Immediately after the Boston Marathon bombing, a Muslim woman who wears the hijab was physically attacked by a man in Boston. Several of the Muslim women I interviewed told me they avoided going out in public when not necessary out of fear for their safety. … For many Muslim women who wear the hijab, the act of avoiding public spaces when an event occurs, such as a terrorist attack, results in self-imposed house arrest. The fear for their physical welfare limits their mobility in public spaces. Private citizens are able to place boundaries on public spaces through social interactions with Muslim Americans. They accomplish this by creating a hostile and unwelcoming environment.

DEFINE: Introduces the idea that private citizens can effectively restrict public space through creating hostile environments, extending the boundary concept to private social actors.

Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, loc. 347