A young Muslim girl continues to try to live out her life despite other people's opinions of her.
Hello! I am sorry for not writing sooner, but I have been busy. I have been going to my classes in school, going to prayer on Fridays at mosque, and just trying to fit in, in general.
My name is Hayley Al Siddah, and I have two little sisters, Sama (she is six) and Maryam (ten); I am the oldest at 12. My parents are named Akbar and Ahdaf, and I love my family very much. They take very good care of me.
My parents were born in Iraq, but they came to America when the first Iraq war broke out. I have been very sad since the war started over a year ago, and I have been worried about my relatives who still live there; I wonder if they are alive or dead, and I cry whenever I hear of the fighting on the news. I pray that Allah keeps my relatives safe, and I pray to him that America doesn't get attacked again by terrorists! When 9-11 happened, all I could do was cry, and ever since, people have acted very ugly towards us (all Muslims, really!), and I have been sad ever since. I didn't ask for this to happen, and I wish people would see me for the kid that I am! I may be a Muslim in belief, but I am NOT a terrorist; I am just a little girl who just happens to BE Muslim!!
I also have been sad because people treat me ugly. It's coz I was born with cerebral palsy that crippled me. I walk, but I walk with crutches clamped to my arms, and I wear braces on my legs. I sometimes use a wheelchair when I have to go for a long ways, but I usually just use my arm crutches. Sometimes people'll see me walking, and they try to trip me. That makes me so mad! Or else they pull on my head scarf and try to rip my clothes off, and they pinch me and call me horrible, nasty names! I sometimes wish I could go to a different school because where I go now is proving to be such a trial for me!
I have but one, maybe two friends at the most...Johnny Sandusky and Ronee' Le-Anne Reaux, who are brother and sister. Ronee' is in my class, and she and her friend, Nicole, are the only ones who treat me nicely. Johnny, I see him after school, he goes to a different school, but I see him when he gets off the special needs bus. THey don't care that I am Muslim and that they are Christian: all they know is that I am their friend, and they like being with me. I like being with them too, but it would be easier if more kids were as nice as Johnny or Ronee'! Most of the other times I am by myself at school; and I am usually getting teased for one reason or another. I am always so glad when I get off the bus or I see my mama or father again!
I want to make more friends, but the problem is I am too shy, and I don't like how people treat me. They spit on me, or they pinch me, call me nasty names; and it's no wonder I cry so much! I cry so much it's a wonder I have any tears left! I also don't trust people because they treat me so bad, and at times I wish I could hide my "Muslimness" and look like a "normal" little girl who didn't have to dress up to cover herself (women who are Muslim have to be covered in public), and I wish I could have more time to play instead of praying or studying my Q'uran! I also wish I was better at reading and writing than I am, and I wish that I could walk without crutches or braces on my legs! I wish I could go as fast as a cheetah!
Well, I have to go now. I have to sit for Maryam and Sama whilest Mother and Father go to the store. I will write more later. I just hope that I don't get into another fight with my sister Maryam; she can get as mean as a snake sometimes! And I hate it when Sama whines or cries when she doesn't get her own way!!
Can't wait for the con't . . . your mastery of the written word is profound - another penned to perfection write . . . sadly, we live in a world of opinions . . . thanks for this one!!
Exploring the impact of literary icon Flannery O'Connor's noted legacy on the cultural realities of modern-day America, the world, and a certain author.
Exploring the impact of literary icon Flannery O'Connor's noted legacy on the cultural realities of modern-day America, the world, and a certain author.
Exploring the impact of literary icon Flannery O'Connor's noted legacy on the cultural realities of modern-day America, the world, and a certain author.
Hello! I am sorry for not writing sooner, but I have been busy. I have been going to my classes in school, going to prayer on Fridays at mosque, and just trying to fit in, in general.
