Whenever a tragedy strikes, whenever the world witnesses an explosion, a violent act, or an attack, one community is immediately eyed with suspicion. Before the smoke clears and facts surface, whispers begin. Was it a Muslim again?!
This pattern is NOT new. It has been repeated SO many times that now it feels like a default assumption. A Muslim name. A beard. A hijab. Even an Arabic phrase. That’s all it takes to trigger the narrative. Suddenly, the blame is fixed. The headlines roar with assumptions. And the damage is done long before the truth even arrives..
There is deep pain in this. A kind of injustice that lingers even after the truth clears someone’s name. Because the stain of suspicion never fully fades. It keeps returning, again and again?! every time a new incident occurs.
One of the deepest wounds is the burning of the Muslim holy book. It is not just an attack on pages, it is an attack on the very heart of a faith that teaches peace, patience, and respect. What makes it even more painful is the double standard that follows. Muslims cry out, they protest, they raise their voices NOT out of hatred, BUT out of hurt. Because Islam teaches dignity, even in disagreement. Muslims are taught to honor all prophets, all scriptures, all beliefs. So when their own book is set on fire, their reaction is not silence, it is a cry for justice. It is not weakness, nor blind rage. It is the voice of a wounded heart asking the world, why must we watch our sacred symbols burn and STILL be expected to prove our peace?!
Is it fair that an entire community must carry the burden of proving its innocence over and over again?!?
There was a time when Muslim civilizations were beacons of knowledge, medicine, art, philosophy, and tolerance. History remembers Muslim scholars, scientists, and thinkers who helped shape the world. Islam teaches peace, not violence. It builds societies, not destroys them. If strength and progress come from culture and values, then why is the Muslim identity still misunderstood?!?!!
Muslims now walk into mosques with fear in their hearts. A place that should feel like home, a place of peace and prayer, has become a space they enter cautiously, always looking over their shoulder. And when conflict arises, when a moment of tension erupts, everyone steps aside. The crowd clears. The world picks its side. And once again, the Muslim stands alone. This growing isolation is terrifying. It plants fear so deep that I worry for the next generation. I fear that they will silence their faith just to feel safe. And what is more heartbreaking than watching children grow up afraid to be who they are?
Why is it so hard to see Muslims simply as humans, just like anyone else?
Every religion teaches respect and coexistence. This is something I have always read, heard, and been taught since childhood. My upbringing has taught me that all faiths call for kindness, compassion, and the dignity of every human being. Then why is it that, even today, Muslims are the ones who constantly have to prove they deserve to live with respect?
A Muslim can be a doctor, teacher, student, engineer, mother, father, or neighbor. Muslims contribute to society like everyone else. Yet when it comes to incidents of violence, the narrative turns. The world forgets identities and sees only religion. That selective lens is dangerous. It fuels hate. It widens the divide. It spreads fear.
Islamophobia is not just an idea written in headlines or spoken in debates. It is a bitter reality, lived and felt every single day by millions. It shows up in quiet rejections, in suspicious stares, in the extra security checks at airports, in the hesitation during job interviews, in the whispered comments in classrooms, and in the silence that follows when a Muslim enters the room. It is not only widespread, IT IS DANGEROUSLY NORMALISED and that, perhaps, is the most heartbreaking part of it all.
No one should have to live under a microscope just because of their faith. The world must understand that being Muslim does not make someone suspicious. Being Muslim does not mean being violent. Just as no other religion deserves to be stereotyped, neither does Islam.
That those who carry out hineous violence in islams name, whenever and if that happens Are not muslims. Even if they Are hijacking our faith the vast majority suffers because of such acts and become victim og hatered. The vast majority billions of muslims do NOT support or represent these maniacs actions just like those often socalled «lonely wolfs» do not represent their ethnicity or religion.
People, how long must this go on?
How many more hearts must carry this invisible burden before the world finally sees? This is about human lives — a community that bleeds in silence, mourns in silence, and yet still clings to hope — despite the pain.
I speak this from the depths of my heart: This is not an angry rant, but a heartfelt prayer — a silent cry that has echoed for far too long. The time has come for the world to truly start listening — not to respond, but to understand.
Let humanity prevail over hatred.
Let justice take the place of fear.
And let no one be judged for the faith they hold in their hearts.
Written with heartbreak,
by someone who just wants to be heard.
Anam Hayat
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