To the Editor:
Deeply disturbed by the Orlando massacre, I wanted to help the wounded, help those families, help that community, but I was feeling at a loss. I was so far away from Orlando. I wanted to be there to hold a hand, to cry with them, to hug them and love them, to be there with them. I heard that there was a need for blood. I called the Red Cross and was informed a blood drive for Orlando was taking place from 1:30 to 7 p.m., June 13. I chose not to fast for Ramadan so I could donate blood.
It gave me some sense of peace that, maybe, it will save one of the lives that had been so brutally targeted. As I came out of the Red Cross building in Alexandria, two very polite Asian girls approached me and asked, what brought me to this drive. They introduced themselves as writing a report on “Asian response to the Orlando shooting.” A little caught off guard, I said I wanted to help. It came as a surprise to them when I told them I was a Muslim from Pakistan. The next question was: “How is your Muslim community reacting to it?”
“I am from the Arlington community,” I said, “and there are Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Atheists, Gays, and Lesbians, all in it. I belong to that community” and “I don’t like to isolate myself as a Muslim community.”
We are the community we live in. We are the Arlington community, which is in the Virginia community, which is in the U.S. community, and we stand united against all evil to our state, county and nation.
We belong to our counties, states and nation to love, accept and protect each other exclusive of race, religion or sect. Unfortunately that sense of unity is lacking when we find solace and comfort in our own isolated communities based on our ethnicities and we are constantly identified and divided by them.
Isolation and division weakens us against extremism, terrorism, and ISIS.
We need to rebut ISIS starting in our homes around our kitchen room tables, in schools and colleges, where we the communities are emphasized as a united front against radical terrorism, where all have a sense of belonging and a part to play.
It is a time to reflect on who we are and reclaim our identities as a unified strength as one community and one nation against ISIS.
Kay Neseem
Arlington