Harvard University

"You're Muslim?" It seems like a question which demands a yes or no answer, but I rarely answer in one word. On the lucky occasions I can, I respond with a whole essay. In daily interactions, I never know the extent to which I should answer. It's a loaded question. I jump to the follow-ups: "What does this person want to hear?"; "How do I explain I am a particular Muslim, of many kinds?"; and then, "Is this person actually asking, or has he or she already decided who I am?" I feel the need to protect my identity. Among other things, I'm a Shia Ismaili Muslim. The Ismaili sect is progressive:…