I am mortified.
One of the values my parents drummed into me, a value my faith indoctrinated, a value the culture I grew up in exhibited, was to treat one’s guests with courtesy. I still remember my father’s words: “No one leaves my house feeling insulted. No matter what.” It was Etiquette 101. The Bible and the Quran are replete with stories of hospitality, Abraham being an example. Then there was the Pakistani culture where your door is always open, you are served the best, housed in the best room, fawned over 24/7, and when you ask to take your leave, your host insists you stay and eventually gives you a send-off with promises to ‘come again soon.’ Making a new home in the U.S. —no matter my skin color, accent, attire, religion—I encountered courtesy at its finest. My family and I have always been treated with courtesy by our neighbors, friends, strangers, countrymen, colleagues, cashiers, bank tellers, servers, the homeless woman on the street, the helpline as in “Is there anything else I can help you with?” It’s the American ethos. It’s a value we all uphold, including the robots on the phone tree. It’s programmed into our psyche and now into AI.
So, imagine my utter shock at watching the President and Vice-President of the United States humiliate President Zelenskyy.
I still haven’t gotten over it.
You don’t insult a guest in the White House.
You don’t humiliate a head of state.
You certainly don’t do that in public, on live TV, for the world to watch.
And you definitely don’t ‘kick him out.’
I am embarrassed for our country.
I am ashamed.
Today is the first day of Ramadan. I am fasting and supposed to be immersing myself in spiritual reflection. But this episode has pushed me to uphold another value that is not without its risks: to enjoin good (that’s easy), and forbid evil (& make enemies).
Here is my letter to the President which went out this morning.
Hon. President Trump,
Yesterday I watched the dialogue between you, V.P. Vance, and President Zelenskyy. I was deeply troubled by what I witnessed. Here I am not referring to the geopolitical situation or foreign policy strategy, rather the tone of the discourse. I was embarrassed to see a guest in the White House being humiliated, and in public, no less.
One of the values taught to me by my parents was to treat one’s guest with courtesy, no matter what. President Zelenskyy was a guest in the White House, and he was insulted, and that too on live camera for the world to watch. I was embarrassed. I wish you had chided VP Vance for initiating the insults rather than adding to it. This behavior is not becoming of the highest office in our land. We should model good behavior and be a role model for our youth. As a leader of the free world, we should exemplify conduct that is worthy of our station.
I hope that you and VP Vance find it in your heart to apologize to President Zelenskyy and to the American people. It will go a long way in restoring the reputation of our fine nation.
I remain hopeful.
Sincerely….
J.D. Vance has heard from me as well, urging him to be a role model for his children.
My grandchildren have heard from me too, as in ‘This is not how we treat our guests.’
I have done my duty (I think). Now I am ready to pull out my red and gold prayer rug, lay it on the ground facing north-east, and pray for our leaders and our nation. This is a month of blessings and mercy. May Allah bless America and have mercy on our leaders.