Editor’s note: This is a letter in response to Wendy Morell’s article in last Friday’s paper on the burqa ban in France.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lisa Dakhlalla. I used to own Shaherazad’s restaurant here in Starkville. A lot of you will know my husband, Oda. We have two sons attending MSU and our youngest son is a student at Starkville High. I am a four time cancer survivor and I have a two-year-old grandson. I am also a Muslim.
I converted to Islam 26 years ago. Since then, I have been wearing long dresses and long skirts… and a scarf, of course. I am so sorry if my “Islamic garb” infuriates you.  Do nuns infuriate you? Or pictures of Mary, the mother of Jesus? (Peace be upon them.) How about Mennonite women? Or the Amish? Do they bother you too? Or is it just the poor, poor Muslim woman? 
And I don’t need you to “feel sorry” for me. You state that some women choose to cover, but that most are forced or expected to. I don’t know if there are any actual statistics to back you up, but most of the Muslim women I know cover out of religious conviction.
I know that in some countries, women have to cover by law.
But, to the other extreme, in Turkey, they used to have (I don’t know if they still do) armed guards at the entrances of the universities to make sure none of the women getting an education covered. How’s that for force?
And as far as “expected to;” would you like to dress in Islamic dress for a day? Then you will definitely see what is expected of you in this society.
You state that Muslim women are unable to express themselves through dress. Wow.
Go to Google and type in “hijab fashion” or go to YouTube and type in “hijab styles” and take a look at all the different ways that women can dress within the Islamic dress code.
You also state that we hide our bodies as though we are ashamed. I cover because I believe that it is mandated by God.
And, quite frankly, my body is my business and not to be put on display for every Tom, Dick and Harry to see. As for getting angry at the men for making exceptions, they don’t.
It’s just that Western fashion for men is more in accordance with the Islamic dress code than Western fashion is for women.
And since when did showing a lot of skin become the litmus test for women’s freedom?
And you go on to state that “Under Islamic law, women are inferior to men.” Wow. Where do you get that? Did you know that at least three out of four converts here in America are women? (You can check with the Islamic Society of North America if you want official statistics.) And MANY women, myself included, enter Islam as feminists. Yes, feminists!
If Islam is so oppressive to women, why isn’t every macho moron man lining up to join? They’re not. It’s the women.
As far as genital mutilation, I believe that is an African custom that Prophet Muhammad tried to limit. And marital rape is legal under Islamic law?
Again, I don’t know where you get this.  Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told the men that he who is best among you is he who is best to his wife.
I know that a lot of bad things happen to women in so called “Muslim countries,” but don’t mistake the actions of ignorant followers for the religion itself. (I don’t look at the KKK and think that they are what Christianity is all about.)
I feel that you have a lot of misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. Don’t think that I have bad feelings toward you.
You see, I have to confess that I, too, once had these misconceptions. That is, until I started reading books by knowledgeable Islamic scholars instead of listening to Western propaganda.