In Harm's Way

My nephew is in the army heading for Afghanistan. He will be defusing bombs. He is Catholic. 

The sons of two good friends--and boys who I feel towards as if they were my own sons--are both Marines and are also heading to the battlefield. They are both Muslim.

My dad--who passed away last week--was a proud American Muslim Marine. So was my brother and Uncle. I grew up growling "Semper Fi." When the US made overtures for war in Iraq, I was out on the street corner like so many others protesting the possibility of the US invading a nation that had nothing to do with September 11, 2001--except in the imagination of Dick Cheney. Yes, Sadam was a murderous dictator; however, he was a "problem" that a single bullet could have taken care of. The war in Iraq was all about getting even Texas style.

Like most American Muslims, my heart bleeds for the sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters who have or will die in armed combat. My heart also bleeds for all the civilians who were/are/will be collateral damage for a bastardized cause long lost in the fallout.

Wake-Up Call, The Political Education of a 9/11 Widow, a book by Kristen Breitweiser states, "The thought of prolonging the war in Iraq sickened me. Ron had died a senseless death. Knowing thousands of American families were going to suffer the senseless deaths of their sons or daughters in Iraq infuriated me. As far as I was concerned, the Iraq war was linked to 9/11 only by revenge, lies, oil, and the arrogance of individuals."

As the aunt and surrogate mother to young men going to war, I heartily agree...