Dear American Muslim Community,
I’m not entirely sure how it must feel to have the President of your country reaffirm his Christian faith, so as not to be seen as one of you.
I’m not sure how it must feel to have a very vocal community demand you not build a place of worship, because they find it offensive.
I’m not sure how it must feel to be considered associated with terrorists, even when you are not. Or to always be under suspicion, when you do nothing to be suspicious of.
I am sure, however, that there are fellow Americans…like my family…who see you as true patriots. The kind who blaze a trail with the very foundation this country was built on, while others stand in their way. We wish with all our hearts the rhetoric in this country was not demonizing you, or your families.
I’m ashamed and embarrassed at how you are being treated in your own land. I can only hope they don’t go after Polish Americans next. Or Romanian Americans, because my family would be next in line for their hate. I suppose, in this current climate, my family is safe being white and coming from a Catholic and Protestant background. But you never know. The crazy that has enveloped our nation seems to know no bounds, and I wouldn’t doubt if my family is next.
It seems we are not safe in our own country from those who believe they are righteous and ‘true’ Americans.
But we know Muslim Americans are just as ‘true’ as any other American walking any street in any town.
I guess we should be thankful our country allows for this ridiculous discourse. That we can argue over it all, and scream our bigotry from the tallest building. I guess…I guess. But right now I can’t help but feel shame for the behaviors of our countrymen and women, hell-bent on assuming you are less American, out to hurt them, and afraid of your presence.
While I take issue with your choice of religion, much the same as I take issue with your Christian brothers and sisters, I am proud to live in a country where you are welcome to practice your beliefs. And I want it to be clear to you and your family that we do not all hate. We are not all bigots. And you are just as American as I.
But you already know this. You’ve been living it. And I don’t mean to speak of things I don’t know. I just want to say… I’m sorry.
Sincerely,
Erin Kotecki Vest
Beautiful, as always Erin.
?m?n.
.-= Ren´s last blog ..Macro Monday 75 – iPhone Edition =-.
Signed, me too.
Thanks for writing this Erin. I’ve been fuming about all of it.
.-= Caroline´s last blog ..Time for Myself =-.
Amin.
.-= Ren´s last blog ..Macro Monday 75 – iPhone Edition =-.
This is such a sad situation, and I’m very sorry too.
.-= Geekytaitai´s last blog ..Am I Stupid- Crazy- or Just an Easy Mark =-.
can I cosign? Amen.
I’d like to add my name to the closing of this letter as well.
Lovely post.
.-= Jessica´s last blog ..And Then Ill Shut Up About It =-.
co-signed!
Absolutely 100% co-signed.
.-= Miss Banshee´s last blog ..PROOF!!! =-.
Agreed.
Co-signed. Thank you for this.
I’d like to add my name to the closing of this letter as well.
Such silliness. Sure there are crazies on both sides does that make it ok to support a mosque whose very leader Imam Rauf is connected to Perdana Global Outreach who donates to the ‘Free Gaza’ project. The Hamas backed Free Gaza movement has intentions on killing all Jews. That’s what you want? That’s what you’re apologizing for?
It’s truly not, for most sane people about the mosque itself, it’s about WHO is behind the curtains and where the money is coming from.
Please don’t apologize on my behalf, until Imam Rauf denounces Hamas on video for the world to see, I will continue to oppose it being built.
Well said!
Well said and consider myself and my family co-signers of this letter.
I 100 percent wholeheartedly agree. Co-signed and shared.
.-= Catherine Click´s last blog ..Woo Hoo Wednesday! =-.
Oh, and I just keep saying to act as though the 9/11 terrorists speak for all Muslims is like saying Fred Phelps & the Westboro Baptist Church speak for all Christians. It’s absurd.
Thanks for saying this, Erin!
.-= Oh, The Joys´s last blog ..Why My Husband Is So Darned Appealing =-.
