Reflection- American Muslim= left out

I've been thinking about my identity as a Muslim lately and am annoyed and disheartened by how the general consensus seems to be that a Muslim equals a Middle Eastern person. Every website I go to and news information by Muslim writers are all geared toward non-American Muslims. I feel that I can't take pride in my faith because in some ways its not really mine- its a 'foreign' faith I'm adapting to, that's way American converts may have such a hard time with their non-Muslim families- Islam seems to be an 'other' type of thing and not American.

 I suppose that's why I choose to wear hijab in my own way, not covering my neck and ears, because I feel as though I'm conforming to a 'foreign' way of modesty and it doesn't feel authentic to myself as an American Muslim. I always admire traditional hijabis in pictures and occasionally when I see them in person but its admiration of 'wow that's so nice and cultural' and not 'she's just like me- a modest Muslim woman.' I feel my hijab style lets me embrace and be reminded of my faith without feeling its forced or an act I have to try and be comfortable with. Still I wish Islam was represented in its true sense- as a universal and non-territorial faith: its American, Pakistani, any nation.

So here's to being a Muslim and nothing but a Muslim

9/11 remembrance

The sorrow of sudden demise and horrofic final phone calls and terribly awaiting news and waking up to terrible images of destruction and of the aftermath of ignorance and erroneous assumptions , pervades

The hope of awareness of renewed faith of forgiveness and of strength of moving on to better days of keeping remembrances and of not taking life for granted, is evident