A common misconception about being a Muslim living in the US is that there is limited access to mosques, religious classes, as well as halal food. The Muslim population there has been growing steadily over the years and it currently makes up about 1.1 percent of the US general population. Undoubtedly, this growth is the primary driving force for the 31 percent increase in the number of mosques being built, from 2,106 in 2016 to 2,769 in 2020^[1].

Virginia, one of the largest Muslim-populated states in the US with around 200,000 Muslims, is home to numerous Islamic centres, schools, and mosques throughout the state. With its diverse Muslim community consisting primarily of Arabs, South Asians and African Americans, there are many choices for halal food, with varying cuisines to choose from.

To 40-year-old Suryani Omar, Virginia felt like home when she first moved there from Utah. Even though she has faced many challenges living in the US, there are positive takeaways from being a minority Muslim there. Suryani shares her story of living in the US with the Karyawan team.

Q: Could you tell us more about yourself and your family?
Suryani: I moved to the US about a decade ago after getting married in 2012. My husband, who is also a Singaporean, has been working in the US for the past 15 years. We have a son who is 7 years old.

Q: Previously, you worked in the media industry as a journalist. What made you switch from journalism?
Suryani: I first stepped out of Singapore in December 2008 to pursue a master’s degree in Islamic Banking and Finance from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). After completing the coursework at the end of 2010, I moved to Jakarta to work as an Islamic finance journalist with Bloomberg News where I covered the capital market (mainly Islamic).

When I moved back to Singapore in 2011, I did a short stint in strategic communications before moving to the US. The opportunity to try something new was there, hence the switch from journalism.

Q: What kind of roles have you taken since you made the switch?
Suryani: I have worked freelance as a translator where I translated the Friday sermons in Singapore from 2012 to 2017, translated publications, and helped an organisation with media monitoring. When I first moved to the US, I worked as an adjunct language instructor at Brigham Young University in Utah.

What has been a running theme for me is volunteer work. Hence, I started to volunteer with the mosque and then a local foundation called Al Mustafa Foundation in Utah. I learnt the meaning of being a community member when we organised the first Utah Muslim Heritage Festival!

Q: You also run a home-based business. What inspired you to set up your own venture, Deenhubb?
Suryani: I started Deenhubb.com in 2018 as I saw a gap in the Islamic products offered in the US. They didn’t have as many cute products as in Southeast Asia! From there, I saw an opportunity.

My son has also inspired me. I would come back from Singapore with all sorts of cute stuff and my friends asked me to buy them some. My friend Soffiah Yusoff, who was then living in California, motivated me to start my own home-based business.

Currently, Deenhubb stocks and distributes books from selected authors from Singapore and Malaysia. We have also submitted their books for book awards in the US. Several of the titles we carry have won awards from Daybreak Press as well as other organisations.

Q: While many Singaporeans typically opt to move to more familiar cities like New York or San Francisco, what made you decide to move to Utah and then Virginia? How different are the culture and lifestyle, and how did you adapt to the new environment?
Suryani: I moved to Virginia because of my husband’s work. Alhamdulillah, adapting has been very easy because Virginia is diverse (unlike Utah) and has a well-established Muslim community. Moving to Virginia felt like home. Firstly, because of Deenhubb, as I already have customers or people who are familiar with my brand, and secondly, because of Rabata where I take classes with Rabata’s academic arm, Ribaat Academic Institute. Rabata has a chapter in Virginia, so I joined them and would be invited to their events. These ladies are instant familiar faces as we have taken classes together and share similar goals, alhamdulillah.

Q: What is the Muslim community, particularly in Virginia, like, as compared to other US states?
Suryani: In Virginia, we are blessed with Muslim scholars (both male and female). The mosque scene is active, and so is the Muslim non-profit sector.

Q: What were some of the challenges you faced and positive takeaways of being a Muslim in the US?
Suryani: There are tons of challenges of being a Muslim in the US, especially as a Malay-Muslim. You are a minority within a minority, and don’t forget to throw in the fact that I am a woman!

But you learn to carry yourself, be proud of what your heritage has to offer to the world, and be open to learning from others! In Utah, there were more challenges such as always being the only Muslim and hijabi in the room.

The other challenge would be the lax gun laws in the US!

The positive takeaways are the diversity which adds richness to your Islamic growth and also, the access to the many scholars, mashaAllah.

Q: You often conduct storytelling sessions for the children of the Muslim community in Virginia. What motivates you to be involved in community work?
Suryani: We will be questioned about what we do with our time and talents. Therefore, I enjoy being involved in community work. I run my business, work, take classes and volunteer with Ribaat. It is a full calendar, alhamdulillah.

Q: How do you manage your time for community work, career, home-based business and family?
Suryani: It is hard! But my teachers put it simply – spend more time with Allah and the barakah (blessings) will flow. I am not kidding, it is true. And ask for help when you can. I don’t have family here, but I have been blessed to have good friends and an amazing Muslim neighbour who is ready to jump in to help if needed. Also, I don’t fret over the details. Dinner is not a three-course meal, just a simple stir fry and meat dish.

Q: Do you recommend Malay/Muslim youths to venture out of Singapore, work and live overseas? 
Suryani: Yes, absolutely! It is hard. I remember crying outside my lecture hall when I first moved to Malaysia (and it was just KL!). But you need to know your intention. If you are moving because you are bitter, trying to run away from responsibilities, are ‘sick’ of family or just being in the country, then that is unhealthy. If you venture with pure intentions and fully knowing this earth is from God, then inshaAllah you will not just survive but thrive.

One important tip is to find a community. Don’t just stick to fellow Singaporeans or Muslims. Spread your wings. Know your roots, don’t assimilate but mix with everyone. ⬛

¹ Bagby, I. The American Mosque 2020: Growing and Evolving. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. 2020, June 2. Available at: https://www.ispu.org/report-1-mosque-survey-2020

Nur Diyana Jalil is an Executive at the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA), managing its social media, events and publications.