During the 12th week of fall semester, two things got my attention. First, Taha Muhammad Ali’s poem named “Revenge”, and the second, Naomi Shihab’s “To Any Would-Be Terrorists”. In both, a person suffered because he/she was a Middle Eastern, in other words, an “Arab”. I know how it feels like being considered an Arab, although I’m not one, but my citizenship implies the opposite. Most people consider Middle Eastern, Arabs, mostly Muslims, as terrorists. They think whatever happens in the world is because of them, they’re a problem which the human beings should get rid of. Well, I won’t deny that till this day, most of the terrorists have been Arabs (Muslims). Everything has two sides, who knows? Maybe the people behind these terrorist attacks aren't actually Arabs, and they may be doing all these acts just to put Arabs in critical situations. Naomi Shihab, having a Palestinian father, and an American mother, has seen things a person shouldn't see, and has faced things a person shouldn't. Do you know how hard it is for a person to feel the hatred people have towards him/her, and still live and survive in the environment she’s in? What has she done wrong, other than having an Arab father, which actually isn't her choice?
Many people think Arabs are murderers; they have lust for blood, killing, terrorism, war… How can this be generalized so simply? Isn't Taha Muhammad Ali an Arab too? He even is a Muslim! He has lost everything he had by the hand of non-Arabs (As facts say, but I’m not really sure about the Palestinian-Israelian conflict, because I don’t have much information about it, so when I said “by the hand of non-Arabs” that isn't my point of view, it’s what I've heard over and over again.)And yet, he still thinks that revenge isn't worth it.
Looking at people in a stereotypical way is not a right way at all. Every country has its ups and down, saints and sinners. People shouldn't blame innocent Arabs for what they haven’t done. They’re life is hard as it is, people should stop making it even harder.
