Promoted -- GH. Originally posted 2008-05-12 21:03:07 -0500.

What is discrimination? Discrimination is defined as the act or an instance of distinguishing one person unjustly over another according to aspects unrelated to their ability, based on age, disability, religion, sex, or national origin. Within the past years, discrimination is a word that has adapted the nature of a negative subtext in society. From the beginning of the Equal Rights Movement, the denotation of the word “discrimination” has been modified from a practical asset to an act of insult. In my utmost opinion, the discrimination of one’s faith/way of life is a quite serious notion that has taken over the lives of Americans since the attack of 9/11.

The unconscionable disaster that has overwhelmed the nation of America on September 11th has touched the hearts of almost every single person throughout the world, including Muslims. The destruction of the beloved Twin Towers along with the many innocent lives victimized by this terror has brought grief-stricken tears to the eyes of countless individuals. The images of violence traveling the globe have proved how powerless the world is to terrorism and its immorality.

Nevertheless, as the shock of the tragedy turned into detestation, a dangerous combination of emotions began to settle throughout America. As we all know, 9/11 has began many supposed beneficial things among the world—the endless war against Iraq, the hunt of Osama Bin Laden, the attack on Saddam Hussein, airport tight security measures, the crackdown against terrorists (bearded men), and the daily increase of Islamic hatred. And seven years after 19 men hijacked four packed planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, a majority of Americans has still kept their loathing against Muslims activated. As for Muslims, it has opened the gates of constant discrimination. In unison, Americans found a reason to attack us, police to pester us, politicians and journalists to insult our religion.

As an American Muslim living in New York, who respects and admires the teaching of Islam, I must say that listening to various radio stations, shortly after the attacks, while callers filled the phone lines venting their anger, spitting “We need to kill them all!” and “Throws all those damn Muslims out of this country,” labeling the religion as "a bloody, bloody, brutal type of religion," completely took a stab at my heart, brought tears to my eyes, and broke my peace of silence. Television mainstream broadcasts were constantly interviewing supposed experts of Islam discussing the disposition of terrorists, the Islamic teaching of terrorism; concluding that every Muslim possess a characteristic link with terrorism.