My Pakistani Family and how it happened posted 6/19/2009 8:29:46 PM | 11 kudos what's this?     report abuse tagged: family, pakistan, christian

RightWingRepublican

A family i know, who has become my family, came from Pakistan about 7 years ago.
We met them a few years back and decided we liked them so much, we would take them in as family, they decided the same thing. My Mother was honored the day their children began to call her Grandma. I was honored to be a Sister.
Being considered family is a HUGE honor for them. Most Middle Easterners avoid contact with us all together. They have been taught that we are so evil. Very rare for Americans to be given an honor like that. I'm proud of it. Seeing them safe and happy is the most amazing feeling.

I asked Salmen (the Father) why him and Raffat (the Mother) came to America.
He told me that he was scared for the women in his life. He was scared Raffat or Sarah and Sharmeen (the daughters) would become victims of violence. This is a man who turned away from his Muslim upbringing and became Christian. He knew from a young age that Islam was wrong. He knew there was something far more true about Jesus than mohammed. They saw the good Christians were doing for the world and the evil that Islam was spreading. A Christian Missionary secretly met him one day and he knew he wanted Christ in his life.
He and his family secretly became born again Christians.
He tells me he read the Quran in it's whole over and over, attended all ceremonies and was raised a strict Muslim.
He could never stomach watching women get beat up by abusive husbands. he could never handle that there were little girls being sold off as wives to old men.
His words to me were "Not my daughters, they would have to kill me for my babies"

He decided one day, after being stopped in the street by armed men while trying to go get his baby daughter milk from the store that it was time to get out.
It took months, but they were able to leave Pakistan behind.

They became family after an accidental meeting at my Dads apartment complex. We met them and fell in love with them. We were the first Americans to talk to and associate with them. I thought they were very interesting, and then they told me that they were Christians. They looked SO proud. The look of relief, being able to say it out loud without worrying who was listening... they looked happy.

Raffat was visiting us a few weeks ago and she was talking about being an American Pakistani. She never in her dreams thought she would be an American.
The glow she had was like an angel. It still excites her to talk about it. Like she just moved here.

I want to tell a little about them just so people know that not all Middle Easterners people you pass in the street are Radical Muslims. Not all believe Radical Islam is good.
My family condemns Islam and everything it teaches. They experienced it first hand. One daughter was born in Egypt and one in Jordan. Both places he tells me were very scary for him. Raffat was VERY scared that she would do something wrong in front of the wrong people. (show an ankle, a wrist, say something wrong) in Pakistan it's much more Liberal for the women. They dress beautifully and it's ok to show arms and a little mid drift while wearing their Saris. She had to dress in a full black burka while in Egypt for her own safety.

I am probably still considered a Bigot. I have no problem being called that.
I don't care if you're white, black, pink, blue or green.... I typically stay away from people i don't know. and i don't care to make new friends for the most part. I don't go out looking for new buddies from minorities.But If i meet someone amazing, no matter their color or Religion, i will be happy to meet them. I enjoy people and interesting people are a plus.

I get a laugh everytime i visit Raffat. She always force feeds everyone when you visit their home. I showed up one afternoon and she answered the door in sweat pants and t-shirt. I usually only see her in her saris all dressed up.
She likes to make these crazy exotic appetizers for guests. 10 weird things usually and then there's always a plate of chicken Wings. She said that when she came to America they only thing she would eat at first was Chicken Wings. So she still cooks them for us. It's just funny to see beautiful food and a plate of chicken wings.

I am lucky enough in my life to have met the faces of today's issues.

I have friends in the Military,
Friends from Iraq who's families were killed by Saddam Hussein.
My Pakistani family
My friend Brandi and Abortion survivor
My friend Tina who had a botched abortion 23 years ago who now speaks for the unborn.
My friend Josh who is openly gay and i love him.
Lived in England for 2 years and got to see first hand what Islam is doing to their Country.
My childhood friend who was abused physically, sexually and emotionally.
I lost my best friend of 11 years to drugs.

I'm not an expert by any sense of the word, but i hear their stories and i get and have the honor of knowing their stories and their opinions.
It's much easier to have an opinion if you were there or if youve passed on someone elses story.

Get outside the box and find these people. Their knowledge is not an opinion, it's an experience. They are the experts.

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