Last summer we visited Whitefish, West Glacier, St. Mary, Kalispell, Browning and many other gorgeous locations in northwest Montana. We traversed all over the quirky little town of Whitefish, visiting restaurants, ski resorts, the glorious Glacier National Park, all without ever feeling as though our little Muslim family was unwelcome. The natural warmth and kindness of the citizens there are a testament to the best version of the American identity. In St. Mary we attended a Blackfeet friendship ceremony, learning about their deep spiritual ties to the majestic Glacier Park, which remains long after we tourists have departed.
I’m inordinately proud that despite all the sturm und drang our country is going through, one tiny American town without a spotlight or any other grandiose gestures, resoundingly rejected hate and bigotry.
Our America is one in which we accept that we differ, but do so knowing that those differences are the source of our strength and goodness as a nation. Dismal times may occasionally waft through the story of our nation, but like the pioneers, the pilgrims, the conductors on the underground railroad, the abolitionists, the muckrakers, the suffragettes, the leaders of the civil rights movements, we will not only persevere, but triumph. The goodness at the heart of our nation never allows evil to flourish, we can always find hope in each other.
Much appreciation to the heroic town of Whitefish, whose residents have shown us what true courage looks like.
Scheherazade Ishoof Khan
Kashir Khan
Sakinah Khan
Karimah Khan
Maariyah Khan
Georgetown, Guyana