Nazia, a naturalized citizen who is Indian American, no longer wears the hijab, but when she did, she tried to positively represent Islam while wearing it. In order to dismantle the association of Islam with violence and terror, Nazia felt she had to create a new association with Islam. … Nazia's comment highlights that Muslim women are under constant pressure to demonstrate that they are ordinary Americans; they have to do a lot of work to demonstrate that they are just like everyone else. They are aware of their power to confirm or dismiss racialized understandings of their bodies through their actions and dress. They take cues from their interactions with private citizens and shift their behavior accordingly. Muslim women carry with them the responsibility of dismantling myths about Muslims, which often places limitations on their behaviors.

Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, loc. 387