Originally published in Queens Press
I am an American Ahmadi Muslim middle school student. I was born in America and will never leave it. I love this country, America, because this country is my homeland. For me, loving my homeland is like loving my mother. Loving my country is part of my faith. This is the teaching of my beloved religion, Islam. Islam not only teaches to love your motherland but to make positive changes in our country to make it better. It amazes me that America has so much to offer and that we live in such a wonderful country. This is the reason why many people migrate to this land of opportunity.
When any “Muslim” American wishes to hurt the United States, I wish someone were to tell him or her the saying of Muhammad (peace be on him), the founder of Islam that, “Love of one’s country is part of one’s faith.” I wish their parents taught them that to love America is their religion.
