God Bless America! Yes our politics are crazy, and everyone is always speaking out, and there is crime, and there is conflict and misunderstanding. I am so grateful my parents left everything they knew, because of religious discrimination, Jews were considered a nationality in the former Soviet Union. Especially today, we are able to speak our truth and our stance, to make change happen, there is no excuse or reason to blame anybody, whether it is ancestors, upbringing, or the status quo, anything is possible in the United States of America.
Coach Yulia
Farhana Rahman 
celebrating Independence Day.
I’m so proud to be a Muslim born, raised, and living in the United States of America. And I don’t take it for granted.
As long as I am here, I will exercise the freedoms I have to spread love, peace, and solidarity worldwide to the fullest extent. Most Muslims (REAL Muslims) around the world are not able to do so freely for a variety of reasons. But I believe God blessed me by placing me here in the U.S.A for a greater purpose, and I am on it.
As a child, I grew up with fear. Well, I was taught fear. The first time I was beat up in a new school by Muslim kids who were taught Jews are dirty, and the first time I was told never to touch fruits at a local market because Jews were considered impure. To be honest, for every one of those bad experiences, I recall a hundred good ones and the many Muslims who helped me navigate life. The trouble was that the bad experiences scarred you for life and it was difficult to know who would be horrible to you until you ran home crying. There was always a sense that you were not part of the majority, and that anytime, even though all’s well now, things could change. And they did. We left Iran in 1979 and went to Manchester, England. There, I was not only a Jew, not British, but also stuck out because of my poor English and my dark skin. I got beat up in England too, by skinheads who preyed on Jewish kids. Then, in 1983, by some miracle, and mostly because of my mother’s good sense, we came to Los Angeles. I fell in love. I’ve had a love affair with LA, with California, and with America since. This country is large enough and has enough love to heal the broken wings of those who seek her refuge. When I studied hard and excelled, I was in disbelief that the system would allow a Jew, an Iranian Jew to rise to the top. Even to this day, I remain humbled by the many White Americans who gave me the chance to study, to advance, and even accepted me as their teacher or even as their physician. America is the greatest country on this earth. It’s really hard to appreciate how good this piece of heaven is until you travel to other countries or try living elsewhere. I feel in awe of the Constitution and it’s principles of freedom, liberty, justice and happiness for all. America taught me that even a foreigner and a Jew like me deserves love and opportunity. God bless America. I am in love with you. I will always stand strong with you. May your light shine forever. Amen. Happy Birthday America.#GodBlessUSA #FourthOfJuly
