Jill Carroll is free. Now what about the others?

I was very happy this morning to hear the news that Jill Carroll had been released. I was not surprised to hear that she had been treated well. In spite of what many like to contend, women are generally respected in Islam.

What about the others? Does America stand for the respectful treatment of women? If so, why are Iraqi women being held in prison? What is being done to them? Are they treated with kindness, or are they being molested?

Islam does not condone kidnapping and holding of hostages. But I was happy to hear of one of the stated conditions for Jill Carroll's release, which was the release of Iraqi women prisoners. Has this been done?

Jill Carroll is smiling, and I'm happy for her. But if an Iraqi woman manages to get out of an American-run prison alive, I don't think she'll be happy. I imagine she'll be humiliated and ashamed.

The U.S. likes to lecture other countries about the treatment of women. Respect the women of Iraq, and maybe the world will start listening.

The road to war

Lies about Tonkin Gulf leading to Vietnam.

Lies about WMDs leading to Iraq.

Lies about insurgents leading to Syria.

Lies about nuclear proliferation leading to Iran.

Where will it end?

Shake-up? What we really need in Washington is a shakedown

One Bush associate resigned. Another Bush associate is taking his place. I don't know if I can stand all the excitement.

The Washington, D.C. political situation reminds me of a bad 1960s sitcom. A major character would be faced with a life-changing decision. Moving to another city. Marriage. A new job. Whatever. The point is, at the last moment the deal would fall through, or the character would realize "there's no place like home." The next week it would be back to normal.

That was bad enough. Washington, D.C. is worse. Going through the motions of change and reform. Nothing changes. And any small changes are the ones that favor the rich and raise taxes, and military duty, for the poor.

Censure is good. It's not enough.

Let's throw the bums out.

The only thing we have to fear. . .

I generally don't like watching the network news, because I know the programs are full of half-truths and innuendos. A Muslim terrorist could plant a bomb. A Muslim country might attack.
Or might not.

Still, I usually force myself to watch the news because I want to know what most of America is seeing, and what the majority of Americans believe to be true. Sometimes it becomes an exercise in masochism.

Such was the case tonight. The lead story? Moussaoui planned to attack the White House on 9/11. His accomplice? Richard Reid, the wild-eyed shoe bomber who was not in the U.S. in September 2001.

People will say the story must be true because it came from Moussaoui himself. Maybe. But why would someone who says he hates the U.S. come across as a poorly-coached actor in a B-movie? Kill the infidels. War is deceit. He had all the right lines.

Muslims are not as stupid as we appear to be. Someone who was truly planning a spectacular attack, who sincerely believed he was fighting in the name of Allah, would not be so transparent. So Hollywood.

When I was young, I believed almost everything I heard from the government and the media. Now I believe almost nothing.

Moussaoui confesses to a fifth plane, and refers to the attacks with glee. Government investigators contend that they successfully smuggled nuclear materials across the border. (Which is really strange. The last time I came over the border with Canada, I couldn't even successfully smuggle a styrofoam container of beef curry.) Bombs. Hostages. Trials. Murders. These Muslims are seriously bad guys, aren't they?

That's the image in the news. Reports have been carefully crafted so that, if there is another major attack, Muslims will be the natural culprits. And if that happens, all Muslims will be fair game. Children, mothers, grandmothers, everyone. I mean, if you believe what you hear on the news, can there really be such a thing as an innocent Muslim?

Fear itself. The patriotic fervor being raised to an ever-louder crescendo. The anti-Muslim sentiment. The paranoia.

This is what I'm afraid of. I pray a lot these days. May Allah help us all.

Your freedom extends as far as my nose

One day in 1986 a friend from North Africa gave my husband a small bottle of perfumed oil. I don't remember how many days or weeks it took for me to realize that my sinus problems and tightness in my chest started with that little bottle.

For the last twenty years, I have been struggling with my sensitivity to scents. My husband stopped applying them, but he continues to have them on his clothes. Every time he goes to the mosque, or even goes to work at the Islamic school, some brother hugs him. It's on his clothes and in his hair. I pay for that hug with worsening symptoms.

It has truly been a struggle, because most people have a hard time understanding my sensitivities. Once, several years ago, some middle school students tried to make me sick by scenting the classroom carpet. I didn't learn of the prank until the next year, but teachers who did know chose to do nothing.

Many others simply do not take my problems seriously. I must be crazy or trying to get attention. It must be "all in my head."

I haven't gone to the mosque in two months, and I don't know when I'll be able to go. There are too many scents. I've gone from post-nasal drip and stuffy nose to bleeding gums and vomiting. Now I have chronic leukemia, and I'm convinced my condition is related to my sensitivities.

No matter how hard I try, I can't get away from it. My husband has it on his clothes. Women wear heavy perfumes--at the mosque, in meetings, even in the health food store. I attended an Islamic conference last Sunday and got very sick when I came home.

