hineni

[hineni]

i was filling out this volunteer form for a really rad org and that listed the type race options along with "arab person" and like. you did actually talk to anyone from the mashreq have u

[hineni]

concept: white ppl ask your opinion on something, and then actually listen to your response

[hineni]

my white coworker is *explaining* southeast asia to my other coworker who, you guessed it, is from vietnam

[hineni]

I feel this conversation is also super relevant (although not identical) to the positions many White folks take when they convert (or even just consider converting!!) to Judaism. and the... eagerness in which white people throw themselves into positions of marginalization and do whatever they can to distract from their whiteness or be held countable for their actions

incomplete list of things you should think twice about as a white convert who didn’t grow up culturally muslim:

making commentary on how you Reconcile your new faith with your sexuality or gender identity. seriously. leave that to people to whom it’s not an intellectual exercise and who’ve spent their lives doing this up close and personal, sometimes at risk to their mental and physical wellbeing.

riffing on sociopolitical or religiously-motivated conflict in muslim-majority countries in which you have absolutely no stake. literally why would you do that

honestly? even sharing jokes/memes about growing up muslim. you don’t need to ‘me too’ about everything to practice a faith.

just generally overcompensating.

complaining about how hard it is for you to feel ‘culturally appropriative’ for your beliefs and/or dress. seriously.

complaining about other muslims viewing you with some degree of suspicion, given the political animus around islam in the west.

talking about anti-muslim sentiment as if it’s something that meaningfully affects you.

equating your experiences to those of people who grew up in the faith, certainly not those of muslims of color.

like go ahead and practice the faith–but, like, that just doesn’t need to involve inserting yourself into discourses in which you have no stake. i don’t believe converting as a white person is culturally appropriative per se, but you need to have some perspective.

[hineni]

incomplete list of things you should think twice about as a white convert who didn’t grow up culturally muslim:

making commentary on how you Reconcile your new faith with your sexuality or gender identity. seriously. leave that to people to whom it’s not an intellectual exercise and who’ve spent their lives doing this up close and personal, sometimes at risk to their mental and physical wellbeing.

riffing on sociopolitical or religiously-motivated conflict in muslim-majority countries in which you have absolutely no stake. literally why would you do that

honestly? even sharing jokes/memes about growing up muslim. you don’t need to ‘me too’ about everything to practice a faith.

just generally overcompensating.

complaining about how hard it is for you to feel ‘culturally appropriative’ for your beliefs and/or dress. seriously.

complaining about other muslims viewing you with some degree of suspicion, given the political animus around islam in the west.

talking about anti-muslim sentiment as if it’s something that meaningfully affects you.

equating your experiences to those of people who grew up in the faith, certainly not those of muslims of color.

like go ahead and practice the faith–but, like, that just doesn’t need to involve inserting yourself into discourses in which you have no stake. i don’t believe converting as a white person is culturally appropriative per se, but you need to have some perspective.

[hineni]

that ethnic feel when

[hineni]

not to stereotype but if you like ghosts, youre probably gay

[hineni]

if u have curly hair and someone tells u it would look better straight theyre a liar and a dumb bitch

[hineni]

oh yes, wouldn't be a Thursday evening if someone on the bus didn't fervently insist Im Mexican

[hineni]

team i've had this cold for over two weeks at this point what do i do? real question

[hineni]

for real though how are you supposed to have enough time to work full-time, have a babe, make food, exercise, go to therapy, do laundry, have a social life, respond to emails, and destroy the state?

[hineni]

white women today have been viscous pls send me good thoughts

[hineni]

can you believe that to this day i have never been diagnosed with ptsd

[hineni]

whatsapp is nonwhite culture

[hineni]

the valid-problematic spectrum

[hineni]

lie to cops

[hineni]

me