The wedding was incredible, easily the best day of my life. The honeymoon was a continuation of just that; 2 weeks in heaven to start off a wonderful marriage. I've got lots to talk about both of those matters, but given the significance of today's date I'm going to talk about one particular thing that happened while we were off on our honeymoon.
We were returning to our hotel one night and as we got out of the cab and walked to the entrance of the hotel a young guy (I'd say late 20s) holding a drink came up alongside me and said "hey pal." I looked at him at which point he said "I thought you were Osama's brother." I ignored him and walked away.
Now I was born in this country, I'm a U.S. citizen, I pay my taxes, I donate to charities, I vote, I contribute to the economy, I love my country and I wouldn't rather move to any other place, yet for the first time in my life I felt foreign than night. I felt unwelcome in the country that I had the right to be in, I had just as much right to be there as the guy who made me feel so very wrong for being there yet because of his one line I felt like I truly didn't belong. I didn't think something like that would bother me so much, after all I'm pretty good about taking things as light hearted as possible, but that one incident struck home.
And I began to wonder, had I just been really lucky since 9/11? Were there more people like him who would see me and based on the color of my skin would brand me a terrorist? What made me any less of an American than him? Haven't we been through this before? I thought the civil rights movement brought forth the idea that we can't just single out a group of people based on the color of their skin. For the first time in my life I wanted to leave, I wanted to be at home and I didn't want that home to be here.
It may not seem like much, after all it was just a 5 second interaction with some drunk jerk; drunk people say things all the time, get over it right? Well I am over it, but that isn't to say that I'm afraid of something like that happening again. I've said it before, that it all boils down to education and understanding of people and cultures other than our own.
Muslims don't hate Americans, that's just not how things work. My mom is a muslim and she'd never hurt a fly, she cried at 9/11, she donated to the relief fund, she condemned those who did it - just like everyone else. She isn't a fanatic, I'd say she follows the Qua-ran like many people follow the Bible, she doesn't interpret it strictly but she takes it to be a set of morals that she attempts to uphold in her daily life. And to those who don't believe it, must muslims are just like that. They don't walk around with AK-47s plotting ways to attack the West, they lead normal lives and have normal families just like everyone else. I've been to Iran around 5 times now, the only current example of a true Islamic state - did I see people running through the streets plotting to kill Americans? No, I saw normal people doing normal things. Sure their customs are different, but none of those customs include hating Americans. Yet I read through some of the discussions that happen online, even in our own forums, and I'm disgusted. I read statements of people who are clearly ignorant of what they are talking about, attacking people and cultures they don't understand. What if we were all judged by the acts of the D.C. sniper, McVeigh or Dahlmer? Everyone would think that any American was a crazed mass murdering psycho.
As I write this, I'm worried that my point won't get across, that everything I've said here will be dismissed at the hatred will continue. I was just as angry as anyone when the towers fell, I wanted to see someone pay, I wanted revenge - but we must all understand that the revenge isn't against every middle easterner you see. A group of people hated our government, so they took that anger and hatred not out on the government, but on over 3000 innocent people. What sense does it make to attack that group of people by targeting those that honestly have nothing to do with it, some of which are just as American as anyone else in this country.
Today we should all remember the tragedy of 9/11, but we must also remember not to let one tragedy lead us to another one. American doesn't mean white; keep in mind how this country was founded, the melting pot has evolved to include a few new shades but the fact remains the same that we are all Americans. I may not look like everyone else, but I feel the same attachment to this country - please don't make me feel unwelcome.
Take care.
We were returning to our hotel one night and as we got out of the cab and walked to the entrance of the hotel a young guy (I'd say late 20s) holding a drink came up alongside me and said "hey pal." I looked at him at which point he said "I thought you were Osama's brother." I ignored him and walked away.
Now I was born in this country, I'm a U.S. citizen, I pay my taxes, I donate to charities, I vote, I contribute to the economy, I love my country and I wouldn't rather move to any other place, yet for the first time in my life I felt foreign than night. I felt unwelcome in the country that I had the right to be in, I had just as much right to be there as the guy who made me feel so very wrong for being there yet because of his one line I felt like I truly didn't belong. I didn't think something like that would bother me so much, after all I'm pretty good about taking things as light hearted as possible, but that one incident struck home.
And I began to wonder, had I just been really lucky since 9/11? Were there more people like him who would see me and based on the color of my skin would brand me a terrorist? What made me any less of an American than him? Haven't we been through this before? I thought the civil rights movement brought forth the idea that we can't just single out a group of people based on the color of their skin. For the first time in my life I wanted to leave, I wanted to be at home and I didn't want that home to be here.
