Naïma’s Story: “Spirituality path of a woman”
I am a Belgian citizen of Muslim creed. At the age of 19, in my spiritual path, I have felt the need and I have chosen to wear the headscarf. This was the beginning of a journey of ordeals. Wearing the headscarf is a choice like any other that allows me to live in harmony with my aspirations and contribute to my wellbeing. My identity is not reduced to a piece of cloth covering my head. I am, before anything, a person, a woman and that is how I wish to be seen.
It is not easy to be a Muslim today: the suspicion, stereotypes and prejudices become part of normality and are reinforced by the media. I don’t feel and I don’t introduce myself to you as a victim, but I confirm the existence of Islamophobia in Europe today.
Unfortunately, the first to be affected by this discrimination are women. Muslim women are deprived of their rights, education and the access to employment. All this in a democratic state.
Myself, I have lived discrimination in my search for a job. Therefore, in order to achieve having an inclusive society, it is important that such contains different realities: Muslim women are one of such realities.
I have a job and It is the daily contact that allows others around me to change their mentalities, integrating the difference in their idea of normality.
It is possible to live in harmony a spiritual life as a citizen. I do not want to be perceived as a minority that aspires to be recognized by society, but someone who owns her life. I do not wish to walk in the shadows but under the sun. I invite you all to take your “normative glasses” and instead replace it by “diversity glasses”.
I am a Belgian citizen of Muslim creed. At the age of 19, in my spiritual path, I have felt the need and I have chosen to wear the headscarf. This was the beginning of a journey of ordeals. Wearing the headscarf is a choice like any other that allows me to live in harmony with my aspirations and contribute to my wellbeing. My identity is not reduced to a piece of cloth covering my head. I am, before anything, a person, a woman and that is how I wish to be seen.
It is not easy to be a Muslim today: the suspicion, stereotypes and prejudices become part of normality and are reinforced by the media. I don’t feel and I don’t introduce myself to you as a victim, but I confirm the existence of Islamophobia in Europe today.
Unfortunately, the first to be affected by this discrimination are women. Muslim women are deprived of their rights, education and the access to employment. All this in a democratic state.
Myself, I have lived discrimination in my search for a job. Therefore, in order to achieve having an inclusive society, it is important that such contains different realities: Muslim women are one of such realities.
I have a job and It is the daily contact that allows others around me to change their mentalities, integrating the difference in their idea of normality.
It is possible to live in harmony a spiritual life as a citizen. I do not want to be perceived as a minority that aspires to be recognized by society, but someone who owns her life. I do not wish to walk in the shadows but under the sun. I invite you all to take your “normative glasses” and instead replace it by “diversity glasses”.
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