Blog written by Shaira Tasnia, Youth Community Animator – TERT, BCS.
One of my worst nightmares occurred to me not too long ago.
Being an introverted Muslim teenager, fulfilling my religious obligation of prayer has been challenging. Lack of accommodating spaces and understanding systems makes it unnecessarily difficult to perform my five, obligatory daily prayers. Despite Islam’s significant following, societal accommodations are scarce. Multi-faith spaces in larger establishments and versatile ablution sinks could alleviate struggle. However, the reality is a daily battle.
Recently, whilst at mall with non-praying friend, I had to pray. We sought out quiet corner, but were abruptly interrupted by burly security, saying I was not allowed to take off my shoes. Their insensitive suggestion to pray in the impure washroom was saddening. Despite my efforts to be inconspicuous, I was met with unreasonable demands. This experience left me questioning the logic behind their actions, searching for answers online. Closest I got was a “No shirt, no shoes, no service” rule that is not too uncommon, but that is to forbid indecent exposure, which I did not do in the slightest.
Incident isn’t isolated. In school, there’s no supervision needed for drinks, WC, etc., but sudden scrutiny when student requests a few minutes for prayer. Additionally, absence of accommodation for Islamic attire in official uniform and school’s prioritization of all-gender washroom over spaces for Muslim students highlight a systemic issue.
Navigating obstacles whilst striving not to inconvenience others who may be Islamophobic is disheartening. It is a constant struggle to reconcile religious duties with societal norms that often overlook or dismiss them.
Despite these obstacles, I have been trying my best and mostly succeeding in fulfilling prayers, staying true to myself and my foundational beliefs. It is a struggle of mine that made me realise discrimination is still rife in our communities. Though things are better now than perhaps decades ago, it taught me strides in field of combatting discrimination and oppression still continue to be needed. That the community can still be made more comfortable for people that felt as uncomfortable as me, as they live these alienating experiences.
If you have any feedback about this blog or would like to contact the TERT campaign, please email us at YouthResilient@bangladeshi.ca. Thank you!
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