I feel the pain of Professor Gates. I too was a victim of racial profiling just after the 9-11 events because of my brown skin. The FBI thought I was a terrorist. Shame and disbelief came together, were mixed, and created a weird sense of vulnerability that I am still trying to get over.

Here is a case of a professor, who teaches at Harvard University. With more than 50 honorary degrees and a show on PBS, he remained unknown to a Cambridge police officer who tricks him to get outside his house, and then arrest him for disorderly conduct. I mean what kinds of morons the Cambridge police department employs. One wonders what kind of TV shows or books do these police officers read as to be clueless about Prof. Gates.

These police officers cannot tell a house owner from an intruder. They cannot get along with citizens. They are quick are at using their power to shame and degrade law-abiding citizens.

Having reading many news reports, I cannot wonder why these side with the police officers that arrested him. I thought the burden should not be on Prof. Gates. He was in his house, and the police have no right to enter it.

It is sad that, despite the end of official slavery in America, people are still judged by the color of their skin.

Where in the world, would there be no news about the killing of a pregnant woman inside the courtroom? Yes, a 32-year-old Egyptian woman, Marwa Sherbini, was killed inside a German courtroom in Dresden as she waited to testify against a German man who had been convicted for calling her a terrorist in a public park because she wore the hidjab.

To my knowledge, there has been no report in any media in the United States of America. What shocked me the most in this story is the strange silence in the America media. The only report I found on the western side of the Atlantic is an opinion by Tarek Fatah in the National Post of Canada. However, this opinion-writer seems to side with the killer.

Fauzia68, a commentator of his opinion, rightfully denounced Tarek Fatah when he blamed the victim for wearing the hidjab.

Tarek Fatah's opinion on the murder of Marwa Sherbini reminds of Uncle Tom's Cabin. He fits the exact image of a runaway slave who becomes a submissive and all-forgiving loyal soul. In this case, Tarek Fatah became submissive to a Western media that currently blames Muslims for all the ills in the world.

However, he takes it even further; he blames Muslims for being murdered by Westerners and even suggests that Muslim fathers, brothers, and sons should be held responsible when Western men murder Muslim women.

Muslim victims or defendants are always blamed. That is western media.  An interesting movie to watch is "Arranged," which follows two elementary school female teachers, a Muslim and an orthodox jew, as they are drawn into mutual friendship.

Many friends wonder why I came to America. Today, July 4, is America's independence day. Tomorrow, July 5, is Algeria's. Maybe one reason of my coming to America was to celebrate independence one day earlier.

Below are my 10 reasons for moving from Algeria to America.

• 10) To live in an empire called the US.
• 9) To get away from my mother-in-law.
• 8) To get away from my mother.
• 7) To water grass, cut it, and not feed it to my goats.
• 6) To see my children speak English instead of Tamazight (Berber).
• 5) To become a slave to the dollar instead of the dinar.
• 4) To replace the word “opportunity” with the word “money.”
• 3) To listen to politicians waffle* in English instead of Arabic
• 2) To beat my wife without fearing her brothers' retaliation.
• 1) To claim my share of Indian land.

* Waffling, also referred to as obscure language or double-speak, is close to the well-known "langue de bois" French expression.