Being Iranian-American in the 21st Century

“My family is from Iran. I have Muslim family members. If you actually spoke to someone Muslim, you would know that their religion is based on peace. People who do these kinds of things are not truly Muslim, they just use religion to justify their actions.” I don’t remember what else he said. I just remember hearing the words family and terrorists. I couldn’t choke back the tears anymore. My teacher cuts the boy off before he can say anything else and thanks me for my contribution before quickly changing the topic. I start shaking every time I think about it