I will credit my lovely friend Sarah with this gem. I love her, but this question is absolutely ridiculous. She asked me during the middle of a meeting as if it was dancing around in her head for years, and she thought it would be appropriate to ask at that exact moment. "So, now that you're Muslim, they make you hate America, right?"
I cracked up. I thought she was joking. But within a second I saw in her face that she was DEAD SERIOUS.
"Umm, no Sarah, I love America. Being Muslim has nothing to do with America."
Then, she asked "Didn't your Prophet hate America or something?"
"No, Sarah, our Prophet Muhammad (saws) lived hundreds of years before America was founded."
"Oh, I always thought that was a rule."
I considered shaking her and forcing her to read a book.
The media is so manipulative of people's thoughts that they make hundreds of assumptions based on what they see on television. So much so that they think hating America is one of the pillars of our religion.
America was never mentioned in our religion's fundamentals - it's not in Quran, Hadith, etc... - in either a positive or a negative way.
And NO, I DON'T HATE AMERICA! I LOVE AMERICA!
If I didn't, I wouldn't live here!
I don't love how all people act in America, I don't love that people wear booty shorts in WalMart, I don't love that people think I don't speak English because I look different, I don't love corn dogs and bacon, But I LOVE AMERICA.
I love our freedom, I love my grandfathers for serving in America's Armed Forces, I love that in a 40 hour drive from the East Coast to West Coast I saw every possible climate you could ever imagine, I love that I can love the soldiers while still hating the war, I love that I can write this blog because we have freedom of speech and freedom of religion,
I participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, and I know the National Anthem. And still, I took my shahada, and I know Al-Fatiha.
Being Muslim doesn't make me hate my country. Unfortunately, however, this country makes you hate Islam.
You've heard of Islamophobia, but I've never heard of Americaphobia.
I'm sure the vast majority of my Muslim brothers and sisters don't look at you with hate when you walk by them on the street, however, we often are looked at in this way.
Being a Muslim in America does change my perspective, yes. It makes me critical of the lack of morals people have, yes. It also makes me critical of how "God-less" people can be. How some people think nothing can control them, but they forget God made them, and His plan is THE PLAN.
Just because you're the CEO of the company, doesn't mean you're the CEO of your fate.
It's ironic to me that people have these terrible misconceptions, and yet when shows like "All American Muslim" are shown on television, no one watches them. The show was cancelled because of its lack of popularity. Controversial statements against Muslims are wildly popular on Fox News, though! Please take some responsibility for your ignorance.
For my Muslim friends, can we please make it a priority to show how proud we are to be Americans? And that Islam and America can "go together" peacefully? Put on some red, white, and blue hijabs or SOMETHING. Wave a darn flag once in a while!
And for my nonMuslim friends who don't want to be ignorant, please read a book. And don't believe every single thing you hear or see on television, or what the first thing on the top of Google says.
May Allah (swt) clear up all misconceptions about our religion and help us to learn to live together in Peace.