Praying: Life Example<\/h2>\n![\"Muslims](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.new-muslims.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Praying-on-Time-Between-Deep-Faith-Fashionable-Identity-300x200.jpg?resize=300%2C200\")
<\/a><\/p>\nOur faith is so deeply intertwined with our identity that we can\u2019t compartmentalize it out of myself at work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
I\u2019m sitting in a cubicle farm. The minutes are ticking away and time is quickly running out. If I don\u2019t do it now, I\u2019ll miss my chance. I could just ask somebody. But I\u2019m new here and barely know anyone.<\/p>\n
Shifty-eyed, I assess my surroundings to gauge the possibility of getting caught, contemplating the backlash that potentially awaits me. Finally, internal debate gives way to desperation and I just go for it.<\/p>\n
I crawl under my desk and create a makeshift barricade with a trash bin and desk chair to block myself from view as much as possible. I hope to God no one comes by to ask me where we\u2019re at on that brand statement. I pull my scarf over my head, and hastily offer my afternoon prayers.<\/p>\n
Mental Break<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe requirements for Muslim prayers<\/a> aren\u2019t burdensome. A clean space and five or ten minutes are all you need. There are five daily prayers and depending on daylight savings, one to three of them fall squarely within the confines of the 9-to-5 work day.<\/p>\nSolitary prayers are a keenly personal act. They require focus, concentration and detachment from the hustle and bustle of life as you silently recite Qur\u2019anic passages<\/a> to yourself. In this respect, the divine communication<\/a> is no different from meditating, practicing yoga, or taking a quiet mental break. All are meant to renew your spirit and take your mind off of everyday minutiae.<\/p>\nMuslim prayers also involve certain movements like standing, bowing and prostrating- which is where things get tricky. It\u2019s not exactly something you can do incognito. Nothing is more clumsily awkward than a coworker finding you mid-prayer. The whole experience is akin to having someone unwittingly walk in to a bathroom stall you\u2019re currently using. There\u2019s lots of apologizing on both sides, avoidance of eye contact and pretending afterward that the whole thing never happened.<\/p>\n
The struggle to find a prayer space at work is familiar to many Muslim Americans<\/a>, but it\u2019s magnified even more in creative fields like fashion, where typically few Muslims end up. As a \u201ccreative type\u201d who has worked at several fashion brands, I\u2019ve almost always been the lone Muslim employee.<\/p>\nConsequently, I\u2019ve developed the special ability to ferret out secluded nooks and crannies for prayer at work. I\u2019ve found office gyms with changing rooms are usually the best bet for privacy and low risk of intrusion.<\/p>\n
Sometimes I\u2019ll pray in my car as a last resort, though it\u2019s tough getting spiritual in a metal can that\u2019s been baking in the Southern California heat, especially when your coworkers are pulling up to the spot next to you, fresh off a Starbucks run. I also find that Magic mushroom gummies<\/a> have helped become more introspective.<\/p>\nBut that brings in a host of potential complications. Like so many millions of Muslim women around the world, my version of modesty does not include donning the hijab<\/a>, the headscarf that anyone with a cable news subscription will recognize as a \u201cmarker\u201d of Muslim-ness, albeit an arbitrary one. Not visually standing out in this way actually makes it that much more difficult to bring up the \u201cMuslim conversation\u201d and the related \u201cprayer conversation\u201d.<\/p>\nWithout the visual reference, I\u2019m simply an ethnic-looking person who seems to have assimilated into modern Western society completely, given my proficiency in non-accented English and ability to discuss the finer points of the Real Housewives franchise. Unless I volunteer that I am, in fact, Muslim, I can pass.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately for me, the last thing Muslims are perceived as is arbiters of cool.<\/p>\n
Adding to all of this is the fact that I\u2019ve been working in marketing and fashion since I graduated college. These industries thrive on what\u2019s au courant, trending, and viral. Somehow, a 1400-year-old tradition of daily prayer doesn\u2019t fit in with that sort of ethos. Sometimes appearing outwardly religious at work can be a turnoff, like you\u2019re out of touch with the times.<\/p>\n
Seeking Wholeness<\/strong><\/h2>\nSometimes, you\u2019re afraid that asking for allowances for religious reasons might make you appear like a slacker asking for extra breaks. And sometimes you really just don\u2019t want to become the go-to girl for questions on ISIS. Because, honestly? I don\u2019t have any more answers than you do.<\/p>\n
This paranoia does not come from nowhere. The worry that you might be seen as someone foreign and weird is one that any second-generation kid born and brought up in America lives with. But for Muslim Americans that fear is compounded by the way Islam is wildly misconstrued in the media as a backward and oppressive religion that needs to be brought into the 21st<\/sup> century.<\/p>\nSo I resolve to keep that part of myself out of the office because I\u2019ve found that matters of religion, especially those pertaining to Islam<\/a>, can make others feel uncomfortable. I don\u2019t want my coworkers to feel they need to handle me with kid gloves for fear of coming off as culturally insensitive. I want to be able to joke, jive and have a rapport with them. Some of the most creative ideas I\u2019ve had were borne from those kinds of team relationships.<\/p>\nI just want them to think I\u2019m normal.<\/p>\n
