Arabs in the USA mirrors

I'm willing to bring out the ugly out of this by discussing two things: how we see foreigners and how they see us. We need to analyze problems to find solutions for them. We need to accept people of different cultures and religions to become a better nation. Why? Because Islam is a symbol for tolerance.


First of; how we see them.

Many of you had race talk before, which gives a clear image of how we imagine foreign people to be in mind and lifestyle. When you say, for example, a person comes to visit from outside, say America for instance, you get thoughts such as the following:

Positive thoughts: free-minded, fluent in English, generally good people, fun to talk to, interested in cultures, smart looking, know how to have a fun time.
Negative thoughts: careless, in open relationships, purely uneducated and dumb, sex-driven,
and irreligious.

Where do they get such ideas? I was surprised to find out one of my classmates thought Christians are going to hell. Are we truly just as judgmental as we suppose they are? Is religion a reason for discrimination? Are our ideas and view-points a reflection of western movies?

هل تسمحون لي
ان اقول لابنتي ان صديقتها المسيحية ليست كافرة،
والا تبكي خوفا عليها من دخول النار؟

"Do you allow me

to tell my daughter her Christian friend is not an infidel (kaffir), 

and not to cry for her in fear of entering hell."

We cannot be proud of being racist. I'm sick of Jordanian people rendering the good treatment of Americans with phrases such as "Americans are liars," or "Americans are obscene," or "Americans don't have deen (religion/morals)." Even thinking we're better than them because of Islam is irrational. American Muslims have proven to be sometimes even better than Arab Muslims. Why? Because here, most of us are Muslims, so why care much about being a good one? Why advice people or right and wrong since we're all Muslims? This is typical thinking!

This here is Dr. Jeffery Lang. A former Atheist who converted to Islam, and yet, he gets attacked by what I call typical thinking simply because he thinks outside the box, and out parents have taught us well that it's scary outside the box!





Do not go with the flow if the flow is going in the wrong direction! You are not a sheep in the herd. You are an individual and you should be independent in thinking. You should not be ashamed of the things you like in life because no one else may show appreciation in them.


And back to the topic:
Second of: how they see us!

Judging the Google auto-complete search above: If they truly think so, are we giving the wrong impression? I think Arabs there are matters that have a general opinion only that no one wants to change. "Arabs are there, and that's enough to know" sort of thought. Arabs have been featured in movies and TV series, even the most famous of them, sometimes as normal people, but mostly as terrorists from Iraq. Does the west only see Palestine and Iraq from their window?

In contrast, I find Americans interested in our ways of life. They sometimes ask about Hijab while we convince them we're very pleased with it. Many wonder how we manage to pray five times a day. They actually see us as a mystery to explore, regardless of some few who are still racist.

Here's a beautiful example:

A French businessman is offering to sell properties to help Muslim women pay any fines that they may receive for wearing the full veil in public if a law is voted through France's parliament.

Lawmakers will vote on the bill on Tuesday, which would see women fined €150 if they wear the full veil, known as the burqa or niqab, in public places.

-READ MORE

If we want a better Jordanian society, we must learn not to judge.