Elsheba Khan at the grave of her son, Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan
(Photo from The New Yorker)
When I saw this picture, my heart broke.
This could be my son — anyone’s son. No, we are not Muslim, but that’s hardly the point, is it? Mrs Khan’s son died for this country at age 20. She and her family will never be the same.
And yet we have people in this country like Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) and John McCain (R-AZ), and many others, who speak as if Muslim is a dirty word. General Colin Powell said it very well this morning:
Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.
“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.
From the VetVoice post:
The answer to who is evil is NEVER as neat, clean, and easy as a label. Thank you, Colin Powell, for reminding America that those who serve in our military represent the awesome diversity of faithful and patriotic Americans.
Being Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Catholic or Zoroastrian does not make you a good or bad person — extremism in any form is dangerous. Americans having difficulty with this idea might want to take some time to think about what it means to be American. It’s not about what makes you different from your fellow citizens, it’s more about what makes us all better together.
Here’s a hint: People who do not look like you, believe like you, or think like you are just as American as you.
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6 Comments
October 19, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Great article and post Lady Z.. Thank you for posting it…Blessings
October 19, 2008 at 8:35 pm
I wonder if Powell finally decided to try to make amends…. from My Lai to his Speech to the UN….
.. sorry Colin, the mortage on your soul is still subprime…
October 19, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Amen, THBT. I am glad for the GOP moderates and others he will bring to Obama, but the man is a fucking liar and a war criminal and he should be at the Hague with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice.
October 19, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Thank you, Zooey, for the post.
October 20, 2008 at 12:31 am
Excellent post.
October 20, 2008 at 5:44 am
Thank you Corporal Khan for your service and sacrifice to this country. Thank you Elsheba and Feroze Khan. You have my deepest sympathy for your loss.