Wake Up America
By: Balkisa Abdikadir, Hawa Adam, Lena Ginawi, and Kiran Waqar
Lena: September 11th, 2001
Wake up America, (gun) *pause* the enemy is here (angry and loud)
Hawa: The terrorist
Kiran: The Jihadists
Lena: Those A-rabs
Balkisa: The womanizers
Hawa: The monsters
Lena: Those Bin laden's
Kiran: The ones to watch out for
Lena: To surveil
Balkisa: To remove
Hawa: To attack
But actually We’re
Lena: The advocates
Kiran: The award winners
Hawa: The bilinguals
Balkisa: hello
Kiran: hola
Lena: bonjour
Hawa: guten tag
Assalamualaikum *wave*
Hawa: We’re the 4.0 Students
Kiran: The honor roll students
Lena: The star athletes (fast)
Kiran: But we’re also the misunderstood (slow down and realize) (Kisa, Hawa, and Lena walk back whispering last few words)
The ones to watch out for
To surveil
To remove
To attack
Kiran: It was the first day of the 10th grade, my first day with the hijab in public. This hijab had the power to change me from Kiran Waqar, typical teen, to Kiran Waqar, an ambassador for all 1.6 billion Muslims.
March 21st, 2003 (loud and fast again)
Lena: Fireworks were thrown into a Palestinian family’s van
Hawa: Flames burned brighter than the rockets red glare
America, what are you celebrating?
April 6th, 2004
Kiran: A woman's hijab is ripped off and she is verbally assaulted.
Balkisa: But she’s dangerous, riiight? She deserves this, riiiight?
Kiran: Wait wait wait, it's her body right, women should be able to do what they want, right!
So if you can show why can’t we conceal? (yell)
August 6th, 2007
Lena: A chemical bomb is tossed at a mosque in Glendale Arizona
Balkisa: The bomb almost hit two Muslim Americans.
Lena: Imagine what could have happened,
Hawa and Kiran: Two mothers
Hawa: could have lost their sons
Hawa and Kiran: Two men
Kiran: Could have lost their lives
Hawa- But wait,
America, you don't care about our protection
*small break*
because you’re trying to protect yourselves from us (Everyone but Kisa back up)
Balkisa: From me
*pause*
I was walking home from school and you decided to cross on the other side of the street. Was the surface I walked on too hot for you to come near? Did you know that your look flamed the fire of insecurities within me?
August 24th, 2010
Hawa: A taxi driver picks up Michael Enright, his first passenger of the day
Lena: It was an average ride until he uttered the word ‘Muslim’
Kiran: Michael Enright, slashes the taxi driver’s face, not once. (Hawa joins) Not twice.
What a price to pay for the freedom of your rights? (angry and upset)
Balkisa and Lena: What happened to our freedom of religion?
Kiran: The ones promised to you, and you, and you?
And me? (everyone but Hawa back up)
Hawa: What about me?
Hawa: It's the first day of school, I am the only muslim girl with the hijab. I can feel everyone’s eyes, razor sharp, their lips forming questions. Who knew curiosity could cut so deep? I just wanted to curl up in a corner.
February 10th, 2010
Hawa: Imagine you’re a Muslim going to your house of prayer, seeing a cross and the words Muslims GO Home written with red paint on the white walls.
Lena: Go home they said? Go home where?
Kiran: The hospital where I was born?
Balkisa: The city where I was raised?
