Mustafa Azraq

Hi my name is Mustafa Azraq. I am 25 years old and I'm a Canadian of Palestinian descent. I moved to Poland in 2016 for dental school because of the cheap tuition and the lack of competition. For most of my life I never experienced any discrimination. I think its because of my physical appearance. Most people don't acknowledge me as Arab when they see me. In Poland, it's a very conservative place. The majority of the people I've met are very open and excited to meet someone from a different culture and religion. But there is also a larger older population that has lots of hatred for Muslims. I learned this the first time I left the masjid (which isn't really a masjid) and a group of Polish men were waiting around the Conner to jump the youth that went for jummah prayer. They believe we are in Poland to unify and cause terror amongst their people. The news has really brainwashed a lot of people. Their anger towards us is so strong. Once when I left the masjid one man approached me and asked what I was doing here. I replied I was here to study. He began to tell me that I should leave and if he ever sees me again he will kill me. Of course, I laughed because I refused to be intimidated by white bigots. I told him instead of wasting your time chasing boys who are praying to their God, spend your time giving back to the community you are so worried about. Take the time to learn about the people that cause you so much fear and anger you can't explain with any facts. I and my friends are continually harassed and attacked when going to the masjid but we stay strong and continue to go to jummah prayer.