Hams for Hanukkah or Why I'm Using Eid Postage Stamps On My Christmas Cards

This begins with a story about a conversation Evan and I overheard at the post office last week. We were waiting in line behind an elderly lady to mail our most recent mooched book to Israel. The conversation went something like this:

Elderly Lady: What are E-I-D stamps?

E-I-D stamps? A quick look at the poster by the window told me that they were holiday stamps.

Postal Employee: Oh, those. They're for the Muslim Christmas. whispered tone It's really such a shame, but we have to carry them. I don't know that anyone buys them.

Elderly Lady: Oh. How do the Priority Mail envelopes work?

She was full of questions.

I could not believe what I was overhearing from the mouth of my local Federal employee! Such misinformation and intolerance. If I had had the money that day, I would have purchased 3 books of Eid stamps just to make a point.

So why am I using Eid stamps even though I'm not Muslim? Let me count the reasons why...

1. The same constitutional amendment protects my right to go to a Christian church, read my Bible and pray to God that protects a Muslim's right to go to Mosque, read the Quran and pray to Allah.

2. Intolerance and prejudice never won anyone's hearts or minds.

3. A Muslim friend and co-worker of mine has a greater dedication to his faith than I do to mine at times. He puts me to shame when I claim in my heart that I am worshipping the true God, but can't find time to pray or read my Bible.

4. The Eid stamps are prettier than the Christmas stamps this year. I mean, really, whose idea was it to make "Christmas Knits" into stamps?

For more information on the Eid festivals check out this link. For more infomation on Hams for Hanukkah, click here.