Proud to be muslim????

Favorite facebook sentence of many muslims online: I'm a muslim AND I'M PROUD. This is a sentence which usually drive me nuts.... I'm proud..... Usually coming from convert muslims, and from not native arab muslims, not knowing how wrong this sentence is. PROUD.... The reasons why this sentence is completly out of place are several. A) How could i be proud for something which is not my merit? It's rather a beautiful gift from Allah for which we should praise him and being thankful for it... We should rather say: im thankful to being a muslim. Our hearts should be filled with humbleness for this great gift, that Allah guided us... The right sentence would be: al hamdoulillah, i'm muslim.... but i hardly hear it nowadays from brothers and sisters.... this I'M PROUD took its place.... B) The second reason why i dislike this statement is: PRIDE as such is described in many quoranic verses and hadeeths as a disease of the heart, as something, which will prevent many muslims from entering the paradise. PRIDE is a sign of arrogance, and as such deletes all traces of goodness and piety. Allah has said in the Holy Quoran: 

“I shall turn away from My revelations those who show pride in the world wrongfully.” (7.146)

Allah has said in another place in the Quran:

“And in this way Allah does put a seal on every arrogant disdainful heart.” (40.35)

2.  The wrath and punishment of Allah fall on the jealous person. Allah has said:

“Certainly He does not love the proud ones.” (16:23) 

...Verily, Allâh does not like such as are proud and boastful; Those who are miserly and enjoin miserliness on other men and hide what Allâh has bestowed upon them of His Bounties.... Qur'an 4:36-37

 It is narrated that Hazrat Moosa asked exalted Allah: “Oh my Lord! Who is the most deserving of your wrath and displeasure?” Allah Ta’aala told him:
“ It is he whose heart is filled with pride and his tongue is filthy (i.e. Abusive), his eyes are devoid of shame, his hands are miserly and he is of bad conduct and character.

Also our beloved Prophet (saw) warned from the consequences of pride, as to find in several hadeeths. The most commonly known is this one: 

In a Hadith of the Holy Prophet it is narrated that,

“Whosoever has in his heart, even a atom of pride he will not enter paradise.” (in other narrations discribed as: "weight of a mustard seed of pride" instead of atom of pride)

In observing the above Hadith, it is of utmost importance that we get rid of this spiritual malady, if we hold any illusion or hope of entering paradise. 

Pride as a sin is incorrectly considered to be insignificant and minute in comparison to other major sins, by a vast majority of the people. It may be that compared to the major sins like murder and associating partner with Allah, it is slightly inferior. But that is only because of the magnitude of those particular sins that pride is considered a lesser sin. 

The proud renders himself liable to Hell in the Hereafter. It occurs in a Hadith Qudsi:

“Pride is My cloak and grandeur is my trousers. If anyone disputes with Me in any one of these (two) I shall admit him into the Hell-fire.”

In the other words, pride and grandeur are two exclusive attributes of Allah, which none is allowed to apply and ascribe towards himself.

It is imperative to refrain from such a dangerous calamity which leads to loss of knowledge of Allah, inability to understand the commands of Allah, His displeasure, disgrace in this world and the Hereafter and painful torment therein. No wise person can be neglectful in the matter of such a harmful and destructive calamity.

 We should, therefore, try to save ourselves from this and seek refuge from Allah. 

Hadith - al-Bukhari 9.541, Narrated  Abu Huraira, r.a.

The Prophet said, "Paradise and Hell (Fire) quarrelled in the presence of their Lord. Paradise said, 'O Lord! What is wrong with me that only the poor and humble people enter me?' Hell (Fire) said, 'I have been favored with the arrogant people.' So Allah said to Paradise, 'You are My Mercy,' and said to Hell, 'You are My Punishment which I inflict upon whom I wish, and I shall fill both of you. (The Prophet added, "As for Paradise, (it will be filled with good people) because Allah does not wrong any of His created things, and He creates for Hell (Fire) whomever He will, and they will be thrown into it, and it will say thrice, 'Is there any more,' till Allah (will put) His Foot over it and it will become full and its sides will come close to each other and it will say, 'Qat! Qat! Qat! (Enough! Enough! Enough!)."

In some cases when i was discussing this issue with convert sisters from UK and USA, they usually defend this statement with: in this sense is pride is not equal with arrogance. But the hadeeth clearly states about pride and not using the word arrogance, and i still can't understand why not saying "al hamdoulillah"... as it is Allah's special gift, and only Allah alone decides whom he wants to guide on the right path... or as they are explaining their point of view: one shouldn't hide and feel ashamed for being a muslim. I agree we shouldn't. I also didn't say denie it to being a muslim. But rather say: al hamdoulillah i'm a muslim. Or, if you would want to make it understandable your statement for non-muslims, say: i'm thankfull for being a muslim, i'm confident to being a muslim, but i'm a muslim and PROUD????

C) the third reason why i completly dislike this sentence is: it is often used by brothers and sisters who are hardly acting as muslims should, brothers, who are shaving their beard off out of fear they wouldn't get an appropriate job, sisters, who are taking their hijab off for the same reason. Where is "their pride to being a muslim" than?

I think its much more appropriate to say: AL HAMDOULILLAH IM A MUSLIM, i obey Allah and his Messenger (saw), trying my best to fullfill my obligations as muslim, and im saying every morning after waking up a humble al hamdoulillah w shoukr that i got this great gift from Allah to being guided to the right path. 

And Allah knows best.