Muslims in America: the challenges they face

Today’s social climate reflects a tension in regard to terrorism and terroristic threats. Repeated attacks around the globe have resulted in an increased nationwide anxiety. While these attacks are certainly heinous, there are many accusations of threats that appear unfounded. When a person is wrongly accused of a terroristic attack, his or her reputation and quality of life are inevitably put on the line.  

As NBC News reported, one Sikh man living in Texas faced damaging repercussions after being falsely accused of terrorism in 2016. The man had been riding a Greyhound bus when when other passengers on the ride accused him of making a terrorist bomb threat. Daljeet Singh — who was originally from India — was restrained and arrested at gunpoint. The woman who initially reported the terroristic threats claimed Singh had been whispering in Arabic, making plans to use a bomb on the bus. After experiencing such a traumatic incident, Singh demanded that Texas law enforcement agencies file criminal charges against the woman, as well as against other passengers on the bus who had joined her in the false accusations.

Unfortunately, cases such as Singh’s are not a rare occurrence. Odyssey magazine highlights the growing stigma that Muslims in America face all too often, calling on the public to put a stop to the false accusations that ultimately damage lives. Pointing out that many Americans have a negative view toward Islam, Odyssey goes on to state that this false understanding of the religion has resulted in a skewed picture of the Muslim community altogether. What, then, can the public do to change this harmful view, and the harmful actions that follow? Odyssey emphasizes that many Muslim refugees enter the country out of necessity — not out of choice. Odyssey urges readers to avoid falling into the stigma, instead accepting Muslims as the Americans that they are.