Back in the U.S.A

So after four months overseas I'm back in the United States. I must say that it's hard to be back. I miss everyone in Palestine as much as I missed everyone here in the U.S. It's great to see my family and all of my friends, but I know that I will return to Palestine, and I will stay engaged in the Palestinian cause for the rest of my life. For all of you in Palestine reading this, I miss you more than you understand, and I'll be gone only as long as I need to be, inshallah.

Leaving Israel was no easy chore. I'll be writing about it in great detail in the near future and I'll be sure to post the story when I'm done. Let's just say that the process involved taking my clothes off on more than one occasion and seven hundred dollars in unnecessary expenses. It was quite a lovely time.

Since arriving here in Massachusetts I've been just as busy as I was in Nablus, however instead of working, I've been catching up on having a social life again. My friend Artty released a new CD, which you can check out here http://www.arttyraynes.com/, and my friend Cait got married, which was fantastic.

I've received a great deal of feedback about my blog since I've been home. It's amazing how many people read it and how it reached people I never thought would be interested. Instead of ending the blog I'll be re-naming it and continuing. I'm going to continue to write about Palestine and probably a host of other things, so if you're interested, keep your alerts set up. Also, please don't hesitate to send me feedback or just comments. As humans we learn through engagement, which should come through communication. This is how I learn, so I'd love to hear from you.

I think I've been talking to much since I've been back. I just find that I can't keep quiet and it's important for people to know the truth. I've encountered people who've been extremely interested, extremely ignorant, and some who have been extremely arrogant. I got into an argument the other night with a girl about Islam. She tried to tell me that their religion fosters hate and violence. I wanted to cry when I heard her speak these words, because it couldn't be farther from the truth.

As Americans it's our responsibility to understand Islam. Islamophobia is very dangerous and we should be taking steps to increase understanding to counter these radical views. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. It would be very foolish for Americans not to understand it, and even more foolish to have false perceptions about the Muslim faith. So do your country and your culture a favor and instead of watching Grey's Anatomy some night read about the true principles of Islam, or better yet, find a Muslim and ask them about Islam. They will be helpful and enthusiastic to help.

I took my mother to a Red Sox game on Saturday. She watches the Red Sox every night and loves the team as so much of us do here in New England. She hadn't been since 1968 and you could tell. Fenway Park is one of those special places. When you come into the park and see the grass, look around at the fans, and watch the players warm up on the field a feeling comes over you that can't be described in words. When we got to our seats I could see that my mother was consumed by this feeling and actually for the first three or four innings she didn't talk much, I think her and the park were having a special moment, making up for lost time. I hadn't see my mother smile like that in years, she was like a little kid. The over priced tickets were worth every penny.

I'll try to post some links about Islam tomorrow. Like I said, I'd love any feedback about the blog. By the way, I like Grey's Anatomy too. :)