Patriotism in this country leaves much to be desired these days. In the beginning, you couldn’t turn a corner without noticing something red, white, or blue, or “United We Stand”, or “Never Forgotten”. How quickly we forget. Nye has never forgotten, as September 11, 2001 has defined a part of her life, career, and REdefined her family.
“For Mohammed on the Mountain,” the undeniable connection and to her father’s family and country is evident. “Believe me, Uncle, my father is closer to you than you know. When he tends plants, he walks slowly. His steps sing of the hills. And when he stirs the thick coffee and grinds the cardamom seed you think he feels like an American? You think he forgets the call to prayer?” There is some sense of tradition here, but more of an unidentifiable question of where her father belongs. If he immigrated to the United States, did his family turn their back on him? Did they think he lost sight of his religion, culture, and Palestinian identity? And if he did, could they forgive him? Nye asks the same questions of her Uncle who fled to the mountains, never to be seen again. “Are you angry with us? Do you think my father forgot you when he packed his satchel and boarded the ship?”(pg.27) Nye gently describes her father’s relationship with Palestine through his strong roots and great respect for tradition that he brought with him to America. Perhaps there is something to be learned from him, and his love of a country where only his memories remain.
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