​​ Being perceived as white meant my citizenship was no longer casually called into question. I did not have to prove that I was American; I just was. But the biggest change, when I decided to stop wearing hijab almost seven years ago, was this: I realized I didn’t have to be so nice all the time.

Finally, I could be short with a commuter who refused to move away from the train doors; I could yell at street harassers or push past slow walkers without worrying about how it would impact a stranger’s perception of all of the nearly 2 billion Muslims on Earth. I was suddenly viewed as an individual — and any rudeness on my part was mine alone. But the real question is, why wasn’t that true before?

Sara Yasin: Muslims Shouldn’t Have To Be “Good” To Be Granted Human Rights