everythingunderthesun.

Assalamualaikum readers. or should I say 'reader' since I'm positive I'm the only one reading this. hehe.
So, where should I start...hmm, right. Ok so last week, some friends of mine (I HEART YOU) got together in my room and we had a <3to<3 talk. Um, I really love that session and even though it was my very first hth session, I felt as though it would be one of the most memorable session I would ever have. (Urgh, so many 'session's in a sentence. I really need to expand my vocabulary dictionary.) Awww. ok, straight to the subject. I definitely felt closer to all of them, Alhamdulilah, and somehow, I feel the need to open up about some issues that I have been facing the past 2 years. Ok, so 1 issue at a time. Let's go.

I've been wearing the hijab since I was 9 but I started to wear it 'full-time' since I was 12. Alhamdulilah, after I entered polytechnic, I have never not wear my hijab everytime I'm in the presence of someone who isn't my muhrim. Which include every Saturday night at my Grammy's since my uncle-in-laws are there :D

I often travel so it's not surprising to meet a few odd characters along the way. When I was 15, my dad was working in Thailand and so my sister and I were heading to Pattaya from Singapore to stay with him during the school holidays. We had the 3 seater row and our 'neighbour' had yet to arrive when we were already seated. While minding our own business, a redneck decided to grace us with his presence. And guess who this redneck is? OUR NEIGHBOUR! YAY! (note sarcasm) He wasn't pleased to see us, two hijabis, sitting next to his seat.

"Oh My God. I'm not sitting there." He said to the stewardess

Being a 15 year old, all I could do was stare at him. I couldn't come up with a witty remark or a retort to shut his mouth up for good. No, all I could do was give a good hard glare.

"Oh, you can always change your seat if there's an available one sir. But after we take off." the SINGAPORE AIRLINE stewardess replied. Traitor. Where's the good Singaporean spirit when you need one?

For once in my life, I felt small because of my hijab. I'm not blaming it, but I felt alienated and judged because of it. (If that makes any sense). Redneck grunted his thanks and grumpily squeezed his way to the window seat. I remember feeling moody for the rest of the flight and it didn't help that the other passengers keep giving us awry glances. When we finally landed and met our father, I recounted what happened and he was upset. He was telling me that I should just ask the Redneck what his problem was with me.

See, it's very discriminating to associate Islam with terrorists just because the 'well-known' terrorists are 'muslims'. Are we forgetting the IRA, KKK, Tamil Tigers, Japanese Red Army, Aum Shinrikyo, etc? If I were to ask you the first thing that comes to your mind when I say terrorist, what would you think of? Turban? Islam? Beard? Arabs? Hijab?
Now, how is that fair?

Sigh...I shall end this post for now. And hopefully we can continue with this ASAP. Stay tune for my hijab identity part 2. :)
Peace out <3