Thank you Erin for beautiful words and I would like to add my name to the bottom of your letter. I am in SF and was listening to Randi(y?) Rhodes on Progressive Radio and my blood was boiling about all this “white-european-trash” talk especially from the master ass, Rush Limbaugh who didn’t even get his facts straight (especially in his reference to Hinduism). You think want to laugh sometimes at the ignorance and stupidity continually displayed by these tea-baggers, but truly this is outrageous, sickening and they are the true anti-antiamericans, I mean, anti-christ.
.-= Marla Schulman´s last blog ..For Wine Lovers =-.
Derek … I guess the FBI having the Imam help with counterterrorism isn’t enough for you. How sad for you.
Keep your bigotry off my blog.
Co-signed. Beautiful and well-spoken post.
.-= Ashley Parker´s last blog ..I will not stop =-.
Cosigned the hell out of this thing. Enough is enough.
You said a lot of things I want to say Erin. I am just horrified at all of the hate that is going on right now towards Muslims. We have not learned our lesson from past examples of religious bigotry and oppression. Thanks for writing this.
.-= Dominick´s last blog ..Name that Quote- Conservative Christian or Adolf Hitler =-.
I have nothing more to add. Beautifully done, Erin.
.-= Erika Napoletano´s last blog ..The Bitch Slap- You Whiny Little “Freelancer” =-.
Thank you.
.-= DUBsays´s last blog ..Testing mobile Upload =-.
Love!
.-= Cynematic´s last blog ..6 little bitty watermelons from my garden – =-.
So well said.
.-= Esther Crawford´s last blog ..Schick Intuition Plus KISS & Tell At BlogHer 10 =-.
CO-signed,
The Miller Family
.-= Belinda´s last blog ..You Should Totally Drink This =-.
Perfection.
.-= Angela´s last blog ..Baboons are intelligent and crafty And so am I! =-.
Erin, this is one of my favorite pieces ever from you, and I thank you for having the courage and the eloquence to say it.
When I get into debate/discourse about this with those who are all up in arms about Muslims or the “dreaded” Mosque, I go back to an episode of The West Wing that aired just after 9/11. In it, Bradley Whitford said, “Al Qaeda is to Muslim as ________ is to Christian.” The answer that filled the blank was “KKK.” Best analogy I have found … and it usually makes people stop and think.
And I, too, want to sign this letter.
I am signing this letter as well. Thanks 🙂
.-= Robin´s last blog ..The Friend Thing… =-.
Absolutely co signed. Let us all remember…
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
Michele
Co-signed. Absolutely.
.-= Robin (noteverstill)´s last blog ..Dark skies =-.
I have issues with the building of the Mosque at World Trade Center site. While I believe that they have the right to build it there, as the property owners are permitting it, I also feel like it is very insensitive. It would be like putting a Japanese cultural appreciation center right outside the gates of Pearl Harbor. Sure, there is nothing wrong with that, but it just rubs me wrong.
I don’t think that makes me a racist, nor a bigot…
Actually Rich if you had done your homework you would know there IS a Japanese center near Pearl Harbor! And let’s not forget what the Americans did to the Japanese on American soil.
.-= Marla Schulman´s last blog ..For Wine Lovers =-.
and there are Christian churches near the Oklahoma Federal Building … and yes, there is a Japanese cultural center near Pearl Harbor.
The point is ALL americans deserve to rebuild near ground zero. ALL. And to say they don’t because it’s ‘insensitive’ is nonsense.
That means you think THEY are terrorists. And they are not. They are American. Just as American as you or I. JUST.
100% agreed. beautifully said.
there is absolutely no reason it should not be built there.
Add my family as co-signers!
DEREK expressed another side of this argument. He did so without profanity. He expressed the fact that the Imam in question does have troubling connections and does engage in political activities that legitimizes, among other things, the use of violence against non-Muslims.
Derek might or might not be aware of the FBI connections that you mentioned. But you resorted to an ad hominem attack against him and banned him from your blog. Maybe you could have eductated him. Maybe he could have done the same for you but we won’t know now. You censored him. We need dialogue and that means TOLERANCE when somebody expresses ideas that we find disagreeable. You posted the blog and he responded. Unless this blog is intended to be just an agreement echo chamber, maybe you should be more tolerant. REVOLUTION STARTS AT HOME RIGHT?
Ah James.
