On the heels of Donald Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., strong condemnations, as well as incidents of Islamophobia, have emerged in the U.S. and beyond. In response, one disabled British veteran took to Facebook to correct some of those prejudices in a pretty beautiful way.
British veteran Chris Herbert wrote that while he lost his leg while fighting in the Iraq War, he has grown frustrated with people expecting him to be prejudiced toward Muslims after his injury.
Herbert starts out by saying that yes, it was a Muslim fighter who "blew up" his leg, but it was also Muslim men and women who helped nurse him back to health and saved his life. He highlights the dangers of mainstreaming hate and equating all Muslims with fighters from the Islamic State group and the Taliban. He also had some tough words for his fellow white British citizens who have been less-than-welcoming since his return home.
His powerful message is crystal clear: confront and condemn bigotry. Here it is in full:
Herbert's response was so powerful that J.K. Rowling posted it to her Twitter account. This, of course, came after she compared Donald Trump to Voldemort. Voldemort, in her opinion, being the lesser of two evils.
And Herbert's advice to all of us: "Get a grip on your lives, hug your family and get back to work," sums it up perfectly. You can hear his powerful words on video here.
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