Islamophobia means the dislike or prejudice of a Muslim. I have never been a victim of this discrimination myself.

I suppose that’s because living here in Annandale, we have created our own small world where cultures and religions are widely accepted.

I have friends that are very different from myself in terms of religion, culture and color and that has never been something that bas been a conflict within our friendships.

When people look at me, I don’t feel like they judge me based on my hijab or the color of my skin. I don’t know what it’s like to have my government pass laws against my religion or wearing a hijab.

Muslims in France have experienced this discrimination.

Many things are happening around us but so far we have avoided the topic of terrorism and its effect on our country and around the world.

Yet now we stand at a place where it can no longer be ignored. The Paris attacks have re-opened the slow healing wounds of 9/11 and the Western world has been widely threatened again.

As a Muslim, I feel like in some small way. I am the cause of all the chaos that has been raised around and within us.

Even though I don’t have anything in common with those hateful people, just the association of them being “Muslim” just as I am is enough to raise guilt within me.

I know what Islam is, it is a religion that in no way supports violence or extremists yet every time someone talks about the Paris attack.

I feel as if they are looking at me silently blaming me or more so my religion.

Speaking on the behalf of the muslims I know and have spoken, we feel terrible anguish that cannot be adequately put into words.

We in no way support anything ISIS is doing or believes in. But that does not give the French government the right to close down mosques.

The French government also does not have the right to turn away Syrians because that will make the Muslim community feel alienated.

I believe that is exactly what ISIS wants. It is ISIS’s goal to turn people against each other and to make them feel left out so ISIS can show Muslims that nobody wants them and they are all muslims have.

ISIS wants the Western countries to be the bad guys, to created disdain and hate between the Muslims and the Western nations. Somehow we seem to be falling right into their trap.

My pain for Paris is vast yet didn’t Beruit, Egypt and Mali go through the same experience and the media coverage for that was close to nothing.

Are we implying that the value of human life is different because of the relationship we have with them?  

I feel that this type of selective and imperialistic mindset leads to the hatred between the Muslims and the West. Another important question that needs to be addressed is:

How have all the Western superpowers not found a relatively small group who have close to no education and no sense of humanity?

Are we choosing to not find them just because of the advantage we feel can be gained by the destruction of Middle East?

Perhaps it all goes back to oil. I strongly condemn what happened in Paris but I also believe that there is a lot more to be acknowledged than just what we are given.

I think it’s time we question the truth because blind trust has led us to nowhere other than innocent lives being taken.