Open Letter To All Mothers
written by: Nazia Erum
@nazia_e
Honestly, I am afraid for my child. And I believe, so are you.
Everyone who says not-to-worry. If only they knew what we know.
Only a mother knows the silent hum of fear in our heads
As the world uploads stories of murders and mayhem
Only a mother knows how the lil ones borrow
Our unsuspecting speech, our untimely expressions, our smallest of joys, our unheard worries
Our love, our hate.
And they say not-to-worry. If only they knew what we know.
Consider the following:
Scenario 1: Can we make friends with Muslims, Mamma? Should they all go to Pakistan?
Scenario 2: Are we from Pakistan, Mamma? Why do my friends call me a terrorist?
Only a mother knows the significance of seemingly out-of-context questions
That we can walk away from or gently address
Whichever scenario you might have faced
You know that today
The battles have started early on
Everyone who says not-to-worry. If only they knew what we know.
I believe no mother asks her child to hate another child
Is it not disturbing when 8-year-olds mirror the accusations
of the 9pm bulletins in their 10am classrooms?
Will we really refuse to see the muddled intuition of our 15-year-olds
when they throw in a baghdadi or bangladeshi in a soccer game?
Child by child, the bitterness of the world will suck up our lil ones
And spit out disturbed adults.
And they tell us not-to-worry. If only they knew what we know.
Every mother today is a victim
Of a world of hate and hostility
As hate effects not just the tormented but also the tormentor.
And we don’t know today, which one our child will be
Everyone who says not-to-worry. If only they knew what we know.
No child ever deserved being handed this bitter legacy
We cannot bully our way into a good future.
This is not just any single mother’s fight.
This is a fight for all of us.
When they ask you today, why are #MothersAgainstBullying
Say, if only you knew what we know.
In solidarity
Love
Nazia Erum,
A mother against bullying
Nazia Erum is a mother above all else. She is also author of the book, Mothering a Muslim.
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Open Letter To All Mothers
Open Letter To All Mothers
written by: Nazia Erum
@nazia_e
Honestly, I am afraid for my child. And I believe, so are you.
Everyone who says not-to-worry. If only they knew what we know.
Only a mother knows the silent hum of fear in our heads
As the world uploads stories of murders and mayhem
Only a mother knows how the lil ones borrow
Our unsuspecting speech, our untimely expressions, our smallest of joys, our unheard worries
Our love, our hate.
And they say not-to-worry. If only they knew what we know.
Consider the following:
Scenario 1: Can we make friends with Muslims, Mamma? Should they all go to Pakistan?
Scenario 2: Are we from Pakistan, Mamma? Why do my friends call me a terrorist?
Only a mother knows the significance of seemingly out-of-context questions
That we can walk away from or gently address
Whichever scenario you might have faced
You know that today
The battles have started early on
Everyone who says not-to-worry. If only they knew what we know.
I believe no mother asks her child to hate another child
Is it not disturbing when 8-year-olds mirror the accusations
of the 9pm bulletins in their 10am classrooms?
Will we really refuse to see the muddled intuition of our 15-year-olds
when they throw in a baghdadi or bangladeshi in a soccer game?
Child by child, the bitterness of the world will suck up our lil ones
And spit out disturbed adults.
And they tell us not-to-worry. If only they knew what we know.
Every mother today is a victim
Of a world of hate and hostility
As hate effects not just the tormented but also the tormentor.
And we don’t know today, which one our child will be
Everyone who says not-to-worry. If only they knew what we know.
No child ever deserved being handed this bitter legacy
We cannot bully our way into a good future.
This is not just any single mother’s fight.
This is a fight for all of us.
When they ask you today, why are #MothersAgainstBullying
Say, if only you knew what we know.
In solidarity
Love
Nazia Erum,
A mother against bullying