rosé

I am a muslim woman

and i often see you stare,

but please don’t be decieved

by the way i dress.

I am not confused,

oppressed nor in despair.

Yes i wrap a black cloak

around my skin,

may i add, with pride.

But my beauty is not

in my appearance

what you should admire

is the choice i have made

from within.

Do not judge me by what you see,

nor pity me as you walk by,

I speak 5 different languages

are you surprised

that my aspirations are high?

I drive my own car,

and have a degree to my name,

own my own small business

Are we not then,

one and the same?

Yet you call me a foreigner

and clip my very wings,

Proclaiming, “this is liberation!”

failing to see

my hearts longing.

Liberation is not in

unveiling my body

for your eyes to hold.

It is in the way

i graciously lift my head,

refusing the glares,

the harsh words,

the suspicion untold.

I am a muslim woman

I carry myself with honour,

and the crown

that i wear on my head

is a symbol of my

يعرفون كل شيء إلا عيوبهم

 "I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, show me an action by which I will enter the Garden!“ He said, ‘Remove harmful things from people’s path.’”

A Map of the Islamic World.