Responce to Romesh Chandler
Reader comment on item: CAIR's Hate Crimes Nonsense
in response to reader comment: How do you know somebody is a Muslim?

Submitted by Barbara (United States), Oct 8, 2006 at 04:05

Just ask us, we would not be offended. CAIR is only one or the many organizations that try to improve the relations between Muslims and the communties we live in. As for me I am a Muslim women, I am an American by birth and proud to be an American. I do not wear hijab. I do wear it to the mosque. When I visit the Middle East I stick out...I am curly haired blonde and a big lady. People in the Middle East ask me where I am from and I tell them "I am an American".

Two years ago when I visited Beirut, Lebanon, I was approached by a group of Iranian women and their tour guides. The Iranians asked me if I was American and when I replied they were so excited to meet an American for the first time, they all asked to take photos with me. The whole encounter lasted 40 minutes. They asked me if I hated them. I said no. I asked them, do you hate me? They said, no; people are just people and politics is politics. They were really kind, friendly, and respectful.

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