By Michael Trudeau

Panning around the room, two old men bobbed their heads as they spoke together. Maybe they were talking about the weather, or about how much things have changed since they were young—the subject didn’t matter. While the old men spoke, mischievous pre-teen boys were rough housing (as all young boys do) while their fathers looked on. “This won’t end well,” they said.

All across America this Memorial Day weekend, multiple generations of families shared quality time. Scenes like this played out at backyard BBQs, church gatherings, and other community events. To many, this scene of family coming together is the ‘American Dream.’ However, what separated this scene from any other was that it was at a Mosque just before the breaking of the fast for Ramadan.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of taking part in the 29 for 29 initiative, created by Mansoor Shams of MuslimMarine.org, and Scott Cooper, founder of Veterans for American Ideals. The initiative invites military veterans to stay overnight with Muslim host families to observe evening and morning prayers during Islam’s holiest holiday.

Growing up I was not exposed to Islam. But during my time in the Navy Submarine Force, I grew an appreciation for other cultures after serving with a diverse group of individuals from all walks of American life. I quickly realized that in order for my crew to be successful we all had to understand and accept our differences—and that those differences are what made our submarine successful. My time in uniform fostered a curiosity and openness to other religions and a desire to know the world. That’s why I was so eager to join in on this opportunity to bridge divides and to foster solidarity.

My host, Masood Asraf, reminded me of my uncle—a hardworking man who built his own American dream, and transformed his modest property in Massachusetts into his own slice of heaven.

Masood came to America from Pakistan when he was 17. His father was offered a job in the United States and has been working ever since. As an engineer for a freight train company for 25 years, Masood spoke about the way he can ‘feel’ how the train operates. It was evident that he is passionate about his trade—something I can relate to. By the end of my time in the Navy Submarine Force, I too could ‘feel’ how the boat was moving and understood the nuances of the vessel.

Getting the chance to speak with Masood’s family—his wife, two daughters, and son—made me feel even more at home. It was wonderful to see the way that Masood beamed with pride when he talked about them. He shared with me that his oldest daughter was recognized as a Presidential Scholar during her senior year of high school and recently had the opportunity to meet and be honored by President Trump for her academic achievements.

At the end of our evening together, Masood and I sat in his back yard as sunset approached. He leaned over to me and said “Michael, hard work really does pay off.” In that moment, sitting in the shadow of his beautiful home, I realized Masood truly is living his American dream—the same American Dream my uncle, myself, or anyone else should be able to pursue in this country.

Despite this, fear, it seems, has gripped our nation. Americans have turned away from the world and each other. Fear is so often grounded in the unknown. Therefore, what better way to combat fear than to tackle the unknown head-on? Because when you do meet a Muslim, break the fast with them, and spend time at a Mosque with them, it is overwhelmingly clear that American Muslims are patriotic, devoted citizens just like me and you.

Growing an appreciation for other people was the main take away from my military service. With that appreciation, I realized that everyone’s ‘American Dream’ is different. Just as my submarine was successful through accepting everyone’s perspectives, the country too must accept everyone’s personal American Dream in order to regain its strength.