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Qais Alalami Jan 2019
I am going to conceive a son and name him Adam
As names in our century have become a conviction
A reason for conflict and contradiction
I won’t name him Mohammed or Jesus
I won’t name him Ali or Omar
I won’t name him Saddam or Hussein
I won’t name him Ibrahim or Zakaria
And not even David or George
I fear he grows a racist due to his name
A name of which I am to blame
To foreigners he’s a terrorist
To extremists he’s an infidel
To Shias he’s a Sunni
And to Sunnis he’s a Shia
I fear that he’ll only be worth as much as his name
A name of which I am to blame
I want him to be named Adam, A Muslim, Christian, Jew.
I am going to teach him that his religion is what is nestled in his heart
Not his name
His name of which I am to blame
I’ll teach him about the arab pride illusion
And how humanity is the solution.
I’ll teach him that god lives in hearts and souls before mosques and churches.
I’ll teach him that I began my speech indicating he was a male,
as females in our society are destined to fail.
I’ll teach him that the problem lies in the Arab society tale.
Salmabanu Hatim Jan 2021
A veil with a unique touch,
A dressing that sets you apart,
Not a hijab, niqab or burqa that requires face covering.
Rida is a two piece covering,
Worn only by Bohora women,
A fashion created to interpret identity.
It is in exotic or subtle colours,
Exquisitely embroidered or painted ,
Embossing the dynamite art work of nature and flora on fabric.
A rida has a pleated long skirt like a Ghagra,
Paired with a tunic that looks like a poncho called a pardi
A tea cosy walking on a road
Bohoras are a sect of shias,
And rida identifies us as a community  from other Muslim enclaves,
It reflects our culture,
And speaks about our lifestyle.
I wear a rida,
It liberates me to know who I am,
As perceived Dress how you
want to be addressed
30/1/2021.
A hijab covers the head chest and sometimes the face
A niqab keeps the areas around the  eyes open,
A burqa has a mesh screen for vision

— The End —