My religion does not define terror. It defines peace, compassion, and humanity. And millions like me are living proof.

Growing up, I often noticed a painful pattern — whenever something goes wrong in the country, a section of society immediately looks at Muslims with suspicion. A bomb blast happens, a conflict rises across the borders, or a headline flashes — and suddenly every ordinary Indian Muslim becomes answerable for something they never did and never supported.

We proudly call India an independent nation, and yes, independence is beautiful. But true independence is not just about flags and borders — it is about dignity. India will be fully free the day every hand, every face, and every identity is treated with equal respect, opportunity, and recognition in society.

People rarely talk about this: many Muslims in India still experience subtle and silent forms of discrimination. Not everywhere, not by everyone — but enough for a young girl like me to feel it deeply.

I am not generalising. I am not blaming. I am simply sharing what I lived.

I grew up in Mumbra, one of Mumbai’s largest Muslim-dominated neighbourhoods. So, I never felt a religious distinction before. I had many non-Muslim friends, but I never behaved or felt any different. However, after my parents’ divorce, I moved to Ulhasnagar to live with my maternal grandparents — and that shift introduced me to something new.

In school, there was a different gaze on me and on many other Muslim students — a gaze shaped by media headlines, not by who we truly were.

For the first time, I realised stereotypes are not always loud. Sometimes they are quiet. Sometimes they come in a casual comment, a question asked out of ignorance, or an assumption made without understanding.

Questions like:
“Sab Muslims Pakistan kyu nahi chale jaate?”,
“Pakistan ko kuch bolo toh tum log bura maan jaate ho na? You guys support Pakistan?”,
“Muslims itne bachche kyu karte hain?”,
“Tum logon ko forcefully hijab pehnaya jaata hai na?”,
“Aap log jaldi shaadi kara dete ho na? Tum log zyada padhte nahi hona?”,
“Tum log jaise jaanwaron ko maar kar kha lete ho, bura nahi lagta kya?”

There was always a separation between “they” and “us” in their conversations. And those moments stayed with me.

Today, when the idea of banning hijab trends in discussions, or when Muslims get targeted online for things beyond their control, I ask a simple question: Is this the secular India our Constitution promised?

A country where every religion, every culture, and every citizen has equal space? My intention is not to create division. My intention is to create understanding.

I am Umme Hanee Ibrahim — an Indian Muslim girl, a student, a writer, a daughter, a dreamer.

When injustice was done to Dalits, Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar raised his voice for them and gave them their rightful place in the Constitution.

Now, I wonder who will raise their voice against the discrimination faced by Muslims today.

My religion does not define terror. It defines peace, compassion, and humanity. And millions like me are living proof.

I am not a terrorist.
I am a citizen.
I am a human being.
I am someone who wants this country to grow, not break.

India is my home. And homes thrive on equality.

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not reflect Milli Chronicle’s point-of-view.