I"m an American Muslim who has a life like any other teenager in America. I go to the movies, swim at home, tan in the sun, play school sports, get involved in clubs and activities, an am about to get my driving permit. I want a Volkswagen Jett with alloy wheels and a new 3585i Nokia cell phone. I go to football games and cheer on my school. I have American friends, and I"m taking the most challenging classes at school. I get my hair cut when it needs to be, and nails done for our holidays. I also wear Bass shoes and American Eagle clothes with matching scarves.
With the anniversary of Sept. 11, it seems that, as an American Muslim, I must defend myself from accusations related to violence or terrorism. .
There are approximately 1.8 billion Muslims in the world, and 7 million of them live in America. Although I am of Arabic background, it doesn't mean that all Muslims are Arab. Only 18 percent of them are Arabs; a fifth are found in sub-Saharan Africa; and the world's largest Muslim community is in Indonesia.
I respect all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism - and even if you don't have a religion at all, atheism. I respect your beliefs and have nothing against them. My religion, Islam, teaches me tolerance and urges me to celebrate diversity.
The tragedy of Sept. 11 affected my community in two ways. First, I was affected like everyone else in America by seeing innocent people lose their lives in the terrible tragedy, many of whom were from my community. Second, my community was accused of supporting such actions because of our beliefs and the way we look. I am here to say that Muslims and Islam are completely and unquestionably against violence and terrorism. We are part of this country, and we do everything we can to defend our rights and liberties that we value. In a time of global conflict, we must remember that dividing ourselves is not the answer.