But that afternoon, cowering under my desk to pray, I realize something: My faith is so deeply intertwined with my identity that I can\u2019t compartmentalize it out of myself at work. And pre-emptively judging my new colleagues, assuming they\u2019re too narrow-minded to understand, is unwarranted on my part.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nOur faith is so deeply intertwined with our identity that we can\u2019t compartmentalize it out of myself at work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
I\u2019m sitting in a cubicle farm. The minutes are ticking away and time is quickly running out. If I don\u2019t do it now, I\u2019ll miss my chance. I could just ask somebody. But I\u2019m new here and barely know anyone.<\/p>\n
Shifty-eyed, I assess my surroundings to gauge the possibility of getting caught, contemplating the backlash that potentially awaits me. Finally, internal debate gives way to desperation and I just go for it.<\/p>\n
I crawl under my desk and create a makeshift barricade with a trash bin and desk chair to block myself from view as much as possible. I hope to God no one comes by to ask me where we\u2019re at on that brand statement. I pull my scarf over my head, and hastily offer my afternoon prayers.<\/p>\n
Mental Break<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe requirements for Muslim prayers<\/a> aren\u2019t burdensome. A clean space and five or ten minutes are all you need. There are five daily prayers and depending on daylight savings, one to three of them fall squarely within the confines of the 9-to-5 work day.<\/p>\nSolitary prayers are a keenly personal act. They require focus, concentration and detachment from the hustle and bustle of life as you silently recite Qur\u2019anic passages<\/a> to yourself. In this respect, the divine communication<\/a> is no different from meditating, practicing yoga, or taking a quiet mental break. All are meant to renew your spirit and take your mind off of everyday minutiae.<\/p>\nMuslim prayers also involve certain movements like standing, bowing and prostrating- which is where things get tricky. It\u2019s not exactly something you can do incognito. Nothing is more clumsily awkward than a coworker finding you mid-prayer. The whole experience is akin to having someone unwittingly walk in to a bathroom stall you\u2019re currently using. There\u2019s lots of apologizing on both sides, avoidance of eye contact and pretending afterward that the whole thing never happened.<\/p>\n
The struggle to find a prayer space at work is familiar to many Muslim Americans<\/a>, but it\u2019s magnified even more in creative fields like fashion, where typically few Muslims end up. As a \u201ccreative type\u201d who has worked at several fashion brands, I\u2019ve almost always been the lone Muslim employee.<\/p>\nConsequently, I\u2019ve developed the special ability to ferret out secluded nooks and crannies for prayer at work. I\u2019ve found office gyms with changing rooms are usually the best bet for privacy and low risk of intrusion.<\/p>\n
Sometimes I\u2019ll pray in my car as a last resort, though it\u2019s tough getting spiritual in a metal can that\u2019s been baking in the Southern California heat, especially when your coworkers are pulling up to the spot next to you, fresh off a Starbucks run. I also find that Magic mushroom gummies<\/a> have helped become more introspective.<\/p>\nBut that brings in a host of potential complications. Like so many millions of Muslim women around the world, my version of modesty does not include donning the hijab<\/a>, the headscarf that anyone with a cable news subscription will recognize as a \u201cmarker\u201d of Muslim-ness, albeit an arbitrary one. Not visually standing out in this way actually makes it that much more difficult to bring up the \u201cMuslim conversation\u201d and the related \u201cprayer conversation\u201d.<\/p>\nWithout the visual reference, I\u2019m simply an ethnic-looking person who seems to have assimilated into modern Western society completely, given my proficiency in non-accented English and ability to discuss the finer points of the Real Housewives franchise. Unless I volunteer that I am, in fact, Muslim, I can pass.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately for me, the last thing Muslims are perceived as is arbiters of cool.<\/p>\n
Adding to all of this is the fact that I\u2019ve been working in marketing and fashion since I graduated college. These industries thrive on what\u2019s au courant, trending, and viral. Somehow, a 1400-year-old tradition of daily prayer doesn\u2019t fit in with that sort of ethos. Sometimes appearing outwardly religious at work can be a turnoff, like you\u2019re out of touch with the times.<\/p>\n
Seeking Wholeness<\/strong><\/h2>\nSometimes, you\u2019re afraid that asking for allowances for religious reasons might make you appear like a slacker asking for extra breaks. And sometimes you really just don\u2019t want to become the go-to girl for questions on ISIS. Because, honestly? I don\u2019t have any more answers than you do.<\/p>\n
