یاد داشتی از فرزند یک پناهنده سیاسی

این یاد داشت را فرزندم الوین شیخانی نوشته است . الوین در امریکا به دنیا آمده و از دانشگاه کالیفرنیا دکترای روانشناسی گرفته است . او هر سال به رواندا میرود تا بلکه برزخم صدها هزار نفر که قربانی تعصبات کور قومی شده اند مرهمی بگذارد.
این یاد داشت را بخوانید تا ببینید نسل جدید امریکایی جهان و انسان و پیرامون خود را چگونه می بیند. من با خواندن این یاد داشت
اشک به چشمانم نشست

In two short days, I have witnessed the ugliness of human beings and their utter beauty.

With the recent happenings in the world, there's been a lot of emotions running high, including my own.

Let me preface this by saying I'm the son of an immigrant, a refugee who fled Iran due to persecution by the Islamic regime because my father preached pro-democracy rhetoric. Just let that sink in, people wanted to kill him for the fact he believed people should have the right to self determination.

You could say my family know whats happens when radical islamists destroy a society. I've spent the better part of my adult life combating the effects of radical islamists, through my work at UN programs helping refugees fleeing war torn areas, helping service members combat their emotional distress following their experience with war, writing books chapters on suicide terrorism and how to combat it.

I've seen what hate does to people, I've been in rooms stacked to the ceiling with bodies of men women and children who were killed because of hate on a genocidal scale. We've witnessed horrible things, but looked at it unblinkingly because we cannot turn a blind eye.

but if this ban was implemented 30 years ago, I never would have had a chance to do any of that work. My dad, my mom, my sister they'd all be dead. That's not hyperbole, that's real life.

I know some of you guys are going to stand on the opposite side of this issue with me, and I respect that. What I will not respect is the idea that America isn't a place for us. It's a place for all of us. If you don't think so pull a coin out of your pocket, look at the words e pluribus unum, it means "of many, one."

So next time you pull out that Iphone from your pocket, remember a Syrian refugee's son helped invent that. Remember the time that psychologist helped you overcome PTSD, he was the son of a refugee. Remember that doctor who helped cure your mom's cancer, she came here as a refugee following the fall of the soviet union.

I myself am not muslim, but idea of this country isn't a place for everyone regardless of creed or national origin flies in the face of values we have all placed in it. It belittles the sacrifice all of us have made. I will always believe in this country, and I will always fight for its freedom. Fear of something has never led to us growing as a human beings. It's only through courage we are able to grow, and be better.

If you disagree with me, remember I still love you no matter what. But let's talk about it, like adults, get coffee with me, skype me. Engage in a dialogue, because the echo-chamber we're all in isn't doing anyone any good.

So I leave you here with a photo of my family. People who would not exist today, if it wasn't the wonderful courage of this great nation to give us a home.