Okay, this is my introductory post for and I am expected to speak my heart ... this is supposedly the place where people share their deepest thoughts. I want to say that, even though I was born into a Muslim family and don’t consider myself very religious, I believe being Muslim has nothing to do with supporting Palestinian rights to life, security, and dignity.
That doesn’t automatically put me against the mainstream media, but I feel the media has turned against me for thinking this way. I can’t express my thoughts anywhere. Any time I mention the Genocide, I’m torn apart piece by piece. I’m not white, I have a Muslim name, and I feel I have no agency in this conversation except expressing outrage, which isn’t allowed. My timelines are filled with death and destruction, slowly being erased by the powers that control CNN, MSNBC, BBC, and other news channels I once trusted as custodians of truth and human rights.
I can’t believe I’m so weak that I’m forced to stay quiet because I fear losing friends, jobs, agency, and ... most importantly my ability to interact in society. I have many Jewish friends, most of whom oppose the genocide, and I appreciate their support and work. But I am not really by their side. I love them and I offer a prayer for them.
I feel guilty for not shouting from the rooftops. But I also know if I were incarcerated, no one would help me, but if one of my Jewish friends were targeted, their strong Jewish background might offer some protection. So I take solace there.
As a child of immigrant parents, I watch my beloved America wield its power to amplify the greatest atrocity the modern world has seen. But I love her, and I wish she can be better.