Alaa Alsaegh wrote an Arabic-language poem, “Tears at the Heart of the Holocaust,” featured on the “Arabs For Israel” blog. The site is run by Arabs and Muslims who believe they can “support Israel and still support the Palestinian people.... support the State of Israel and the Jewish religion and still treasure our Arab and Islamic culture.”
He received threats and was called an infidel and a traitor to Islam, but he continued with his writing of poems and did not take the threats too seriously. But the poem apparently inspired attackers in St. Louis, Missouri to mark the Iraqi immigrant as a target for hate.
On August 14, 2011 and in broad daylight and heavy traffic, Alaa Alsaegh was viciously attacked on the streets of St. Louis, Missouri. According to Mr. Alsaegh, as he was driving at 10:30 in the morning on Compton St. near Park Ave., a small white car cut him off and hit his car, while another car stopped behind him. The occupants of the cars, some of whom wore security guard-type uniforms, quickly entered Alsaegh’s car, pointing a gun at him.
They pushed his upper body down against the steering wheel, stabbed him and pulled off his shirt to expose his back. Then, with a knife, they carved the Star of David on his back while laughing as they recited his pro-Jewish poem. Mr. Alsaegh believes that the attackers could be Somalis, who told him not to publish any more poems, but he was not sure. After the attackers fled the scene, Mr. Alsaegh was surrounded by witnesses to the crime and was taken to the hospital. The photo representing this story was taken at the hospital.
The mainstream media insist that there is no need to fear Sharia or its enforcers in America and that those threatened within the Arab community are exaggerating their plight with Islam. They are told that what happens in the Arab streets can never happen in the streets of America. But violence can happen as experienced by Alaa Alsaegh.
Mr. Alsaegh is now scared to death and wants to move away to another state where he can live and write anonymously. He is now left with the hospital emergency room bill to pay.
