'Americans by choice'

Rasmi Schalabi, 72, is one of many Muslims adapting with living not only living in a post-9/11 America, but also in the heart of the Bible Belt. 

Schalabi, originally from Jerusalem, has predictably had to deal with misconceptions about him and his faith since the events of Sept. 11, 2001. 

"I watched it (the attack) live on television," said Rasmi. "It got me very upset, especially when people connected it with Islam."

Rasmi, along with his 62-year-old brother, Said, joins his family regularly with men like Samir Jaber, 65 and Ahmed Ziane Cherif, 37, at the Masjid and Islamic Center in Taylors. 

Rasmi still recalls being called a "terrorist" by some after Sept. 11. 

"It (the attack) was something much bigger than Bin Laden. I'd say Satan is the main one," Rasmi said. "It's condemned by any Muslim who knows his religion."

While in their holy place, these men converse casually, switching effortlessly from English to Arabic. 

"When someone calls me a terrorist, I tell them 'You were born into this country. I am an American by choice,'" Rasmi said. 

He gestured to his friends, who were sitting on the floor around him. 

"We're all Americans by choice."

Samir Jaber, 65, who was raised in Nazareth, admits that some things changed for him after 9/11.

He was driving a taxi in Greenville and made the decision to drive home and stay there after the attack. Still, he's hesitant to complain. The United States, and the liberty it affords him, he says, is precious. 

"There are some things you can't avoid, like getting picked for inspections at the airport," Jaber said. "You can't avoid it. But treatment by the authorities here is better than treatment by any Middle Eastern authority. Any of them." 

Jaber, like the Schalabi brothers, says the Koran's stance on violence like that perpetrated on Sept. 11 is clear. In a deep, hushed voice, he reads the words of Sura 9.6, which speak of treating even the captured enemies of Islam with compassion. 

"And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of Allah. Then deliver him to his place of safety..."