Yesterday I put up a post about a veteran who was asked to leave a campground with his wife and dog because they were told they didn’t belong b580e54fae4b0f8715789fee3″ target=”blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Huffington Post about experiences with discrimination I encountered while serving in uniform in Wichita Falls, Texas. Even as a light-skinned Puerto Rican, I found myself unwelcome in certain establishments like tattoo parlors. It is not difficult to imagine how those experiences might have been more severe for someone with darker skin.

That brings me to someone I want to highlight today: Mansoor Shams, known as the OMIQ” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Newsweek about a conversation he had with his American-born son regarding hurtful names the boy has been called as a young Muslim growing up in America. His story is a reminder that prejudice can affect people across many different backgrounds and walks of life.

I still have friends in my social media circle who hold strong negative views toward Muslims. I find those views concerning, but I choose not to remove them from my feed entirely. Engaging with different perspectives, even difficult ones, can be a useful way to better understand and respond to them.

Mansoor Shams has taken a similar approach by traveling to areas where he is likely to encounter people who hold unfavorable views of Muslims and engaging them in honest conversation. Because he is a Marine veteran, some people are more willing to listen. Ideally, military service would not be a prerequisite for basic respect, but if his background as a veteran helps open doors and shows others that Muslim Americans are their fellow citizens, then using that connection as a starting point seems entirely reasonable. Meeting people where they are is sometimes the most effective way to build understanding.

Today NYCTalking gives a shout-out to Mansoor Shams, the MuslimMarine.