Muslims living in non-Muslim countries...?

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah

I am an American Muslimah, married to an Egyptian (beat Cameroon in the Africa Cup!). We live in an area that has a high population of immigrants and minorities (Washington D.C. / Virginia). Since there are so many "different" people here, and so many Muslims, I don't experience a lot of harassment issues as one might in a part of the country with few Muslims. I cover, usually abayas and big hijabs, and my dh is active in the masjid and is a tall bear of a man with a beard, so we do stand out as "Muslim", lol. But I find that people are very friendly here - men hold the door for me and are very polite. Even directly after 9/11, though some of my neighbors actually worked AT the Pentagon, I had several neighbors come to check up on me to make sure no one was bothering me.

I think people tend to forget that the United States is HUGE and has a diverse population of over 300 million people. You will find that some of the kindest, most generous people live here. And yes, you will find some of the most hateful, bigoted people live here. You just have to live your life and not worry about the ignorant ones.

As far as practicing Islam, well, you as an Egyptian probably know that if you are "too religious" there in Egypt, you might be singled out by the government. Here, I worship freely. People have the right to pray and take off for Friday prayer and even wear religiousl mandated hijabs and such. The US is by and large a country of laws and there are many laws to fend of discrimination. That being said, there are big issues here for Muslims. This is a VERY permissive society and it will be hard for us to raise our children in the midst of the open sexual immorality that surrounds us. We have one foot in the US and one in Egypt due to the potential for this problem, but honestly, I don't think it's less dangerous in Egypt. Drugs are just as available there as here, the government is completely corrupt, and there are as many ways to have an inappropriate relationship there as here, though there it might not be flaunted in public so much. I think ultimately you can only do the best you can do, teaching your children from babyhood to have strong Islamic values.

I actually homeschool my oldest son for a couple of reasons. One, I'm not happy with the academics and think he was not challenged in school. Second, they really have started making a big deal of all the holidays - Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's, Easter - and I was uncomfortable with that. As he gets older he'll be more aware of the girls and I didn't want him in a mixed classroom. InshAllah if we are still in the States when he is older, we will try to find a strong Islamic school if I decide not to continue homeschooling.

As far as food, I don't have any problems. We have a halaal market here and I mostly cook from scratch so I don't have to read a bunch of box labels to check ingredients. Allah has made so many good foods halaal for us it is simple to avoid anything with questionable ingredients.

That's my experience here in the US so far. Different people will no doubt have different stories. I do hope that we can travel to Egypt next year and spend some time there, and also to test if we can do it long term. Until then I'll do my best to raise my family according to Islam, no matter where we live. And Allah knows best.

Fi Aman Allah,

Nancy Umm Abdel Hamid

Salam :)

I'm a Muslim teenager living in Canada. I wear hijab alhamdullilah and it's for the most part accepted here since i live in a big city with a sizeable Muslim population. I do get the few ignorant comments and idiots at school though who ask stuff like "yo got a bomb under there hahaha".

But the hardest part is being different from your friends. Being a Muslim, parties, alcohol dating boys wearing revealing clothing etc is haram, and while I don't want to do that anyway, it can be a little awkward to have to explain why I don't do it to people who consider it just a part of being a teenager and its ordinary to them. Muslims living in Muslim countries definitely have it easier when it comes to fitting in. And with food it can be a little tricky but I always try to read the label if I'm not sure of the ingredients.

But I wouldn't wanna be any other religion no matter how difficult it gets and how different I feel from everyone else, I'm glad to be Muslim :)

It is hard sister, you should be grateful that you live in a Muslim majority country where no one shuns you and treats you as if you are some type of animal. One of the hardest things about being a Muslim in a none Muslim country is treatment you receive for wearing hijab. In my school I am the only Muslim so I get those ocassional rude stares and the remarks like "Osama" and ignorant questions like " do believe that if you blow up so many Christians you will go to heaven?" type garbage. Another struggle is food, you don't know whats halal and whats not, often times if a product has pork in it the ingrediant will be labeled as "softner." So thats something you literally always have to watch out for when going to get some food. It's just plain hard for a Muslim living in a non Muslim country.

I am a Muslim who has been living in the UK my whole life. When eating out I always have to choose the vegetarian option because it is rare that you get meals with halal meat.

However, in Muslim communities, halal restaurants are common.

I have never been harassed or bullied for being a Muslim as the general British public is generally friendly. However, the other day one old lady was criticising me for being a Muslim and wearing the hijab. But other than that, everyone has generally been kind.

