The hijab, a headscarf many Muslim women wear to demonstrate their religiosity, marks my mother instantly as a Muslim in the public's eye. Shortly after 9/11, a gas station attendant approached my mother while she was filling up her car with gas. My parents put a sticker of the American flag on all of their cars after the terrorist attacks to show that they too were patriotic citizens. The attendant pointed to the sticker and said, "That isn't going to save you." He continued to verbally accost her because she is Muslim. My mother quickly fled the gas station, fearing for her safety. She was not used to strange men verbally accosting her in public spaces. These incidents are just a few of the many encounters my parents have had with the government and their fellow private citizens over the last fifteen years.

XREF: Connects to broader post-9/11 discrimination against Muslim Americans, relevant to discussions of patriotism, belonging, and identity.

Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, loc. 22