My Open Letter to Lisa

After replying to Lisa's post, I realized that my comment was extremely long and I decided to make a post out of it. To see how this whole discussion started, you can read her post

Lisa replied to my first comment saying :

Hijabee,

I love your passion for all causes Islamic and I even though I disagree I appreciate how strongly you feel about this.

Terror is never right Hijabee. I understand how bad it's become for Palestinian families who watch their children bulldozed and fell all alone.

But ask yourself dear Hijabee: Does everyone have to become a terrorist when their faced with something similar? Did the Japanese who survived Hiroshima and a gigantic mushroom cloud retaliate with terror, or did they choose peace? Did they not support the U.S. even as they built Toyotas, made Kodak cameras, and attempt to become the #1 superpower peacefully?

They learned a lesson long ago that the Palestinians and Islamic terrorists choose to ignore. That Kamikaze suicide missions are not a long term solution.

And what about the Cubans, the Vietnamese, and the list goes on.

If you can't beat em, join em. Many nations including Israel seem to realize this about America.

Muslims are not responsible for the Holocaust Hijabee. Just like Jews didn't sit home on 9-11. No in fact, many Jews who were the best traders on Wall Street arrived to their Cantor Fitzgerald offices on 9-11. They had Jewish names like Katz, Goldberg, and Lutnick. They became the heroic jumpers who made a final decision on how to die rather than have Al Qaeda choose.

As for Hitler, he himself says he wasn't a Christian in Mein Kampf. "Christianity is an invention of sick brains: one could imagine nothing more senseless, nor any more indecent way of turning the idea of the Godhead into a mockery...."When all is said, we have no reason to wish that the Italians and Spaniards should free themselves from the drug of Christianity. Let's be the only people who are immunised against the disease."

And Jim Jones-well did anyone start a Christian trend of poisoned Kool-Aid after that?

Terror is just not right Hijabee. The people most of the world admires are purposefully not terrorists. They are the Japanese who made peace and learned a lesson.



First, my passion is not for all things Islamic. My passion is for truth, liberty and justice for all. I remember hearing that in the national anthem and I didn’t realize it only applied to America and Israel.

Secondly, when did the word terror become synonymous with Islam? When the Native American were slaughtered, and land taken I didn’t hear the word terror or terrorist. Now the Native Americans have the freedom to live on reservations with casinos funded by the government. When the Australian also took the aborigenes'land what did we call that? I believe it was called settlement.

When 400 million slaves were taken from their homeland was it called terrorism? Or would you say that’s life.How do you define terror or terrorist?

Colonization was just to civilize Africans,right?

When the Bush and Reagan administration allied with Bin Laden, and Saddam Hussein was it okay at that point to associate with terrorists? When the Afghans were fighting the Soviets with weapons provided by the US, was the US sponsoring terrorism?

In this world, it seems we have the have and the have not, we have the first world and the third world. The haves, and the first world will always be right, the have not and the third world will always be wrong. Fancy words like settlement or national security will be used to defend genocides when they are committed by the powerful and glorious, the weak will always be terrorists! The Japanese who survived Hiroshima were not put in cities with blockades where basic necessities lacked and terror reigns. They were not given $34% of Japan and asked to just accept it and move on because the world superpowers decided so! But yet, when they were hopeless and helpless they did exactly the same thing that you’re condemning right now! Kamikaze attacks were used because they did not have any other recourse. The tradition of suicide instead of defeat was deeply entrenched in the Japanese military culture. It is still one of the main traditions in the Samurai life, especially loyalty and honor unto death.

You’re saying that they understood that kamikaze attacks are not a long-term solution; well I guess they stopped because they are a free nation today and trust me I don’t think that those blowing themselves up are planning to do it for the rest of future generations! Obviously, it’s a short-term "fix" to their plight, that can’t be done forever! But Kamikazes are not terrorists, only Muslims are. These silly Arabs, how dare they? In the end, you’re trying to assimilate Vietnam, Cuba, Japan,…… with Palestine, which is truly an unfair and false comparison for anyone who knows history knows how different the plights of these nations are! Palestinians are refugees in their own country, but I guess it is okay with you! Can you imagine Americans being refugees in America? Having to travel 6 hours to go 80 miles because they are stopped at checkpoints? You can’t sympathize coz you’re not Palestinian! You would just want them to leave their land,that is your solution! The Mighty and Glorious want the world to just accept every decision they make and move on, the Palestinians dared to say No and they are paying a high price right now, the price of standing for truth and dignity. The simple fact that you have that thought tells me that you won’t understand! You can’t understand that the whole Israeli-Palestinian issue started with a wrong that was done to Palestinians, and unless you understand that, there is no point of going any further. You want the Palestinians to just ignore their land and move on! Maybe you should start watching Al-Jazeera and get off CNN for just a minute.

One final point: I never said terror was right! Though I don't condone terrorism, I understand it! What I want you to understand is, Islam is not to be blamed for terrorist acts. Terrorism doesn’t have a religion, it is not due to their religion that they act they way they do, rather it is due to their circumstances. That's the difference between you and me. I can see someone's circumstances and link those circumstances to their actions. You, you see the religion and every action is linked back to the perpetrator's religion! But you know what? Unless I walk a mile in someone else's swollen feet I will not judge!

