Some time in 2003. I was glued to my TV set and stared in disbelief as American cruise missiles rained death and destruction on Baghdad, a Muslim heritage city. I switched off the TV. Who was the idiot who authorized the filming of the carnage and showed it over the TV net work. May be the American enjoyed the scene the way they once enjoyed shooting buffaloes from moving train in Wyoming.
I sent a curt protest note to the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. The text "Please be warned as of today Americans entering the State of Terengganu will be shot on sight". I have a feeling the bluff worked. To think about it, I didn't even have a gun. Even if I had, I would not shoot an innocent man the way American shoot innocent Arabs without any feeling of guilt or remorse. Since then, I had not seen a single American in town. Any way I was not out on the streets all the time. But I made it a point whenever possible I would speak to the tourists I met to find out where they were from.
Today I am wondering why my daughter who was travelling to Tennessee was detained for 30 minutes at Chicago O' Hare. Was it because of my Muslim name on her passport that had somehow crept into the airport data base. Or was it because with her head uncovered, the photograph in the pass port did not match. This is another example of American obsession with security - such insecure people!
I sent a curt protest note to the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. The text "Please be warned as of today Americans entering the State of Terengganu will be shot on sight". I have a feeling the bluff worked. To think about it, I didn't even have a gun. Even if I had, I would not shoot an innocent man the way American shoot innocent Arabs without any feeling of guilt or remorse. Since then, I had not seen a single American in town. Any way I was not out on the streets all the time. But I made it a point whenever possible I would speak to the tourists I met to find out where they were from.
Today I am wondering why my daughter who was travelling to Tennessee was detained for 30 minutes at Chicago O' Hare. Was it because of my Muslim name on her passport that had somehow crept into the airport data base. Or was it because with her head uncovered, the photograph in the pass port did not match. This is another example of American obsession with security - such insecure people!
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