selfies

I have no time for your shallow commentary on selfie culture

Maybe some people take selfies out of narcissism,

but it's not your body so back the fuck up.

Maybe you were lucky enough to have a mother who called you

beautiful everyday

Maybe you were lucky enough to have enough money to buy you 

nice clothes

Maybe you were lucky enough to look like what they wanted.

But everyday I wake up and look at my 200 pound brown body and then

I imagine something else.

Everyday I wonder why people tell me to lose weight?

to be smaller, lighter, softer, invisible?

"why do all brown people look the same?"

"why is your hair so dark?"

"you have a small forehead"

"you look so different without makeup" 

"did you lose weight? you should keep this look"

I recount these events in my head often.

and then I ask myself:

"who taught you to hate what God made you?"

The truth is I don't know.

What I do know is that every time I take a selfie

I feel real fucking pretty.

Anon

sunset after dark

midday hangs heavy over the pallet
facing the open sky
the doors are never closed
always waiting for
a homecoming

a widow docks on the nearby shore
slim tentacles sagging from bloodletting
nightly offerings to the roaring seas
who take pleasure in devouring
posterity
and inheritance

the fishermen reap shells on high tides
sometimes grenades-
or uniforms
or a photograph
of sons with crooked teeth

and still the sun shutters
and the waves stutter
until the cocking of guns
clings to aural memory
drowning laughter
of first steps taken

THE MILITANT FEELGOOD MOVEMENT

You are a self-proclaimed "anti-war" "feminist" with "anti-oppressive politics". You are also a woman of colour (and if not I don't know what You're doing here).

You have been through this scenario (or variations of it time and time over again). 

It begins in a "safe space"; a vacuum where human interactions are limited to:

1. Active listening 

2. Resource sharing 

3. Activism 

Let me break it down: 

1. Active listening

 AL--smoothes mustache at patriarchal implementation of acronym because as academics we must make everything inaccessible. Do we have consensus? Yes? If not we can talk about it for three hours. Yes? Ok

*bursts out laughing upon establishing that I haven't even finished my undergraduate degree* (not really, I sordidly snigger as I swallow my inferiority complex upon being inept in academic settings) 

AL is great in some situations

(This would be the first person's cue to [compassionately] apologize for my situation. "We are all different and we have different accessibilities as women of colour. Never apologize for your reality. RECLAIM RECLAIM RECLAIM.) (And Your response to this is feeling like shit about your "situation" even though You didn't really feel like shit before)

(These may all be valid points, but to be quite frank, was doing quite well before You apologized for all the things that marginalize me. I would recommend that You join Selena Gomez as a Humanitarian Aid Ambassador)

But anyway, back onto task--

  Entails nodding vigorously, embodying compassion through your face, eyes and meaningful "hmmms", "yes" and "I hear that".

It is important in situations where You have been faced with racism, sexism, all the glorious isms, let me not get into the jazz of it. It is important to debrief, don't get me wrong. Everyone needs a circle where they can access active listening.

This is what it is not. It is not transformative if the end goal is to have random strangers pay a cover price to talk about their feelings under the guise of transformative activism. It is inherently individualistic. It does not undermine structures of oppression. Active listening is in effect, a business #capitalism

Let us move on. 

2. Resource Sharing 

To be quite frank I don't know what this is. However, again, as is inherent in activist culture, I will delve into the beautiful realm of bullshit (because how will I come off as intensely knowledgeable and insightful if I can't take up space?) 

Resource sharing is the sharing of resources. And by sharing I don't mean merely sharing, it is the distribution and dissemination of resources. Resources come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are not only assets but they are also artifices. 

In conclusion, it is important to share resources. And listen actively. 

Sometimes, if You are REALLY lucky, You'll get some action. Look at that, a pun. Usually though, "radicalism" usually merely entails active listening (and maybe resource sharing, but I'm not sure what that is) 

3. Activism

Activism is actually really fun. I mean it. 

It entails: 

i. planning

ii. protesting 

iii. debriefing 

Again, it is usually confined inside the university. If not, it is led by upper-middle class academic types with credentials as follows:

George Debouf 

BA, Political Science

MA, Political Science 

PhD, Political Science 

As You can tell, Professor Debouf has plenty of experience on the field of the university. 

