To preserve a sense of safety and acceptance, today’s American Muslims feel compelled to hide their faith and religiosity. Home Sweet Home is an attempt to communicate this pain with those outside the Muslim community, and to have them understand that although America may be “the land of the free,” it has not been welcoming to us. We Muslims are told that in order to be American, we must be secular. We are told that Islamic values don't coincide with American values. We fear association with the term “religious extremist,” so we water down our beliefs and alter our appearance to present ourselves as less overtly religious. I am interested in transforming negative stereotypes about Muslims into creative solutions that counter false beliefs. 

Home Sweet Home is a testimony to our various backgrounds, coinciding with a common idea of what it means to be both Muslim and American. After calling out on social media, I received headscarves from diverse parts of the United States. The women who donated these scarves were either born and raised in the United States or arrived at a very young age. Their scarves have been stitched together to create an American flag. With this flag I aim to convey the harmonious coexistence of both Muslim and American identities. azzahsultan.com