A Muslim Woman Speaks
by Saraji
This letter from a Muslim woman living
int he US originated
on Deepak Chopra's website in a discussion list
- - - - - - - - - - - -
This is an open plea. Don't fall victim to the hate rhetoric
and propaganda. Don't let your emotions carry you away to the point
of no return.
I am a prisoner in my home. I can't go outside. My daughter's
school was shut down because of the fear that someone would try to harm
those children. My neighbors are outside, they hate me anyway. I honestly
fear that they are doing something to my car or that they will do something
to us when we come outside, because, eventually, we will have to leave
the house.
Were those pictures from Palestine outrageous? Yes. But were you seeing
the whole truth? Think about it. I saw the footage... on CNN and MSNBC,
and also on an Arabic satellite channel, Jazeera, which is like CNN
for Arabs. What I saw on Jazeera and other Arab stations was NOT what
I saw on American tv.
On American TV I saw a group of about 15 people, mostly children, cheering,
waving flags for the cameras, and jumping around. I saw this tape being
played over and over again. I heard the commentators first say that
it was an Arab Israeli village. Then they said it was in Nablus, in
Occupied Territories. THEN they said it is in Jerusalem. I'm sure later
today, they'll say it was in Brooklyn.
What I saw on Jazeera and other channels was this... those
15 people, doing their thing. Then I saw dozens of Palestinians shaking
their heads in disgust and walking away, I saw Palestinians booing the
people who were celebrating. I saw the Palestinian police come and break
the celebration up, only a few minutes into it. I saw members of the
P.A. gov't denouncing this celebration.
Did you see that part? Here's the 411: Suicide is against
Islam, killing non combatants is against Islam, killing women, children,
old men, servants, monks and priests, this is all against Islam. IF
the acts yesterday were carried out by so-called "Muslims,"
expect the Muslims to be first in line denouncing and condemning them
(as our major organizations already are). Our religion teaches that
there is a place in the HELLFIRE for "people" who do things
like what happened yesterday. We are there praying not just for the
MUSLIM victims of the violence (there are hundreds of Muslims who work
in the WTC, Muslim police, Muslim firefighters, doctors, nurses, engineers,
and so on), but for ALL the victims and their families. WE ARE HUMAN
TOO, whether we are here or in Kabul or Palestine. We bleed the same
as you, and we cry the same as you.
Don't believe the hype people. Even if the ... dogs who
did this were named Ahmed or Usama.. it wasn't me, it wasn't Joe Palestinian,
it wasn't your Muslim doctor or your Muslim co-worker. I am asking everyone
out there to speak up against the anti Muslim, anti Arab rhetoric we
are hearing all over the country today. I am asking you to step in when
you see a Muslim women in hijab (trad'l dress) being harrassed. I am
asking you to speak up against the rhetoric on tv and radio, of restricting
civil rights, of legalizing profiling of Muslims and Middle Easterners.
I am asking you to speak out against any harrassment and violence against
Muslims and MEers in your cities.
We need to show both the "people" who did this
and the people now comparing Arabs to Satan (Fox News) that we, as Americans
of all faiths and no faiths,
We are BETTER than that.
Saraji
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