I remember this event so very clearly when it happened and the effect it had on me. It happened on a day I was teaching school in Washington, D.C. I remember the fear that went through myself and my students. It was terrifying. Islamophobia was deeply rooted in both my mind and heart. Then I met my friend Rehan Allahwala via Facebook Randomly, and my beliefs changed radically. Because of him I met thousands of Muslims who I always stay away from and never had a chance to meet them, but now I have thousands of followers and friends who are Muslims. Many people told me to stop speaking to him. I didn’t listen. Both my mind and heart told me Rehan was a good guy. I never felt fear speaking with him. My decision to make Rehan my friend is one of the best decisions I made in my life. It changed my life drastically. I highly recommend that you make a decision to open your heart and get to know someone you have been taught to dislike. You may find that you are more alike the person than different. Thanks Rehan for reaching out to me and becoming my friend. 😃😃😃 Carla Riechman