#lovetrumps

My sister-friend Mona is a Muslim. She is absolutely gorgeous, and I mean that regarding her heart. Her face is beautiful, too, but it's only a reflection of what exists within. She wears her hijab proudly, and has taught me why choosing to wear hijab is a feminist stance—a matter of choice—just just as much as me not shaving my pits is a matter of choice. We both make choices to claim our bodies as our own, to not play into society's heteronormative patriarchal idealizations. She has also taught me how to love myself and the world more fully, how to embrace those who are different from me, how to offer myself to the service of God, how to embrace compassion and truth, and how to live my life in the most authentic way possible. 

Donald Trump's bullshit is terrifying to me, and fear has begun to infiltrate my cells. Fear in this world is thick. Fear in this country is palpable. Fear is what we feed ourselves through social networking sites, media, politicians, catastrophes. 

I feel the fear on my chest. It sits very heavy on my heart – as if there’s a brick resting over my heart center. If I allow the fear to permeate below the surface, then tears start freely flowing and my breath shortens. My mind spirals out into future scenarios of leaving the country, moving to England where I also have citizenship, creating world-wide campaigns to take Trump out of power. For a person who rarely daydreams, the creative imagination I have around this is huge. And it’s all based in fear. I don't want to sit in this fear. I don't want to give in to Trump or to the fear-mongering tactics that our news, media, politicians, terrorists, hate groups, and so many more thrive upon. My fear only contributes to the problem. 

I refuse to let Trump speak these comments of bigotry toward my dear friend Mona, not because Mona is the only beautiful Muslim in the United States, but because Mona is just one representation of the millions of phenomenal human beings in this world who identity as Muslim, who have pure hearts and down to earth morals and only want to live in peace, safety, and security like everyone else. We are all entitled to live happy lives. Not just white people. Not just Americans. Not just Christians. Not just those with money. Not just those who are cis-gendered. Not just men.