[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
boy girl window those were the only
words that I knew when my family arrived
in the States
at the age of 10 we came as refugees
from Iraq we arrived broke and broken
having fled war zones and refugee camps
America and this city provide us a home
we love America I love this city I loved
growing up in Dayton I grew up in a good
neighborhood and went to good schools
thanks to public television and my
favorite purple dancing dinosaur we
learned English and became the American
citizens we are today through hard work
and teamwork my family made a life for
itself in this new community you know
with four boys in the house my family
bonded over soccer theater across
country computers and Mario Brothers the
story of Islam and America is complex if
I were to ask you to think of Muslims in
America what images would come to mind
did anybody think of this this is yaro
mahmoud freed Muslim slave and prominent
18th century Georgetown resident painted
by Charles Wilson Peale the painter of
our founding fathers the same guy that
painted
this portrait of George Washington you
know with all the noise about Muslims
today I find myself thinking about those
Muslims that arrived here as slaves I
didn’t have those thoughts when I was in
college it was 1999
I found myself I found my voice I
participated in anything that kept me
out of class and I must admit I changed
my major several times by September 10th
of 2001 I was looking forward to what
was going on in the world Michael Jordan
was coming out of retirement
jay-z dropped his new album and I am a
professed Yankee hater so in the Yankees
place Paul O’Neill Yale clap for that
when the Yankees plays Paul O’Neill on
the disabled list now that was a gift
from the baseball gods life was good and
then look there’s no doubt the world has
changed since 9/11 the quote on the
front page of my school paper made a
clear how different life will become if
your name is Muhammad you need to watch
out and I did need to watch out that
winner during a heated exchange on the
basketball court during an air mural
game go back to your country was dropped
on me this is my country did you know
that some of the first Muslims that
arrived in America arrived as West
African slaves it’s estimated that
anywhere between 10 to 30% of West
African slaves that arrived in America
were Muslims did you know that ban bin
Mohammed and Yusuf Ben Ali and North
African Arab were the first Muslims
to fight for this great nation during
the war for our independence under the
command of General George Washington you
see that part of history was forgotten
mostly because Islam was highly
suppressed on plantations Muslims in
America are always lumped into one group
despite our diverse backgrounds it’s
always been complicated in America for
Muslims understanding this history and
carrying the weight of being sheltered I
had to get involved I decided to work
for the Department of Defense where I
was assigned to work for the Marines as
a cultural adviser I still remember the
day I left my mom and my brother drove
me to the airport
my mom was unusually quiet as we arrived
I prepared to say goodbye I gave my mom
a hug she finally opened her mouth she
said we came here so you wouldn’t have
to go back there again I went on to work
with the bravest men and women that I
have ever met I had the distinct
pleasure of working with the team that
helped design some of the training we
hired Iraqi linguist actors and advisors
to simulate the experience of living in
Iraq for our Marines it’s complicated
when I came back I decided to go to law
school so I can help people that
couldn’t help themselves
I stand here different than that
free-spirited college student earlier
this year
executive order one three seven six nine
was signed into law it was titled
protecting the nation from foreign
terrorists entry into the United States
I still remember the day the executive
order was signed I was sitting at the
breakfast table looking at my two sons
both under the age of two at the time I
have feelings bewilderment fear and
anxiety yet I had some hope for the
future it reminded me of feelings and a
look that I had seen before as a child
you see my mom had that look when she
decided to smuggle us across the borders
of Iraq into refugee camps in Saudi
Arabia to reunite with our father
it was the same look that she and the
rest of us had when we boarded the
airplane to America I have taken careful
measures to protect my children from
discrimination even naming them Adam in
Zechariah did you know that over 290
Americans who fought in the Civil War
had Muslim names and that over 550
Americans who fought in the Civil War
had the name Muhammad spelled 41
different ways it hasn’t always been
easy growing up Muslim in America let
alone being a Muslim refugee from Iraq
one day we’re celebrating the life of
the greatest Muslim American of all time
Muhammad Ali and on another day were
putting a Muslim ban in place I stand
proud as a Muslim American and as a
former refugee I know the relationship
between Islam and America has been
complicated
yet I also know America’s capacity for
accepting people of all backgrounds we
are faced with an opportunity to shape
the future of our country
and that of the world an opportunity
that could let us come closer to
building that more perfect union I’m
hopeful that the America of the future
will be accepting of all its people no
matter their background or religion
next time you’re confronted with
confusing feelings about Islam and
Muslims in America remember this Islam
has always been a part of this country
muslims helped shape this country’s past
and will shape its future muslims
continue to fight for this country and
the freedoms we cherish the most and one
of those freedoms is the freedom of
religion my name is muhammad al hamd ani
I was once a Muslim Iraqi refugee and
today I’m a proud American
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
you
