The Kingdom

I just saw The Kingdom. It was too much for me. I was near tears for almost the entire movie.

I wanted to cry for being an American and slowly understanding more of the responsibility and the risk of carrying that title. I wanted to cry for the senseless message of hate that is transferred from generation to generation, whatever the country. I wanted to cry for the self-perpetuating cycle of violence. I wanted to cry for the butchering of a beautiful religion in the name of extremism.

It would be difficult not to feel angry or intimidated watching the movie if one were not familiar with wahabi islam and the arabic culture that surrounds it. But at the same time, seeing that movie in Qatar gives me more of a clash of emotions than I think I would experience otherwise, because, at least, I am starting to understand.

The America that I know is made up of my family, my friends, our actions and my experiences. And that America tries to be just, compassionate and hardworking. There are flaws, significant ones at that, to the American system and to citizens as individuals. But if a few of us are trying to do what is right and listen to the world instead of telling it what to do, then everything is made a little bit better.