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A Muslim Couple’s Search For Housing
30/01/2001
Editor’s Note: The following account is reconstructed from a conversation with a Muslim couple that felt discriminated against. Unfortunately, they did not file an official complaint with HUD. You can read further about
Fair Housing Act Laws in the Society section.
The newlyweds were excited. Suleman, a Muslim from North Africa, and his wife Aisha, an African American revert to Islam, had located an apartment that they thought would be wonderful for them. Aisha called the number listed on the advertisement and inquired if it was still available. The apartment rental office said that it was available for immediate occupancy, but the couple would have to stop by and fill out the application forms as soon as possible. Suleman wasted no time. He left work on his lunch break, picked up Aisha, and went to the rental office to complete the applications.
The apartment manager was not available, so Suleman submitted the applications to the secretary at the office. Although she was not supposed to, the secretary allowed him and Aisha to view the apartment. The couple just knew that they had found their future home.
Later that afternoon, as Suleman was about to leave work, he received a phone call saying that the application had been approved and that he should stop by the office the following morning to pay a deposit (one month’s rent) and finalize the process.
The next day, Suleman and Aisha arrived at the rental office a few minutes after it opened for business. They waited in the lobby for the manager, who was showing contractors another apartment. After snacking on fruit, Aisha readjusted her niqaab. Suleman flipped through magazines as she talked to the secretary about Islam. Apparently, one of the secretary’s close family friends was a Muslim.
The office door opened, and the manager walked in. Seeing the couple, he appeared somewhat startled. The secretary rose to her feet, all excited and exclaimed, “This is the couple you called yesterday about the apartment we have available.” Regaining his composure, the manager smiled nervously, saying, “Oh, really? Nice to meet you. I will be with you in a second.”
His face red, the manager asked to be excused for a few moments so he could get all the paperwork from his inside office. After about five minutes, he emerged with a manila folder in his hand. In a crackling voice, he said, “I know I called you yesterday about the apartment. But unfortunately, I have made a big mistake and did not realize that we had already promised that apartment to another family. Tell you what I will do. I will keep your application on file and as soon as something is open, I will give you a call personally.”
Suleman and Aisha were speechless. Aisha, sensing discrimination, spoke in a very stern voice to the manager. “You mean to tell me that you did not check all that out before you called us yesterday to say everything was okay? We submitted an application and you called us saying it was approved.”
The manager was taken aback; perhaps surprised that Aisha spoke fluent English – with a New York accent at that. He tried to calm her down, saying, “Now ma’am, I did call your husband here but I must apologize that there has been a mix-up and that apartment is no longer available.” Suleman, feeling highly uncomfortable, took Aisha aside and, whispering, asked her whether they would feel secure living in a building where the manager obviously discriminated. Feeling very hurt, the couple accepted their fate and left the office.
This was a difficult experience for them. However, they did not pursue the case any further. Suleman found another apartment at a much higher rent and the couple settled for that instead. A few weeks later, Aisha received a call from the secretary at the apartment rental office. Apparently, several complaints of discrimination had been filed against the manager and he had been fired from his position. The secretary told Aisha that she would notify her if another apartment became available. Aisha thanked her for the information, but informed her that they had already found another apartment.
Editor’s Note: Know your rights when it comes to housing. Read our article on the
Fair Housing Act. If you would like to share an experience with discrimination, write to
society@islam-online.net
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