More than a decade after the 9/11 attacks inspired widespread animosity toward the Islamic faith, many Muslims say they continue to experience bias, hate and misunderstanding.
On Saturday, a group of about 80 Muslim activists gathered at Reverchon Park in Dallas’ Oak Lawn area for a walk to raise awareness about the issue.
Walk Against Islamophobia was hosted by the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and a group of young Muslim activists called Enlightened Generations.
Yvonne Munoz, a lawyer with a Christian upbringing, converted to Islam in 2008. Proudly wearing a black head scarf, she said she regularly said she faces discrimination at work.
“I deal with Islamophobia on a regular basis with clients all the time,” Munoz said. “Automatically my clients will not want to meet with me and want somebody else. Once they meet with me and find that I am kind and helpful and ... they change their idea.”
Munoz took part in the walk with the group American Muslim Professionals.
Although the 9/11 attacks were carried out by Islamic extremists loyal to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, some people associate all Muslims with terrorism. Munoz and others hope events like Saturday’s walk might help break that connection in people’s minds.
“Islam brought peace in my life,” Munoz said. “I was able to put myself through a lot of struggles I would not have been able to do if I didn’t find a peace.”
Before the walk began, participants heard speakers share personal experiences of discrimination. One speaker, Dallas activist Nicole Queen, said that during a recent lunch with a friend, someone put bacon in her drink as a joke.
“They were hoping I would slurp it or eat something I am not supposed to eat,” Queen said. “I did not have anything like that happen before until I chose to be a Muslim. It was eye-opening to me,” Queen said.
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