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
boy girl window those were the only
words that I knew when my family arrived
in the States
at the age of 10 we came as refugees
from Iraq we arrived broke and broken
having fled war zones and refugee camps
America and this city provide us a home
we love America I love this city I loved
growing up in Dayton I grew up in a good
neighborhood and went to good schools
thanks to public television and my
favorite purple dancing dinosaur we
learned English and became the American
citizens we are today through hard work
and teamwork my family made a life for
itself in this new community you know
with four boys in the house my family
bonded over soccer theater across
country computers and Mario Brothers the
story of Islam and America is complex if
I were to ask you to think of Muslims in
America what images would come to mind
did anybody think of this this is yaro
mahmoud freed Muslim slave and prominent
18th century Georgetown resident painted
by Charles Wilson Peale the painter of
our founding fathers the same guy that
painted
this portrait of George Washington you
know with all the noise about Muslims
today I find myself thinking about those
Muslims that arrived here as slaves I
didn’t have those thoughts when I was in
college it was 1999
I found myself I found my voice I
participated in anything that kept me
out of class and I must admit I changed
my major several times by September 10th
of 2001 I was looking forward to what
was going on in the world Michael Jordan
was coming out of retirement
jay-z dropped his new album and I am a
professed Yankee hater so in the Yankees
place Paul O’Neill Yale clap for that
when the Yankees plays Paul O’Neill on
the disabled list now that was a gift
from the baseball gods life was good and
then look there’s no doubt the world has
changed since 9/11 the quote on the
front page of my school paper made a
clear how different life will become if
your name is Muhammad you need to watch
out and I did need to watch out that
winner during a heated exchange on the
basketball court during an air mural
game go back to your country was dropped
on me this is my country did you know
that some of the first Muslims that
arrived in America arrived as West
African slaves it’s estimated that
anywhere between 10 to 30% of West
African slaves that arrived in America
were Muslims did you know that ban bin
Mohammed and Yusuf Ben Ali and North
African Arab were the first Muslims
to fight for this great nation during
the war for our independence under the
command of General George Washington you
see that part of history was forgotten
mostly because Islam was highly
suppressed on plantations Muslims in
America are always lumped into one group
despite our diverse backgrounds it’s
always been complicated in America for
Muslims understanding this history and
carrying the weight of being sheltered I
had to get involved I decided to work
for the Department of Defense where I
was assigned to work for the Marines as
a cultural adviser I still remember the
day I left my mom and my brother drove
me to the airport
my mom was unusually quiet as we arrived
I prepared to say goodbye I gave my mom
a hug she finally opened her mouth she
said we came here so you wouldn’t have
to go back there again I went on to work
with the bravest men and women that I
have ever met I had the distinct
pleasure of working with the team that
helped design some of the training we
hired Iraqi linguist actors and advisors
to simulate the experience of living in
Iraq for our Marines it’s complicated
when I came back I decided to go to law
school so I can help people that
couldn’t help themselves
I stand here different than that
free-spirited college student earlier
this year
executive order one three seven six nine
was signed into law it was titled
protecting the nation from foreign
terrorists entry into the United States
I still remember the day the executive
order was signed I was sitting at the
breakfast table looking at my two sons
both under the age of two at the time I
have feelings bewilderment fear and
anxiety yet I had some hope for the
future it reminded me of feelings and a
look that I had seen before as a child
you see my mom had that look when she
decided to smuggle us across the borders
of Iraq into refugee camps in Saudi
Arabia to reunite with our father
it was the same look that she and the
rest of us had when we boarded the
airplane to America I have taken careful
measures to protect my children from
discrimination even naming them Adam in
Zechariah did you know that over 290
Americans who fought in the Civil War
had Muslim names and that over 550
Americans who fought in the Civil War
had the name Muhammad spelled 41
different ways it hasn’t always been
easy growing up Muslim in America let
alone being a Muslim refugee from Iraq
one day we’re celebrating the life of
the greatest Muslim American of all time
Muhammad Ali and on another day were
putting a Muslim ban in place I stand
proud as a Muslim American and as a
former refugee I know the relationship
between Islam and America has been
complicated
yet I also know America’s capacity for
accepting people of all backgrounds we
are faced with an opportunity to shape
the future of our country
and that of the world an opportunity
that could let us come closer to
building that more perfect union I’m
hopeful that the America of the future
will be accepting of all its people no
matter their background or religion
next time you’re confronted with
confusing feelings about Islam and
Muslims in America remember this Islam
has always been a part of this country
muslims helped shape this country’s past
and will shape its future muslims
continue to fight for this country and
the freedoms we cherish the most and one
of those freedoms is the freedom of
religion my name is muhammad al hamd ani
I was once a Muslim Iraqi refugee and
today I’m a proud American
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
you
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