[ Friday, April 28, 2006 ]
I went to the Poetry for the People event a few days ago and was inspired enough to write my own poem:Freedom and Fear
You ask me why I'm so defensive.
You tell me to calm down
as you close your mind and ears to the words
coming from just another Mozlem yelling about injustice .
It's easy for you to say.
You don't know my fear.
"Bitch," he snickers as I walk to class,
and all I can do is stop and stare at his back,
shocked into silence,
powerless to say or do anything
in this city where the free speech movement began.
And that other time
with the white man so angry that
I could see the spit foaming from his mouth as he yelled at me,
standing in front of my car, blocking any way out.
I quickly locked my doors and prayed, "Dear God, please help me."
And I shook
As I pleaded with the man saying,
"I'm sorry,
I'm sorry."
But for what? I have done nothing wrong.
Why the anger?
Why the hatred in their eyes?
Because I'm a woman.
Because a scarf covers my head.
Because my skin is brown and my eyes are just as dark as the terrorists'.
Because I'm a Muslim.
But five years have passed since those planes crashed
those buildings collapsed,
and innocent individuals died,
also taking with them my life as I knew it,
and I'm tired of apologizing.
If I don't speak out now, when will I?
And if words are my only weapon, why shouldn't I use them?
Why allow myself to be silenced?
Innocence is lost
when children point and ask if you're going to blow up their school,
and their mothers grip their hands firmly and quickly steer them in the opposite direction,
away from you.
Innocence is lost
when we know without even going through the metal detectors at an airport,
that we will be asked to step aside
as they recognize our names as threats.
And we're left questioning, "What's in a name?"
when no one wants to board the same plane,
let alone sit next to us.
Innocence is lost
when our neighbors are asked to spy on us.
When the FBI shows up one day to our homes and without an explanation,
we are robbed of nonexistent rights
all in the name of so-called national security.
As our men are detained in solitary confinement and beaten
until they are either physically handicapped
or emotionally paralyzed.
And our women are strip searched and asked to squat and cough
and humiliated until they just can't fight it any longer
and they plead to be deported—you know—back home.
But where is home, if not here?
Yet the government tells everyone not to be afraid,
that we are Americans.
That they are preserving our freedom.
You call this freedom?
Because I sure as Hell don't feel secure.
It's our government that I fear.
Our government
that litters bombs wherever it goes,
and justifies everything under this "war on terror,"
as Palestinian children continue to die
from the US$3 billion sent annually to Israel with military aid.
As Afghanistan is left in ruins and chaos.
And did you know
that in this third year of occupation,
the Iraqi civilian death toll is the highest with
36 deaths
every
single
day
and 38 thousand civilian deaths total?
But we've stopped even watching it in the news,
And really, who's counting anymore, anyway?
As we now turn our attention towards Syria and Iran.
How much is a South Asian, Arab, or Muslim life worth?
How many deaths is it going to take to end this madness?
And who's the terrorist now?
4 comments
4 Comments:
The terrorist has always been the US government. They have bombed and killed millions of people. There is no need to apologize for something you didn't do. Did those people apologize for the actions of the US government for killing and murdering millions of people (Muslims and non-Muslims) in the last hundred years? Obviously not. When I see these Americans I just see ignorance, bigotry, rascism. How can people be so stupid?
this is really well written, and sincere, and so true.
By 
, at
1:21 PM
That was awsome. I can only hope that everyone reads it.
Salam
By 
Edward Ott, at
2:32 PM
mashallah, i really liked that. it was honest and unpretentious and ..striking. it put many of our feelings and questions out there, but the tone wasn't rhetorical - it was sincere, which really drew me. keep writing!
hope you're well :)
By , at
7:34 PM
