• How do markers of Islam such as the hijab, headgear, beards, etc., play into racialisation for white people who wear them—or don’t they?
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There is a common consensus among non-Muslims, particularly in the West (mainly in America), that being Muslim always means being foreign and coming from the Middle East or South Asia. This notion is often accompanied by stereotypes of the ‘dangerous Muslim,’ ‘the stupid foreigner,’ ‘dirty,’ and primarily ‘the other.’ This sense of otherness is something that people automatically fear and react defensively against. Therefore, when white women "wear the hijab and begin to face assumptions from others that they are not from the US," they are racialized, and others tend to perceive them quite differently than if they were white without the hijab.
In the case of Allison, “she was not perceived as a white American because she was perceived as a Muslim”. These two identities—being white and being Muslim—are seen as intrinsically different by many people. Therefore, Allison, as a Hijabi, experienced the same racialization as other non-white Muslims purely because her hijab served as a marker of her faith. This ties back to a discussion in a previous class about whether Islamophobia is racist, a point I argued and continue to argue is absolutely true. Allison’s race did not change when she became a Muslim; her faith did, and with it, her outward appearance. As Hussain states, when "blacks and whites are perceived as Muslim, it influences the race that is attributed to them." This meant that Allison was the subject of racist comments, such as "You have to wash everything, you know?" illustrating that, no matter a person’s race, their outward presentation as a Muslim will lead them to be perceived solely as ‘the other.’