for as length For as long as I can remember, the intersection of my identities as a Black woman, a Muslim, and a Muslim woman has come with a label to be wary of. These labels were about how I was seen in the world, and most of the time it was negative. For many, my appearance indicates that I have the right to live as my most complete and robust self. There is a belief that my identity isolates me and that others will not accept or respect me outside of America.
As a black woman, I’m seen a certain way: aggressive, loud, uneducated. As a Muslim woman, I am often seen as oppressed, submissive, or the kind of person who walks 10 steps behind men. When you put these two together, people are instinctively confused. Because for many people outside the United States, black people are from Africa and Africa alone.
I first moved here in 2015, just a month after Sandra Bland was murdered. I had never lived abroad or traveled much abroad, but my safety at home was threatened and I felt like I had few other options left. So I bought a one-way ticket to Cairo, Egypt. I knew that women, Muslims, and people of color faced prejudice and marginalization on a global scale, but I knew there was always a place on earth where I could live without fear of experiencing such dire consequences. I strongly believed that there should be. who i am. And so I began what turned out to be a search for my soul’s home.
Photo by Imani Bashir
To be completely clear, I was also tired of all the narratives surrounding being black, Muslim, and female in America. Stories that were deeply rooted in misogyny and anti-Blackness no longer had a home for me. I stepped into the mindset that the world would just deal with it and accept me for who I am and not fear or misunderstand who I am. But everywhere you go, from Asia to Africa, colorism, misogyny, and sexism still dominate cultures and societies around the world. There are obvious levels that you can never get away with, but colonialism and imperialism have shown us that it’s deeply ingrained and as pervasive throughout our travels as the stamps on our passports.
However, embracing new experiences while traveling to different countries has reduced most of my anxiety about how people see me.
One of them was when I traveled all over China.So many people talked about how they felt treated like a sideshow Because people take pictures of them and try to touch them. For years, people have asked how they can travel to China’s northwestern Xinjiang region when it is being investigated for human rights crimes against Uyghur Muslims. However, after traveling the world, I also learned that each individual’s experience is different and a culture can never be painted with one brush.
My time in China taught me that just because certain cultural elements are foreign to me doesn’t mean they’re wrong. So in the moments when people might reach out to touch me or want an illicit photo, I educate them about my culture and that permission and boundaries are essential to me. I decided to educate them about this. I also learned that some actions and attitudes that come across as ridicule are actually praise or surprise. And with a little more compassion and understanding (from all parties), I might be okay with that while still being myself and allowing people to be themselves. Overall, I had mixed reactions, but most people left me alone.
To give you a little context, China has one of the oldest Islamic histories in the world and around the world. 20 million Muslims I currently live there. I don’t speak Mandarin beyond basic phrases, but the Islamic customs that I was taught as a child and learned through my adult experiences in terms of brother-sister bonding are the ones I learned from the masjids of Chongqing and Beijing. He met me while praying. my sisters and their children. I have eaten at several halal restaurants across the country where people greeted me with smiles and ‘salaam’. So I took comfort in knowing that I was exactly where I was supposed to be, because these strangers and I were connected by a thread of humanity. Whatever experience these people had with me, they would tell someone about it and probably dispel the myth. This is similar to the myth I try to dispel in my writing. That means a woman like me cannot successfully travel the world and find peace.
Photo by Imani Bashir
While traveling, a group of high school students in Cairo, Egypt asked me about coming to Cairo alone. They were completely surprised that I left without any family, much less any male relatives. Of course, I understood their concerns. But I remember explaining to them that it’s important to identify what you want to be in life and take every step towards it. I tell them that my biggest goal is to live without fear and be a strong representation of women like me, and the best way to do that is to travel and build my own We talked about it being about living among people who are from different backgrounds, backgrounds, and backgrounds. It looked like me.
When it comes to my personal safety, my habits and actions are consistent. At night, I don’t go too far from where I’m staying. I usually make sure by the time the sun sets that I’m where I need to be for the rest of the night. Also, identify your destination in advance and plan your return home. That way, if the taxi driver wants to take a detour or if my phone isn’t working, I’ll know exactly what I’m not going in the right direction.
They also carry some type of weapon, such as pepper spray, knives, Tasers, or strategically placed keys. Also, although I use social media a lot, I don’t tag my location in real time. Additionally, even if you are alone, you will not stay in the same accommodation for more than 72 hours. I don’t want malicious people to know I’m alone all the time and think they can be an easy target. The reality is that I do what I think is necessary to increase my level of physical safety in order to have fun both abroad and at home.
But back to my emotional safety story. I’ve realized over the years that world travel anxiety doesn’t exist for me because I allow people to get up close and ask uncomfortable questions. It also provides insight into who I am in relation to the intersections I present to the world. The concept that humans are “afraid of what they don’t understand” is a reality. Fear focuses on the unknown. Therefore, I lean toward learning and teaching. Because once people know, they have a responsibility to act better, be better, and expect better from those around them.
