That's an interesting story, all4one. I have also seen more ME in traditional garb here on Long Island (mostly women with black covering their entire bodies and heads). This is all since 911! I don't recall seeing one before 911. Isn't that funny? I think I would surely remember all the garb before 911.
This is what always gets me: In late October of 2001, I brought my car in for an inspection at a long-standing shop I had never been to previously. The door of the shop had a large target practice photo of usama bin laden on it! 911 is all the owner and I discussed while my car was inspected.
The next year, 2002, I returned to that nice shop with the nice owner and I brought my Bible with me in case I would have the chance to read. Although I usually never do when I bring it along. I was in the shop for about 10 minutes when a ME male with a long beard and dressed in a traditional tunic came in, sat down and after awhile started rocking to and fro with a book in his hands. I am sure it was the koran. I looked at him for a long time and then I grabbed my Bible out of my pocketbook and started reading it. The owner's son arrived and started conversing with the man about a car repair. I found it amusing that the ME man was blaming his wife for the car troubles (a cultural similarity!?). But then I wondered if there really was a wife... It seemed to me that the ME man might have been at the shop before because he seemed to be somewhat known by the owner and his son or maybe they were just being super respectful.
I noticed that the usama target practice poster was gone. Alot had changed in a year.
So I sat there and read my Bible (or tried to -- to be honest) while the ME man rocked and read his book. I thought how weird this all was and what were the odds of this occurring outside a big city! I wondered if anyone would believe me. Me with a Bible, he with his book. Sitting almost across from each other in an area where previously muslims were not seen. But since 911, I see ME men and women more and more here in the suburbs.
I brought my car back to this shop in 2003 but had a bad experience and I ended up leaving and having my car inspected at the usual place.
I know what you mean about seeing ME's in the suburbs. We have lived in the same suburban area for 11 years. No ME's in the schools, stores, etc. Just within the last 6 months I have seen about a handful in the local market, etc.
This may sound strange to people who live in a more urban area....but they really stand out in an area where they have not been previously seen on a regular basis. And I am not talking about people are Hindu, Indian, etc....this is fully garbed ME's.
BTW, what is with the rocking that goes along with reading the Koran? I love the fact that you had your bible with you for this encounter at the repair shop.
Where I'm staying in the burbs of Chicago:
New neighbors across the street, last Sunday a man trying to look Arab, was blatantly a white man with a beard who was dropping off women dressed in full garb at the house, escorts them to the door and would leave. He did this with 6 women and only one was not in full garb. There is never activity in this house, at times two vehicles parked in driveway, very weird