Dear Ms. Schlussel...

This is my response to a very aggravating blog post by Debbie Schlussel:

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/22052/fact-check-meet-the-real-1st-arab-american-miss-usa-christians-dont-count/.

Since I kept getting an error message when I tried to post my response on her site, I thought I'd just share it here.

Your thoughts are always appreciated.

Dear Ms. Schlussel,

Thank you for your ever factual report outing the ties between Miss USA Rima Fakih and Islamist fundamentalist groups in the US and abroad. I appreciate your fact-finding mission that clearly outlines the ties between Ms. Fakih, her family and Hezbollah.

It was great to see the dated bank deposits from Hezbollah into Ms. Fakih’s account. How eye opening to see the memo on one of the checks: “Rima, the trigger button goes on the inside of your bikini.” If that wasn’t convincing enough, the picture of the Fakih Michigan family reunion with everyone smiling brightly, raising their trigger finger and wearing their Team Hezbollah shirts obviously proves your point.

Oh wait, you did not provide anything resembling proof to support your intelligent rant.

What would you suggest that we do with the Arab-Americans in the US? Do you like the hyphenated American? I added it just for you. Are we to deny citizenship rights to the more than 80 percent of Arab Americans who are U.S. citizens? Deny the estimated three and a half million Americans who trace their heritage to the Arab world the right to:

a. Celebrate Thanksgiving
b. Spend time with family and friends at the beach during Memorial day weekend
c. Watch 4th of July fireworks
d. Stand up and be counted as part of the American landscape

Or are we to deny them those rights only if they dare to:

a. Embrace rather than denounce their heritage
b. Proclaim themselves Islamic instead of Christian
c. Have an opinion other than yours

I made the mistake of having common sense which, of course, feeds my annoying habit of asking for proof when I read statements such as this one made by you: “…her family is chock full of top Hezbollah terrorists and she supports the group (not to mention that her Miss USA bid was financed by an Palestinian terrorist and immigration fraud perpetrator)…”

I am very open to holding a conversation and welcome the chance to review your myriad of proof that you weren’t able to provide in this post.

Yours,

A Curious CHRISTian Haitian-American

*Source: http://aai.3cdn.net/9298c231f3a79e30c6_g7m6bx9hs.pdf ♦ http://www.aaiusa.org/arab-americans/22/demographics