Imagine for a moment that you are the "other." A member of a group feared because of the violent actions of a few. You have done nothing wrong. You’ve decried the violence. Still, your life is affected by the fear, or suspicions of those around you.
This hypothetical is reality for many Muslims.
And there are some legitimate fears today. Especially after Paris and San Bernardino. Or Charleston and Colorado Springs, two attacks where the shooter looks just like me, a white male.
My daily life didn’t change after those attacks.
For some Muslims, it’s a different story. Especially those who wear the most obvious sign of their faith the hijab, or headscarf.
We wanted to know if and how the lives of Muslims in the Charlotte area have changed since Paris and San Bernardino, and the growing political debate and rhetoric in response to those attacks.
So we set out on an experiment.
We asked two women, Jamela and Yasmein, to record audio diaries about their life, their experiences, their view of how others see them. And we asked them to ask their friends and family similar questions.
Here is some of what they sent back.
These are their words, their interviews and their lives.
The above are views and opinions from Charlotte’s Muslim community. We’ll be using these audio diaries to bring you other voices throughout the election year. We'll post details on how you can send us an audio diary in the future.
