When I first read the article, I thought the writer was being sarcastic or that the whole piece was a satire especially when the writer said he doesn’t worry about Muslims that are essentially being targeted especially in places where they are not the majority. However, when I read the article a second time, I saw the reason why he says that he worries most about the Muslims “who are expected to explain to the real world what Islam is like” being that most of those Muslims face extinction in their own homelands where they are a majority. Muslims are being judged for not being good Muslims by their fellow Muslims. I see the presence of authority being played where these Muslims are now given the power or the job to clear up misconceptions about Muslims and their Islamic religion. An example of this is where the writer said “And thank you, our spokesmen, for reminding the world that Muslims are not a race. Some of us speak Chinese, others Swahili. Some of us are gay, painters, lawyers, prostitutes, pimps or drummers, and of course mass murderers,” which clears up the misconception that some people have; that Islam/Muslim is a race.”
-Oluwadamilola Babarinde (Damilola)
I would have to agree with your perspective of the article. I like the fact that you mentioned how the Muslims are not confined to a race because it is the utmost truth. I also agree with your take on Muslims having to “back-up” their religion because of the actions of those who have taken things to extreme levels. You may be on the same page as me, when it comes to the misrepresentation of the Muslim people. This presence of authority can be directly linked to the horrible occurrences related to the extremist groups, which has caused the Muslim people to defend themselves and the actual beliefs based in Islam.
-Arraf Ahmed
After reading this article, I most definitely agree with your point of view. Muslims have always had to face the conflict of proving to others that they are not a race. They are not solely the negative connotations that have been linked with. Muslims always have to explain themselves for those that have taken their faith to the next level. This has caused a huge misrepresentation of the faith in the media. I agree that there is a presence of authority within this issue as they are given the duty to clear their name as well as others in the same faith.
Alisha Alex
I also share the same initial thoughts you had. The article seemed sarcastic in certain parts. I think he writes it this way to show the expectations coming from both sides and how hard it is for a Muslim to satisfy both parties. There’s one side from the perspective of fellow Muslims. Then, there’s the other side where a Muslim is left having to prove and defend Islam to people who don’t understand the religion. Both parties view Muslims to be all the same, and I like the way Hanif responds to this in the article.
I also had to read the article a couple of times before I fully comprehended what the author was writing about. I agree with your point that the author is trying to bring attention to the fact that it is other Muslims bring harm to their own people. I like how you pointed out how the author includes different types of Muslims and how they are still valid since Islam is not a set race.
Sumaiyah Ali