When reading a recent guest opinion by Arsalan Bukhari, I was stunned to see him condemning the service provided by the Daily Inter Lake of printing the opinions of other Americans. My question to Mr. Bukhari would be simply, why are you bothered by an American privilege of citizen rights? Your article is also based on those rights and it is there for all to see. Isn’t that what you wanted?

First of all, you began your article with information about your family and their military service to evidently establish what you would consider bona fides as to their service and thus commitment to the country. I understand your desire to divulge these facts because it may help you in your arguments.

You also used the same paragraph to establish your own deep concerns, if not disdain, about a letter printed in the Inter Lake on April 19 titled, “Real Muslims won’t really assimilate.”

You questioned the Daily Inter Lake if they had ever printed other articles about other American minorities and you also asked for examples. Please allow me to respond to the question as a reader and occasional contributor of my own opinions.

Mr. Bukhari, you can rest assured that many articles have been written and printed by the Daily Inter Lake that have dealt with every conceivable subject matter and yes, even some that have dealt with the opinions of others ... such as yours.

Your reasoning was mitigated when you chose to deviate from your original complaint and suggested that the American Jewish community had been responsible for “acts of violence.”

In my opinion your accusations are misguided and out of line.

Mr. Bukhari, you further complain that the Daily Inter Lake “chose” to publish the same words used by perpetrators of hate crimes against law-abiding American Muslim children and their families. Such poppycock. All the Daily Inter Lake did was “choose” to print an opinion of one of your fellow Americans. If you have a problem with the writer, then address him or her, not the newspaper.

All of us, as Americans, should cherish ALL the elements within our sacred First Amendment, not just the parts we like. It makes our freedom of press easy to defend. It suggests quite strongly that there will be things printed or said that we do not like or respect. But, we must defend the right of all to say whatever it is they believe, even your article, whether we like it or not.

You have made many claims of abuse, hate crimes, bullying and other attacks on Muslim Americans or people perceived to be Muslim, yet you failed to mention the attacks, hate crimes and even killing of others by those of the Muslim faith in recent times.

The issue we have before us is the government’s actions and dialogue of bringing Syrians to the Missoula area to live, work and take advantage of our American freedoms and promise. It is not the fact they are Muslim; it is because we know nothing of them or their backgrounds. Those concerns are not answered. Why? What is there to fear by answering questions regarding people who are moving into our neighborhoods, our schools and will be seeking employment?

It was reported in February that FBI counter-terrorism official, Michael Steinbach, testified before the House Homeland Security Committee and admitted that the U.S. lacks the capability to properly screen out terrorists and terrorist sympathizers from the ranks of the U.N. refugee program.

So Mr. Bukhari, since you claim to be a caring, devoted American citizen, why are you not backing the efforts to know who ANY of these Syrian refugees really are? It isn’t just Missoula, Montana. President Obama has selected 190 cities where Syrian Muslim refugees will be placed. The government tends not to be interested who these people are. But we are.

Mr. Bukhari, you state that all Muslim Americans uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States, and share the same American values and freedoms that other Americans cherish, KNOWING THAT WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

You further state that American Muslims believe in the right and freedom of all U.S. citizens to live and worship in their own way and they deserve to practice their faith in return.

On that point we can agree.

So please know there will be many of us living in this part of the country who will not only support your wish to practice your faith but we will also be practicing the faiths of our choice and with that will be the responsibility to defend, protect and practice our God-given rights as Americans.

That will include keeping an eye on the goals of a government who seemingly desires to integrate “others” into our society without warning or without proper declaration of those who will not “assimilate” into this grand country. Why is it that the Council on American Islamic Relations does not bother to assist in assimilation across the country? If there was evidence of CAIR being responsible as caring Americans on behalf of all of us it might be a simpler situation to solve.

Oh and Mr. Bukhari, this is just my opinion. Why do I bother giving it in writing? Because I “care.”

Jerry Molen is a resident of Bigfork and has produced such motion pictures as “Schindler’s List.”