This Muslim-American life: Meet Ahlam, a Chicago activist

Ahlam Said, a 23-year-old working for a Muslim community-organizing group in Chicago, talks about her take on race and religion.

After the September 11 attacks, Ahlam stood in the driveway of her suburban Dallas home and watched her father, who had moved to the U.S. from Yemen decades before, peel an Islamic bumper sticker off their family’s car.

He wanted to be on the safe side and try to avoid some of the negative backlash towards Muslims, but Ahlam, then a high school freshman, argued otherwise.

Like many Americans with foreign-born parents, Ahlam, the oldest of four children, was proud of her cultural and religious ties, even in her not-so-diverse hometown of Mesquite, Texas. Unlike the generation that came before, hard working immigrants who just wanted to make sure their families got by, today’s young Muslims live in a multicultural society where they can take the time to think about and talk about identity.

Living in Chicago, Ahlam said she cannot ignore the day-to-day struggles of minority populations and is moved by her Islamic faith to act. She works for the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, advocating for social justice and offering the community resources related to health care, education, criminal justice and artistic expression.

Just like when she was a freshman in high school, arguing with her dad about the bumper sticker, Ahlam still refuses to play the victim. The Muslim-American voice should not be one of “woe is me,” but should be one that speaks, loudly and proudly, against the injustices of all populations.