Hinsdale Muslim Student Fights Hindu Extremism

HINSDALE, IL — Aminah Ahmed, a junior at Hinsdale Central High School, is no stranger to discrimination. She calls herself "visibly" Muslim, wearing a hijab.

Last year, when the first-generation Indian American visited the dentist in Oak Brook, an older couple was waiting to get on the elevator that she was in. The woman walked in, but the man refused.

"I'm not getting on the elevator with this type of people," the man said, looking at Ahmed.

So his wife got off the elevator.

In an interview with Patch, Ahmed said she smiled and said nothing. If she had yelled at the man, she said, his prejudice would have hardened.

The 17-year-old has made it her life's mission to combat discrimination. Ahmed said she was bullied because of her background when she attended elementary school in Addison, but she has seen little of that in Hinsdale, where she said "most people are understanding and want to learn your story."

She is the co-founder of the "Art as Resistance: In Honor of Shaheen Bagh." This is part of the movement against India's Citizenship Amendment Act, which barred Muslims from immigrating into the country but allowed those from other religions. Art as Resistance, Ahmed said, is still collecting more works of art.

Ahmed said she is worried about Hindu extremism. It has always existed, she said, but has become worse under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an amendment supporter who took office in 2014. Under his reign, violence against Muslims and Christians has increased, Ahmed said.

Ahmed is the youth leader of the Indian American Muslim Council, which is the largest Indian diaspora nonprofit organization. And she volunteers for the Hindus for Human Rights organization. The group is a demonstration that many Hindus reject extremism, believing such a philosophy hijacks their religion, Ahmed said.

Ahmed said she becomes frustrated with some American Hindus who support Democrats in the United States while backing Modi and his allies in India.

"They support democracy, equality and all those beautiful things here, yet they are Modi supporters," Ahmed said. "They support a man in India who is against democracy. I would call them hypocrites."

She added, "This isn't just against Modi. This is against Hindu extremism period."

Ahmed also said parallels can be found between Modi and President Donald Trump in the way they are fanning the flames of division. "It's getting worse for minorities," she said.

After she graduates from high school, Ahmed said she wants to become a lawyer, focusing on international law. She aims to fight for people's rights.

"I want to focus on these issues for the rest of my life," Ahmed said.