By Ayah Galal
On July 26, 2015, Congressman Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, appeared on ABC News and talked about how he believed there was a good chance Donald Trump would become the next president.
“This man has got some momentum and we better be ready for the fact that he might be leading the Republican ticket,” Ellison said in the interview.
Those on air with Ellison laughed in his face and discussed how unlikely his prediction was. Sixteen months later, Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States of America. His win shocked not only the media and pollsters, but also the world.
On election night, I sat on the couch in my family room and watched in awe as CNN projected Trump as the winner of one battleground state after another.
As polls on the east coast began to close, I assumed that Hillary Clinton would pick up momentum and win. But as news coverage of the election continued, it began to hit me that Trump had a strong chance of reaching the necessary 270 electoral votes, and that’s eventually what happened.
I struggled to comprehend that over 60 million Americans voted for an openly racist, xenophobic, sexist, Islamophobic man to become our next president.
Like Van Jones said on CNN the night of the election, for some people a Trump presidency is a miracle, but for others, it is a nightmare.
Less than a year ago, this man called for a ban on all Muslims from entering our country. He also stated he would “certainly implement” a database that would track American Muslims. Trump said he would consider requiring American Muslims to carry special identification cards noting their faith. He has gone on television and said “Islam hates us.” When an American Muslim asked a question during the town hall style debate about how Trump and Hillary Clinton would combat Islamophobia, he responded with an Islamophobic answer.
A Trump presidency is a nightmare not just for American Muslims, but also for many Mexicans, women, the LGBT community and the disabled.
The day after the election, I attended an event in which Quinnipiac media studies and political science professors spoke on a panel about what’s next for America. During the question and answer session, one man passionately spoke about why it’s unjustified for people to feel fearful following the election results.
I, a hijab-wearing American Muslim who is the daughter of two Egyptian immigrants sat in awe and thought what a privilege it must be to not feel fearful of a Trump presidency because you won’t ever endure the hatred or racism he has fostered. It’s easy to move on and say it’s “just four years” if you will never be affected by the discrimination he has validated.
Security Alert for University of Michigan Students.
Student demanded to remove her hijab or be set on fire. pic.twitter.com/sYDqUMVV8E
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) November 12, 2016
I understand that not all Trump supporters are racist and xenophobic. But 60 million Americans voted for a man who does not show respect for minorities. Like Hasan Minhaj said on The Daily Show, it’s like you’re saying “I don’t hate you–I just don’t care about you.” It’s upsetting that millions of Americans are okay with a president who dismisses sexual assault as “locker room talk.” We have seen how Trump’s rhetoric has influenced Americans and he hasn’t even taken office yet. Data compiled by the F.B.I. and The Huffington Post found that anti-Muslim hate crimes have increased by 89 percent. In the few days since he has been elected, we are already seeing how people are becoming more openly hateful.
This happened in a small town 100 miles south of Buffalo, NY today https://t.co/MwGc5L7PpM pic.twitter.com/gyZDlVK9VK
— Sean O’Kane (@sokane1) November 10, 2016
Middle school students in Royal Oak, Michigan chanting “Build The Wall!” pic.twitter.com/38vcnN9mnk
— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) November 10, 2016
“I think one of the biggest results from this election for the Muslim community is the fact that now as Muslims, we fear practicing our religion in this country,” Ali Munshi, a junior political science major said.
There are Muslim women who are afraid to go out in public wearing hijab, because they don’t know if they will be attacked. There are Muslim children who are getting bullied because they look different than their classmates. There are Muslims who don’t know if their families will be able to enter the country a few months from now. There are Muslims who are considering leaving this country, since they are scared they will be targeted because of their faith.
As American Muslims, we have to be more careful in parking lots heading to our cars at night. We have to be more vigilant walking on our college campuses. We have to be more aware and observant of our surroundings. We have to be cautious on public transportation. We don’t know if we’ll be pulled off a plane for speaking Arabic. We don’t know if we will become the next target of an anti-Islamic hate crime. This is the scary reality Americans Muslims face and this is why a Trump presidency sounds like a nightmare.
But as worried as I am about the future of America, I am reminded of President Obama’s moving words during his speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
“We don’t fear the future–we shape it; we embrace it as one people,” he said.
It’s time for American Muslims and other minorities to become Trump’s worst nightmare. By that, I do not mean for us to resort to violence, division or hatred. What I mean is that it’s time for us to work harder than ever before to educate people on what our beautiful faith actually preaches. We must put our differences aside and unite together to put an end to hateful rhetoric and divisiveness. Islamophobia will not end unless we, the millions of American Muslims, are willing to actively engage in being a part of the solution. We must also become more politically active on local, state and national levels. We have to organize more Islamic awareness events and reach out to those who have never met a Muslim before. We need to provide the support for young Muslims who want to become the next lawyers, journalists and politicians in America.
That is how we proactively tackle our fears and shape the future of America.
In every challenge lies an opportunity, and in what appears to be a nightmare could actually be the perfect chance to achieve our American Dream.
