"Not only had my country been attacked, but in a flash, somebody else's actions had turned me from a citizen to a suspect"
- Dalia Mogahed
- Dalia Mogahed
Dalia Mogahed’s presentation, “What it’s like to be Muslim in America”, depicts her experiences as a Muslim American before and after the September 11 attacks. The speech also illustrates how easily a population can become prejudicial when prompted by fear, and how crucial it is that people band together to be courageous and compassionate in times of turmoil. The speaker uses ethos by describing her personal experiences as a Muslim American, such as when she decided to begin wearing the hijab, and the Islamophobia she experienced throughout her life. Mogahed relies mostly on pathos during her presentation by expressing how afraid she was to be a Muslim after the attacks on the World Trade Center. She also mentions the discrimination that many Muslims experience due to the fear and ignorance of other American citizens. For instance, Mogahed appeals to the audience’s emotions by describing the senseless murder of a young Muslim couple by their violent and racist neighbor. The speaker does many things well in her presentation ,such as keeping the audience engaged with harrowing personal experiences.
“What it’s like to be Muslim in America” relates to Lois Lowry’s book, Number the Stars, because of the prejudice that the Jews faced during World War II. During both World War II and after the September 11 attacks, a group of people faced horrible oppression because of fear and grief. Mogahed’s speech also relates to Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, because of the bigotry experienced by African Americans during that time period. Both Muslim Americans and African Americans have continued to face inequality and discrimination in America due to ignorance and racism.
This presentation illustrates American values by describing the need for equality, which is a constantly sought after ideal in this nation. Mogahed strives to prove that Islam is a peaceful religion, and equality will not fully exist in America until all people, including Muslims, are treated equally. The speech relates to the American Dream because Mogahed’s goal is to make a positive impact on her community by expressing the need for the equal treatment of Muslims and other Americans. This reasoning is similar to that of the Global Dream in which Mogahed strives for the enforcement of basic human rights concerning Muslims in a prejudicial world. The presentation relates to America’s place in the world by describing how Americans react to times of hatred. Some retaliate against innocent people, and other rally together to spread compassion.
The speech is extremely inspiring and intellectual. It displays how courageous people can be when they are faced with discrimination, and it proves that Islam is not a violent religion. Mogahed’s presentation teaches people to not fall for fear tactics, and that it is better to band together and seek change rather than cause more harm.
“What it’s like to be Muslim in America” relates to Lois Lowry’s book, Number the Stars, because of the prejudice that the Jews faced during World War II. During both World War II and after the September 11 attacks, a group of people faced horrible oppression because of fear and grief. Mogahed’s speech also relates to Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, because of the bigotry experienced by African Americans during that time period. Both Muslim Americans and African Americans have continued to face inequality and discrimination in America due to ignorance and racism.
This presentation illustrates American values by describing the need for equality, which is a constantly sought after ideal in this nation. Mogahed strives to prove that Islam is a peaceful religion, and equality will not fully exist in America until all people, including Muslims, are treated equally. The speech relates to the American Dream because Mogahed’s goal is to make a positive impact on her community by expressing the need for the equal treatment of Muslims and other Americans. This reasoning is similar to that of the Global Dream in which Mogahed strives for the enforcement of basic human rights concerning Muslims in a prejudicial world. The presentation relates to America’s place in the world by describing how Americans react to times of hatred. Some retaliate against innocent people, and other rally together to spread compassion.
The speech is extremely inspiring and intellectual. It displays how courageous people can be when they are faced with discrimination, and it proves that Islam is not a violent religion. Mogahed’s presentation teaches people to not fall for fear tactics, and that it is better to band together and seek change rather than cause more harm.
Author's notes
I learned a lot from Mogahed's shared experiences. Not only did she teach me that fear can be used as a tactic to turn people against each other, she also emphasized the importance of standing together during times of crisis.