American Trenches

Thank You, America I was born and raised in Morocco. I’m a migrant to the U.S. I came to America because I converted to Christianity and no longer had true freedom of religion in my own country. I lived under constant investigation, threats, fear, and uncertainty. We (my wife and me) fled to the United States not knowing what our future would look like. We applied for asylum, and America gave us protection. When we first arrived, we needed help. During that first year, we received some government assistance, especially medical assistance when our first son was born. Then we got on our feet. Since then, we have worked, paid our taxes, supported our family, and asked for no government assistance. Today, my three children are Americans. They work. They study. Two are enrolled in some of the best universities in America, and the youngest is finishing high school. They are Christians, and they are proud to be Americans. I raised them to remember their roots as Moroccans, but I also made one thing very clear: You are Americans first. No identity crisis. No divided loyalty. Be grateful for the country that gave your family freedom. America gave us protection when we needed it. It gave us opportunity. It gave our children security, freedom, and a future. Had I remained in Morocco, their lives could have been very different. As Christians, they could have faced discrimination and bullying. And as their father, openly speaking about my conversion from Islam to Christianity and publicly criticizing Islam could expose me to prosecution, persecution, and probably even death. As a public figure, my opinions and choices would come at a serious price. In America, I can speak, I can worship, I can criticize, and I can disagree, and I will not be jailed for any of that. Plus I don’t need permission from the government to believe what I believe. That is America. The First Amendment protects freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Those words are not abstract principles to me. I know what life looks like without them. America gave me something my country of birth (Morocco) could not fully give me: the freedom to live according to my conscience, to express my beliefs openly, and to raise my children without forcing them to hide their faith. Today I am an American citizen. I vote. I exercise my freedom of religion and freedom of speech to their fullest extent, and I will forever be grateful for that privilege. That is also why I struggle to understand people who come to this country, benefit from its freedom and opportunities, take advantage of everything it offers, and then despise the very country and system that gave them those opportunities. I teach my children something different. Love America. Serve America. Defend its freedoms. Never forget what this country did for your family. America gave their parents refuge. It gave their family dignity. It gave them a future. America gave me what I desperately needed when I arrived: protection, dignity, religious freedom, freedom of expression, and the opportunity to build a new life. For that, I will always say: Thank you, America.