Frustrationnnnnnnnn

This morning there was a documentary on the history channel on the Ku Klux Klan. Watching it gave me shivers. So many of the acts committed by members of this clan are so gruesome.... While I was watching my dad told me to change it to CNN, which I did. Perfect timing. One of the stories in circulating was of the NYC bomber. Apparently he was working with the Taliban in Pakistan, and the Pakistani Taliban is planning an attack on the U.S.

Whether it's true or not doesn't even matter. The suspicion is enough to give the rest of us hell.
And I got to thinking about the new Immigration Law that passed in Arizona (I know I'm jumping all over the place here, give me a few sentences to explain my thought process). I was adamantly against it, and to a huge extent I still am. Seriously, how do you LOOK like an illegal immigrant? There are illegal immigrants from, yes Mexico, but also from India and Pakistan, and Nigeria, and even Canada! So how do you 'look' like an illegal immigrant? So that law I still have a lot against, because it's, to me, advocating racial discrimination (here's the link that ties all my other thoughts together) against one group of people when there are a number of people from a number of nations that are illegal immigrants.

The thing is racial profiling, even the thought of racial profiling shakes us, because we're American. Because our nation's history is one of overcoming racial discrimination. Because we are all immigrants and live in this amazing melting pot, the thought of seriously judging someone based on something they never had control of, is more than disturbing. It's disgusting, and un-nerving, and completely against our values and everything we've all worked so hard to over-come. We can't imagine hating our best friends, and relatives, and mentors, etc. etc. simply because of their race, simply because of the way they look.
That's why organizations such as the KKK and the Taliban raise the hairs on our necks. Because terrorism of any kind, especially that has stemmed from racism, hatred, and ignorance doesn't make sense to us.

But how can I argue against racial discrimination at the airport? How can I say it's not right that Muslims are being racially profiled against at the airport when, since 2000 all the terrorists have been Muslims. Excuse me, I mean 'muslims'.
Not to say that all Muslims are terrorists (y'all know that), but because of a few idiots, the rest of us have to suffer. And correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that's how most of our issues take root.

I saw the short story on CNN and my blood just started boiling. Why? Because, this NYC incident, this idiotic idiot will cause my family to go through hell at the airport in 4 days. Because whenever I think Muslims are out of the spot light, that we have over come another adversity and become stronger, something else happens that screws us all over again. What. The. Hell.
Every time. Seriously. Every time I think -ok. fine. some arrogant douche bag muslim screwed up again. Ok. it's over. society isn't judging us based on them. America knows it's not all of us. America knows it's not most of us. America knows it's just a few who are messing things up for the rest of us. We all remember our history classes, where we learned about those handful of people that cause the most harm and leave the rest 0f us to suffer. Every time we try to pick up the pieces and get back up. Some one's actions shoot us down again.

It is extremely frustrating. Now thanks to this Faisal Shazad jerk I will be randomly checked - constantly at the airport. Especially because we're headed to Pakistan. Our luggage will be checked thoroughly. And you know what? We won't be the only ones suffering. Any Muslims traveling are going through this ordeal. Hell, even if you're not Muslim you're having to go through this ordeal. When absolutely any of us travel, we will have to either be questioned, or stand behind someone who is being questioned. All of us are annoyed and afraid of these ridiculous actions that are committed under the label of Jihad and Islam. All of us. I hate that I and everyone else will have to face these checks and suspicions because of the ignorant fools. I hate that every time we are about to get ahead, we fall back 10 steps because of one person. I hate that there has to be racial discrimination at an airport and any where else because it's completely against my American and Islamic values.
But, and I can't believe I'm about to type this, but I can see how it can be important in the case of fighting terrorism. I wish it wasn't. I think we can do without it. But I can see why it's there when these things happen. And I can't blame anyone else but those people who call themselves 'muslim' and set our entire nation back years in the fight against discrimination. I hate it. All of it. And even though I know it's not my fault, I'm sorry for it.

On a positive note:
All I can say is, thank God I'm American. And thank God I'm Muslim. Because both identities are my own, and both are the cause for this hope I have that things will change for the better. That things can always change for the better if we're willing to stand up for it. I have faith in our society to remember who their friends and neighbors are, regardless of what other people of the same faith or race do. And I know that, even though we've fallen behind again, we're going to catch up again and get ahead. Inshallah.