Truly Muslim, fully American

Fatina Abdrabboh wrote in CSM "I condemn terrorism." Lately, because I'm a Muslim, these are the only three words people seem to want to hear come out of my mouth. Beyond the words themselves, the way I proclaim them is measured for sincerity. Perhaps even more than the days immediately after 9/11, I as a Muslim feel now that many of my fellow Americans believe that Islam and its adherents are evil, pure and simple.

That is because the only Muslims they see on the news are evil, pure and simple.

I can't help wondering if the fact that I'm identifiably Muslim through my hijab, or scarf, is so potent that the only response I evoke is anger.... Why is my stance on terrorism my only defining feature? Casual conversations at the grocery store, the gym, the dry cleaner all seem laser-guided, by the way I look, to Islam and terrorism - and never to those everyday conversations that might revolve around other aspects of my life like how I like my Harvard classes, my training for the Boston Marathon, or my recent obsession with my stock portfolio....

That is because we have not seen stories of Harbard students, Boston Marathon runners, or stock market investors blowing themselves and others around them up.

Terrorism is not about Islam; it is about a perverse agenda being paraded through the Muslim world under the banner of my faith.

I agree, but people would believe it a lot more if more Muslims spoke up and said it.

Why then should Muslims in America have to condemn it all the time? Just because we don't wear T-shirts that say "Muslims condemn terrorism" doesn't mean we don't abhor such acts.

If you are going to wear your hijab, which identifies you as Muslim, it certainly would help if you alwo war a T-Shirt that says "Muslims condem terrorism"

Yes, there's an increased obligation for Arabs and Muslims to fulfill their responsibility as American citizens to integrate with the broader community, and most undoubtedly have.