However, there are a lot of temptations around me. Like when my friends ask me if I want to go clubbing and drink alcohol, I have to control myself and say no and be left out.

I think that in one way, Muslims in Muslim countries have it better in the sense that they don't have as many temptations to face.

it is very hard here some times some people can be so cruel and rude, I have been discriminated from jobs, I have been threatened to the point I had to remove my Hijab for my safety I contacted an Iman before I removed it and he said for my safety it is ok since I was literally the only Muslim in my city.

I've had people tell me to go back to my country when Im actually born and raised in America lol people think just because u wear hijab and Muslim clothing that ur Arab or from the Middle east its very crazy here always say Alhumdulliah ur in a Muslim country and have Muslim family..

as for food there are a few halal stores here but are very far we still go to them to get halal products. since I'm A revert Muslim I get a lot of problems with my family because there Christian they don't threaten me or anything but just always saying bad things about my religion.

I wish one day that Allah will allow me to live in a Muslim country so that way I will be around Muslims where we understand one another Insha'allah it will happen.

I live in Italy and I think is much more difficult then America were I used to live before. There is a lot of harassement people really are not open mind and have a wrong idea of Islam. Concerning the food is also very difficult because they eat a lot of pork and so in the restaurant Im afraid they mix the food in the kitchen.

When I was about 11 that's when I noticed that the white people had a lot of hate for Islam because that's when I actually realized what racism wa because every day I was getting abused with it a English boy at lunch it year 8 once was racist to me actually it was more than once but the first thing that happend was him saying randomly "me and my kind we blow everyone up" then I said shut up u racist **** an he said "shut up u paki" and I said do t call me that and was countilualsly being racist he would randomly shout Allah in class in the mosque way and would want to fight me because I was muslim it's hard but Allah is just testing us how much we can go through to keep are faith in him

We live in the "sleeping" town in US. Everybody mind their own business. I don't get any harassements or rude stare. They stared at me because they can't figured out what is my race, some will ask, "hmm you can speak English, where are you from?"

I read the labels and the halal food is limited here. I miss eating local food back in my home-country.

I used broadband phone, I don't have to pay extra to talk to all my friends around US. We know each other thru the net. Thats the only time we talk in our local language.

There is only one halal grocery store and one newly open halal restaurant about 30 mins drive from here. And nearby to the muslim school. Muslims are still collecting money to build a masjid. Insha Allah, this masjid will draw more muslims and halal business to the area, ameen.

HALAL & HARAM FOOD IN NORTH AMERICA

http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Field/7207/ha...

http://www.canadianhalalfoods.com/NewsText.htm

Assalamu aleikum,

What i miss in living over here in the Nertherlands is just islam is not the basic need of all ppl around me. I just have to ask for favours all the time. Like being able to pray at work, not shake hands with men, not participate in birthday songs, not kiss with co-workers, men who come to sit very close to you in the bus, etc etc. It's just all basic things muslims know, and non-muslims don't know. The need of explaining each and everything that i do sometimes i am sick of it, i just want to live my life. Then there is the foodpart aswell. Not being able to go to a simple restaurant bc they serve not halal food. I experienced some mistakes in the past like asking for desert without alcohol and the cook forgot it and gave me alcohol with it. So i just avoid eating out.

Then not even mentioning ppl who stare at you or just make comments without me asking for it. For all those things i would be so happy to live in an islamic country. But on other part there is so much good dawah i can do over here and invite ppl to islam. I have met a lot of ppl who have interest in islam and who i have helpt, that is a great thing aswell.

ugh food is the biggest prob! especially since i loveee to cook and eat, and now when i go to restaurants i have to eat vegetarian completely cuz the meat isnt halal, and i have to make sure that there are no meat products in the food, and i also have to check that there is no alcohol used in the recipe. luckily, since i cook a lot and study food, it's easier for me to tell what a certain dish would have in it....so i can just look at the menu and eliminate everything that i cant eat.

But it means i have to miss out on the best dishes at restaurants =( and all the halal restaurants are ARAB! WTH MAN, NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE ARAB! why dont they make me some halal FRENCH food or something??? _-_

constantly checking labels for haram ingredients here can get annoying, i just wish halal products were more widely available....however, i AM grateful that i live in NYC, you can find ANYTHING here if u search hard enough =p

Luckily, i dont deal with harassment much...just some odd looks cuz i wear the hijab. When i leave nyc and go to smaller towns tho, i get a lot harsher stares =/

Seriously tho, the food is a big prob...i am a foodie, i want to have halal food of every kind available to me! maybe one day i should open up an international halal food restaurant...serving halal food from every culture in the world >.<