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 due to the cheap tuition fee. I hadn’t experienced discrimination before, and I think it’s because of my physical appearance. Most people don’t acknowledge me as Arab when they see me. Poland is 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 holds a lot of hatred for Muslims. I learned this the first time I left the masjid (mosque) and a group of Polish men were waiting around the corner to jump youth that had gone for Jumma (Friday) prayer. They believe we are in Poland to disunite 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, a man approached me and asked what I was doing in Poland. I replied, I was here to study. He began to tell me that I should leave. Of course, I laughed because I refused to be intimidated. I told him instead of wasting his time with hate, he should spend time giving back to the community. One must take the time to learn about people that cause fear and anger that you can’t explain with facts. My friends and I continue to be harassed when going to the masjid, but we stay strong and continue to go to Jumma prayers.
