Don’t Confuse Anger for Fear

Editor’s Note: This piece is a guest post, written by Sahar Abdulaziz

Abdulaziz’s post is third in a 3-part series amplifying the voices and perspectives of NbA White Muslim women as members of the American Muslim culture.

By Sahar Abdulaziz

Tyranny masked as democracy has reared its vile head and won, and those who have been marginalized, tyrannized, threatened, and vilified are once again propped up as targets for outright unabashed aggression and violence. Moreover, those under attack are being constantly harassed to now do everyone a big favor and roll with it. That’s right. They want all oppressed and marginalized people to stop making nuisances of themselves, accept the outcome of their oppression, and reach across the aisle, while the serrated knife of hate is pointed strategically to their collective throats.

I mean really, how dare anyone be so thinned-skin as to be insulted by those who defer and applaud sexism and bigotry, right? Why, oh why should anyone be so easily offended or repulsed or even concerned about the flagrant use of overt predatorily motivated behavior – or the political appointment of traffickers of bigotry and racism? Yet, when the communities targeted dare stand up and refuse to be corralled or herded like sheep, they are further mocked and ridiculed.

They are denoted as being ‘scared’ or ‘whining,’ –even referred to as being a bunch of ‘crybabies’ when in fact it is the unapologetic anger, the sheer repulsion and moral integrity, which directs and propels the hunted to continue to resist and struggle – not fear. How dare these miscreants lecture anyone on respect and tolerance from their safe perch of entitlement, while unable and unwilling to scrape up enough human integrity from their own sequestered coffers as they gloatingly – and knowingly pulled the lever for a fascist world leader.

The Battle Cry to Normalize the Abnormal

A purposeful campaign designed to desensitize the masses, revamp the inexcusable, sweep away the cries of dissent, and replace it with an abhorrent rash of apologists all too willing to make the unthinkable plausible. As the swarm of alarming terms such as ‘internment camp’ and ‘registry’ is bantered about, we have among our midst a circus of Muslim cowards all too eager to get back into the good graces of those who hate and despise them. All too anxious to point out how the new repressive sanctions are merely safety precautions. Emotionally anesthetized into being the volunteer buffer between the oppressed and oppressor, and under the impression that the flagrant hypocrisy which has suffocated the flag will somehow protect them from harm. About them, I shudder and wince.

Trust and believe, oh perpetrators of oppression when I tell you that no one values your opinions or cares one iota about what you have to say, and we sure as hell couldn’t care that your fragile feelings and puffed up egos have been miffed because you have been exposed and labeled as the racists and bigots you truly are. Just continue to openly bask in your moment of triviality. Relish that feeling of being absolutely emboldened to slurp the sanctioned doled Kool-Aid up by the gallon-full. Hold on; allow me to grab you a bigger cup. However, while you swallow, we would truly appreciate if you take your loyal tokens with you. That sorry bunch has no home across the dung pile. They and their tepid fate now belong to you.

Oh –and while you’re at it, do us all another solid, – don’t bother speaking on how others are being so easily offended when you’re not the ones ducking bullets, punches or heaven forbid, scraping your loved one’s guts off the sidewalk. Save the empty prayers and abhorrent platitudes when it’s not your homes or vehicles covered in hate graffiti, or your children’s remains being zipped up in a body bag. Ya Allah, I wish you were all as easily offended and up in arms about a Muslim woman’s hijab being set on fire as you all are about the flag being torched.

Confused? Let me make it simpler for you: Keep your trifling, uninformed, divisive mouths shut.

It’s EASY to pander to racists and bigots. It’s even EASIER to feed their egos with misplaced loyalty,or to follow so-called leaders who make no attempt to negate what little respect or human compassion they have for anyone they deem different. Nor can it be remotely civilized to expect those under attack to swallow the plethora of ridiculous rationalizations fed to them upon spoons of religious verbose and countered with regurgitated ramblings, – just to be told to ‘forgive and forget’ the contempt and real danger threatening their very existence.

This type of bullying and terrorism is not new to the fabric of this nation. No matter how much you attempt to revise history or spin to negate it, slavery will not be forgotten and racism and oppression will not be allowed to continue in perpetuity unchecked. The only real difference now is that come January 2017, this form of unconstitutional governing will be Government sponsored and endorsed once again. And while the change that most of us hoped for has been waylaid for now, never think for one moment that your low-rent mentality will sway, hinder or stop those of us willing to fight back. – But whatever you do, you “Basket of Deplorables,” – please don’t confuse anger and repulsion for fear. Don’t be that pathetically blind, because in a climate fed by hate and supported by ignorance, it takes a strong moral compass to forbear, to fight, and to struggle.

The people unwilling to sidestep their dignity and morality and beg for crumbs, with them, you have even a bigger problem on your hands.

Who’s afraid now?

Sahar Abdulaziz

2016 Monroe County Image Awards winner for Community Written Expression, Abdulaziz is the author of five books, –But You LOOK Just Fine, As One Door Closes, The Broken Half, Secrets That Find Us, and her children’s book, The Dino Flu. Abdulaziz covers a wide-range of hard-hitting topics using her writing, and voice to advocate for the underrepresented, the disenfranchised and maligned. Her multidimensional characters have been described as having “substance and soul,” while demonstrating that those who have suffered abuse are not victims, but survivors.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of NbA Muslims.