THE AMERICANS AND ME: RESPONSES- ISLAM
Mohammad Ali Salih, Washington, “Asharq Alawsat”:
Last month I wrote an opinion in “The Philadelphia
Enquirer” titled: “I am Muslim First, Arab Second, American
Third.” I received many responses, and
published some of them.
Last week, “The Baltimore Sun” published the same
opinion. I also received many responses.
These are some of them, for the sake of a wider discussion:
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After reading your very interesting commentary in “The Baltimore Sun” my first
thought was--- of course, you would be Muslim first, Arab second, American
third. My grandparents on my father’s
side came from
Michael
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Stan
Denver
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I am a middle age White Catholic. I feel that
anyone of any religion who places his religion ahead of his country is a
traitor and any group that does so should be forbidden to enter.
I have personally written to Catholic leaders to
tell them to stay out of politics. I
know no Christian who would listen to the Pope or some other figure above our
country.
To be here you should be AMERICAN first and if you
have a problem with a policy, work to change it but religious fanatic of any
faith are unneeded and unwanted.
YOU are wrong in your loyalties.
WCJ
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I have no problem with your train of thought. That
is what
However, the problem people like me have is when
9/11 happened, (and just about any other terror attack) there is no loud and
unified condemnation of the attack. It's
like there is almost a low murmur of approval and it's typically the apologists
that make the airwaves.
David Schauer
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I enjoyed your article in “The Baltimore
Sun.” I certainly understand how one's faith would take a pre-eminent
role over one's nationality, particularly as a first generation
immigrant. Although I find your position discernable, I am interested in
the reconciliation a follower of Islam must make with the cultures of a nation
like the
Jona
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Your article was very moving.
When people like you come here to worship freely,
it continues our great tradition. I think it is so very sad that someone
would use religion as a basis for destroying this freedom, or oppressing
people.
Perhaps you cannot see it readily, but most
Americans wish to help Muslims like you to be free of those who would use your
religion as an excuse for evil. It is similar to the way we condemn the
groups who preach supremacy of a certain race.
Thank you for writing your sincere feelings.
This perspective is not understood by all. I hope you will continue
to give readers a window into the lives of Muslim and Arab Americans.
Carolyn Guist
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Your article in “The Baltimore Sun” today is
perhaps the best expression of a person's philosophy of life I have ever
read. If we could all come to such a view, what a different
world we would have.
As a Catholic I, too, see my relationship with God
as primary. I would only add that I am a human being first (which
may be seen as implicit in your priority).
Please continue to help us, Americans, to
understand more of your views, particularly of Islam.
Richard Irwin
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NONSENSE
FJaraber
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I found your column very moving--one of the best
pieces I have read in a long time.
Judy Nall
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I just finished reading your recent piece, and
wanted to let you know I found it reassuring. With all the noise in the
world over this subject, it is good to know that there are still reasonable
people of good character out there. I hope this note finds you well, and
you have my best wishes.
David DeZwaan
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While I will admit to being wary of many
things Islamic, I have never understood the relevance of people identifying themselves
as members of their respective religions first and members of a political group
second.
Mat Burns
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It's possible that your priorities of being a
Muslim 1st, Arab 2nd, and American 3rd don't make you any less American- but
then you would be an exception. In that very same Pew Poll you referenced
in your piece, 26% of American Muslims ages 18-29 supported suicide bombings
"in defense of Islam".
Does that sound American to you?
I'm also quite certain that the beating of women
and decapitation of "infidels" is not an American value. Yet
when these atrocities occur on a daily basis in the Arab world, Muslim
Americans are inexplicably silent. Your silence breeds distrust. Coupled
with the above statistic, many Christian Americans are left to think that
Muslims Americans either agree to the atrocities or are too afraid to take a
stand.
John Adcock
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I'm not religious. I was raised as a
Catholic and my uncle is a priest. At 7 years of age, I started to
observe that most religions are the product of men, not a supreme being, and
don't make sense.
A person who kills or
hurts someone else, by definition, can't have any sort of meaningful Supreme
Being in mind. In those cases, they have defiled their religion and should lose
the right to feel protection from it.
In your column you indicate that you identify with
your religion first, then your heritage, and finally your country.
That is certainly OK, but promotes a certain point
of view, that I don't think is helpful.
Perhaps this is because religion is not important
to me. My personal morality is extremely important to me, and I'm willing
to compare my actions in that area, against anyone there is, religious or not,
and that's where I think most people lose their way.
