A note on safety

Many of my friends and family members have been asking me, "is Indonesia safe?" To which I reply "as safe as anywhere." When I tell them I will be wearing the veil and living with Muslims, they tend to be disillusioned, if not worried for my safety.

This fear of 'Muslim terrorists,' I think, is common for Americans. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the War on Terror, the rise of the Taliban, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, after the beating of the 'Blue Bra Girl' in Egypt, after years of media connecting the images muslims and terrorists, it's hard to see any other picture. We hear the words "Shariah Law" and immediately, images of "honor killings" cross our minds.

Needless to say, it would be unwise of me to recognize my own cultural bias. It would be unwise of me to ignore these cultural fears and prejudices.

However, with nearly two billion Muslims in the world, I find it hard to believe that in order to be a Muslim, one must also be in some way affiliated with the Taliban. As well, I find it terribly hard to believe that all Muslim women who veil are oppressed.

When we think of Islam, as well, many minds focus predominantly on the Middle East. While, obviously, this area is of vital importance, we tend to forget that Islam is a world-wide religion. Over 50% of Africans identify as Muslim and in Asia over 30% identify as such.  Indonesia has the largest population of Muslims in the world, close to 203 million people.

The point being, Islam is a diverse religion. It comes in many forms, many faces, and is practiced in many places. The purpose of my research is to examine a few more of these perspectives and provide an alternative image of this heterogeneous culture.