I need to be able to avoid it, but unless I live in my own little cottage, and never leave, I don't know how that will be possible.

Jesus said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Prophet Muhammad said, "You must wish for your brother (and sister) what you wish for yourself."

It is unkind, but sometimes I wish everyone could have my sensitivities just for one day, so they would understand. One day only. Not the twenty years I've tried to live with it.

Some days, I feel scared. I want to be healthy. How can I get away from my unhealthy environment? Can I live, or must I hide?

Go ahead and smell good. But please respect those around you.

Missing boys and little white girls

Here in Milwaukee, the top story is that two boys, ages 10 and 12, have not been seen since Sunday. Family, friends, neighbors and concerned citizens are searching. I pray for their safe return.

A side issue is the fact that an Amber Alert was not issued. Local authorities have their reasons, but they don't sound credible to me. One searcher warned not to concentrate on that issue, because finding the boys is more important, but I wonder.

When a little white girl goes missing, an Amber Alert is issued immediately. And it should be.

I just hope that our young black boys (both were honors students, as if that should make a difference) are treated with the same concern.

What in the world is an Islamo-fascist?

A couple of years ago, I discovered that I'm an Islamic fundamentalist. I didn't mean to be one, but the fact is that I was doing it before it became taboo. From what I can deduce, an Islamic fundamentalist is a Muslim who prays five times every day and, for a woman, wears a scarf. In other words, someone who strictly follows the religion--or at least tries to. I didn't even want to be a fundamentalist. It just sort of sneaked up on me.

Today I heard the guy in the white house talk about defeating the "Islamo-fascists." I wish someone had stood up and said, "What, exactly, is an 'Islamo-fascist'?" A Muslim who has read Mein Kampf? (I bought a copy once, but never got around to reading it.)

I still don't understand that term. It makes about as much sense as saying that the U.S. had to invade Iraq in order to liberate the people--from their homes, their family members, their lives. Or saying that we need to "impose democracy" on the poor unfortunate people of the world. If "democracy" means "the people rule," then how could one possibly impose it? And if the majority of the people choose to have an Islamic government, is that democracy or Islam0-fascism? If the majority of people are Muslims, and actually want an Islamic government, then how should they go about it? Obviously, the elections in Iraq, Palestine and, several years ago, Algeria which called for Islamic governments were flawed. Weren't they? That's what we're led to believe.

(But, of course, the elections putting George W. Bush in the White House were completely democratic. Right?)

I caught another strange statement in the strange press conference of the strangest president ever to "bless" this land. He said that the insurgents were spreading propaganda through death and destruction--if that's not an exact quote, it is very close. I have studied ways of spreading propaganda, and I cannot see how one could do it through death and destruction. In fact, wouldn't killing the audience interfere with the process? You can spread other things through death and destruction--tyranny, oppression, fervent prayers that you die slowly and painfully. But I cannot understand how one could spread propaganda through those means.

It is a shame that the Muslims of the world don't wish to be free. No, we are happy to be ruled over by oppressive regimes--put in power by the United States--and play out our simple lives. We don't want the right to be heard. The right to practice our religion. We are content to be imprisoned on a whim and beaten for speaking the truth. We are a very sorry lot.

All Muslims of the world should raise our hands in du'a for the blessings brought to us by George W. Bush. He has opened our eyes to possibilities we could never imagine. The right to sell and consume alcohol. The right to revive the drug trade in Afghanistan. The right of women to expose our bodies to ogling men. The right to embrace Christiantiy which, by the way, does not condone alcoholism, drug trade or the sexploitation of women.

The problem with George W. Bush is that he is 1400 years too late. Muslims have had freedom and democracy since the time of the Prophet (S). Muhammad suffered oppresion and abuse, even at the hands of his own relatives, because he opposed injustice. He established equality for women, the right to speak out on public matters and freedom of religion for all--just ask the Jews of Madinah.

Mr. Bush, you say you are trying to save us from ourselves. But we do not require your services. The position has already been filled. Thank you very much for your kind offer. Now will you please go away.

I am not Irish

I'm sorry, but I have never understood the reason for celebrating St. Patrick's Day on a national level. I mean, if some people of Irish descent want to get together and celebrate their special day, that's fine with me. But why do the rest of us have to get into the act?

I'm not Irish. Never have been. Never will be. My heritage is part Greek, part German. Greeks and Germans don't have a special day here in the U.S. Why the Irish? It must be PR.

I think St. Patrick's Day is primarily an excuse to drink beer. Which would explain it's popularity, unfortunately.

I won't launch a letter-writing campaign or look for someone to sue. It's not that important. But every March 17 I brace myself for a deluge of blarney. And I will not wear green.

