Diversity of the Identity of an American-Muslim Woman
In this ever-growing modern jungle, identity is a commodity not many are able to afford at their own expense. Islam is a religion of many colors and sects. Where one Muslim community divides, and subdivides, many variations of the same prime theme are seen.
Universal garret may be docked with, the symbolic hijab, wearing covered clothing for Muslim women. But these are not the only representative means by which a woman would recognize herself as a believer of the Islamic faith. In this way, many individuals are found to critically judge such women who don’t necessarily follow what they consider as the far most important showcasing of a Muslim woman.
A Muslim woman may fail to identify herself in the exact same manner as her residing members of the same community or sect. Muslim-American woman faces the direct crossfire of both in-group and out-group discrimination based solely on how her race, gender, and religion are interpreted by the world.
Out-Group View
Were not wearing a hijab has become un-Islamic and wearing one makes you an extremist, an American-Muslim woman is in a tug-of-war of dispute which she never chose to be a part of in the first place. After the 9/11 attack, Muslims have come under the radar of many extremists, who hypocritically distinguish the Muslim faith as an extreme in this venture to prove their accordance of ill-defined malice. Starting off with ignorance, and the streamlined controlled media coverage, which on many accounts have failed to show Islam in its true light and colors, Muslims are being targeted by out-groups or people belonging to a different faith than Islam. And in this way, certain literature regarding the study of Muslim women is also incomplete without first recognizing the diversity of how an American –Muslim Woman chooses to identify herself.
In-Group Criticism
On the other hand, this identity misunderstanding has also sparked conflicts within the in-group, or people belonging to the Muslim community. If an American Muslim woman does cover herself with a hijab it is found that she might disapprove the lifestyle of a non-hijab claiming how her liberalism is a reflection of American culture and not an American Muslim culture. Whereas the American-Muslim woman not wearing a hijab may become part of the same ignorant out-group people who visualize and contend themselves by labeling an Islamic believer as an extremist just by looking at few characterizing features.
The Identity of an American-Muslim has become a matter of universal interrogation. If she falls too deep in accepting what a large group could recognize her from her faith she might be an extremist? Whereas if she rids herself from the commonly known ‘Islamic’ charms she is apparently not Muslim enough for either of the two groups; out-group or in-group.