Sunday, August 22, 2010

I'm An American, Too!

Over and over on conservative TV and radio, we hear the commentators saying that the United States military men and women are "fighting" for our rights.  That they are fighting to keep us free.

Whose rights?  Whose freedom? 

Just a select few, or only a select few groups of Americans?

I am an American.  Born and raised in the USA.  I am also a Muslim.  American Muslims, like any other group of citizens, deserve the protection of our Constitutional rights. 

I am from a military family.  Even my mother served and was honorably discharged from the military.  I am the ONLY person in my immediate family who did not serve in the US Military.

My mother's people were Catholic, and my father's people were Jewish.  Both groups went through hell in America.  Just like the Muslims are going through hell now.  I think my family has paid our dues!  My family fought for the rights of ALL Americans.

My Mother: 


My Father:



My Step-Father:



My Brother:



There was a time in American history when Catholics, Jews, and Mormons could not or had difficulty building houses of worship.  Haven't we learned anything from the lessons of history?

4 comments:

Trishymouse said...

I couldn't agree more - people (aka sheeple) never seem to learn. I sometimes wonder, if there is a higher power (I tend to lean towards the affirmative), how he/she/it manages not to exterminate us on a moment by moment basis! But as people of faith say, the mind of God/Allah/Whoever in unknowable?! I have no idea, but I just know one thing for sure - humanity (myself included) are highly flawed...

Safiyyah said...

Salaams Trish: "sheeple" lol - that reminds me of talk radio personality, Michael Savage, on the show "The Savage Nation." He is always saying, "we the sheeple" in a re-phrasing of "we the people." I used to listen to him on my long drive home when I worked nights. He used to make sense, but now he is out of the box.

Allaah t'ala tells us in the Qur'aan that he created us as a mercy and for us to worship Him. Can't put my figure on the exact ayah at the moment, but He says something to the effect that he could exterminate us if He wishes and replace us with bette people.

Yasmine said...

I was just curious as to why people try to make the correlation with being a "true" American by being the military as that was the ulitimate patriotic thing to do. Also correlated with the blonde blue eyed self. Its just so odd and we usually re-propagate these stereotypes... (not directed at you just a rhetorical question) So if you're in the military that makes you THE ULTIMATE AMERICAN.

Actually thats what America wants one to think... its all part of the plan. public school, the idea of a patriot is all in the service to America's imperialistic goal.

Safiyyah said...

Being in the military is seen by many to be the ultimate patriotism. In a time where there is no draft (forced enlistment), men and women leave their homes, families, jobs, etc., to serve in areas where often their lives are in danger. How many of us would do that? How many of us would be our country before ourselves and our families?