Last week a friend called my attention to this photo on the front page of The Metro. My immediate reaction was sadness and disappointment. It seems that increasingly there are instances of harm to others driven by hate and fear. My post today is dedicated to those fearful people who address their fears through battle.
Metro News - "A taxi driver went home from Bellevue hospital yesterday after a drunken passenger allegedly asked if he was Muslim before slashing his face, neck and shoulders with a pocket knife. "
My first foray into an American school lingers in my mind like the aftershock of a fresh breakup. I stepped into a world where my mere presence reeked of foreign spices and unfamiliarity. The hairs on my arms rose with each stare of dozens of little eyes wondering why I was hiding from the world, cloaked in pastel from head to toe. As I lingered in this world I lost myself amidst piles of books hoping their weight would mask the sounds of jeering children mocking my attire and demure personality. The first day of school was my first opportunity to experience how ignorance, unfamiliarity, and fear can affect even the most unexpected victims.
In the moment my response was to hide and accept that being myself was an anomalie and it justified this response. It wasn’t until high school that I began to accept my culture, religion, name, and myself. This acceptance encouraged me to address all encounters of fear through patience and education. Instead of fighting fear with anger I fought it with smiles. To this day, people wonder how I can smile so much, I guess the answer is, “practice makes perfect.” In any case, by embracing these people and welcoming them into my world I eliminated many instances of misunderstanding that occurred in the past. In most instances this was all it took.
What the world is experiencing today requires much more than a smile, but my question lingers, “how many battles do we have to fight?” Every person I’ve met in the last month has asked my opinion on the mosque being built near ground zero. Each time I hear the question, it implies that all Muslims are terrorists. Despite the many horrific acts by other religious groups, Muslims have become international mortal enemies. it is to the point that there are people who truly believe that we are all killers.
Based on the incidents of the last few years, I understand why there is concern, but I am terrified that the precedent being set in this instance could justify similar, unconstitutional, prejudiced battles in the future. There has to be a place where we draw a line, a common sense line, a less fearful line, a line that says “draw– the battle is over.” In the end, why are we choosing this battle when there are so many other battles worth fighting? If we are truly afraid of or saddened by something we should channel those emotions to create solutions instead of perpetuating the issue.
I am saddened by poverty, lack of resources, poor health, and waste. I challenge this fear daily by taking small steps, winning small battles. Today I convinced someone to do a cancer walk with me to raise money towards breast cancer, I cried after finding out my best friend’s little sister has a brain tumor, and I rejoiced in knowing that another friend is slowly recovering from a horrific battle with cancer. I can’t prevent cancer, and I can’t make my dad’s prostate cancer-free, but I can let go of my fear and take small steps in educating myself, supporting those I love, and smiling. I’m choosing to fight for love instead of fear, after all we must pick our battles.
