Very sad today

There are still doubts in my mind about using a public forum for speaking out. But I realized today that being a private person; a person who believes in 'live and let live' does not protect me from being attacked or discriminated against. To think that I stepped out of a very oppressive culture, an abusive life-altering marriage and inexplicable other challenges to come face to face with a plethora of abuse and discrimination right here in the 'land of the free' has to be one of the sickest ironies of my life. Graduating with such high honors from an american university and stepping into the nonprofit industry to make a real difference, I never thought I'd step into a snake pit of bigots and hypocrites.

What triggers my thoughts today is the last string in a series of attacks on my person that I have tolerated with no less pain in the past few months. I am a legal immigrant to this country from South Asia and take pride in the journey i have had. And yes, I am a Muslim but to be honest, I have never had to make a slogan out of my faith or ethnicity because I keep it to myself. Believers, non-believers, people of different races and creeds have all been a welcome addition into my life because I was deprived of that freedom of contact for most of my life. Only today, when the CEO of my nonprofit added a religious attack to his series of extremely discriminating assaults on me, is when I am choosing to fight back and protect the faith and identity I hold private, but dear. I am so terribly saddened by it though because it has shaken my faith in the fact that as long as my commitment to peaceful observance of faith, my loyalty to ethnic and religious harmony across the world, my respect for the american values and the protection this nation has offered me is intact, I would never be attacked for being a woman of any faith, identity or culture. How wrong have I been!!! Apparently, all of my accomplishments faze in the face of the color of my skin, the faith that makes me the strong woman I am and yes, the country I originated from because the head of my organization attacked me for all of the above.