spent the evening with local writers at the Straw Mat Writers Resist Protest Readings. the idea was to “voice resistance to hate speech and threats to democracy, celebrate free speech and diversity, advocate for accuracy in reporting and transform the margins into new frontiers.” this was a completely different experience for me. i didn’t know anyone there. as u can see, i sat at the best table, with the most lovely ladies. i read a piece i had written for post magazine a couple of years ago. it talks about my “muslimness” and places it in the context of how i grew up under a military regime in pakistan, surrounded by signposts all pointing to what would later become the war on terror. it also explores my personal feelings about islam and some of my family history. all the writers brought something unique and flavorful to the evening. loved most of it, except the deification of obama – it’s depressing. as a muslim, i can tell u that the islamophobia, now floating on the surface of american consciousness, has been there for a long time and that obama contributed to it as much as anyone else. perhaps he needed to distance himself from the muslim community in order to survive, but he took particular interest in the decimation of muslim countries and the death and maiming of muslim bodies. that many liberals, now disenchanted by trump, cannot see the depth of the problem is sad. it makes one feel quite alone. but i got a lot of support from the radical ladies at my table and that was cool.
