December 25, 2011 :: Posted by - :: Category -
Infant
Question by : Prayer Question in anti-Muslim area?
Assalaamu Alaykum. I found out today that I am now in the 4th semester of college. But I have a problem. My first class for the fourth semester is field experience. In this class, I need to do 300 hours in an approved child care program (approved by the school) which is 45 hours with infants and 255 hours split between toddler and preschool. The area I live in is VERY anti-Muslim, in fact I haven’t seen a single Muslim in my mother’s area of Licking County. My problem is I need to find a place that will accept me for being from a non-RA college and being a Muslim. I’ve lived in this town before, it’s a very rich stuck up Christian place (not saying all the people are stuck up but when I went there in 8th grade most of the kids were snooty). Now my mother and grandmother (everyone in my family is non-Muslim) are convinced nobody is going to let me volunteer for my field experience because I wear hijab and am Muslim. They are also convinced in order to get accepted anywhere I need to remove my hijab (which I’d rather die) and wear “appropriate clothing”. My mother’s definition of “appropriate clothing” is high heels, tight revealing shirts, skirts that show legs, makeup all of which I don’t like and refuse to wear. I’ll have to live with my mother and annoying step father for the summer to do my field experience. If I can get a child care to accept me (there is only one child care that deals with all three ages and the YMCA child care) then how do I explain to them about me having to pray while I’m watching little kids? I don’t want to not pray, but I don’t want to be held liable for anything happening to a child under my care either. To me my religion comes first before anything else.
Best answer:
Answer by juvegirl, B2B 2010
It’s hard for parents to accept changes in their children. Regardless of what they are or how old. I’m sorry your mom isn’t being more understanding.
As for the region being anti-Muslim, nothing you said in your description of the place sounded anti-Muslim, it just sounded like they have a Muslim scarcity problem (lol). Just because there aren’t Muslims, doesn’t mean anti-Muslims.
I work in a Jewish dominated office, in a Jewish dominated building in a Jewish dominated part of the city. These are mainly Zionist, chest beating, Israel for life Jews (as opposed to, oh yeah, it’s Saturday, Sabbat Shalom Jews). And yet, in the daycare downstairs, we have two or three muhajibas, and so does the daycare up the street.
So I think, in the end, hijab won’t be a big deal.
As for praying, it takes like, 10 minutes? Less? Surely you get a break? 
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
