A contagious deadly virus; that is how I feel when I step into an airport of a foreign country outside the Middle East. Prior to 9/11, I never experienced discriminate hateful actions towards me as an individual. But post 9/11, people started reacting differently around me as a covered woman.  Automatically I was stereotyped. I started reading fear, disgust and pity on westerners' faces.

 

I came across many incidents where mothers would rush to their kids, who would happen to be playing next to me, to be taken so far away, and being told to stay away from people like me! That I am dangerous! Other incidents where grownups would chose to completely ignore me.

 

My faith promotes tolerance, forgiveness, development, humility and compassion towards the elderly, towards ones parents and siblings, towards the neighbors, the poor and even animals. We greet you by saying    السلام عليكم , alsalamo alaikom,  which means,  peace be upon you. How would you believe that the same person was raised to bomb you!

 

 In every religion radicals exist, north, east, south and west. Don't blame the majority for what a confused minority is doing. If we want peace to prevail around the world, ignorance should be dealt with by spreading more knowledge on the issues fabricated in media, like Islamophobia. My religion is more peaceful than how it is portrayed.

 

We, as Muslims, support hard work. Our history proves that the Islamic culture is enriched with art, color, and geometry as seen in architecture, arabesque, carpets , calligraphy and much more. These series of posters aim to show exactly that by showcasing the Islamic art, geometric shapes and floral.