First of all - I love what I do, and I love the industry I work in. I love writing, I love media relations, I love sharing messages with the masses. But sometimes we give exposure to idiots - then even less educated people get the wrong idea about us.
What am I talking about? Let's see if I can explain myself.
I am ticked off. You guys know I am married to Muslim. He is a good man - and I have asked his opinion about this man in Florida who claims to be a "preacher" at a nondenominational church - who is organizing "Burn a Quran Day." Now - there are not that many people that go to that church... in the grand scheme of the population of the states. Of course, this story got some national attention. Most people I have talked to think this guy is basically an idiot.
Then I come home from a really long - good day at work. I sit down, open my computer - and then begin reading the blog posts from some of the writers I am following. One post caught my eye by a girl from Pakistan.. Burn a Quran.. I'll have a destruction of US Day. I am so not kidding. Apparently this blog is written by both a young girl and boy from Pakistan. Just read it - and I think the title pretty much says it all.
Basically it went on to say that we love to abuse and kill??!! Americans love to abuse and kill? Ummm.. nope. Don't think so. That we think we are above everyone else? Nope.. we love our country - sorry if you live in a corrupted area and do not feel love and pride for your government.
Just read it..
Of course, I believe in the right to express yourself - and explaining why it is hurtful for someone to suggest burning a sacred book is understandable. But reacting with hate and threatening of violence just PROVES what most Americans try to not say...
My husband is from the middle east - and one of the first things he said to me after living here a little while was that Americans are soooo much nicer than he realized, and that they are peaceful, loving, happy people. Not like the news sources or leaders in the middle east have shown the people in those countries. Unfortunately the government in the middle east is very oppressive and this makes it's citizens uncomfortable and they feel repressed. In turn - they get angry. It is hard to explain why we do what we do over here to a group of people who have never lived with the freedom to think on their own, receive a proper education, read and listen to uncensored media, and discover that the rest of us do not live in an angry state.
Don't judge a people based on the actions of the government.. or a few people. In turn, I cannot judge the country of Pakistan on two young people who wish for the destruction of America or are proud of the Taliban for hurting some of our people.
How sad and ignorant. Pretty much on the same level as the preacher in Florida. Pray for these kids. Hatred fills their hearts - without understanding.
13 comments:
Very well said, Nicole. I think you're right on about people living like that not being able to understand. Their governments definitely do portray Americans as evil. That's what they want them to believe. A squeaky wheel gets the oil... and the crazies get the media attention, too!
"...I'm just trying to act like an American today." Wow. It's so, so sad. I wish they could all have the experiences that Yasser has. I wish these kids could all see the good in us.
That preacher should be ashamed of himself. Yes we have freedom of speech, but for a church to incite such vicious hatred is reprehensible. Sometimes do you just want to shake them and say "learn a little before you damn an entire religion or country?"
Yikes, Nicole - this all makes me mad, sad and majorly uncomfortable. The preacher - full of HATE. The other blog - full of HATE. And why? In the name of their own Gods? Something is wrong with this picture. And it scares me, terribly. I don't get it. I choose to accept ALL people - and the beliefs that they each have. Whose to really say what is right or wrong? Certainly not me.
OMG...My Blog post had a bigger effect than I had imagined.
But Nicole you got me all wrong.
I left a comment at my blog.
Do read it ASAP.
Moreover,I will love if everyone reading this comment so read it too.
@Telisia,our government is one big US lover.So it's not the Government which makes us hate,which I don't anyway.
@ Nicole,I suppose I'm a ignorant young girl but you are much more mature than me.You should have thought better of asking my instincts before creating a view of myself and then taunting me and my nation in this post of yours.
And If you say I never gave a hint in my post that I was feinting,you are wrong.
When I say I'm with Taliban in destruction of USA,how can anyone belive it..?
My cousin,who writes the blog along with me,is going in the army,the army which had lost 12,000 officers and soldiers in the war against Taliban.
I lost my BFF in the blast in Karachi 4 months ago.
So is it possible that me,least of all people will be with Taliban..?
Sorry to echo your own words,I expected much better from you.
I am speechless! Misconceptions completely contribute to the hate in the world. Thanks for doing your part to break down the nonsense.
Btw, thanks for checking in on me, I've returned. :)
Syeda - you should be embarassed. If you did not mean those words - you should not have written them. as writers we have a responsibility to convey a message - if you have young, impressionable Pakistani's reading your blog - you need to be careful how you influence them with your words.
Also - no one hopes for the destruction of Pakistan, nor do we want you to feel the hurt we felt with 9/11. That is the difference between you and I.
K, I read it...OMG!!! Seriously? This is the exact kind of thinking I have been blogging about this week. People who allow others opinions and ideas form their own ideas and thoughts without taking a step back to stand up for what they believe in rather than being a "follower of the crowd". You cannot judge all "Americans" by the misguided opinions of some, any more than we can judge anyone from another race, color or religion based on the misguided opinion of others.
She stated that she posted a comment on her blog, but I so didn't see a comment that would negate the ugly words used in the blog. I have gone over it 3 times and did not see any. In essence, the comment I read, she basically boasts about attacking America through her blog to prove a point.
This post (theirs) could have had a more positive spin to it if it weren't for the harshness and ugliness of it all...if rather than lashing out, it was written from the perspective of reaching for compassion and understanding, rather than hate & cruelty.
Seriously confused and definitely in need of prayers...OK, yup, nowI'm mad too!
OH, and another important point...there is only ONE GOD!!! We all worship the same God, it is merely the individual religion's perspective of who that God is and what he expects of us that is different. The Koran, the Bible...same thing...albeit written differently...as with everything...subject to interpretation. It is that interpretation which causes the unrest.
@Nicole,I'm not embarrassed but surprised that you guys don't know what's the ground realities down.Here.
US is having another Vietnam down here.even worser.
If I said it in a hard way it doesn't mean i'm lying.
The Americans must realize that the US army is facing hard days here and should try to help them out of here.
About your saying that you want to make us feel the pain you felt in 9/11 ...really...
after we stood up to the US's call back in 2001 when it asked for help in war in Afghanistan.We lost 12,000 of our soldiers and 30,000 civilians including Children and women and my own BFF...!
My words in that post are the words of a heartbroken friend who after sacrificing everything he/she had is told that you are one of my enemies...!
Pakistan has sacrificed it's people,economy,peace and what do we get n return...?
Even having not the best of feelings for you,I hope you won't have to feel the way we Pakis' feel nowadays.
Post a Comment