America a Melting Pot in Question: Muslim-Americans Speak

Everyone in America is experiencing some form of disconnection to what has been generally known/accepted as the American dream. Ultimately losing faith in the government they look to provide comfort and security during such socio-economic times as we live in today.

This fact is no different for Muslim-Americans who have had to defend their rightful place in America for years. The recent Presidential election does not dim the lights from being shone on these citizens.

Like many other Americans, the estimated 2.3 million Muslims living in the U.S. have been hurt by a limping economy, a problematic health care system and an unclear immigration policy. And the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have also hit close to home.

Fatema Biviji, 32, had never given much thought to politics until she received an e-mail earlier this year that said -- falsely -- that Sen. Barack Obama is a Muslim. The Internet hoax, its origin unknown, was apparently intended to tie Obama to terrorism and swing support to his opponent, Republican Sen. John McCain.

"I was so mad," Biviji said. "The premise of that e-mail is that a person's religion should decide a person's character.

"We're America, the melting pot, the land of diversity, and that Americans would be buying into that psychology [of the e-mails] was upsetting," said the New Jersey-born Muslim, whose parents are from India. "The e-mail offended my American ideals."

It can easily be seen how globally The United States of America has gained a reputation contrary to what their ideals on diversity and acceptance for all shamefully fails during the most vulnerable times. I agree with former Secretary of State, Colin L. Powell (R), in his most recent public endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama:

Those kinds of images going out on Al-Jazeera are killing us around the
world," Powell continued. "And we have got to say to the world, it doesn't make
any difference who you are or what you are. If you're an American, you're an
American."