The Fig Leaf.
In 2003, someone said that the occupation of Iraq is the fig leaf that has undressed and uncovered all...and ever since I have not stopped seeing your ugly nakedness staring me in the face...
Through the existence of this blog, I saw more of your ugliness...
I wonder o' Beloved, why has all this human filth fallen into your lap ?
The filth of deceit, lies, hypocrisy, cruelty, brutality, indifference, sadism, insanity, treachery, greed, covetousness, jealousy, envy -- a bundle of all the most bestial aspects have occupied you.
Whether it is from individuals, group, or nations. From the left or the right. From the Arabs or the Westerners. From the Muslims, the Christians or the Jews. From your own and from the stranger...my Beloved where do we go from here ?
Toxic poison, radiation, vermin, worms, germs, viruses, excrement, sewage, garbage, obscurity, disease, drugs, prostitution, exile, poverty, obscurity, pollution, hunger, thirst, walls, blood, limbs, morgues, bombs, mortars, mass graves, ruins...
Black hordes, barbarians mounting guns...mounting tanks...black flags, black beards, prayer mats unfolding over dried blood...screams of rape in adjacent rooms...arms resting alongside the bodies in piety...while the Minaret sings Allahu Akbar...
Bells toll, Sunday morning, prime and proper ladies with courteous gents bowing in greetings...sermons uttered in calm voices...and your blood seeped under the church door...wetting their feet and their Bible..they continued mass and took the Eucharist and bowed to each other in civility on their way out...
The room is packed, Beloved, they are talking about you...listen to them. Listen, they look like important people...they carry red flags, red armbands, posters and banners...their fists in the air...Good news Beloved, good news...
They speak of Palestine, of fighting the enemy good news, Beloved, good news.
No wait, wait...wait...They don't want us in.
What about this congress room, it looks serious. I hear "human rights, Geneva convention," it looks promising. Did you see all those files they carry in shining plastic...and those headphones, and those cubicles. They are all translating for you Beloved...
Am sorry..I misheard. It was not about you. They even asked me for a badge to enter, and when they saw your name...they refused.
Let's not lose hope Beloved. Let's walk a little, we may find shelter...or someone to hear our plight.
There is a group of dancing women right there, do you see them ? They are celebrating the Goddess...they dance naked in nature and sing for Ishtar. They even have a bonfire where they burn all the symbols...
- Welcome Sisters, undress and join us...
- We don't want to undress, we need to be clothed...
- We are free, we don't need fig leaves
- Our fig leaf has been taken from us
- We don't believe in symbols
- They burnt ours
- We will liberate you
- We have already been liberated, we need a refuge...
Let's leave Beloved...this too, is no place for us.
Smog, desert winds, sand storms, shattered glass, dirty hospital wards, smoky corridors, looters carrying bags of precious goods, expired tins, expired medication, poison laced imported food, rats binging on garbage piles, torn books, truncated verses, summer itch, winter itch, scabies and pus behind metal bars, muddy rivers standing still, another dead corpse lying in the corner, heat, dryness, tired faces, lost eyes and broken souls...
Welcome back home Beloved...welcome back.
Painting : Iraqi female artist, Betool Fekaiki.
Through the existence of this blog, I saw more of your ugliness...
I wonder o' Beloved, why has all this human filth fallen into your lap ?
The filth of deceit, lies, hypocrisy, cruelty, brutality, indifference, sadism, insanity, treachery, greed, covetousness, jealousy, envy -- a bundle of all the most bestial aspects have occupied you.
Whether it is from individuals, group, or nations. From the left or the right. From the Arabs or the Westerners. From the Muslims, the Christians or the Jews. From your own and from the stranger...my Beloved where do we go from here ?
Toxic poison, radiation, vermin, worms, germs, viruses, excrement, sewage, garbage, obscurity, disease, drugs, prostitution, exile, poverty, obscurity, pollution, hunger, thirst, walls, blood, limbs, morgues, bombs, mortars, mass graves, ruins...
Black hordes, barbarians mounting guns...mounting tanks...black flags, black beards, prayer mats unfolding over dried blood...screams of rape in adjacent rooms...arms resting alongside the bodies in piety...while the Minaret sings Allahu Akbar...
Bells toll, Sunday morning, prime and proper ladies with courteous gents bowing in greetings...sermons uttered in calm voices...and your blood seeped under the church door...wetting their feet and their Bible..they continued mass and took the Eucharist and bowed to each other in civility on their way out...
The room is packed, Beloved, they are talking about you...listen to them. Listen, they look like important people...they carry red flags, red armbands, posters and banners...their fists in the air...Good news Beloved, good news...
They speak of Palestine, of fighting the enemy good news, Beloved, good news.
No wait, wait...wait...They don't want us in.
What about this congress room, it looks serious. I hear "human rights, Geneva convention," it looks promising. Did you see all those files they carry in shining plastic...and those headphones, and those cubicles. They are all translating for you Beloved...
Am sorry..I misheard. It was not about you. They even asked me for a badge to enter, and when they saw your name...they refused.
Let's not lose hope Beloved. Let's walk a little, we may find shelter...or someone to hear our plight.
There is a group of dancing women right there, do you see them ? They are celebrating the Goddess...they dance naked in nature and sing for Ishtar. They even have a bonfire where they burn all the symbols...
- Welcome Sisters, undress and join us...
- We don't want to undress, we need to be clothed...
- We are free, we don't need fig leaves
- Our fig leaf has been taken from us
- We don't believe in symbols
- They burnt ours
- We will liberate you
- We have already been liberated, we need a refuge...
Let's leave Beloved...this too, is no place for us.
Smog, desert winds, sand storms, shattered glass, dirty hospital wards, smoky corridors, looters carrying bags of precious goods, expired tins, expired medication, poison laced imported food, rats binging on garbage piles, torn books, truncated verses, summer itch, winter itch, scabies and pus behind metal bars, muddy rivers standing still, another dead corpse lying in the corner, heat, dryness, tired faces, lost eyes and broken souls...
Welcome back home Beloved...welcome back.
Painting : Iraqi female artist, Betool Fekaiki.
