I was driving across the country and was in West Virginia purchasing soda at a gas station on my credit card, so the attendant asked me to sign the receipt. I am a Jewish American, but I prefer to align myself with humanity rather than by political or religious lines. My signature is a mixture of Hebrew and Arabic. I signed the slip and the attendant looked at me, amazed, and asked “Did you just write your name backwards?” [since Semitic scripts are written right-to-left]

I stood there for a minute as we struck up a short conversation. “No, it’s Arabic. And Hebrew,” and she curiously questioned what my native language was, how hard it was to learn, etc. As I walked out of that gas station, regardless of being Israeli or Arab, or Jewish or Muslim, Middle Eastern or White… she and I were both humans- both Americans- which is all that mattered.

Throughout my travels, I have met some of the most unbiased folks in what I had figured to be the most bigoted areas of America. I have learned to- and if America as a whole could also- stand in solidarity, regardless of religion… it makes life a whole lot nicer.

Thank you for your post.

I stand before my Guru, not before reciprocity or expediency.

That being said, I appreciate the links and was unaware of the situation in Saudi Arabia. Still, it does not change my position or I’m sure your epithet against me. I hope I will always stand for what I believe is right.

So you stand in solidarity like the other slaves stood up for Spartacus. Just remember that your solidarity runs in one directions. The Arabs feel none such empathy for you as a Sikh in their own country and treat you worse than dirt. I don’t see your Arab or Muslim friends protesting the persecution of Sikhs in front of the Saudi or Afghan embassies.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060822/punjab1.htm#6

http://www.sikhreview.org/december2001/terror.htm

A term from the days of Soviet sympathizers comes to mind “useful idiot”

I’m also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, “Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.” Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, “He’s a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists.” This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son’s grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards–Purple Heart, Bronze Star–showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn’t have a Christian cross, it didn’t have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way…