Reaction to Muslim playing Dreidel?

Reaction to Muslim playing Dreidel?

I’m a Muslim and I am offended by Lowe’s decision to pull their advertisements from the “All-American Muslim” show on TLC. I know what some people may think: Muslims are oversensitive and don’t deserve to have their shows promoted by American corporations.

I know many people disagree with Lowe’s decision to cave in to pressure from the Florida Family Association — a conservative group representing Evangelical Christians and seeking to “defend traditional biblical values.” I know that many people will in fact choose to defend traditional biblical values by promoting tolerance and understanding rather than bigotry and ignorance.

The FFA, it appears, is an organization that would rather use propaganda and fear mongering techniques to endorse hate toward nonbelievers of their dogma, than encourage knowledge and respect.

I am no Islamic scholar, but before transforming legal terms into insults, I would suggest that members of the FFA look into understanding the proper meaning of Sharia law before blowing them out of proportion.

Not long after learning of Lowe’s decision, I visited my daughter’s kindergarten classroom where I volunteer to play math games with the students. That day, I was assigned to play Dreidel. I never played this spin-top game before and only knew that it had something to do with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Still, I was happy not only to learn something new, but to engage with the students and show them a positive image of Muslims that they are, unfortunately, often shielded from.

For a moment I thought about the Florida Family Association and how a member would react to playing a Muslim holiday game in one of their children’s classrooms. What I couldn’t imagine for even one second, was for me to reject this game. I enjoyed my time with the students.

Asma Jarad

Glendale Heights