It may not seem like much, after all it was just a 5 second interaction with some drunk jerk; drunk people say things all the time, get over it right? Well I am over it, but that isn't to say that I'm afraid of something like that happening again. I've said it before, that it all boils down to education and understanding of people and cultures other than our own.
Muslims don't hate Americans, that's just not how things work. My mom is a muslim and she'd never hurt a fly, she cried at 9/11, she donated to the relief fund, she condemned those who did it - just like everyone else. She isn't a fanatic, I'd say she follows the Qua-ran like many people follow the Bible, she doesn't interpret it strictly but she takes it to be a set of morals that she attempts to uphold in her daily life. And to those who don't believe it, must muslims are just like that. They don't walk around with AK-47s plotting ways to attack the West, they lead normal lives and have normal families just like everyone else. I've been to Iran around 5 times now, the only current example of a true Islamic state - did I see people running through the streets plotting to kill Americans? No, I saw normal people doing normal things. Sure their customs are different, but none of those customs include hating Americans. Yet I read through some of the discussions that happen online, even in our own forums, and I'm disgusted. I read statements of people who are clearly ignorant of what they are talking about, attacking people and cultures they don't understand. What if we were all judged by the acts of the D.C. sniper, McVeigh or Dahlmer? Everyone would think that any American was a crazed mass murdering psycho.
As I write this, I'm worried that my point won't get across, that everything I've said here will be dismissed at the hatred will continue. I was just as angry as anyone when the towers fell, I wanted to see someone pay, I wanted revenge - but we must all understand that the revenge isn't against every middle easterner you see. A group of people hated our government, so they took that anger and hatred not out on the government, but on over 3000 innocent people. What sense does it make to attack that group of people by targeting those that honestly have nothing to do with it, some of which are just as American as anyone else in this country.
Today we should all remember the tragedy of 9/11, but we must also remember not to let one tragedy lead us to another one. American doesn't mean white; keep in mind how this country was founded, the melting pot has evolved to include a few new shades but the fact remains the same that we are all Americans. I may not look like everyone else, but I feel the same attachment to this country - please don't make me feel unwelcome.
Take care.
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Anonymous - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
It is a common delusion in the Muslim world that somehow America and Israel are to be blamed for terrorism around the world. As pointed out above Islamic terrorism predates the existence of America as a nation. If you read about the life and deeds of the so-called “Prophet” Mohammed, you will realize that he was nothing more than the first Islamic terrorist. An ancient version of OBL.What good can come out of a religion designed by a pervert who rapes a 9 year old girl? Or slit the throats of several hundred Jews, who would have nothing to o with his new religion? A man who had his critics assassinated?
Do your own research into the life of the first Islamic terrorist (the so called prophet). You will find out what I state to be true.
Brian - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
Anand,
Kind of gives you pause after reading this blogg...did you realize who your audiance really was and the level of anger within it?
Regards.
Anonymous - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
is ur father a hindu anand?Captante - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
First congrats on the wedding, I personally wish you a long life & many healthy babys.As for the dork with the big mouth... my ancestors came from Ireland & suffered many of the same abuses... pity the guy, as he really has no idea what it means to be American
God (or Allah if you prefer) bless you and your new wife...may you have many happy years together... take care man :-)
7thson - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
I am saddened you had to experience the ugly way some people expess themselves.I go through a slightly similar situation where I live (Texas) due to my dress and accent being different from some of the people who live around me. I am a native of California....and it IS fact that I speak with a different accent and I DO dress in a different way (generally shorts, cotton liesure type shirt and Birkenstock sandals) and it is quite often people here feel the need to belittle this fact. (they tend to call my sandals Jesus sandals :>) ) People where I live tend to like to make negative remarks about my home state, when in fact most of whom I ask have never been there, or who have just flown through LAX on the way somewhere and somehow assume that since I am from California I am from L.A., when in fact I have not been to Los Angeles in over 20 years.
I am from an isolated area where the redwoods meet the Pacific Ocean and it is a little slice of heaven; beautiful, quiet, peaceful and clean.
Very soon we will be back on that coastline and enjoying peace and quiet once again.
Take care of yourself and enjoy your new life; I have now been married almost 20 years and it remains to have been the smartest move I have ever made and I have no regrets what so ever. Good luck to you both.
Steve
Farbdogg - Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - link
Anand, i dunno what to say, shit happens. As for the rest of you guys, keep posting, its halliarious. It seems like everyone takes for granted thier freedom of speech on this forum. As an American I am proud to live in my country; no other country provides the freedoms and economic opportunity as the US does.I find it funny that so many people say Americans are ignorant....so ironic...I personally am jaded to prejudice remarks and can't take them seriously. I dunno why you guys all act up on such stupid posts.
luigi2000 - Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - link
Anand,Congratulations on creating a great site that I visit often.
