Attack on the USA:   I pray it is not an Islamic war!

Some people will wonder why I pray or wish this, just because I am an Arab. I am Christian; actually I am a convert from Islam.

Being offered a safe haven in the US makes me have a contradiction of feelings. I see my fellow Arabs celebrating on TV regarding the Terrorist attacks to the US and then I see how the American streets full with men and women upset because of the people dying in the attack.

Even when I try to run or escape from the impact from this attack, I still argue about it with my wife who is half-American. An American guy on the TV was saying for all Americans to find an Arab and "KILL an ARAB!".

Even if we don't know yet who attempted these attacks, fingers automatically points towards Arabs or Muslims. I feel torn between defending them and sympathy to the people who died in the attack.

If Muslims have done this attack, the motives will be that USA supports Israel and the feeling of being mistreated by the US government. You'll find a lot of Arabs will tell you that it's about time for the US to have a taste of pain and suffering, because we have suffered for years due to the Israeli government, which the USA supports.

You'll hear justifications for this, but believe it or not; a lot of Arabs do not approve of what has happened. And they believe their image has been damaged.

There are a lot of Arabs who care most about having a peaceful life, raising their children, and have a good respectable life providing for their families. Thousands of them want to come to the USA. About 70% of Arabic young men and women have dreams of coming and living in this country to have freedom they don't have within their own countries.

Arabs know such attacks could cause a war. Some of them are angry and want to fight to liberate their land. They want to stand up and fight, but on the other hand the majority wants peace, and daily bread. Don't let the TV pictures fool you that all Arabs think alike.

In the Middle East we have a lot of Muslim fundamentalists. These people believe Jihad is holy war to be declared on the sources of evil on those who oppose Allah, which are the USA and Israel and the other western countries. The Muslim fundamentalists will approve of this attack and they'll congratulate each other, and then make those who died killing innocents are heroes or soldiers of Allah.

That's why I hope this is not an Islamic group behind this attack, because this will mean war. All efforts for peace will go to the wayside.

If this war were to happen it will not be a war between Arabs and the West. It will be between fundamentalist Muslims all over the world and the west. This will drag some average Muslims to become extremists and join the war against the west.

On the other hand, Christians from the Arab origins who have been persecuted for hundreds of years because of their beliefs being different than Muslims, they have learned to live peacefully among them, they have learned to pray certain prayers for peace. Yet, they will never approve or accept what has happened.

One of the Arab traditional Christian prayers is this, "Oh King of peace, Give us your peace".

I find no better prayer than saying "Amen".

In the Lord Jesus Christ

Abdelrahman


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