In the wake of a surprising election outcome, many across the nation are grappling with fear and uncertainty. Even the youngest members of our society are feeling the impact. Recently, a Muslim fourth grader took the brave step of writing a letter to Donald Trump, sharing her hopes and fears about his views on her faith.
Meet ten-year-old Amina Patel from Oak Grove, Illinois, who is feeling the weight of Islamophobia at an early age, largely influenced by Trump’s controversial campaign promise to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. Before the election results were in, she expressed her concerns in a letter that’s both touching and thought-provoking.
Amina’s mother, Leila, decided to share her daughter’s poignant letter on social media after Amina voiced her worries about how Trump was portraying Muslims. “She was really upset about how he was making people feel. She asked me, ‘Why does he say Muslims are like this? Why doesn’t he learn more about us?’ So, I encouraged her to write to him, and her eyes lit up at the idea,” Leila explained.
In her letter, Amina bravely states, “Being Muslim is a little tough. Imagine if everyone hated your religion.” She shares her experiences of discrimination, like how people stare at her mom who wears a hijab, and how her cousin avoids wearing shorts for soccer because of their beliefs. Amina recounts overhearing teammates saying, “She’s just not our kind,” illustrating the painful reality of exclusion.
This insightful young girl directly addresses Trump, asking, “Aren’t we all human? If that were you, wouldn’t that hurt your feelings? You said you want to make America great again. Can you show me?” Amina implores Trump to reflect on the shared desire for peace, stating, “We all just want to live in harmony, not conflict.” She even invites him to respond, emphasizing, “You say we are mean and cruel, but we are not! We are nice and caring! You say we are terrorists, but we certainly do not act as you claim.”
As Trump’s campaign was rife with Islamophobic rhetoric, Amina’s fears resonate more than ever. Many children are now terrified that their families might face deportation or increased hatred, a reality that weighs heavily on families like Amina’s.
Leila has tried to reassure her daughter, reminding her that they are American citizens with rights that cannot easily be stripped away. “I told her there are many Americans who stand up for those rights,” she noted, though she herself grapples with her own fears.
Waking up to a nation that appears to endorse bigotry is a sobering and distressing reality for families like Amina’s. As we navigate this uncertain future, we can only hope that Trump will heed the voices of the young and vulnerable, and perhaps prove to be kinder than his campaign suggested.
Amina closes her heartfelt letter with a simple yet profound wish: “My only hope for you is to be good. I hope this letter inspires you to be better.”
Let’s all embrace that hope.
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Summary
Amina Patel, a ten-year-old Muslim girl from Oak Grove, Illinois, wrote a heartfelt letter to Donald Trump expressing her hopes that he would be kind and understanding towards Muslims, voicing her concerns about discrimination and her family’s experiences with Islamophobia. Her mother shared Amina’s letter on social media, highlighting the fears that many children now face following the election.