Salams,
On Nov. 4th, 2008, Barack Hussien Obama was elected as the 44th president of the United States of America! The First African American President who won the overwhelming majority of the votes which since 1964, nobody was able to get as many votes as he did. This is a historic moment indeed, and we’re living it!
I don’t know about you all and i honestly did not expect that this would happen to me, but for some reason, i find myself getting too emotional about this election. I’m not going to talk about whether Obama is the solution to the U.S. problems or whether or not he is actually going to change the world, but i think i’m touched by the fact that Americans voted a Black man into the office. Maybe some of us might not really see this incident as a “big deal”, but if we really look back in the history of this country, then we would understand. This is an unprecedented event indeed and i can only imagine how the African American communities are feeling right now. The same people who, less than a 100 years ago, were not treated as humans, now have one of them lead the same country that enslaved them.
Obama’s victory is not only his. It’s a victory that belongs to all those before him who paved the way for him. Those who stood up for their rights, fought the injustice and died for their civil rights. If it weren’t for them, Obama would not have achieved a fraction of what he did today. But that obviously doesn’t take from what he as an individual did. At a time when life is cruel and harsh, he believed in himself and his ideals…When everyone around him and all the situations were telling him that he can’t do it, he focused and worked hard and that’s why he went all the way. Obviously, as Muslims, we know there’s a divine aspect and that Allah (swt) was the one who willed for him to become the president.
I have heard and studied about so many great people in the past who achieved so much and touched so many lives, but witnessing the event is definitely different than reading about it. This election in and of itself is an inspiration for me and i hope we can all insha’Allah live with the spirit of “Yes we can”. That motto will insha’Allah help me personally and will motivate me to go after my goals and dream high even if i don’t think it’s realistic at the time. (I really don’t think Obama grew up thinking for a single second that he could run to be the president, let alone be one).
I pray that Obama does not let the Americans (or the entire world) down. I pray that he’s able to make the change he preached for or at least work towards it and not get corrupted with the system and the people around him. May Allah (swt) allow him to do what”s good for all of humanity and protects us from his mistakes…Ameen.
Alaa
p.s. sorry for the random email. WaAllahu `3lam, these are just my personal thoughts, and i wanted to share them with you all. please share yours too, if you have any 🙂
ISLAM=COOL 