Today upon coming back home, I found a comment waiting for approval. I approved it but thought the comment worth answering in public.
Here it is :
“Islam is under attack by hate mongers from the West and those Muslim extremists or mental people as I like to refer them especially those boko haram who just want to kill and use Islam to justify their evil actions. These 2 groups of people work together to demonise Islam, which then leads to people like me who want to lead a normal life and that is full of fear, I go to work my manager tells me to take off my hijaab because customers don’t like the hijaab otherwise I am fired, I go to the masjid on a Friday the whole masjid is surrounded by armed policemen just for the time of prayers. I am scared to leave to my home on a Friday evening because those drunkards attack women with hijaab, I have been attacked several times to the extent they pull of my scarf, you cant do much because they are not in their right state of mind, unfortunately cant live a normal life be it in the West or any other non-Muslim countries. Islam is a peaceful religion, it encourages to live peacefully with the people surrounding in principal and that has been demonstrated by the billion of Muslims around the world, and alhamdulillah is still expanding.”
It answered this post of mine : https://dlofr.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/boko-haram-islam-under-attack-الإسلام-يتعرض-لهجوم/
Picture yourself the target of what Zahra describes. People ripping off your kippa or attacking you because of that crucifix on your lapel or maybe that Juventus or Yankees shirt or cap? It led me to one question though, where does Zahra live? Normally, outside of redneck country, that sounds unlikely in the US or France and so on. But there are two parts to consider : the boss and the drunkards.
In Russia or Poland or Ireland, famed for their alcoholic consumption, maybe even English bum rats à la hooligan, maybe! Elsewhere? From France to Sweden up top or Germany, laws make that nearly impossible. Not the drunkards or behaviour but those should simply be both reported to the police. The presence of which leads me to think of India, few other countries having a state that manages religious affairs. Let me get back to the French! Just because they have an intermediate stand. Lay State that recognizes the need of religious groups, it deals with each Faith for needs and concerns but at the same time, the hijab is sometimes forbidden. Any distinctive sign of religious affiliation ( Hijab, Crucifix/Cross or Kippa, or even Fatima’s Hand ) for those who work for the State is forbidden while exercising their function. It includes all compulsory democratic institutions such as school. At the same time, nothing forbids these to be worn freely in the public space. The girl in high school/college/lycée can’t and while the lady buying stamps at the Post Office can, the lady answering her and selling these State rights cannot! If this seems though to you, Zahra, do understand that by the same token, that State would not tolerate you being attacked in any form or fashion if you reported it, pressed charges? Granted that in all lands, Justice can err especially by being too slow but those would be your rights!
Now, to be honest, there is another bug : The Boss! Again, while in the countries I named ( and Sweden, Australia, Canada ) there are laws that regulate the workplace and its conditions, nothing save Allah can spare you from them! Bad bosses abound for the very reason that bad humans abound. I have had the luck to live and work in some great Western countries and still encountered ruthless moronic bosses. Find another job, Zahra, as soon as possible, is my advice ( and in the aforementioned places, possibly a lawyer as well ).
Coming back to the drunkards, I find your gentle consideration of their alternate state of mind excessive. They are idiots, period. Alcohol may reveal the extent of their idiocy but does not excuse it. In a free society, you are free to drink but not to drive or kill while intoxicated.. The liberty does not overrule the responsibility.
As for the Police, the job requires average wits even though the best are as good as the best in another job and that job has them commonly despised in many places. In most cases. they are somewhat the extension of the State ( If not quality varies wildly from place to place ) . As an extension of the government, they are often asked to operate “against” the public as in crowd and emergency control which may or may not be intentional or not on the part of the said govt? Meaning that if each cop assesses for him/herself moral implications each time they are tasked, it will be an unruly unyielding mess and that if they never do and obey as robots, it will be a bloody mess and civil society is at risk. If they have a union to represent the workers, next results in 15 to 20 years. And so on! So that if a government wants to play its troops , it can and the troops may or may not have knowledge or feelings of/towards the events.
Considering which you can go on to the idea that if a government protects minorities’ right to prayer, it’s not so bad. And unless it protects the majority as in Pakistan, it could also control the minority’s prayer. Then it is an unjust government!
I hope that you are a citizen of that place where you live. If so, you can vote or leave. If latter, try the places mentioned or a nice Islamic country. If you’re not a citizen, find real people nearby in real life to talk about it? But your outcry is justified, you should not be attacked in such fashion.
On the rest of your comment, extreme idiots from all horizons, safety to pray at the masjid or simply enjoy your Friday after prayer ( the responsibility of which still falls on the State ), drunk people misbehaving on public space in general, normal personal Islam being a peaceful religion and the likes, agreed of course! *
So hoping that some of these moves are possible for you and until you find a place to live freely in, my thoughts and prayers go out to you and yours.
Tay, السلام لكم ; السلام عليكم
* If you doubt that. little sister, check here :
https://dlofr.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/arab-spring-before-muslim-winter-climate-change-in-islam/
https://dlofr.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/islam-israel-and-france-united-against-barbary-bravo/
https://dlofr.wordpress.com/2012/09/15/islam-vs-the-united-states-or-simply-islam-vs-the-state/
or my baby : https://dlofr.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/one-rosenberg-two-rosenbergs-and-then-two-mohameds/ 😎
Definitive Lapse of Reason 
Thanks for the thumbs up, Jeff and FaithRehearsed!