This paranoia does not come from nowhere. The worry that you might be seen as someone foreign and weird is one that any second-generation kid born and brought up in America lives with. But for Muslim Americans that fear is compounded by the way Islam is wildly misconstrued in the media as a backward and oppressive religion that needs to be brought into the 21st<\/sup> century.<\/p>\nSo I resolve to keep that part of myself out of the office because I\u2019ve found that matters of religion, especially those pertaining to Islam<\/a>, can make others feel uncomfortable. I don\u2019t want my coworkers to feel they need to handle me with kid gloves for fear of coming off as culturally insensitive. I want to be able to joke, jive and have a rapport with them. Some of the most creative ideas I\u2019ve had were borne from those kinds of team relationships.<\/p>\nI just want them to think I\u2019m normal.<\/p>\n
But that afternoon, cowering under my desk to pray, I realize something: My faith is so deeply intertwined with my identity that I can\u2019t compartmentalize it out of myself at work. And pre-emptively judging my new colleagues, assuming they\u2019re too narrow-minded to understand, is unwarranted on my part.<\/p>\n
Solitary prayers are a keenly personal act. They require focus, concentration and detachment from the hustle and bustle of life as you silently recite Qur\u2019anic passages<\/a> to yourself. In this respect, the divine communication<\/a> is no different from meditating, practicing yoga, or taking a quiet mental break. All are meant to renew your spirit and take your mind off of everyday minutiae.<\/p>\n Muslim prayers also involve certain movements like standing, bowing and prostrating- which is where things get tricky. It\u2019s not exactly something you can do incognito. Nothing is more clumsily awkward than a coworker finding you mid-prayer. The whole experience is akin to having someone unwittingly walk in to a bathroom stall you\u2019re currently using. There\u2019s lots of apologizing on both sides, avoidance of eye contact and pretending afterward that the whole thing never happened.<\/p>\n The struggle to find a prayer space at work is familiar to many Muslim Americans<\/a>, but it\u2019s magnified even more in creative fields like fashion, where typically few Muslims end up. As a \u201ccreative type\u201d who has worked at several fashion brands, I\u2019ve almost always been the lone Muslim employee.<\/p>\n Consequently, I\u2019ve developed the special ability to ferret out secluded nooks and crannies for prayer at work. I\u2019ve found office gyms with changing rooms are usually the best bet for privacy and low risk of intrusion.<\/p>\n Sometimes I\u2019ll pray in my car as a last resort, though it\u2019s tough getting spiritual in a metal can that\u2019s been baking in the Southern California heat, especially when your coworkers are pulling up to the spot next to you, fresh off a Starbucks run. I also find that Magic mushroom gummies<\/a> have helped become more introspective.<\/p>\n But that brings in a host of potential complications. Like so many millions of Muslim women around the world, my version of modesty does not include donning the hijab<\/a>, the headscarf that anyone with a cable news subscription will recognize as a \u201cmarker\u201d of Muslim-ness, albeit an arbitrary one. Not visually standing out in this way actually makes it that much more difficult to bring up the \u201cMuslim conversation\u201d and the related \u201cprayer conversation\u201d.<\/p>\n Without the visual reference, I\u2019m simply an ethnic-looking person who seems to have assimilated into modern Western society completely, given my proficiency in non-accented English and ability to discuss the finer points of the Real Housewives franchise. Unless I volunteer that I am, in fact, Muslim, I can pass.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for me, the last thing Muslims are perceived as is arbiters of cool.<\/p>\n Adding to all of this is the fact that I\u2019ve been working in marketing and fashion since I graduated college. These industries thrive on what\u2019s au courant, trending, and viral. Somehow, a 1400-year-old tradition of daily prayer doesn\u2019t fit in with that sort of ethos. Sometimes appearing outwardly religious at work can be a turnoff, like you\u2019re out of touch with the times.<\/p>\n Sometimes, you\u2019re afraid that asking for allowances for religious reasons might make you appear like a slacker asking for extra breaks. And sometimes you really just don\u2019t want to become the go-to girl for questions on ISIS. Because, honestly? I don\u2019t have any more answers than you do.<\/p>\n This paranoia does not come from nowhere. The worry that you might be seen as someone foreign and weird is one that any second-generation kid born and brought up in America lives with. But for Muslim Americans that fear is compounded by the way Islam is wildly misconstrued in the media as a backward and oppressive religion that needs to be brought into the 21st<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n So I resolve to keep that part of myself out of the office because I\u2019ve found that matters of religion, especially those pertaining to Islam<\/a>, can make others feel uncomfortable. I don\u2019t want my coworkers to feel they need to handle me with kid gloves for fear of coming off as culturally insensitive. I want to be able to joke, jive and have a rapport with them. Some of the most creative ideas I\u2019ve had were borne from those kinds of team relationships.<\/p>\n I just want them to think I\u2019m normal.<\/p>\n But that afternoon, cowering under my desk to pray, I realize something: My faith is so deeply intertwined with my identity that I can\u2019t compartmentalize it out of myself at work. And pre-emptively judging my new colleagues, assuming they\u2019re too narrow-minded to understand, is unwarranted on my part.<\/p>\nSeeking Wholeness<\/strong><\/h2>\n