Comments on: Finding My Syrian-American Identity

By: Dihya

Dihya — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:10:46 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed this article.
This young lady isn’t dismissing her Syrian heritage but realizes she is American too and has decided to combine both cultures which is what my children have done.
My children wen through the same struggle growing up and I was too busy with my professional life and the day-to day to help them, and I couldn’t have as I didn’t have the answer. I made sure I adapted to the society where we lived without losing our Muslim identity. They had friends from every background religion and they never paid attention to it. If anything they were enriched by it.

As N stated in previous comments:
“We must learn to embrace and honor our heritage languages and cultures as part of who we are, even as we become Americanized. We can claim and express our whole identity, and this only enriches the whole society.”

Thank you for sharing your experience and this wonderful article. It has touched me deeply.

By: Dihya

Dihya — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:09:25 +0000

In reply to Guest.

So sad to read this: “the guy isn’t invading nations after nations for oil”
He is just slaughtering his own people and ruling with an iron fist.
Have you lived in Syria? Are you living there? Have you tried to find out what is going on?
If not then next time get the facts before you make statements like these.

By: Guest

Guest — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 06:28:35 +0000

If there is one thing i have learned over the last ten years, it is:

Whenever the Americans say someone is such and such, one only needs to do reverse engineering. Americans help no one except themselves and those rising against Asaad are traitors.

He might not be the best leader out there but hey, the guy isn’t invading nations after nations for oil.

By: Derrick Peat

Derrick Peat — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:32:01 +0000

Salaam Hajar, masha’Allah, this such a powerful piece. May Allah give Syria its freedom, ameen!

By: farhana

farhana — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:38:43 +0000

JAK for sharing, they are in my prayer, and many hugs for you sister.

By: Dyhia

Dyhia — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:37:13 +0000

This article has touched me deeply as my daughter, who is 19, has felt the same way about her identity growing up and was deeply affected by the fact we had no relatives or close Muslim friends. Luckily she now has a Muslim community she identifies with: the MSA of McGill university who is her new family away from home.
For years I felt very sad for my children for not having close Muslim friends growing up or relatives. I am happy now to see that it has not affected them negatively. We cannot have everything in life and I’m happy that they were born and raised in Canada than in Algeria where they would not have had the same opportunities as here.

Thank you for sharing your story.
My prayers are with Syrians.

By: Yumnies

Yumnies — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:21:33 +0000

Great piece! I can really relate to every word you said. It’s amazing to know there are others out there that share such similar experiences and that we are not alone in our struggle for justice and freedom.

By: Marieme

Marieme — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:39:25 +0000

May ALLAH end their sufferings and bring peace to Syria and the whole world.

By: Ubah

Ubah — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:07:27 +0000

So utterly beautiful, mashaAllah.

By: mw_m

mw_m — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:10:06 +0000

In reply to rose. No, Bashar al-Assad is not, nor has ever been a Muslim.