Dear Mr Swan,

I am an American. I’m white, and was a Christian for the first 31 years of my life. Your letter wasn’t very long long, but I broke into tears 3 times.

I don’t know if it was my cloak of white privilege or my idealistic personality, but I never knew there was this divide. Even after 9/11 I felt like people were resilient and didn’t allow terrorists to change our American spirit.

Shortly after coming to Islam, ISIS took rise on the world stage. I walked into a supermarket and a woman stood there screaming at the top of her lungs…murderer, murderer, murderer! A few months later a man tried to attack me at a local Chilis.

Its beautiful that there are people like you who open your arms and say, your my neighbor. Many blessings to you, bless your intentions. I don’t know you and I never will but your letter touched my heart. May God lengthen your life. I hope there are more people like you; it seems pretty daunting out there right now.