A few clarifications to your half truths and non truths.
Derek did not express another side of this argument. This was a letter of apology to American Muslims. But… be that as it may it seems people want to turn this into a discussion of the community center being built near ground zero.
The Imam in question, as I then informed him, was used by the FBI in counter terrorism efforts. And has been very vocal about his alleged ties, feelings on violence, terrorism and otherwise.
Derek was not ‘banned’ from my blog. I asked him to take his bigotry off of it. Why bigotry? Because the attacks again the Imam and the rhetoric that goes along with it is Glenn Beck/Fox News regurgitation … the argument about funding (that doesn’t even exist yet) and ‘ties’ have been very rather handily debunked and discussed at great length by those OUTSIDE the Fox News bubble and have become nothing more than the demonization of the ‘other’ – turning every American Muslim into a terrorist and deemed offensive if they even try to help rebuild where they too lost friends and family.
That sort of perpetuation of lies and slander and yes, bigotry, will not be tolerated here. Tolerance of truth, sure. Tolerance of stupidity, no thanks.
/signed.
Thanks Erin. It needed to be said.
.-= Becky´s last blog ..My Bucket List…what’s on yours =-.
There is an unfortunate practice in Islam to build Mosques to celebrates victories over non-Muslims. We live in an age of renewed relgious based violence. Thousands of people died that day for relgious beliefs. Part of one of the planes did fall through a portion of the area in which a mosque is planned. It might be a reasonable for the victims to express their opposition.
The Imam who is now apparently the main focus of attention is recorded as supporting violence. He was not discussing the use of Jihad as an internal or relgious struggle. He was advocating the use of violence. Now he might have admirable qualities that exonerate him but until they are brought forward concerns about him are fair. At this point, the people behind the mosque have an oppurtunity to show if they are sensitive to the victims concerns. If opponents of the mosque are wrong, then perhaps the good Imam will come forward and put their concerns to rest. We are often called upon to be sensistive to concerns of all cultures, well I would suggest, with genuine respect, that families and friends of people who were horribly murdered might find a mosque troublesome. They might ask that it go somewhere other than this. And if that level of respect from the Muslim community is just too much, then how about un-ambiguous expressions of regret and a clear condemnation of Jihad from tje mosques builders before they build?
Peaceful respectful communication might bring understanding. A grandiose blog that apologizes to one group while backhanding another will not bring healing. It will only cause one more round of uncivil discourse, no matter how well written
All Muslims are not terrorists. Just as all Christians are not abortion doctor killers, or as mentioned above…members of the KKK. To be offended by a mosque near ground zero is to assume they are, and THAT is offensive.
As I stated previously, the rhetoric you have put forth has been circling from the typical places, and debunked – to call into question one person associated with the community center has become the only shield masking the bigotry that really lies at the center of this controversy.
As we were discussing on facebook fear of ‘the other’ is what drives this – fear of non white, non Christian having anything to do with ‘American hallowed ground’ is too much for some people to take. NOT because they have concerns about funding (which, btw hasn’t even begun yet), and not because they think some people associated with the mosque might be bad eggs…but because they associate Muslim with terrorist- despite the millions of peace loving Muslims in the world. They can’t get over their own bias and fears that these are real Americans too. That they lost loved ones too. That they live and work and send their children to the same schools. The fear of the OTHER is what has demonized an ENTIRE COMMUNITY in our country-
Imagine if we treated all Christians this way for the Dr. Tiller slaying. or the Oklahoma Federal building? Imagine if we did that … if we decided ALL CHRISTIANS were potential killers and we really would be offended if they even tried to rebuild their own community.
This has very little to do with the Imam and very much to do with fear of the OTHER.
But to play the fun red herring game, here is some info on the Imam Fox News doesn’t want you to see-
No. 2 shareholder of Fox News’ parent company has funded #Park51 planner: http://bit.ly/bjbRrs
For the Record: Imam Feisal is on a State Dept tour promoting America during Ramadan- because apparently American employs Imam’s with EVIL TIES and send them to represent us. You dont’ think he’s been VETTED?
