I can make a difference

• Moslimah Zoud, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2005

I arrived in the United States of America at 9 p.m. This holiday, I decided, was to be the best adventure of my life and I was so heartily confident to make the most of it. Nothing could stop me, and I knew it.
The next day, however, things started to go down hill. As I walked through the stores of New York, people turned their heads around to stare at my scarf and the way I dressed. I was getting a bit irritated and so left the stores, to walk in the streets, hoping there would be a change to that attitude. Soon enough, however, I found out that more people were staring at me, from buses, to taxis and even people staring curiously from their gardens. I felt like I were a magnet to them. Wherever I would turn, their heads would twist.
I felt deeply hurt by most of the people's approach towards me. I felt like there was no equality amongst people and that they might never change, but I was still confident to make a change, no matter how small it was.
The week after, I met a very sweet Esther Jenison, of around my age, seventeen. It didn't matter to me that she was a non-Muslim and it didn't matter to her that I was a Muslim. She was, surprisingly interested in my religion and told e she longed to know about it.
Before I had met her, there had been so many people that called me so many offensive names, the most popular being "hippo", but I did not give up to influence someone on seeing Islam from its real bases and not from people's actions. So when I met Esther, who wasn't so ignorant and had negative views of Muslims, I appreciated her kindness and offered her a chance to learn about Islam.
After a few weeks with her, she happily decided to convert to Islam and I was so happy for her that I almost cried. It was a special moment for me. Her family decided they would convert and so I held little meetings with them where I taught them the basics of Islam. It was really rewarding for me to see that one person could make a difference, no matter how small it may be.
That journey I took was a very special moment for me. It changed my perspective of the whole world. I realized that not all people had such negative attitudes of different religions, especially Islam, a religion derived from the word, "peace". For me, it was not the journey itself that mattered most; it was what I took from it and that is that i can make a difference.

P.S I hope the reader does not find this short story offensive in any way, as it is just a made up story. Thank you.