An Open Letter To The People Who Hate Me


To the person who hates me,
             You’ll never read my words because you’ll see my name and decide this not worth your time. Or you’ve read the title and realized that this goes against your beliefs. You’ve decided that this isn’t worth your time, and I get that because I do that all the time. I won’t read things that go against what I believe in, but I promise I’m not trying to challenge your beliefs. I just want to talk, so please hear me out.
 You’ve already decided that you hate me. Why? I may never know because I will never know you. You hate me because when I wake up I wake up in the name of God, the most Merciful, the most Kind. You hate my because when my life is rough, and I’m at a breaking point, I bow my head and I prostrate to the Lord who eases all pain. You hate me because for thirty days a year I stop eating during the day, to remind myself of my creator. You’ll never know me because you don’t listen to me. You listen to the man yelling on TV scream, you see him shouting obscenities, and you listen and agree.
I may never change your mind, no matter how much I write or I scream, I will never change your mind-the same way you can never change mine. We are both stubborn and I’m not asking you to change your beliefs. Our beliefs are the foundation of who we are, and I am not going to break your foundation. But I’m asking for you to open your mind. To live with me. I will not harm you, and you will not harm me. We do not have to be friends, you don’t have to like me. But in the same way I do not attack you, I do not seek you out and yell at you, I ask you to do the same. It is a large country, we can share. I am not hurting you, so I ask for you to not hurt me.
            Now I know you’re thinking, I do hurt you because men and women terrorize people in the same name as my God. And you’re right they are, that is a fact I cannot change. But why do they get to be my representation? Because I grew up in America, and I learned that I get to choose my representative (well kinda, I also grew up in Texas and I’m generally vote democratic, but you get the idea right?). I do not do the same to you: I do not let those you don’t choose to represent you. But I do need representation because you don’t know me, and you might never. So here’s a list of people that I believe represent my morals and ideals:
·      Mahatma Gandhi
·      Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
·      Muhammad Ali
·      Khadija (A.S.)
·      Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
·      Nelson Mandela
·      Mother Teresa
·      And the list goes on.
I am asking from you something very simply let me live, and I will let you live. Stop spreading the hate. Because hate will only breed more hate. I will not attack you, I will not ridicule you or call you by names because two wrongs don’t make a right. But all I ask is that you open your mind. And if you’re willing let’s have a honest conversation. Person to person, leaving your biases and our hate behind, and at least try to get to know each other. So that way when you hate me, you at least know me.
Sincerely,
            The person you hate.
             

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