Don’t let prejudice ruin view of people
Husnu dhan. It is a term meaning to “have a good opinion of people.” And as simple as it sounds, we all know how hard this can be when dealing with day to day complications and events.
Sending resumes out to potential employers to be judged or compared to others is stressful. In addition to that, more than half of applicants also deal with various prejudices, be they sexist, racial, xenophobic, etc. Encountering one of these issues can be a shattering experience. And a time when following the principle of husnu dhan is put to the test.
A month ago, I was in contact with an organization, and as with most jobs these days, the initial contact was via internet or phone. Long story short, she said yes, we began the project, and all seemed well. That is, all seemed well until we decided to arrange a meeting. Now truth be told, the meeting went well. But when I went home, a shock was waiting.
Ms. R. had sent a simple email with this question:
“There is so much media attention now on radicalism and suicide bombers. I need to ask you, are you a radical.”
I wondered for a long time — what had prompted this turn of events? Had my words or actions given that impression? But we hadn’t talked about anything new in our face-to-face meeting. What had changed was seeing someone versus just their work or credentials. It was a shock to realize that this lady had looked at my clothes and made an assumption, a horrible one, too.
That night, I submitted my last piece of work to her along with an explanation of the reasons I had decided to end that job relationship, specifically the disappointment that such a prejudiced question and islamophobic assumption was made without any thought.
A few weeks later, I was talking to another employer about a job. Once again, it went along positively and once again came to an abrupt halt when they requested and received a profile picture. The reply was succinct in explaining their rejection of my application:
“It is difficult to do this if we do not have a front facing picture and/or if you are behind a niqab/veil.”
The real world is a place where prejudices are alive and thriving. It can be overtly apparent, even though discrimination based on religion is against the law. These two events turned my mind back to the age-old question: is the world a good or bad place?
It’s a question that we are faced with every day as news flashes and talk about the good old days coincide with activists and youth celebrating a better world. And it is a question whose answer depends on husnu dhan.
Seeing the good in people is a conscious decision we make; it is not by default. The employers could be dismissed as prejudiced. Or I could see it as a misunderstanding and give them the benefit of the doubt. And so I didn’t allow the hurt or anger to be the last part of this story. I wrote back to them and explained that I was hoping to work with them towards a religious accommodation.
Two days later, the application was approved.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to the people: “Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales.” It takes an effort to do this and to live up to husnu dhan, to give people the benefit of the doubt. But making that decision also allows us to say without apprehension: The world is a good place!