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.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
295 Comments
View All Comments
Anonymous - Wednesday, October 6, 2004 - link
to #264:Does it really now? Explain WHY it sucks
Bala - Wednesday, October 6, 2004 - link
Anand,I've lived in many countries and worked with different cultures. I experienced what you talked about living in California, and now living in Germany as well.
See my friend, its a White world, and we've chosen to live in their land. Theres no use lamenting because no matter how many generations or how much taxes u pay, you'll always be Ausländer.
Vikram - Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - link
Hi Anand,It's a great thing you got going here on this site, please don't spoil it by encouraging political discussions. It reminds me of the fray on slate. Every moron with an opinion and a keyboard writes trash.
Congrats on your wedding. I am sorry to hear that some idiot disrupted your honeymoon. Being of Indian origin and having to travel atleast thrice a week due to my job, I know what you are talking about. Whenever I enter a plane, I feel people stare at me like I was as guilty of the crime of 9/11. And for some reason my bags go through the extra security screening even though I am a frequent flyer.
My question is that since the IRA is a terrorist organization, can I assume that all white people are terrorists or since the KKK was an exclusively white-male organisation are all white males racists?
I don't respond to the stares, because you know what, f**k them.
Anonymous - Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - link
US Rocks!Islam Sucks!
RaceTraitor - Monday, October 4, 2004 - link
#255"there is one GREATER "group" that we all belong
to and is superior to any other "group"... the
Common Brotherhood and Sisterhood of being
AMERICANS!"
There we go again...
Feeling superior *again* are we?
And when you were giving him compliments, he was
"very American" and on his moment of "weakness" he was very "un-American"...
Sigh... some people will never learn.
RaceTraitor - Monday, October 4, 2004 - link
#160"As an American I am proud to live in my country;"
Please tell me why? What great effort of yours made you live in that country?
I am not proud to live in Europe. I didn't do anything to make this happen. It is my habbit to only be proud on things I achieve.
"no other country provides the freedoms and
economic opportunity as the US does."
Euh? Please tell me: Have you lived in every other
country in the world? How would you know that your
country provides more freedoms (ignoring the fact that more freedom might not necessarily mean better life) then any other or gives you more economic opportunity?
It is exactly that kind of cr*p that is annoying the rest of the world. "We are better then you. Our country is better then yours."
Please, try to appreciate the existance of countries other then your USA. Civilization was not born in the USA, neither was freedom of speech , democrasy, science, math, your language and what not.
The one original thing that was born in America was been destroyed by your noble ancestors.
abi - Monday, October 4, 2004 - link
Hmm.. reading akll the 260 (!!) posts makes a few things clear...*America is the land of the free, Every one can give their opinions... Even Idiots. Anand, I have been frequenting ur site for past 4 years, All along i thought u were a hindu (Anand sounds hindu), But does it matter? NO, it doesnt, I would have still visited ur site if ur name was Bolzkovitch (as long as u dont name it as bolzkovitchtech.com , too complicated to remember LOL).
If u R a muslim, so what? It doesnt make u any less of a human being...!
But as somebody as pointed out, Discrimination has plagued human beings as long as we existed, in America its discrimination based on color/caste , In india its based on caste (also states, we have very colourful and vivd Cultures for each state).
But at the end of the day, the great strength of the human race (The reason for our survival) is that when it matters, we are willing to look past these barriers and work together...!
Oh by the way, as some of u might have guessed, Im from India.
YukiKaze - Monday, October 4, 2004 - link
I'm glad to hear there is at least one sane muslim in the world. In my country muslims attempted to murder the director of the publishing company that published Satanic Verses.In the aftermath of that a tv channel made it their mission to proove that most muslims didn't support this at all. They were unable to find a single muslim who was willing to stand up and condemn that attempted murder in public. There were plenty of people who expressed regret that it wasn't them who attempted though.
Hell, even self-proclaimed "moderate" muslim organizations publicly supported the idea of death penalty for critizising Islam.
That whole episode, which lasted about a month and had comments from literally 100s of muslims, just blew me away and my view of Islam now is that it is a massive power system with brainwashing of members from birth. I think that if muslims want to be looked at as human beings they're going to have to act like it. Like you do.
Good luck with your marriage.
Anonymous - Monday, October 4, 2004 - link
I think the muslims are the cause of all world problems...Wipe them out and the world is a safer placeRahim Z. - Sunday, October 3, 2004 - link
hello, i think that u should ignore what others might say, because i have faced the same problem. See, i am afghani, and some people make fun of me too, but i dont pay attention, and so they just forget about it. And now, people dont make fun of me. Oh and i have friends from japan, netherlands, and everywhere else. please email me.