The Bad Muslim Discount

by Syed M. Masood

Muslims have always been a thread, albeit a subdued one, in the tapestry of America. We fought against the Confederacy in the Civil War, so our presence in the States is not exactly a new phenomenon. Before September 11, 2001, however, no one talked about us because, despite our facial hair and head coverings and odd prayer routines, we were like everyone else. We lived our lives in peace and were, though noticeable, generally unnoticed. After the fall of the Twin Towers, there was no anonymity to be had. Some people saw the thread that represented Islam in the United States and began furiously yanking at it, hoping to rip it away from the idea of America, not realizing that doing so would change the very fabric they sought to preserve. The message was clear. We no longer belonged where we had always been. I never had to face overt hatred or bigotry. Clean shaven, dressed in Western clothes, blessed by television with more or less the right accent, I thought I blended in.