neighbors
they are work colleagues they are
friends they sometimes belong to the
same family one of my Christian friend
went to me to the mosque one day when
she was in distress and I went to her
church on her wedding day and it was no
big deal it was everyday life for us I
personally grew up in a Catholic school
and I went to a Catholic school and one
of my friends one of my classmates was a
nun Muslims and Christians knew each
other well enough to know that their
disagreements are political and do not
take root
in itself and they knew each other well
enough to ask each other uncomfortable
questions have a look at this picture
hundred and thousands of people from all
religious groups gathered together in a
downtown square to oppose an oppressive
regime that was occupy occupying the
country at that time
isn’t that beautiful that peaceful
demonstration after much struggle
actually liberated the country how
powerful is that now what makes Lebanese
people more equipped to handle religious
diversity how come that a population of
mostly Muslims and Christians live
side-by-side peacefully and have more
than 90 percent favorable opinions of
each other what can we learn from this
experience and how can we replicate it
here in America so that we can have a
better understanding of one another in
2008 I booked myself a one-way to get to
the US to join my husband and no I did
not use that specific airplane I did not
know what to expect so I we had
consecutive pregnancy so I got to watch
TV more than I really want to and I got
to see the Muslim scene being hijacked
by terrorists in the media you see a
panel discussing Islam without a Muslim
there I thought to myself I need to
speak out and this is not how it should
be so I started reaching out to every
single person I had access to like a
group of friends I used to attend baby
classes with I invited a group of
friends over to my house modeling a
gathering / Islamic tradition I invited
a group of friends to the nearby mosque
to have a fast breaking experience in
the month of Ramadan our fasting month
how did I did my Lebanese magic and I
spoke and I reached out at
every opportunity specifically when I
felt like hiding away to my surprise the
City of Eden Prairie awarded me the
Human Rights Award for dismantling
misconceptions and building bridges of
unity
now Muslim constitute only 1% of the
population here in America so how can we
replicate this how can we make more
Muslims available to the public well an
increase in the Muslim population is one
answer but I was hoping for a more
practical one but first let me share
with you something that happened a
couple of months ago I go to a
hairdresser here in the Twin Cities that
accommodate my need for a no man zone
where I can just remove my head covering
and sit down relax and have a haircut I
went there and I started chatting away
with my hairdresser with my hijab off
when another hairdresser came over from
the washing area with her client and
settled just across from us as my
hairdresser was working on my hairstyle
I heard the word Sharia law and you know
so I listened carefully and the
conversation went something like this
can you believe those people them and
the Sharia law and her client said do
you believe it’s being implemented in
schools like Willie and then she said
the man marry eight wives and her client
said no it’s three wives so I was
privileged to have access to a
conversation that almost never happens
in front of me I reached for my phone
and texted my husband this is what’s
happening what do you think I should do
so he said do what you do best after
your haircut so I did
as I was checking out I asked my
hairdresser to go call the other
hairdresser so I I can speak to her for
a few minutes she did that came back
saying I’m sorry the other hairdresser
is busy I asked her to go again to the
hairdresser and ask her if I can go to
her station and speak to her for a few
minutes she did that again same answer
the other hairdresser is unavailable at
that moment the assistant manager saw me
a little frustrated and she said would
you like to leave a message
seeing no other option I said yes and
this is what I wrote dear friend I
overheard your conversation with your
client about Sharia law and Muslim
practices as a Muslim woman I want to
know if you have a Muslim in your life
or if you have an Islamic source you get
your information from I believe we need
to be more informed in our conversations
making them part of the solution and not
part of the problem I would like you to
be I would like to be your new Muslim
friend and I left my phone number in my
name and I told her please reach out to
me whenever you have some free time
basically a simple conversation now the
only unknown call I received that
evening was a call from the library
informing me about my overdue books so
I’m still waiting for that phone call
but I was inspired to write about my
experience on Facebook but I posted a
post and the likes counted to one
hundred and ten thousand and the
comments were six thousand five hundred
comments around three hundred people
reached out to me saying we want you to
be our new Muslim friend a local TV
station contacted me and featured my
story on the local news and Glamour
