Have you been victimized by the chain email going around with the picture of the little boy asking questions of his father about the way he is dressed? The father is wearing what seems to be some sort of "Arab" looking garments? Dear god, I got one from my cousin, who I love dearly, but has sent some pretty mean spirited emails in the last few years, including ye ol' Obama won't say the pledge crap and much worse. He is seemingly a worldy guy, he's run a business before, but his brain seems to be getting polluted with this kind of stuff... the chain mails, radio talk shows, FOX news and of course the Catholic pulpit.
Well, I just never can resist responding, especially when I see this kind of crap.
Here is the chain mail he forwarded:
A young Arab boy asks his father, "What is that weird hat you are wearing?"
The father said, "Why, it's a 'chechia' because in the desert
it protects our heads from the sun."
"And what is this type of clothing that you are wearing?"
asked the young man.
"It's a 'djbellah' because in the desert it is very hot and it protects the body."
said the father.
The son asked, "And what about those ugly shoes on your feet?
His father replied, "These are 'babouches," which keep us
from burning our feet in the desert."
"Tell me," added the boy.
"Yes, my son?"
"Why are you living in Dearborn, Michigan and still wearing all this stupid shit?"
And here is my response, reply all of course... and please forgive my poor grammar, spelling and voice as I was slightly peeved and shouldn't have been spending time while at work dealing with this, but...
And Daddy answered... for the same reason Catholics wear ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday or don’t eat meat during lent or wear long flowing robes on their confirmation. Or why orthodox Jews don’t shave with razors and wear shirts with square corners. It is part of our religion, history and tradition and it helps define us as a people and connects us to a higher power. Different faiths have different signs & symbols that outwardly express who they are and it is important to hold onto those traditions so we learn from the past and don’t forget who we are.
And that is also why Daddy brought his family to America, because the United States was founded on the freedom of religion and expression, and they do not impose cultural law based on a single religion. If Daddy lived in Afghanistan or some parts of Pakistan, Daddy would be forced to grow a full beard and your big sister would not be allowed to go to school. But in America, your sister can go to school and Daddy is free to express his faith if he wants, and those rights are protected by the most important amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the 1st Amendment.
Daddy is happy that he has such a smart son who asks questions... so you can learn not only about your heritage, but also why Daddy loves America and is proud to call myself a citizen.
OK, so maybe I was a little over the top, melodramatic, apple pie corny, but Jesus H Christ, didn't the Muslim co-worker I've been working with for the last 3 days trying to solve a problem walk into my office moments after I sent the reply. I was tempted to show him, but sadly I was worried I might offend.
Still no reply from my cousin. Ooopsie.