Reflections of a former WASP

I used to be a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant. A member of the most powerful group in the United States. Entitled to all privileges. Never exposed to discrimination (well, except that shown to women in this country). At the top of the heap.

When I became a Muslim and began to wear a scarf, my status changed slightly. In the beginning, I had the occasional drive-by insult (Go home, Camel Jockey). On occasion, I have encountered people who believe that the headscarf squeezes out the brain (very slowly, Do you speak English? Do you need help?). Throughout the 90s, every time there was a Muslim-related conflict, I noticed a slightly cooler environment (sometimes accompanied by a curse word and/or the finger). Still, overall, I felt entitled. I was still a white Anglo-Saxon, one of God's chosen people--no, I didn't believe that, but that's the way I expected to be treated. And overall, I was not disappointed.

Then came 9/11. The watershed for modern American society. Overnight I became a minority. And I finally got it.

When white people talk to black people about discrimination, they are always thinking, You wouldn't have to be discriminated against if you only tried harder. You just need to fit in. Stop wearing those baggy pants and listening to that loud rap. Speak English, for God's sake. Get a job. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Why, my grandfather came to this country with only a dollar to his name and he built a multi-million dollar empire. All you need to do is try.

That's the understanding. Just try, and doors will open. People will step aside and recognize your talents.

I believed that too, on some level, until 9/11. Then I felt true racism. I became "the other." Does she have a bomb hidden under her scarf? Is she part of a sleeper cell? Why doesn't she go back where she came from? (I came from St. Louis, in case anyone is interested.)

Not only me, but "my people." In the first weeks after 9/11, hundreds of men were rounded up and imprisoned without charges. A large number were deported without trial. Still, four and one-half years later, Muslim charities are shut down and mosques are vandalized.

I'm still white--that will never change. But in the last four and one-half years I have seen the uglier face of America--the face of hate and fear.

For what it's worth, now I understand.

Time to stop complaining and get in gear, or how to be able to say you want to vote for a Democrat

I'm from Missouri. Historically, Missouri has been a state of Democrats, but right now it is run by Republicans. I felt unrepresented there for many years.

Several months ago we moved to Wisconsin, and even though it's colder here and we're expecting a snowstorm tomorrow when we should be eagerly anticipating spring, I like living here.

One reason is our senators. Specifically, Senator Russ Feingold.

At a time when Republicans are blindly behind administration policies and Democrats are too weak to speak out, along comes Senator Feingold calling for censure.

These days there are times when I'm reluctant to affiliate myself with the Democratic party because it seems to be just slightly left of the Republican party. Very slightly. Let's hope more leaders will follow the example of Senator Feingold and stand up for what's right.

Voters don't have too many choices these days. We need some reasons to be proud of our choices--not just settling for the lesser of two evils.

Photo Op

Autistic kid works tirelessly for the team. Gets his big chance. Scores.

Unpopular president works tirelessly to improve his image. Meets with the autistic kid. Scores.

How dumb does he think we are? How dumb are we?

Have Patience!

It's been three years now and the war in Iraq is not going well. But you must have patience.

The country of Iraq, which was once a well-functioning society, has been reduced to a war zone. We will rebuild it. We're working on it even as we speak. These things take time. Have patience.

Many civilians have died needlessly. These things happen in a war. It's not our fault. As we train the Iraqi forces to take over and put a democratic government in place, order will descend upon the land. Have patience.

Twenty-three hundred American servicemen and women have been killed. They sacrificed their lives for freedom and democracy. Don't mourn their deaths. Be proud of them. Enlist today so you may follow in their footsteps. One day Iraq will be the promised land. Have patience.

Gas prices are much higher than they were three years ago. That's how the economy works. Inflation, war, so many troubles in the world. You have to learn how to live with it. SUVs are on sale. Hurry while they last. Don't complain. Have patience.

Americans have fewer freedoms. Don't you understand that we are at war? We must be careful. They are watching us, waiting for us to be weak so they can take over and destroy the American way of life. Kindly take off your shoes and open your luggage. Where's your I.D. card? Don't tell me you're in a hurry. Just get into line with everyone else. You'll shut up if you know what's good for you. Have patience.

The president's approval rating has plummeted, but I can't for the life of me understand why. He is working day and night to provide a stronger, safer America. He travels from north to south, east to west, bolstering the troops, selling his propaganda and raising money for essential Republican candidates. He has sacrificed greatly and deserves our undying gratitude. Stop picking on him. Put down the anti-war signs and get in line behind our leader. Don't you know we're at war? If you would only support him, he would be able to solve every problem known to man. But you must have patience.

The next presidential election is more than two years away, and I can only hope it is more fair than the last two. Darkness has descended upon this land. I don't know how much more of this I can take. Lord, give me patience!

Of Deals and Unnecessary Drama

I never thought the day would come when I agreed with George Bush.

