Masjid Al Hedaya and the American Dream

But what of the government? Have they given the center any trouble? "None to speak of."  He explained, "There had been some zoning issues but a local church was suing the city over the same problem."

Then he told me about his trip to Gibraltar and Spain with a tour group made up of Muslims and non-Muslims and going through customs in all the foreign countries without incident. Yet when he arrived at home in Atlanta, Federal agents were waiting for him at the door of the airplane. As he showed them his American passport, the agent asked, "Is that him?" and the other agent answered, "Yeah, that’s him."

He was separated from the rest of passengers and taken into a back office for interrogation. His luggage was all brought in and thoroughly inspected. State sponsored idiocy, a local man, a citizen, a man with a family waiting for him had been pulled off a plane for no other reason than his ethnicity. This was no different then Gestapo arrests in Nazi Germany. It was a show for the public put on by a government that is trying to convince us to be afraid of each other. This government is trying to force us to pull up our drawbridge and live behind our castle walls without questioning. This government is trying to deflect the blame and criticism for its own failures on to the backs of millions of its own innocent citizens. This government is hiding its criminality behind slogans like “support the troops” and inventing catch phrases such as “Islamofacist” while dropping bombs on civilian neighborhoods.

It is a curious phenomenon that, when you step outside your walls to learn about others, sometimes you learn more about yourself. I went to Masjid Al Hedaya to learn about Islam, but what I learned was more about America.  The people of Masjid Al Hedaya are Americans worshipping their God and seeking religious freedom no differenly than any of our forefathers. The threat to the world comes not from Islam but from Washington and true religion threatens no one. However, when politicians of any country use any religion, it threatens everyone.

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