a Poem of Importance

Dear Reader,

It has come to my attention that France's ban of the burkha/niqab will be coming into effect this Monday, despite many protests against this. Rather than going into a lengthy sermon on how incensed I am by all this, I thought I'd share a poem with you. It's not directly related to the ban, but I thought it expressed my opinions on the subject quite well. I hope it makes you think, but also enjoy:

My Hijab
2010
  

My rightful Dignity.

Modestly t                 hrown over

my head,                                     a cover

for on                                                 ly one  

to dis                                                      cover.

It’s Fre                                                         edom

in a cl                                                            oth of

pure Sim                                                            plicity,

my hija                                                               b is my

Inte                                                                         grity.

I’m only                                                                 judged

by what                                                              I say and

 what I do,                                                        rather than

the way I                                                       look to you.

A symbol of                                                  my Identity,

it means such a                                     great deal to me.

A form of worship it                      truly can be. I wonder

why some people don’t understand, isn’t freedom of expression

a form of Liberty? Yet they chose to deny me, this common courtesy,

constantly telling me, that I’m oppressed, repressed, depressed. Telling me that I

need to be freed. Freed by commercial ideas of Beauty, a doll of desire, what they call womanly.

Outward appearances seem to rule their ideas of Civility and Popularity. Don’t they know that it is what’s inside that counts. That one day we’ll all be called to account, for all our deeds and 

Impropriety. Why can’t they see, that this pathway is the life I chose for me?

 And though I know people still talk and glare, question my Sanity,

I will always stand by what I heartily believe.  

Because this is my Hijab,

that I wear so

proudly.

Nida