His lectures are truly transformative because at least we know we are selling out when we sell our labour to capitalism. (the alternative is naturally death). He is truly an expert in the field of apartheid, racism and patriarchy. He has read up on it. 

Planning is my favourite part. 

It entails hours discussing what colour posters should be, who to call so that we have a celebrity activist so that other activists come to cheerlead "the cause" even though at this point most planners don't have a clear conceptualization of what it might be. But anyway, it's boring because it's long, but it's fun because You get to say things like "Power to the people"

Protesting is great too. 

You scream in crowds and (dont really) undermine security and the police (but usually You think You are) 

You leave feeling great. Like You have demolished capitalism. 

Debriefing: 

This is where all the "problematic" aspects of "activism" are deconstructed. See: active listening. 

-Aaliya Khan

things that remind you of home

what is the taste of me?
dried tamarind, humid sun

what does my mother smell like?
lemongrass in the gardens

you can still taste
crushed betel leaves
when you turn us in
your tongues
the remnants of my grandmother
when you
pluck us strip us
eat us

so what is the flavour of us?
of three generations chewed between
teeth browned by the
bitterness of manhood?

i part my lips and he tastes death

al-hurriya: prayer for rain

don’t come to me with tasbeeh
chained around your neck
don’t speak to me in sermons
false clairvoyance

i have been owned

don’t come to me with negligence
wrapped in du’aas
tipped with poison

it’s been a long mile
since i’ve had rain in
my hair

you, who make supplication
soaked in blood of unclaimed
daughters

you, who accept gold over
a whore’s repentance

you you you
who shoot kill burn martyr
in the name of god
and
carve new gods
out of
men
       trading lush graves
       for the idolater’s throne

la ilaha illallah

i have been to
the devil’s mouth
and back

i have returned
i have become
                       i am

                                ready

and i will take no prisoners
in my compassion

so don’t come to me with prayer beads

my father

arrived on the shores of this country at the age of 17

with facial hair as thick as borders

and forehead lines that ran deeper than the oceans he had crossed

disguising his youth

inaugurating him into manhood

when the soviets invaded my father’s childhood

when the americas packaged and sold illusions of freedom

when motherlands began to cry out in protest

over all that was being done to them

our cabbie father drove home strangers 

that were too drunk to put sentences together

but sober enough to laugh at his broken english

and when he silently mourned

for his murdered country

his humiliated ego

he would recline into nostalgia

my father 

has spent 30 years

navigating foreign

losing himself along the way

If I dared to speak about my love for you

I know what everyone will say.
“You’re just going to be disappointed.”
“Our men are hopeless.”
“You’re better off with someone else.”
“Blah, blah, blah.”
I feel sorry for the lovers of white men.

They just would never understand why
we chose each other.
For there are no words
in this disgusting English language
to describe the love
that made me revolutionary.

Mariategui Bonifacio, 2014

broken english

when my mother struggles to spell a word in english
I want to break the entire language
into little pieces
so the edges of these letters
will stop cutting her


- aysha

these men sit in the public
with their legs wide open
grazing our knees
suffocating our comfort
and we move to the furthest corner of our seat
further and further away
until we no longer exist


- Aysha

lest we forget the forgotten

lest we forget

all those not white enough to be mourned for

those victims whose names you will never recite
body count sky high
sky could no longer hold them
so you tried to shrink their deaths
into numbers
statistics
dust
nothing

lest we forget

the countries where you have hidden your sins:

afghanistan, iraq, vietnam
nuclear ash on flander's fields
oil pipelines between the crosses
the dead still feel earth trembling
wondering when it will stop

lest we forget

opium wars
honoured with a blood stained poppy 

that you wear across your chest

a reminder of all those killed

by your imperialist tanks
a reminder of countless charred bodies 

who were denied life
worthless life
worth less life
lest we forget
who?
i'm trying to remember

the daughters of mohamed wazir:

masooma 

farida 

palwasha

nabia 

murdered while they slept
an entire generation
now shrouded in white
buried with their country

