To Those Who Revel in American Anguish, Can You Hear Me?

I am a simple man, focused on the business of my daily life, the business of feeding my family – I wake in the morning, do my job, return home and repeat this process, every day. I am one man in a sea of billions who share this planet – that is my link to you, however slight.

The people in the towers in New York were not so different from me, not so different from any of you. Yet they now, are dead. Dead simply in conducting the duties of their daily lives. Many around the world call them victims of terrorism, some call them martyrs, many in your lands call them fallen enemies. I only see broken families, broken buildings and grief, just like I see on television of the streets in Palestine and Israel. I do not believe that the God of man could see himself in these devious acts, but if you truly believe that this work honors your God, then I weep for you.

Forgive me, peoples of the Middle East, for I do not care about your battles. I do not care why your peoples hate each other, fighting in endless wars which prevail for decades. Forgive me if I do not hear the horrific mantra of the terror that you wage on one another in the fight over territory, in the fight over control, in the fight over principal, in the name of Allah. Do you rejoice in the killing of America’s sons and daughters because the rest of the world does not share your anger, your grief, your misanthropy?

My nation is blamed for the strife between Israel and Palestine – but I hear no mention of blame for these nations in the perpetuation of their own bloodshed. I hear of hatred of the US for millions of dead Iraqi children, but I hear no blame for dictators who torture, rape and murder their own people and hoard humanitarian relief to feed their armies. My nation is blamed for it’s failure to bring stability to Afghanistan, a land that has not know stability in it’s entire native history, yet if not for my nation Afghanistan would have died at the hands of Russian soldiers.

If you hate my land so badly, if you curse my children so vociferously, then why do millions of your brothers come here every year to live? Why do your children flock to study in our universities? These men are welcomed in my country, indeed, they represent the very ideals of my nation – a nation of many races and creeds. Yet, I hear no praise of America, only scorn. Voices in your nations debase my people for our purchase of your oil, yet I hear no respite for the wealth that is enjoyed.