Growing up in a post 9/11 world, it has always given me some peace of mind that at least at the very top we are still led by just and sane individuals who won't blame the entire Muslim population for the crimes of a few fanatics. I've never feared that my own government would join in with the hate speech and thinking of the mobs outside the mosques. I've never feared having my bank account shut down or travel rights restricted or practicing my religion with a peace of mind. Not in this country, not in America.
For the first time in my life, I am genuinely afraid of my own government. I fear for my wife, my parents, my siblings and their families. I fear now more than ever for every woman who chooses to wear a hijab and for all the Sikhs who are constantly mistaken for being Muslims. I feel like a sitting duck in pre-war Germany. Like the Japanese in a pre-war America. I never imagined having these thoughts cross my mind, of having my entire way of life be threatened. Not here, not in 2016 America. I am reminded of Eli Wiesel's Night when he walks into a concentration camp and says to his dad, "this can't happen, it's 1942. The world won't let it happen."
I do ardently hope that my fears are misplaced and that this right wing government won't be as threatening to religious and civil liberties as their rhetoric makes them to appear. However, the reality is that Trump has surrounded himself with outspoken Islamaphobes, bigots, and racists. He has been endorsed and has emboldened the kkk and every hate group in this country. More than anything, he has normalized this speech within mainstream American dialogue.
This will be a rough time to be a minority in America. Certainly a very scary time to be a Muslim in America.