Henry Harriman
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I love Italian food. I love vacations in
have a natural, instinctive affinity for Italians. I think Italian women are
the most beautiful in the world, albeit the craziest. Even Italian-Americans,
who I don't like, I have a "familiarity" with them that I don't have
with German-Americans or Spanish-Americans, etc.
But if the moment came to choose between religious affiliation, or ethnic
affiliation, or national affiliation, my decision would be instantaneous: I
am an American, first, foremost, and above all other considerations.
Frank
Newton
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Thank you for your beautiful article.
I am a Christian first, but I know that, on a
separate scale,
I love what Patrick Henry, an American hero said:
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation
was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have
been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here".
Deane Dradzinski
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This article explains why this “American” guy
views himself as Muslim First, Arab Second, and American Third.
It strikes me that the guy is really neither a
true Moslem (he rejects Sharia) nor a true
American. He is smart enough to realize that his native culture is Arabic
and he is Arabic before he is American because Arabic culture demands that he
be a Moslem. And, of course, as he says, he is a Moslem FIRST.
He benefits from
David D. Haley
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I read with interest your provocative essay on
"Muslim First, Arab Second, American Third", and I agree with what
you said, regarding the comparison with Christian priorities.
It's what you didn't mention that concerns me
more. Pew also found that 15% of younger Muslims could justify suicide
bombings, and 7% supported Al Queda. I
seriously doubt that a similar percentage of American Christians would support
these tactics. If 7% of those under 30 support Al Queda
and suicide bombings, that's a lot of potentially explosive problems, from
a population of 2.35 million of Muslims in the US.
G.
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The problem is that the barbaric treatment of
women and infidels by “the religion of peace” is not compatible with OUR
Christian based value system.
Tolerance is fine. Immigration is fine. But, when you come here, if you don't
want to play by our rules and values, then leave.
T. Telltalk
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I read and much appreciated your moving opinion
piece (Muslim First, Arab Second…).
As a Christian, I agree with what you say; my
faith must come first. Luckily, here in
You are very brave to say much of what you have
said. I had to smile at your reference to “medieval Sharia
scholars.” I know that there are extremists in your faith who would
renounce you or even threaten you for some things you have said and done.
May God Bless You!
Greg Padgett
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I read your article today, and take your
points. I guess all I can say is that you have pointed out exactly what
separates me and you: I am an American first (my worldview of facts and
morality for day-to-day human affairs), my spirituality comes second (I admit
it is based on Faith,), and I am a Slovak third (my ancestry is not to be
forgotten, but it is, after all, ancestry).
Thanks for pointing out your views. It
didn't reassure me, but at least it was honest.
Joel
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I read with interest the article and its succinct
points and for the most part agree with a lot of what you say.
I have one question for you from myself and a lot
of my friends.
Where is the outrage from the Muslim community
about the Radical Muslims who are giving you such a bad name and causing so
much strife around the world?
I don't hear it or see it anywhere, where is it?
Are you too afraid of this Radical element of yours?
Larry Motter
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I enjoyed your article and I must apologize for my
fellow Americans and some of the hateful mail you must have received by
now. I would hope that none of the
haters called themselves "Christians" but I'm certain many probably
did.
I didn't find your positions surprising at all.
Being an Arab is not like being an American necessarily; it's more like a
race than a nationality although the French might argue that point.
I believe that to become a true American, you
would need to renounce all foreign allegiances, but obviously not your
racial identity. Being an Arab in today’s world does have its political
ramifications, but that's not the purpose of my correspondence.
Where I was intrigued was your comfort with
worshipping in a Methodist church.
Kevin Courtney
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Wednesday's editorial “Muslim first, Arab second, American third” surprisingly
moved me to tears at one part: “Christianity and Western civilization
is at the core of what makes
I have never, ever, heard anyone pays a compliment
to the Christian religion in this country, not even Christians. I am
Catholic and it moved me that someone not Christian would find that spirit of
humbles and giving, inspired by the teachings of Jesus. Thank you
for being the first person to affirm what I always think I felt in my heart.
I have thought about this and cannot figure out if
it is because the media is largely Jewish and/or owned and ran along Atheists.
I think I am odd in that I actually like Islam and
Muslims even better now than before 9/11.
Why?
Because now I have been working 6 years to try and learn and understand
about them, whereas before they were simply unknowns, living in a far away
land.
May Allah Bless and Be with You always, thanks again,
Mary Regina Giles
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