Generally, feelings get hurt all the time. It is regretful. But the handwringing from weak-willed and truly ignorant responders to this blog indicates that a bit of historical perspective is needed.
Mr. Joseph Farah tells the history of terrorism as a problem for the United States of America since the first congress...
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No more appeasement
By Joseph Farah
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
Most Americans probably think the Islamic terrorists declared war on the United States Sept. 11, 2001.
Actually, it started a long time before - right from the birth of the nation.
In 1784, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were commissioned by the first Congress to assemble in Paris to see about marketing U.S. products in Europe.
Jefferson quickly surmised that the biggest challenge facing U.S. merchant ships were those referred to euphemistically as "Barbary pirates."
They weren't "pirates" at all, in the traditional sense, Jefferson noticed. They didn't drink and chase women and they really weren't out to strike it rich. Instead, their motivation was strictly religious. They bought and sold slaves, to be sure. They looted ships. But they used their booty to buy guns, ships, cannon and ammunition.
Like those we call "terrorists" today, they saw themselves engaged in jihad and called themselves "mujahiddin."
Why did these 18th-century terrorists represent such a grave threat to U.S. merchant ships? With independence from Great Britain, the former colonists lost the protection of the greatest navy in the world. The U.S. had no navy - not a single warship.
Jefferson inquired of his European hosts how they dealt with the problem. He was stunned to find out that France and England both paid tribute to the fiends - who would, in turn, use the money to expand their own armada, buy more weaponry, hijack more commercial ships, enslave more innocent civilians and demand greater ransom.
This didn't make sense to Jefferson. He recognized the purchase of peace from the Muslims only worked temporarily. They would always find an excuse to break an agreement, blame the Europeans and demand higher tribute.
After three months researching the history of militant Islam, he came up with a very different policy to deal with the terrorists. But he didn't get to implement until years later.
As the first secretary of state, Jefferson urged the building of a navy to rescue American hostages held in North Africa and to deter future attacks on U.S. ships. In 1792, he commissioned John Paul Jones to go to Algiers under the guise of diplomatic negotiations, but with the real intent of sizing up a future target of a naval attack.
Jefferson was ready to retire a year later when what could only be described as "America's first Sept. 11" happened.
America was struck with its first mega-terror attack by jihadists. In the fall of 1793, the Algerians seized 11 U.S. merchant ships and enslaved more than 100 Americans.
When word of the attack reached New York, the stock market crashed. Voyages were canceled in every major port. Seamen were thrown out of work. Ship suppliers went out of business. What Sept. 11 did to the U.S. economy in 2001, the mass shipjacking of 1793 did to the fledgling U.S. economy in that year.
Accordingly, it took the U.S. Congress only four months to decide to build a fleet of warships.
But even then, Congress didn't choose war, as Jefferson prescribed. Instead, while building what would become the U.S. Navy, Congress sent diplomats to reason with the Algerians. The U.S. ended up paying close to $1 million and giving the pasha of Algiers a new warship, "The Crescent," to win release of 85 surviving American hostages.
It wasn't until 1801, under the presidency of Jefferson, that the U.S. engaged in what became a four-year war against Tripoli. And it wasn't until 1830, when France occupied Algiers, and later Tunisia and Morocco, that the terrorism on the high seas finally ended.
France didn't leave North Africa until 1962 - and it quickly became a major base of terrorism once again.
What's the moral of the story? Appeasement never works. Jefferson saw it. Sept. 11 was hardly the beginning. The war in which we fight today is the longest conflict in human history. It's time to learn from history, not repeat its mistakes.
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I thank you, Mr. Joseph Farah.
justbrowzing - Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - link
One is not the whole by any means.That said, as an American living abroad for nearly ten years, I find it increasingly difficult to defend the US to foreign criticism, as I find so much more to critique myself. In fact, I find myself increasingly glad that I have largely escaped the madness that has descended upon my country, though it wrenches my heart to read the online US newspapers every day.
Sept. 11 has thrown the US into a fit of hysteria that will last a generation, and the entire world is now, and will long pay dearly as the country--the world's proverbial 800 lb. gorilla--thrashes mindlessly in hurt, fear and revenge.
A pall of anxiety and fear has descended on the world with those attacks, as we have all come to realize the possibilities for destruction at terrorits' disposal. That moron lashed out in reaction to this, pathetically, but inevitably.
Shobha - Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - link
Oops! That's sad, very sad! One can't really escape generalisations, can we? Shesssssssh!Anonymous - Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - link
#104OMG. If there ever were an argument for executing stupid people, your views would be the closing statement.