Tea Time with Tagwa: Muslims are friends, not foes

Tagwa Shammet, Opinions Editor

Tea timers, according to Twitter memes, World War III is upon us. As we prepare ourselves for the infamous draft and impending doom, just remember: We should not put Muslims in internment camps.

Laugh all you want, but if history serves me right, the last time the United States found itself in a World War, Japanese Americans found themselves in internment camps. All because Americans questioned the loyalty of Japanese immigrants who, in reality, were more than willing to stand with their country of America.

In case some of you haven’t heard, the United States and Iran are having problems. Again. Shocker. On Jan. 3, President Donald Trump ordered an airstrike that executed General Qasem Soleimani, who was one of the most powerful men in Iran and the commander of the state’s military forces in the Middle East. Due to this impromptu assassination, Iran and the United States are about to enter a heated negotiation that will decide whether the two nations will indulge in a war that could affect millions of innocent lives.

For now, we are all playing a waiting game. It’s easy to get caught up in all the anger and anxiety, but one thing we don’t need to be doing is point fingers. Similar to past events when the U.S. was in the Middle East, Americans have, yet again, found themselves hating and blaming their fellow Muslim counterparts for the damage. I’ve already seen tweets blaming Muslims for the overflowing tension between the nations.

Muslim Americans aren’t looking for the next ISIS recruiting party. Contrary to popular belief, Muslims hate ISIS just as much as everyone else. Why? Because we understand that our religion does not promote violence, and we should not condemn an entire group of people for the decisions of a handful of radicals.

As a Muslim American, I pride myself in being both Muslim and American. I am just as dedicated to this country as my fellow citizens. I would greatly appreciate my loyalty not be questioned during these trying times. My parents immigrated to this country and worked their way into the comfortable situation they are in now. I remember my mom studying hard, avidly testing for her citizenship. She put more effort into becoming a rightful member of this country than most civilians, yet receives a fraction of the respect she deserves. 

My mother, like many other Muslim immigrants, is a rightful citizen of this country who deserves the same rights and liberties as the next American. So, whether we’re going into a war, let’s try refraining from hating the Muslim community for the actions of this country’s government. And that’s the tea.