magazine contacted me asking me to
feature my story in their upcoming
activism issue so they are really
heartened by the feedback people want to
know about Islam they want to know about
Muslims they want to get to know a
Muslim but honestly what about that air
dresser what about the millions that are
consumed in there misconceptions and
refusing to have a simple conversation
we’re about the thousands of towns that
are isolated and do not have a single
Muslim living in them how can we reach
them my suggestion is that we have to
give Muslim the mainstream media
platform of TV radio and magazine so
they can present themselves to the
larger community we feel we all feel
like we know Oprah right
we know Allen we know Tyra my suggestion
is to give Muslim a mainstream media
platform where they can present
themselves to the larger community
outside of unfortunate events let us
tell you what life is like for us let us
relay our stories let us say our way of
life allow us to share with you what
what’s inspiring for us and what is
really distressful my suggestion is to
give Muslims a mainstream media platform
hear from us about the Sharia law and
the five tenets which all but one
already exists in the American
Constitution hear from us about what
Muslims are doing to support minorities
in Muslim populated countries hear from
us about why Muslim women cover their
heads emulating Mary the mother of Jesus
peace be upon them both the most pious
woman that ever walked the earth hear
from us about Prophet Mohammed and what
he did for women not to women hear from
us if 70,000 scholars gathered in India
to denounce all terrorist groups and if
it’s a Muslim problem that people do not
talk about this and do not know this
hear from us Muslim veiled women if we
feel oppressed when no one really wants
to hear about what we have to say about
our own choice of clothing hear from us
whether you are a mechanic a banker an
engineer or a Hollywood producer please
help us invite a Muslim to each and
every living room in America thank you
[Applause] [Music]
the election my seven-year-old daughter
came up to me and asked me mama what
happens if Donald Trump becomes
president I looked at her and said it
wouldn’t hurt if we go and live with
Grandma in Beirut for a few years so she
answered me I love that idea
but isn’t that called running away from
our problems so I really had to
contemplate about her answer so I
thought to myself how can I use my
communication skills and media
experience so that I can help eliminate
prejudice against Muslims here in the US
you see I grew up in Lebanon in Lebanon
we have more than 18 religious groups
and I never thought about that
the country mostly comprises of Muslims
and Christians who live side-by-side
whose political disagreements at some
point led to a civil war and political
violence specifically when when religion
was being politicized but let me tell
you how the community actually survived
this meet my group of friends a
Christian married to a Muslim Sunni girl
married to a Shia man a Christian couple
and me and my friends are Muslim couples
Muslims and Christians are neighbors
they are work colleagues they are
friends they sometimes belong to the
same family one of my Christian friend
went to me to the mosque one day when
she was in distress and I went to her
church on her wedding day and it was no
big deal it was everyday life for us I
personally grew up in a Catholic school
and I went to a Catholic school and one
of my friends one of my classmates was a
nun Muslims and Christians knew each
other well enough to know that their
disagreements are political and do not
take root
in itself and they knew each other well
enough to ask each other uncomfortable
questions have a look at this picture
hundred and thousands of people from all
religious groups gathered together in a
downtown square to oppose an oppressive
regime that was occupy occupying the
country at that time
isn’t that beautiful that peaceful
demonstration after much struggle
actually liberated the country how
powerful is that now what makes Lebanese
people more equipped to handle religious
diversity how come that a population of
mostly Muslims and Christians live
side-by-side peacefully and have more
than 90 percent favorable opinions of
each other what can we learn from this
experience and how can we replicate it
here in America so that we can have a
better understanding of one another in
2008 I booked myself a one-way to get to
the US to join my husband and no I did
not use that specific airplane I did not
know what to expect so I we had
consecutive pregnancy so I got to watch
TV more than I really want to and I got
to see the Muslim scene being hijacked
by terrorists in the media you see a
panel discussing Islam without a Muslim
there I thought to myself I need to
speak out and this is not how it should
be so I started reaching out to every
single person I had access to like a
group of friends I used to attend baby
classes with I invited a group of
friends over to my house modeling a
gathering / Islamic tradition I invited
a group of friends to the nearby mosque
to have a fast breaking experience in
the month of Ramadan our fasting month
how did I did my Lebanese magic and I
