Hatred is growing in America. What began with name calling, this included camel jockey, towel head, slurpee seller, and sand nigger, soon transformed into violence. Even followers of the Sikh religion are targets; Balbir Sodhi was shot to death in response to 9/11.
These forms of resentment are products of discrimination in our school curriculum. We learn about Christmas and Hanukkah, and even engage in a brief over-view of Kwanza, but ask us what Ramadan is, and you’ll get a blank state. Yes, we fast for 30 days.
Acknowledgement and awareness of all peoples of different ethnic groups, cultures and religions is the one of the most important responsibilities of this country. That is if we are sincerely fighting for unity.
Although Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, my colleagues never learned about Ramadan. People are oblivious to the fact that Muslims venerate every prophet followed by Christians and Jews — this includes Jesus, Moses and even Yahya or John. And, instead of seeing the hijab as a symbol of modesty like Muslims have for nuns, much of the West, American included, see the headscarf as a sign of oppression.
We Americans are wanted to believe that this country’s greatness stands alone for its nobility. We grew to trust that our country was erected by the most honorable codes of morality.
Teachers lose jobs for revealing the truth about America’s historic involvement with oppression. The genocide of America’s indigenous people was sugar coated, we didn’t learn about the dehumanization of Chinese settlers, resentment toward Irish immigrants, Japanese internment camps, the Tuskegee experiment, Zoot Suit riots or discrimination toward people with disabilities. You can bet in the future we won’t be discussing the unrest directed at homosexuals and Muslims.
Islamophobia is the direct result of prejudice news anchors brainwashing our population. Islam’s opposition is as radical as those who used the Bible to defend slavery and now justify the killings of doctors in churches. It’s as ridiculous as saying president Obama is a closet Muslim Does anyone remember Jeremiah Write?
Muslims were in the Twin Towers on 9/11. American Muslims have fought alongside troops in the unjust war in Iraq. But American media seems partial to conducting a modern day Salem Witch Hunt. The result led to a mountain of naked prisoners in Abu Ghraib behind gloating US soldiers, a Quran flushed down a toilet in Guantanamo Bay, detainees trapped for five years without a single court hearing and documentaries like “Taxi to the Dark Side” which exposes an innocent Afghan who was tortured to death in American custody.
In America, we Muslims clean beaches provide free health care and feed the poor. We praised the monumental movement for Katrina victims and those affected by Haiti’s catastrophe, but where’s the news concerning Pakistan being one-fifth under water?
Park 51 would be a tribute to religious tolerance for the world to see, but a few of our countrymen skipped work to protest the construction of that community center that would be a few blocks away from a strip club and an adult sex store. This same hate is the fuel funding western opposition.
Anti-Muslim confrontations are on the rise. Muslims that don’t fulfill their duty also share responsibility. Muslims must remind the people of the principles they honor. Although many fear government aggravation and avoid the Muslim Student Association, remember that who and how we serve define us. We represent each other.
Khalil Daniel Sheikh is a senior liberal studies major and a columnist for the Daily 49er.
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