Trump is President-Elect, Here’s What That Means For Us

By Aseel Machi, managing editor

Okay–glad I could get your attention. Sorry, the title was misleading. The truth is, I cannot tell you what Trump presidency will mean for you or I as a minority. No one can. We can make some guesses, but the truth is, no one will know until the president-elect actually becomes that.

But here is what I can and what I will tell you:

Don’t be afraid. Don’t let him, or his supporters, or anyone, give you a reason to be scared. We will not be intimidated, in fact, we will instead be courageous. We will stand strong.

But, I know what you’re thinking. You’re anything but strong right now.

I understand. I know. A small part of you might be fearful. You have children. You have a mother who dons the headscarf. Your skin color may not be paper White. I know, because I have a daughter. I wear hijab as does my sister and my mother. And my skin color isn’t Black nor is it White… My friends, my community center, most of us are minorities. We have the deck stacked against us. But listen to me–it will be okay. It will. This is a step towards progress–maybe not outwardly at first, but it is my genuine hope and desire that we see people of all creeds and colors unite against bigotry. Muslims are not the only victims–many minorities were and are today, this is an opportunity for everyone to come together.

This is but one setback and we will move forward, we will!

The Muslim community has seen tough and tumultuous times in the past–post 9/11 witnessed skyrocketing hate crimes–but we learned something about our community then: we are resilient. We were resilient then and we will be resilient today. 

In the mean time, join a local self-defense course or be sure to keep your family or friends updated on your whereabouts. If you feel unsafe, travel with a friend on your campus or while you’re out running errands. Keep your phone charged and handy for emergency scenarios, and as always, know your rights. 

We will continue to be Americans regardless of who is president. We will take this loss one day at a time and we will pray, because we  have the best of examples and we know that “supplication is the weapon of the oppressed.” And, there is no might or power but that of God.

Stay tuned with us at TMO to see what is coming next and coverage of the end of the 2016 elections.