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When boredom sets in and your body slips into a lethargic state, I believe that your other senses are heightened. This particular night I could smell the combination of Mexican take-out and perspiration. I could see the blurs of human figures running to destinations unknown and I could feel the humidity of imperfection and determination. I noticed protein bars and whey on a glossy red counter also adorned with tanning oil and eye protectors. What was most evident in Gold's Gym was the conversation of war I had been eavesdropping on. “Antiwar” and “Bush is an @#$%^&*” were eloquently intertwined with words of “I don't know what the heck I'm talking about.”
And how could they? They’re employed by a gym that prides itself on health and fitness, merchandising PowerAde and balance bars, yet also features baking grease to kill yourself in an enormous cancer box. I'll be honest: I generally won't talk politics. It's a touchy subject and I have better things to do with my time than bicker about whose point is correct. However, this eruption of war forces me to break my usual political silence.
On Sept. 11, 2001, our nation was blindsided by a horrific tragedy. On Sept. 12 our nation was overcome by a patriotic loyalty. American flags decorated T-shirts, lawns and car doors as the United States stood superior, balancing on its red, white and blue. Now the flags are weathered and tattered, while our colors have faded into a looming pollution of antiwar. Protesters have been arrested left and right for disrupting the peace. Even celebrities like Danny Glover have supported their antiwar opinions, attending such protests. Support is a funny thing. Instead of protesting a lost cause, perhaps we should support our military fighting for our country. War is not something we can erase; therefore massive amounts of protest will not benefit anyone. Do we expect Bush to make another presidential statement, “Whoops, my bad. Sorry, Saddam, for bombing your house and half of Baghdad. Let's just call this little war issue off.”
My biggest fear is that this will replicate Vietnam and our soldiers won't even feel comfortable in their own country. Instead of preaching that war is not the answer, let's praise and support our friends, fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters fighting for a war-worthy cause, regardless of any of our resentful opinions. More than 150 protesters were arrested in San Francisco for a violent brawl with law enforcement. I thought the American soldiers in the Middle East were trying to protect our country from war-related violence. Ironic how we've created our own war on top of American soil.
I hope one day people will push stubborn beliefs aside and take pride in the moment. We're still US citizens, which means we need to support the United States at all times. A shaky nation is easily defeated, but one that stands together hand-in-hand triumphs always. Antiquated as it may sound, it has never failed us in the past. I understand that protesters, onlookers, civilians and even active duty military might not think war is the best resolution but it is now inevitable. We are at war.
A holy war or a war on terror? This question has been plaguing most American
minds since September of 2001.
As our military invades Iraq, we stand at the brink of defeating Saddam or possibly
being at war with Muslims around the world. Iraq tries to gather the Muslim
world in order to help fight in this war, and they will call it "Jihad."
Almost every aspect of Islam has been viewed under a media microscope. As an
American Muslim, my goal is to help people understand the often misunderstood
side of Islam. Sept. 11 raised many questions about the Muslim faith, including
the question on everyone's mind, "Do all Muslims hate Americans?"
To find the answer to that question we must first understand what defines an "American." The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." After attaining citizenship, the Constitution does not label your religion. Jew, Hindu or Muslim, we are all Americans first.
For years people have used religion to justify their ignorance; however, it seems as though Muslims are always in the front line. Terrorism is defined as the unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments - often for ideological or political reasons. But, over the years, when people hear the word terrorist or terrorism, they immediately associate it with Islam.
I have found myself guilty of the same. I know that Muslims have been responsible for violence and tragedy in the United States, and they have wrongfully used Islam to justify their actions. After the Twin Towers fell, a translation of a letter left by some of the terrorists had quotes from the Qu'ran, the Holy book of Muslims, one of which said, "How often, by God's will, has a small force vanquished a large one?" (II-249). However, there have also been cases where people have used religions besides Islam as scapegoats for their actions, yet the media somehow downplays these incidents. In 1985, the Rev. Michael Bray, along with an accomplice, destroyed seven abortion facilities in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC According to Bray, Christianity gave him the right to defend the innocent - in this case, unborn children. Bray later defended another friend, the Rev. Paul Hill, in killing Dr. John Britton and his escort as they were leaving a clinic. Hill said that he opened his Bible and found sustenance in Psalm 91:5 "You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day."
In 1995, Timothy McVeigh was convicted for bombing the Oklahoma City federal building, but I don't recall anyone talking about his possible ties to the Christian Identity Encampment. His ideas for the bombing were taken almost directly from a book called “The Turner Diaries,” written by William Pierce, the self-proclaimed founder of a religious compound very similar to those associated with the Christian Identity movement. He called it the Cosmotheist Community. I don't ever remember the media labeling McVeigh as a "Christian terrorist."
Albert Einstein once said, "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding." I couldn't agree more, but being a Muslim, my opinion is immediately linked to my religion. The word “Jihad” has been mentioned over and over again in the media as a holy war. The term “Jihad” literally translated, does not mean holy war; it means struggle. By misusing such terms, the media adds fuel to the fire. War is equal to terrorism, as it breeds hate. To mislead people into believing that America is at war with the Muslims is putting our country on high terror alert, as well as aggravating the silent war in America - racial profiling.
Most people in the US don't know much or anything about Islam, so the masses get their information from the nightly news. I'm here to give you information through the eyes of an American Muslim. Muslims believe that God, or “Allah,” has 99 names, which are also his attributes. One of these is “Al Salam” which means peace. Islam in the only religion which actually worships the attribute of peace. It is so easy for the media to emphasize what they please, and we as a society eat it up because we are too lazy to find the truth. We need to educate ourselves and ask questions before we take things at face value. Islam teaches patience, tolerance and kindness towards mankind, yet it is the nature of human beings to manipulate these truths. Whether written or spoken, it is so easy to alter a phrase or comment for one's own advantage.
I want to leave you with one last thought. An English professor wrote, "A woman without her man is nothing," on the blackboard and directed the students to punctuate it correctly. The men wrote: “A woman, without her man, is nothing.” The women wrote: “A woman: without her, man is nothing.”
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