why do you say 

lest we forget

when they have already forgotten 

- Aysha

rant re: radfemmes

Everyone, especially people who consider themselves "radical feminists" needs to piss off with their attitude towards women who dress modestly. Your arguments that modesty are actually a result of patriarchy, and that women who dress modestly are somehow subservient to years of patriarchal tradition is in and of itself patronizing and untrue. That is actually taking a reactionary position. I'm sorry if you are/were shamed about the way that you dress, or are/were forced to "cover up". (I'm not here to judge anyone who dresses differently). However that has not been my (and many other) women's experience. Asserting that the concept of modesty (in any form) is "disgusting" is a PRODUCT of patriarchy and asserts the Western hegemonic narrative. You are undermining my knowledge of my own religion (or others personal beliefs) as well as assuming that I am intellectually incapable of interpreting my religion in a way that is NOT patriarchal (rather I find it empowering). In this hypersexualized society where women are objectified in EVERY way, I feel more comfortable when people cannot see my body. It's bad enough to have ACTUAL patriarchy police women's bodies, but to add women (esp. those who are "feminists") to that list is just sad. I don't understand why people feel ENTITLED to comment on what women wear/don't wear. I choose what parts of my body people can see, I choose WHO can see it. Please understand that. 


*side note* Islamically, the concept of modesty applies to both women AND men.

- Arshia

To Veil or Not to Veil

There seems to be an unequivocal misunderstanding regarding Muslim women and the veil within the western context. Islam as a religion is 1400 years old but the values and traditions hold true to this day, one of which is the issue of hijab or the head scarf. The discourse surrounding this issue is generally dismissive and unsympathetic. The hijab and niqab has continually been portrayed as a tool to oppress and control women. We see examples of this in places like France where the face veil has seen much controversy and was ultimately banned in the public arena. In Canada, it was also banned from being warn at poll stations in Quebec and in 2011, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced new rules that would ban the wearing of face coverings when taking the citizenship oath.

Although there are women who have been made to wear hijab against their will that is not a true reflection of the teachings of Islam or how most women feel regarding Hijab. The vast majority of women, especially women in the west, don the hijab out of modesty and respect for themselves. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him said: “The best of you are those who are the best to their women," [at-Tirmidhi] and thus it is incumbent upon all Muslims to actively seek equality among the sexes and treat their women with the utmost respect. Addressing the issue of women’s rights and feminism are crucial components of Islam, so where does all the confusion come from?

People have often taken it upon themselves to speak on behalf of Islam and Muslim women everywhere stating their views about this ‘oppressive, patriarchal piece of cloth’,  The irony in all of this is that many of these people identify as “feminists” (and I use that term loosely regarding such women). Feminism, an ideology that is meant to empower women, create equal opportunity for women, and break down the patriarchal forces that preside has unfortunately been co-opted by western influences of what a liberated woman should look, dress, and act like. The opinions of your average Muslim women are often silenced. Were you to ask a young Muslim girl today if she chose to wear the hijab she would most definitely say yes. She would be proud of her hijab because it represents self-respect and dignity. It represents liberation from society’s standards of beauty. It represents the freedom to choose what part of her body you get to see. Wearing the hijab is a choice and women have valid reasons for doing so. To reduce Muslim women to submissive and demoralized creatures who cannot think for themselves is an insult to our intelligence. The hijab gives us our sense of security, it is our sense of confidence. 

Muslim women everywhere are tired of having non-Muslim women (and men) tell them what makes them happy. As people who identify as feminists and are supposed to be working towards the inclusion and liberation of all women, how is alienating women who wear Hijab accomplishing such things? We are only doing ourselves a disservice when we allow differences to become barriers between progress. We all face the same challenge of patriarchy as women, but to take away her right to dress as she pleases, does that not equate to the same oppression as patriarchy? How is coercing a woman out of wearing her hijab any less oppressive than coercing her into one?  

This is not to belittle women who do not wear hijab nor does it make them any less Muslim; ultimately it is a choice. Women are judged for showing skin just as much as they are for covering it. The judgemental actors at play create unhealthy relations between people. It is often said that ignorance breads fear, so let us rid ourselves of this irrational fear of the unknown. The key is to move passed these judgements and to work together to create a cohesive and inclusive society free of ridicule. 

 
Post By: Arshia Lakhani