I found one place where people don't care if a man's named Hussein

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

I had to take my husband to the University of Arkansas Medical Center in Little Rock yesterday. It was our first visit (they are trying to determine the best way to treat his muscle weakness and other complications), and what I noticed was the care and compassion of the staff. The teaching doctors that I saw were all from other countries-one was a Sikh from India, obvious from his turban; another was a Muslim woman in full hijab (head scarf, long sleeves, long skirt). The residents and interns I saw all spoke English with an accent. What I found very interesting was that the patients, about half of whom were white, half black, all treated the staff with respect and even awe.

I wondered how many Americans stopped to think about the Muslims who have come to this country to be medical professionals. How many of these physicians have made their lives more livable, or even saved lives? I know that in my family, there are never any comments about the race or religion of the heart surgeons who performed bypass or cancer surgery.

But you wouldn't know that these wonderful healers even exist if you listen to the rhetoric being spewed by hate radio, right wing bloggers, and, sadly, sometimes even from posters here at DU. Muslim and Islam have become the new bogeyman, the new group that it is ok to pick on, to generalize about. Terrorists? Do you seriously think that any one of the doctors at that hospital were interested in destroying lives rather than saving them? If you do, would you be willing to force them all to leave, knowing there will not be "Americans" to take their places for years?

[rox63]

1. My Mom's primary care doc is a Muslim (from Egypt, I think), and she thinks he's fantastic

He was the one who finally got her diabetes under control.

[madrchsod]

2. three of my heart doctors are muslims

two from pakistan and one from jordan. out of the 8 or 9 heart doctors i have gone to only 2 were born in america. the doctor i have now is from iceland.

when i had my heart attack there was a muslim who took that 3 am call.....