I mean, we have been diametrically opposed on practically everything. Social programs, education, the environment, the economy. Wiretapping and the Patriot Act. And, most of all, war.

So I thought I had fallen into the twilight zone when he said what I wanted to hear on the port deal. It was business.

Not to hear the media and Congress talk about it. You would swear the evil Moslems had been given carte blanche to pillage and murder.

More than anything, I feel embarrassed by this whole situation. Americans are once again showing their narrow-minded xenophobia and complete ethnocentrism. I know this is what America stands for because I grew up as an American and I've heard these attitudes many, many times.

Enough with protectionism and isolationism. Can we only be part of the world when we want to bomb the hummus out of a Muslim country?

I have two words for my fellow Americans. Grow up.

Terrorists?

This morning the main news item was the arrest of three male college students who are charged with burning down nine churches in the state of Alabama. They are white and, I assume, Christian. Their alleged crime was labeled merely a "prank" that went too far.

What if the three young men had been Indian (South Asian)? Arab? Muslim?

Take time to ask, what if? If they had been Muslims, would their arson be considered a prank? Or would it be labeled terrorism?

Why is it that when a regular, every day white American commits a crime, it is an individual act. But when a Muslim commits a crime, it is an act of terrorism? Every white American is allowed to speak for him or herself. But every Muslim, white or non-white, speaks for the entire world-wide Muslim community of 1.5 billion people.

The stereotypes must stop. It's gone on long enough and it's gone too far. Every week there are reports of a mosque, an Islamic school, a Muslim's home or business, being vandalized. Muslims are forced to stay quiet and take it. How long would this go on if the tables were turned?

I didn't commit the crimes of 9/11. I've never hijacked an airplane--I don't even like to fly. I wouldn't know the first thing about building a bomb. But I wear a scarf. That simple piece of fabric, in the anonymous eyes on the street, may label me as a threat. A terrorist.

Terrorism occurs every day in this country. It is terrorism to murder. It is terrorism to rob at gunpoint. It is terrorism to abuse a child or a spouse. Forget about the unseen phantoms. Concentrate on the real threats to this nation.

I am tired of tolerating violence. I am tired of tolerating prejudice.

And the deliberate burning of churches is absolutely an act of terror.

Drums of War

I fear another war.

I fear the xenophobia which will be heightened in the wake of another war.

I fear the destruction and massacre of innocent civilians which are sure to result from another war.

Flag-waving patriotism continues to push Americans into conflict with other nations.

When my grandmother was a girl, it was the Germans.

When my father was a soldier, it was the Koreans.

When I was in high school, it was the Vietnamese.

Now it is the Muslims. Not a single country, but the entire world-wide population of Muslims who are seen as threatening to "truth, justice and the American way."

Never mind that I, and thousands of other Americans, are Muslims. I suppose we are traitors. Though we have no other land. For better or worse, we are Americans.

I fear war.

I need to remember to put my trust in Allah, and fear only Him.

Set-Up?

On Saturday, an Iranian man allegedly drove his car into a group of people at the UNC campus. He reportedly did it for the sake of Allah.

I don't know the man and I can only guess what happened. But something about this story sounds very strange to me.

The U.S. government is trying to make a case for war against Iran. They say Iran is close to building nuclear weapons. However, few news reports point out that the "nuclear program" in Iran is for energy, not weapons.

The man living in the White House says nuclear energy is good. He also reached an agreement with India last week, promoting that country's pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Why the double standard? Why is it good for some and bad for others?

The same can be said of ports. Why can China, a Communist country, control the port of San Francisco but the U.A.E. deal must be blocked? Why in the world is any other country running U.S. ports in the first place.

Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program.

There is no reason to attack Iran.

I fear that war is on the horizon.

And that man in North Carolina? It sounds like a set-up to me.

Echoes Series Cast of Characters: Heather

Heather

At one time, Heather was a silly teenage girl who fell in love with the first boy who showed interest. When she was seventeen and pregnant, she married the boy, Joshua. Five years and three children later, they were divorced.

Joshua went on to repent his past and become a Muslim. Heather took longer to move on. First she poured herself into raising her children.

But as she grows older, Heather succeeds in putting the past behind her and making her own way.

No matter how old she gets, though, Heather never loses her saucy attitude. Her ex-husband, Joshua, is continually a target of her sharp tongue.

At one time, Heather let herself be victimized. She will never let that happen again.

Rebounding

Alhamdulillah, my newest book is out!

Rebounding is the second book in the Echoes Series. In Rebounding, the same characters--Joshua, Chris, Brad, Evie, Aisha, Melinda--face new challenges. The first challenge comes with the reappearance of Sam Adams.

Like Echoes, Rebounding portrays the lives of American Muslims and their own special struggles.

For more information, please go to www.muslimwriterspublishing or watch for updates to my website.