spoke and I reached out at
every opportunity specifically when I
felt like hiding away to my surprise the
City of Eden Prairie awarded me the
Human Rights Award for dismantling
misconceptions and building bridges of
unity
now Muslim constitute only 1% of the
population here in America so how can we
replicate this how can we make more
Muslims available to the public well an
increase in the Muslim population is one
answer but I was hoping for a more
practical one but first let me share
with you something that happened a
couple of months ago I go to a
hairdresser here in the Twin Cities that
accommodate my need for a no man zone
where I can just remove my head covering
and sit down relax and have a haircut I
went there and I started chatting away
with my hairdresser with my hijab off
when another hairdresser came over from
the washing area with her client and
settled just across from us as my
hairdresser was working on my hairstyle
I heard the word Sharia law and you know
so I listened carefully and the
conversation went something like this
can you believe those people them and
the Sharia law and her client said do
you believe it’s being implemented in
schools like Willie and then she said
the man marry eight wives and her client
said no it’s three wives so I was
privileged to have access to a
conversation that almost never happens
in front of me I reached for my phone
and texted my husband this is what’s
happening what do you think I should do
so he said do what you do best after
your haircut so I did
as I was checking out I asked my
hairdresser to go call the other
hairdresser so I I can speak to her for
a few minutes she did that came back
saying I’m sorry the other hairdresser
is busy I asked her to go again to the
hairdresser and ask her if I can go to
her station and speak to her for a few
minutes she did that again same answer
the other hairdresser is unavailable at
that moment the assistant manager saw me
a little frustrated and she said would
you like to leave a message
seeing no other option I said yes and
this is what I wrote dear friend I
overheard your conversation with your
client about Sharia law and Muslim
practices as a Muslim woman I want to
know if you have a Muslim in your life
or if you have an Islamic source you get
your information from I believe we need
to be more informed in our conversations
making them part of the solution and not
part of the problem I would like you to
be I would like to be your new Muslim
friend and I left my phone number in my
name and I told her please reach out to
me whenever you have some free time
basically a simple conversation now the
only unknown call I received that
evening was a call from the library
informing me about my overdue books so
I’m still waiting for that phone call
but I was inspired to write about my
experience on Facebook but I posted a
post and the likes counted to one
hundred and ten thousand and the
comments were six thousand five hundred
comments around three hundred people
reached out to me saying we want you to
be our new Muslim friend a local TV
station contacted me and featured my
story on the local news and Glamour
magazine contacted me asking me to
feature my story in their upcoming
activism issue so they are really
heartened by the feedback people want to
know about Islam they want to know about
Muslims they want to get to know a
Muslim but honestly what about that air
dresser what about the millions that are
consumed in there misconceptions and
refusing to have a simple conversation
we’re about the thousands of towns that
are isolated and do not have a single
Muslim living in them how can we reach
them my suggestion is that we have to
give Muslim the mainstream media
platform of TV radio and magazine so
they can present themselves to the
larger community we feel we all feel
like we know Oprah right
we know Allen we know Tyra my suggestion
is to give Muslim a mainstream media
platform where they can present
themselves to the larger community
outside of unfortunate events let us
tell you what life is like for us let us
relay our stories let us say our way of
life allow us to share with you what
what’s inspiring for us and what is
really distressful my suggestion is to
give Muslims a mainstream media platform
hear from us about the Sharia law and
the five tenets which all but one
already exists in the American
Constitution hear from us about what
Muslims are doing to support minorities
in Muslim populated countries hear from
us about why Muslim women cover their
heads emulating Mary the mother of Jesus
peace be upon them both the most pious
woman that ever walked the earth hear
from us about Prophet Mohammed and what
he did for women not to women hear from
us if 70,000 scholars gathered in India
to denounce all terrorist groups and if
it’s a Muslim problem that people do not
talk about this and do not know this
hear from us Muslim veiled women if we
feel oppressed when no one really wants
to hear about what we have to say about
our own choice of clothing hear from us
whether you are a mechanic a banker an
engineer or a Hollywood producer please
help us invite a Muslim to each and
every living room in America thank you
[Applause] [Music]
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