Get Active for Gaza - Sign Petition

CAIR today launched an online petition drive to collect one million signatures urging our nation's leaders to speak "in favor of peace and justice for all parties in the current humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip."

When completed, the petition will be sent to elected officials nationwide and will be given to members of the current and incoming administrations.

Please take a minute right now to sign the petition and forward it to your friends, family and other contacts.

To sign the petition, go to Petition

The petition states:

"We, the undersigned people of conscience who respect international law and the sanctity of human life, urge you to speak out for peace and justice for all parties in the Middle East crisis.

"We are concerned that the current violence and ongoing humanitarian crisis is further eroding America's international image. For this reason, a strong, balanced stance from you that is aimed at fostering an enduring peace is vital.

"Unfortunately, all parties in the Middle East conflict have committed violence against civilians. We unequivocally condemn all of these actions.

"The European Union (EU), Russia, the UN Secretary-General, the Arab League, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and other international bodies are all urging Israel to end it attacks.

"Middle East Envoy Tony Blair deplored the "tragic of loss of life," while French President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned Israel's "disproportionate use of force."

"EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the Israeli attacks were "inflicting an unacceptable toll on Palestinian civilians and will only worsen the humanitarian crisis as well as complicate the search for a peaceful solution."

"Unfortunately, our nation's one-sided response to this tragic episode will only serve to fuel anti-American sentiments in the Muslim world and beyond.

"We therefore call on you to demonstrate your commitment to changing our nation's current one-sided Mideast policy by speaking out now in favor of peace and justice for all parties to this decades-long conflict."

~It will not be a happy new year for me~

I just realized that it's been a week since I've done anything on this blog!! This is a busy time for me at work as we need to get a lot of reports out before the end of the year. Alhamdulilah, I made it this far! Few days ago, on Dec 29th, it was the beginning of the Islamic Year (A.H 1430) while the world watched as our brothers and sisters were being killed in Gaza!The pictures and testimonies at the Palestinian Holocaust Museum are heartbreaking. We see these images, watch the news on tv, but our lives go on, we eat out, go shopping, buy gifts for our families, and laugh as if we were watching a movie and not the news. We have detached ourselves from the reality of the News, the reality of death. We are so used of the news of death that it doesn't feel real anymore,it's like watching scenes from a scary movie,we're scared for a few minutes but when the movie is over, we forget everything, we're back to our normal happy life, after all it was just some images on a screen. As, I'm writing this, I'm sitting in my comfy office with my heat on, sipping on my morning coffee, and I feel like I'm not much better than the rest. But today, I beg to differ, when the lights will go out, when the count will begin for a new year, when the world will celebrate on their successes and accomplishments, when champagne glasses will be raised and toasted, wishes of health and prosperity exchanged, it will not be a happy new year for me. Tonight, my thoughts will be in Gaza, for all those families who will sleep on empty stomachs, terror in their hearts, darkness in their homes. My thoughts will be for all these mothers in Gaza who are tearing at the loss of their children, the jobless fathers who can't feed their families, the elders who are waiting for death...Palestine, how more can I cry with you? Tonight, I beg to differ, it will not be a happy new year for me~


Dedicated to my fellow brothers and sisters in Palestine, specifically Gaza. We will not watch this genocide and remain apathetic. We will not allow another “Holocaust” to happen, God-Willing. We will not remain silent.

As we sit surrounded by luxury, engrossed in our own lives,
We tend to forget about the world’s struggles and strife.
I cry, I write, and I speak,
For my brothers and sisters in humanity, those helpless and weak,
For the innocent Palestinian lives taken all in just one day,
For the children who lost their mothers in Gaza today,
For the civilians, trapped, living in blockade,
For the bloodshed that continues decade after decade,
For the severely injured who have no access to medical care,
For the elderly folk, who are not even spared,
For the demolished homes and destroyed olive trees,
For the men and women who are not even in their own land, free,
For the dreams, hopes, and optimism, completely crushed,
For the Palestinian voices, all muted and hushed,
For the genocide occurring afore our own eyes,
For the déjà vu of a Holocaust, buried among justification for the sake of security and other wretched lies.

I cry, I write, and I speak,
For the situation around the world, seeming so dark and bleak,
For the censored media and news we are being fed,
While others lose their homes and their family members, dead,
For the baseless vilification of the people of Palestine,
For the apathy and the forgetfulness, both your fault and mine,
For our tax dollars going to fund rockets, bombs, and annihilation,
For this country’s full support of the collective punishment and decimation,
For the thousands who live and die, knowing nothing of this occupation,
Too engrossed in their personal lives, not even caring to expose themselves to this human rights’ violation.
I cry, I write, and I speak,
For the innocent people of Palestine, may God bless them with strength after they were weak.
But I cry, I write, and I speak even more,
Begging us all to learn, read, write, demand and act, I implore.

(By Mai El-Sadany)