21 Muslims in the Midwest

I chose the topic of Muslims in the Midwest because I have a strong appreciation for a group that faces such backlash in a country that is supposed to be “land of the free”. From classwork alone, I have been able to comprehend that hatred has no age limit when it comes to Muslim minorities, despite them being a foundation of our country, and more particularly the Midwest. I feel there needs to be much more awareness brought to this topic in order for these rightful citizens to feel at home in their country. This topic relates to Samira Ahmed’s novel Love, Hate and Other Filters, as well as several academic articles that back up my argument. In order to better understand the role of Muslims living in Illinois, non-Muslims need to grasp the importance of acknowledging the hardships and difficulties Muslims face in everyday Midwestern life.

To begin, Love, Hate and Other Filters displays the life of an American-Muslim teen girl, predominantly during the aftermath of a terrorist attack. The main character, Maya, has finally taken life into her own hands prior to the attack. Despite her strict Indian-American Muslim parents, she has convinced them to let her go to her dream school. When a Muslim man bombs a building in Illinois, Maya’s life is changed forever. Maya faces discrimination at school as well as physical danger, and her parents no longer allow her to go to New York for school. Aside from Maya’s teen world being turned upside, I want to analyze Muslims as a whole and how the entirety of the group was affected by a senseless act. A quote in the novel from Maya’s father stood out to me in relation to the Muslim population of America and terrorism. The text says, “‘These terrorists are the antithesis of Islam. They’re not Muslim. Violence has no place in religion, and the terrorists are responsible for their own crimes, not the religion and not us’” (location #1844). I think this quote speaks volumes and mirrors my own opinions on the Muslim culture. From this example, we see the hardships Muslims face, especially after terrorism strikes.

In addition, Being Muslim in Illinois portrays two points of Muslim life in the Midwest. The article specifically highlights Muslim individuals in Springfield, IL. One of these individuals is Baker Siddique who tells of the adversity Muslims have faced in their part of the country. The text says, “Discrimination of Muslims is, of course, nothing new. The Springfield Islamic Society’s previous mosque was set on fire in the wake of a terrorist attack on American soil.

Interestingly, it wasn’t September 11. It was after Timothy McVeigh bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, killing more than 150 people. Immediately following the attack, media speculation blamed Muslim terrorists, inciting an intense wave of Islamophobia” (Will Radio). This example directly connects to Love, Hate and Other Filters. In the novel we see a deadly terrorist attack on a federal building and in the wake, Maya’s life is changed forever. Like the real-life example in the article, Maya is seen differently, even from her peers, just because she’s Muslim. As a non-Muslim person, I can’t imagine what this immense hatred must feel like. Thus in the midst of hostility, Muslims like Siddique still find the positives. The text says, “However, the response after the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 was a complete 180-degree turn, Baker Siddique says. As he explains, following the attacks, non-Muslim Springfield residents surrounded the mosque holding hands, to protect those inside as they worshipped” (Will Radio). This viewpoint is one of hope and shows the true integrity Muslim-Americans possess. They’re a part of this country, they are a solid foundation of the Midwest, and they want to be as accepted as anyone else.

Next, WBEZ highlights the rising of Islamophobia, especially in the Chicago area.. This article reports many statistics regarding the growth of Islamophobia as Muslim populations continue to grow. One statistic stated, “Those who knew a Muslim personally scored lower on the Islamophobia Index. Positive views of other minorities were also linked to lower Islamophobia. An even more powerful predictor for lower Islamophobia was having knowledge about the religion” (Kang). This example directly relates to my argument that with more knowledge comes a better understanding for this religious group. Maybe more so than Islamophobia, racism and xenophobia continue to grow in our country. This ties into the argument that a stereotyped person may receive hate for simply looking like the “typical” terrorist. Xenophobia is shown to many of middle eastern descent, Muslim or not. That’s why I think it’s important to not only learn about the Islamic faith, but of middle eastern culture. Another example that correlates with Love, Hate and Other Filters stems from hatred following a significant event. According to this article, there has been a large increase in the number of discrimination reports targeted at Muslim-Americans in Chicago since the Supreme Court upheld the Muslim ban in 2018. The text says, “He added that these calls include reports of hate mail, anti-Muslim graffiti on sidewalks of homes, vandalization and shots fired at mosques and death threats over the phone, which Sohel himself has experienced. He added that mosques are currently beefing up security” (Kang). This common theme of rising hatred when Muslims or middle eastern people are a big media topic can begin to decrease with more education and understanding of these groups.

In conclusion, non-Muslims can gain a better understanding of Muslims living in the Midwest by researching the real intentions of their religion, understanding their cultural values, and acknowledging that they are just as American as anyone else. This group of people are strictly followers of the Islamic faith, not of any one race or ethnicity. They follow a set of values and belong to a culture. People also need to understand the difference between Muslims and people of middle eastern descent. Though they might often correlate, they are not the same. Of the examples I’ve provided, it is clear this religion does not believe in violence despite what many think. Thus, the novel and articles all showcase the constant hatred toward this nonviolent group.  There’s a clear relationship between Love, Hate and Other Filters and the argument I have presented. Ahmed’s novel thoroughly expresses this idea through the life of Maya, and I think it’s a great resource for non-Muslims to understand my argument. As long as xenophobia and islamophobia continue to grow, ignorance will live on. With ignorance, it will be impossible to really understand the Muslim community of the Midwest. With education, there could be better understanding and maybe even peace.

Works Cited

Ahmed, Samira. Love, Hate and Other Filters. Soho Press, 2018.

Kang, Esther Yoon-Ji. “Study Shows Islamophobia Is Rising In The U.S. Same For Chicago, Some Say.” WBEZ Chicago, WBEZ Chicago, 3 May 2019, www.wbez.org/stories/study-shows-islamophobia-is-growing-in-the-u-s-some-say-its-rising-in-chicago-too/d841d84c-14ee-4a71-8f34-cbdb185d22aa.

Otwell, Rachel. “Being Muslim In Illinois.” Illinois Public Media, 17 Dec. 2015, will.illinois.edu/news/story/being-muslim-in-illinois.