Here’s the gist of what I’m about to drop on you: Tuesday, February 26, I decided to take off my hijab and informed my parents. Consequently, I got disowned. It lasted 10 days because my younger brother gave them an ultimatum. A crazy woman in our community caught “haram” me at the grocery store. It […]
Tag: culture
dis·en·chant·ed | hope·ful
ˌdisinˈCHan(t)əd/ adjective – disappointed by someone or something previously respected or admired; disillusioned.”he became disenchanted with his erstwhile ally” ˈhōpfəl/ adjective – feeling or inspiring optimism about a future event.”a hopeful sign” For a hopeful and optimistic person to feel true gut-wrenching disenchantment is like no disappointment I can imagine. Now, as the definition says, […]
Anger, Self-hate and People-hate
I’ve been trying to figure out which came first and which is a result of the other. So far, I’ve had a chicken-egg dilemma that doesn’t seem to be getting any close to a resolution. So, which came first: the anger or self-loathing? Which is a byproduct of the other? I can’t tell. All I […]
I got 99 Problems, but haram ain’t one of them
I’m really trying to pace myself. Maybe a post per day. But I can’t right now. I have so much going on and at the same time I have so much to get off my chest. My feelings about this whole exercise is a revelation with heavy elements of confession. I want to show the […]
Wasta, it ain’t just the Arabs
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that white people had wasta. What? Impossible. The West is this magical land of fair rules and queues and democracy. Where everyone gets a fair chance and women don’t need a #MeToo movement and the incompetent director’s godson managing your division doesn’t get away with everything, including sabotaging your […]
Bunnies, eggs, and Jesus
Today, as my niece, nephew, and their two friends scurried around the house and yard with their baskets looking for eggs, their grandmother glanced towards them and asked: “What’s the point of Easter? Chocolate?” She was serious. I responded that Easter was about Al-Maseeh*, his crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Monday. […]
My Day
You’re not better than me and I’m not inferior. But, can we agree that patriarchy is still alive and kicking? Great. Growing up, I always felt like I had to go on the defensive in terms of where I came from and why I looked like I did. Yeah, it was pretty superficial but hey. […]
Being a Refugee Sucks
My family’s refugee story wasn’t as harrowing as the ones you read about today. The wars, the open sea, the bloated bodies, the refugee camps – we never saw any of these things. My parents were political and religious refugees. Yeah, same shit tearing up the Middle East decades ago is still relevant today. They […]
My “true self” & other things people know better about me
More than ten years ago, an acquaintance asked me if I felt held back from being my “true self” because of the hijab. I was taken by complete surprise. I was a recent university graduate, working in government, confident and outspoken, following my dreams, or so I thought; so, I was confused as to what […]
East & West Fusion
I wear my “whitewashed” label proudly. I wear my “Arab” label just as proudly. Welcome to the world of avocado spread and medium-rare steak, and hummus and kebab. Welcome to tastes of North America, and the aromas of Arabia. Welcome to my life, where I’m not Western enough, nor Eastern enough. Welcome to my life, where […]
