Unwanted

I was walking down the hallway, when a group of girls came and pushed me and walked away. I am a Muslim and my name is Aziza Mahmood. I wear the Hijaab and Abaya, I come from England, but I had to move here with my family cause of some problems. I have an older brother named Abdurrahman and he is 20 years old then comes me and after me 3 young and annoying brothers, whose names are Ebaad, Sofyan, and Huzafiah. Well the public school I go to is in Ontario, Toronto (Canada), and the school’s name is cedar drive. All the kids (boys and girls) do not like me because there is only Christian and Jews in the school, hardly any Muslims, and those Muslims did not really practice Islam, while I did so they knew the difference I love practicing Islam I’m a hafiza and wants to be an aalima but there was no course for it in England or Canada, but I wasn’t going to south Africa or America and neither was my older brother cause he wants to be an aalima but he wasn’t going anywhere either.


In my grade 9 class my teacher loves me cause I’m so smart and all the school teachers loves me too because I’m so nice and kind along with loving. But the boys and girls are just jealous and they don’t like me because I am Muslim cause there always pushing and swearing at me. But what am I spouse to do, just ignore them and be nice to them that are all. I was walking to English class something I loved; I did not take music or gym. I was late in class today, but the teacher did not say anything. He was a nice man that really liked me. A girl named Angela looked at me and said “no one wants you, go away”. A boy named Jacob said “oh, Aziza come and sit down before you get in trouble”. He was my neighbor that I lived beside and he sat at my desk with me and other kids. He did not hate me or like me either, but he was nice and he did not show that he hated me. We finished class and everyone left accept for me and this one other Muslim named Zainub, she was not that much of a person that practiced Islam but she was Saudi. She was said to be a very nice girl but I had no idea because I never talked to her. So today I made salaam and she replied. I asked how she was, and she did not reply. I again asked her again how she was and she did not reply at all so then I asked her “do you have a problem with me, like everyone in our grade”. “Yes, I do what you care for”. “I want to know, so I can change myself from what I’m doing wrong”. She started to yell really badly of how I’m a perfect Muslim and that I am so smart and she went on, the room we both were in was one of the main rooms for the speaker and MIC, the speakers were attached to the whole school and before the teacher leaves he puts it on so it was on and everyone heard. Zainub was quite at the end her last line was “are you know going to change yourself. I was in tears for her rudeness the fact she said all lot of swear words, it had only been a month or so that I came here to cedar drive. So I replied back to her “are you not a Muslim do you know anything about Islam, who do you and everyone think you are. I’m sorry I was born and made perfect by god. You all want respect from me, well you should know that respect has to be earned you can’t just get it like that. I don’t despise any one kid in this school but you all are just jealous of me, go live elsewhere”. I did not finish but went on and then when I came to an end my last line was “Allah give you and everyone guidance, I do good stuff and you and everyone tell me to stop and get lost, look I don’t you need you to love me my parents and teachers and my god I don’t need you and everyone ok. Look why don’t we make up and become friends I’ll say sorry and why don’t you say sorry so we can this over with”. We then found out the whole school heard and they felt bad for me. So from then on most kids were really nice but some were just the same old same. The good thing was that Jacob had turned Muslim that day and so did his family he even broke up with his girlfriend. That day I stayed late in school so when I was done all my work that I had to finish off I called my brother on my cell and told him to pick me up. He came in 20 minutes, and in his hot red m3. I went and sat in and told him everything, he was really happy about everything except about how Zainub was being rude and swearing at me and at how the whole school heard. The next day at school a poster went up saying religion week. I lined up first for Islam this would be my chance to change the school. Later I went to lunch with Zainub; we both were over the thing that had happened; now she was just like me (wearing the scarf and Abaya). All of a sudden Angela from my English class came and said “you might have changed my friends but you won’t change me or my family! NO ONE WANTS YOU I told you that before, go away, please your ruining my life!”. “I’m sorry I can’t go anywhere but this school. I don’t really have a choice or I’d been long gone not even to bother or bug you. But just wait when I give my speech about Islam and then we’ll see who will be leaving or not”. Angela from that day on hated me; she gave me dirty looks and swears at me. Angela was a Jewish and I was a Muslim. The big day came, and who ever signed up were called up to the back of the stage. I was last in line, because Islam was not so popular and other religions were, but all those religions were up front. I had called a molana for a job to do and so he came but no one knew because if he was needed I would call him. Everyone finished, it was my turn. Oh my god! I WAS so scared, what on earth was I suppose to do now. I started how there is one god and that you only worship none but him and Nabi (S.A.W) is his messenger and slave and I went on, after what seemed like an hour I was coming to an end every girl and boy and teachers was In tears, I, myself tried not to let the tears but in the end I asked them all “are you all going to become Muslims”. They all accepted Islam but I wasn’t done while I was telling them everything I realized that I was a brat. It’s not like that in Islam you should not have pride in yourself there was a hadith I told them and it was that Nabi (S.A.W) said, one who says salaam is free from pride. They all understood but I had not, I had pride in myself. I then asked everyone “please everyone listen a, Muslim brother and sister has to forgive each other, I ask for forgiveness because I have been bad with you all and I had pride in myself please tell me you all forgive me” and everyone said yes they do forgive me. Angela stood up with grin on her face and said that she forgives me but she will not turn Muslim and neither will she stay here and got up and left . I then called the molana and he explained everything. From that day on the school changed and from cedar drive it was Toronto Islamic school for boys and girls, they were all separate. All boys had to wear a juba any color and girls had to wear an Abaya and scarf but gr-8 and up had to wear a veil. When my family found this out they were really happy my brother especially because he knew that I was able to do these kinds of stuff .it was not possible but, it happened.



The school went really good, because I graduated from gr.12 from there and not only that I even taught all the girls Quran, and we had aalimas and aalims that came and taught the school. And no one ever forgot my speech that I gave 3 years ago. After that me and some girls went to madressa in England and became aalimas, by then we were all best friends and we never forget each other. My little brothers became aalims and my older brother a mufti, he got married and had kids, and they were so cute. Later on me and my husband went to hajj and opened a madressa for boys and girls. And no one ever forgot the speech or school.


By: Ira