Thank You, Mr President
By Hoda Hawa and Riham Osman
Washington, DC
President Obama’s visit on Wednesday to the Islamic Society of Baltimore was alone historic, but the words he shared were more momentous and will leave an impression on generations of American to come.
As we sat in the mosque and listened to the President’s speech, it was a remarkable moment to have the President of the United States acknowledge the beauty of our faith and thank us for the contributions American Muslims have made to the advancement of our nation - a sentiment not often expressed by our leaders.
In his speech, President Obama said, “The first thing I want to say is two words that Muslim Americans don’t hear often enough -- and that is, thank you. Thank you for serving your community. Thank you for lifting up the lives of your neighbors, and for helping keep us strong and united as one American family. We are grateful for that.”
Thank you. Two words that President Obama doesn’t hear enough as well. We might disagree at times with the President’s policy decisions, but when the President works to ensure all Americans are included in our national discourse, we as a community should extend our gratitude.
Thank you Mr President for your continued commitment to serving all Americans and speaking out against the hateful rhetoric that has worked to destroy our collective unity.
Thank you Mr President for reassuring our youth that they belong and that they don’t have to choose between their American and Muslim identity because they are indeed, both.
The White House is currently receiving hateful backlash for President Obama’s decision to visit a mosque -- a reflection of the current climate of fear propagated by a loud minority of people who seek to divide our nation. The White House has made it a point that the visit to a mosque was one in a series of engaging religious communities including Jewish and Christian events. Yet the hate only erupts when he engages Muslim communities.
Now is the time for us to express our gratitude for President Obama’s address and for the White House to hear from the American Muslim community. Send a comment over to the White House thanking the President and sharing your thoughts on his visit using this link . Also, use the hashtag #ThankYouObama online to express your appreciation for his leadership.
(Hoda Hawa is Director of Policy & Advocacy and Riham Osman is Communication Coordinator of Muslim Public Affairs Council)
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Simple Choice to Save Water
By Jennifer Bates
PETA Foundation
Norfolk, VA
Despite a bit of rain and snow, California has now entered the fifth year of its most severe drought in history, and water scarcity remains a very real threat. But rather than address the problem in a meaningful way, the state has chosen to relax emergency regulations. It is evident that it is on California residents to act where the state will not. Anyone who wants to have water for the foreseeable future must stop eating meat and dairy.
It can take almost 2,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, and nearly 900 gallons to produce a single gallon of milk. (By contrast, it takes less than 50 gallons of water to produce a gallon of soy milk.) From irrigating the crops that feed cattle to providing animals with drinking water, animal agriculture strains California's water supply. And these industries are also hell on animals, who are mutilated without painkillers, confined to tiny stalls or filthy feedlots, and slaughtered by the millions each year.
There is one simple choice every Californian can make that will save water, the environment, and the lives of sentient animals: Go vegan. For a free vegan starter kit, visit www.PETA.org .
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