I have been to the UK and it has been a very rewarding experience in many ways. It was an opportunity for me the breathe some fresh air, speak the language, and do some research in some of the very reputed libraries and universities.
However, I have some questions for our Arab and muslim immigrants in the UK. When in London, I visited some museums and the thing which I could not understand was that I did not see, among the visitors to those museums, any person who looks like an Arab or a muslim. All those I could see there were either British or tourists coming from Europoe and North America.
Our dear Arab and muslim immigrants or tourists, however, can be seen in great number, in places like Regent Street and Oxford Street doing what seemed to be two important things: shopping and eating.
Another point: you walk down the street and you happen to see a group of our beloved Arabs and muslims. You feel like saying hello (Assalamu Alaykum) to those with them you share the language, the religion, etc. but they just ignore you. Some of them are old men, with beards, and they are good muslims. I hope you don't get me wrong on this point.
I am afraid I do not have statistics regarding the number of, say, Egyptians in London but the one thing I am sure of is part of their heritage is there. Do they know? The picture is not very much different than the one in Paris as my friend Walid said.
Is it fear that you may go on for more than this hello thing? Is it lack of confidence? Or is it the career rat race in their new-found world? Or is it one of those preventive measures and if you allow the term "pre-emptive strikes" in their war against the likelihood of you being a terrorist? Or is it a bit of all these?
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