And as for his role and what is REALLY going on-
“mam Feisal Abdul-Rauf and Sharif El-Gamal are serving as the project managers until our a non-profit is formed. Park51 will then be run by an Executive Director, to be selected, support staff and a 23-member Board of Directors.
We are pledging to pursue our fundraising campaign in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. We will refuse assistance from any persons or institutions who are flagged by our security consultants or any government agencies.
There are roughly one million Muslims in the tri-state area and well over half a million in New York City. We’d been looking for at least seven years to find a space to accommodate the growing population of Muslims in lower Manhattan, and to contribute to the revitalization of lower Manhattan.”
More about Imam Rauf http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2008432,00.html
and yet more
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/nyregion/09mosque.html
and yet more
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/05/21/2010-05-21_mosque_hysteria.html
and then this
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2006/09/19/seven_questions_the_cross_and_the_crescent
and this
http://www.slate.com/id/2101698/
and then this
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P1-79393132.html
Imam Rauf at Daniel Pearl memorial: “I am a Jew, I have always been one” http://bit.ly/d8QO7B
and
Fox’s Morris notes that Imam Rauf worked with Bush Administration: http://bit.ly/aqTl0e
I could go on… and on….
Well spoken!
.-= MFA Mama´s last blog ..pet peeves in spelling and groan-worthy grammar =-.
I honestly have no issue with Muslim Americans but humor me and let’s flip this around for a sec… I think, in the same vein that Americans are expected to be tolerant, that those who wish to build the mosque should have a some respect for what so many Americans endured on 9/11; for those who lost loved ones and for those that are still suffering with protracted illnesses that they will likely die from. It’s kind of a slap in the face to everyone who was affected on that horrible day—they are expected to be tolerant and yet, not expect the same respect for what they’ve had to live through. It just doesn’t seem right to me. Not looking for a fight…just bringing another perspective to the table.
.-= IzzyMom´s last blog ..Head Explodingness at Walmart aka Are You Sure You’re Not High =-.
I find it ironic that those who ask us to be so tolerant are so intolerant about the way that we feel
The only logical way to feel offended by a mosque near ground zero is to believe that mosque represents the people who did the killing. Because it does not, and they did not.. I do not understand those feelings. At all.
As a Canadian who is currently living in Afghanistan and is currenlty totally surrounded in Islam and ramadan at the moment… I really appreciated the letter. It totally mirrors everything that I am feeling. Muslims are normal people who have feelings and emotions like Christian, Catholics, Jews etc… the original letter was all about apologising for the way that Americans are treating and outcasting their fellow Americans. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, try opening it, and getting beyond the facade… and you will realise that you have been missing out on some really awesome people by closing them out purely based on religion.
Queen,
In some interpretations of the Quran by some radicals believe that lying to the Infidels is completely A-OK to achieve their goal. So, clearly, the possibility of the Imam being a double agent certainly exists.
In regards to the ‘funding’, I was referring to other organizations he is connected to, such as Perdana whose biggest beneficiary is ‘Free Gaza’ movement.
Since you brought it up though, should the money come from (reportedly) Iran and Saudi Arabia? It amazes me that any liberal women who typically hate, say, Catholicism, can so vehemently defend some of the most barbaric Islamic law practices ever.
In Saudi Arabia, you can get jailed for kissing in public! So much for choice! In Iran you can get stoned (as in killed – not weed) for adultery! If a woman gets raped SHE’S guilty unless she has FOUR witnesses! Is this really, honestly where you all think the money for this mosque should come from?
You are not a bad American for questioning things that happen around you. If that was true, then every single one of you would be as guilty as you think I am – especially during Bush Jr’s Admin.
Also, my feeling is that if you place a link to a blog entry on a public social network, then you should be prepared to handle what ever comes your way. 🙂
One last tiny little point, even if I were a ‘bigot’ – why woukd you want me to ‘keep it off your blog’? That’s hypocrisy in it’s finest – I’m sure at some point you’ve probably said (like I have) – ‘I might like what you say but I’ll die defending your right to say it.’
Apparently, you can barely tolerate a reply to a blog entry.
Kindest Regards,
Derek