I don't usually feel like that but when I'm going to my community and not wearing the appropriate Islamic dress code, all I think is I might be kicked out or be told to leave because I'm not wearing the expected outfit to be in that place.
Because of growing up in a muslim country, being raised by a jewish and infidel hating religiously strict grandmother who wouldn't hesitate to whip you if you don't read Quran and pray five times a day. I took a bad impression toward the somali community and I still do that sometimes however I'm getting used to it being around somali people and not wearing the Islamic dress.
But for some time I still used long skirts or maxi dresses when I wanted to go to the somali malls or somali events however as time passed, the more I got used to the ways I dress the more I get confident enough to go somali malls without Islamic dress. I have gone there few times but most of those times I feared I might be told to leave or ignored when buying something, which didn't happen.
Few weeks ago I was invited to go to a somali event called 1991Zine a magazine that is just launched and although all who attended were not somali people but all kinds of people and it was astonishing to be in a room full of somali folks that won't even pay attention to how you are dressed.
I also got the courage to go to somali malls sometimes with my knee length dresses that are also bare on the shoulders and chests, but when I think about the mean things that the folks back in the country used to say about the infidels. Like infidels are nijaas (unclean) they are unclean to touch holy books like Quran and hadeeth, they are unclean to enter a Mosque or come anywhere near anything related to the holy books and houses. And that was the bad impression I got and thought everyone was like that.
However now I got a good but not the best impression about my people, I stopped at the Karmel somali mall this afternoon on my way home to buy a somali english dictionary for me to learn how to translate from somali to english and for my husband to learn somali language. The only store that had this dictionary was the only book store in the mall and most of those books are holy books like Quran, hadeth and sunnah also many other books as well.
I went there knowing my dress was inappropriate and I thought they might tell me to leave although in America its religious prejudice to treat someone dofferently based on their believes, but I still feared they might tell me to leave the store or wear appropriate clothes however this didn't happen, I went inside and looked around, found the dictionary I wanted. However since it was on the same shelf as those books that are holy I feared it might offend them for touching anything, I carefully picked the dictionary and proceed to the cashier.
What made me write this artictle is that they were in fact the opposite than I thought, they were nice, asked me if I.m somali and even when I nodded yes they still gave me a thumb up, instead of asking if you are somali why are not you wearing Islamic dress? They gave me a discount since the the book costed $25 I bought it $15 I'm not sure if it was on sale or whatever the reason is its that the last time I checked the book it was $25, they were also understanding when I told them I.m deaf and gave me a paper and pen to write down what I was saying and they were helpful when I asked if they had a main english dictionary they went to look for it and told me to come back other day cause it was not in stock, they also said thank you when I was leaving store.
So I went in that store with fear that I might be butt kicked or ignored somehow for being bare chested, bare shouldered and wearing kneel length dress but left the store amazed of how accepting those people were, because that is all we the non-muslim somalis need to be accepted not to be discriminated, not to be preached, excluded, or forced into religions because its our choices you can't make someone believe what they don't want to believe and so after today. All I want is to be part of my community because I have been avoiding due to the fear of being discriminated and excluded or even told to leave it does not mean if we leave Islam we don't belong in the community because we have more than faith we have somali families and we have somali blood so where else do a somali non-muslim person belongs?
And lastly I believe that religion doesn't separate people but people separate each other due to hatred, greedy and envy because if you truly love that person difference of believe would not just simply erase all the love you had for this person and fill your heart with hate that lead you disowning or abandoning family member. We are not here to dominate our believes, to insult your believes, to influence the community with what we believe or shove our believes down to your throats. we are here for only two things to be accepted and included.
This is not related to this article but I'm currently writing children's books and I'm looking for a somali illustrator, so dear readers if you are interested to contribute to my work please leave a comment under this article I'll contact you.
Best wishes and love you all.
