When you should notice, that you are in an Arab country

Woran man erkennt, dass man sich in einem arabischen Land befindet und warum man nicht überascht sein sollte. Zwei Gedichte, welche von der arabischen Journalistin Wajeha Al-Huwaider geschrieben wurden und den Alltag in den arabisch-islamischen Ländern eindrücklicher nicht beschreiben könnten.

Poem 1
Poem 2

Aus dem 1. Gedicht:

"When you see people living in the past with all the trappings of modernity - do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country."

"When you discover that a woman is worth half of what a man is worth, or less - do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country…"

"When young women students are publicly flogged merely for exposing their eyes - you are in an Arab country…

"When women are [seen as] house ornaments which can be replaced at any time - bemoan your fate, you are in an Arab country."

"When birth control and family planning are perceived as a Western plot - place your trust in Allah, you are in an Arab country"

"When at any time, there can be a knock on your door and you will be dragged off and buried in a dark prison - you are in an Arab country"

Aus dem 2. Gedicht:

"When you feel that whenever you leave your house there are hidden eyes that spy on you, follow your movements, watch you with suspicion and misgiving, and make you return quickly back from where you came - this is part of the culture of fear. And without the least bit of doubt, it is not a Western conspiracy that was hatched against you; this is a product of your own country."

"When your young children come home from school and tell you that they learned that day that the 'others' are despicable people who do not deserve any respect, acceptance, or appreciation, and that God commanded them to hate ['the others'] and to fight them, at all times and everywhere - this is an institutionalized plan for disseminating hatred. Don't worry, this is not a Western conspiracy against you; this is a product of your own country…"

"When the political and religious establishment ignites your feelings over things that take place beyond the borders of your country, and urges you to demonstrate your rage… over what is going on here or there, and you hold up signs, and organize marches, and walk in long demonstrations throughout the day and the night, and you forcefully condemn and criticize - and then after the event ends, you feel tired and sluggish, and you go home to your sagging, broken-down house, and there isn't a slice of bread there to give to your young children - but you don't have the right to go out and protest, or march, or even to write a two-line petition - this is the worst kind of iniquity. And this is not a Western conspiracy that has been hatched against you; this is a product of your own country…"

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