Kiran: We aren’t just Muslims
We’re American Muslims
Kiran: Equal in every way (Everyone but Lena backs up)
Lena: I heard the words roll off of his tongue “You Moslems are the reason the airport lines are so long. You bombers” *pauses* He was drunk *small* but a drunk mind speaks a sober heart
Kiran: These are the things we see, hear, and experience daily
Hawa: and now you’ve know of these:
Lena: Hidden crimes (slow down)
Balkisa: Unheard voices
Kiran: Terror on Muslims
Lena: Restless souls
Hawa: Guns and bullet holes
*long pause*
Wake up America, *pause* the enemy has always been here
Source: https://www.splcenter.org/news/2011/03/29/anti-muslim-incidents-sept-11-2001
#bnv2016
#bnv2016poem
By: Balkisa Abdikadir, Hawa Adam, Lena Ginawi, and Kiran Waqar
Lena: September 11th, 2001
Wake up America, (gun) *pause* the enemy is here (angry and loud)
Hawa: The terrorist
Kiran: The Jihadists
Lena: Those A-rabs
Balkisa: The womanizers
Hawa: The monsters
Lena: Those Bin laden's
Kiran: The ones to watch out for
Lena: To surveil
Balkisa: To remove
Hawa: To attack
But actually We’re
Lena: The advocates
Kiran: The award winners
Hawa: The bilinguals
Balkisa: hello
Kiran: hola
Lena: bonjour
Hawa: guten tag
Assalamualaikum *wave*
Hawa: We’re the 4.0 Students
Kiran: The honor roll students
Lena: The star athletes (fast)
Kiran: But we’re also the misunderstood (slow down and realize) (Kisa, Hawa, and Lena walk back whispering last few words)
The ones to watch out for
To surveil
To remove
To attack
Kiran: It was the first day of the 10th grade, my first day with the hijab in public. This hijab had the power to change me from Kiran Waqar, typical teen, to Kiran Waqar, an ambassador for all 1.6 billion Muslims.
March 21st, 2003 (loud and fast again)
Lena: Fireworks were thrown into a Palestinian family’s van
Hawa: Flames burned brighter than the rockets red glare
America, what are you celebrating?
April 6th, 2004
Kiran: A woman's hijab is ripped off and she is verbally assaulted.
Balkisa: But she’s dangerous, riiight? She deserves this, riiiight?
Kiran: Wait wait wait, it's her body right, women should be able to do what they want, right!
So if you can show why can’t we conceal? (yell)
August 6th, 2007
Lena: A chemical bomb is tossed at a mosque in Glendale Arizona
Balkisa: The bomb almost hit two Muslim Americans.
Lena: Imagine what could have happened,
Hawa and Kiran: Two mothers
Hawa: could have lost their sons
Hawa and Kiran: Two men
Kiran: Could have lost their lives
Hawa- But wait,
America, you don't care about our protection
*small break*
because you’re trying to protect yourselves from us (Everyone but Kisa back up)
Balkisa: From me
*pause*
I was walking home from school and you decided to cross on the other side of the street. Was the surface I walked on too hot for you to come near? Did you know that your look flamed the fire of insecurities within me?
August 24th, 2010
Hawa: A taxi driver picks up Michael Enright, his first passenger of the day
Lena: It was an average ride until he uttered the word ‘Muslim’
Kiran: Michael Enright, slashes the taxi driver’s face, not once. (Hawa joins) Not twice.
What a price to pay for the freedom of your rights? (angry and upset)
Balkisa and Lena: What happened to our freedom of religion?
Kiran: The ones promised to you, and you, and you?
And me? (everyone but Hawa back up)
Hawa: What about me?
Hawa: It's the first day of school, I am the only muslim girl with the hijab. I can feel everyone’s eyes, razor sharp, their lips forming questions. Who knew curiosity could cut so deep? I just wanted to curl up in a corner.
February 10th, 2010
Hawa: Imagine you’re a Muslim going to your house of prayer, seeing a cross and the words Muslims GO Home written with red paint on the white walls.
Lena: Go home they said? Go home where?
Kiran: The hospital where I was born?
Balkisa: The city where I was raised?
Kiran: We aren’t just Muslims
We’re American Muslims
Kiran: Equal in every way (Everyone but Lena backs up)
Lena: I heard the words roll off of his tongue “You Moslems are the reason the airport lines are so long. You bombers” *pauses* He was drunk *small* but a drunk mind speaks a sober heart
Kiran: These are the things we see, hear, and experience daily
Hawa: and now you’ve know of these:
Lena: Hidden crimes (slow down)
Balkisa: Unheard voices
Kiran: Terror on Muslims
Lena: Restless souls
Hawa: Guns and bullet holes
*long pause*
Wake up America, *pause* the enemy has always been here
Source: https://www.splcenter.org/news/2011/03/29/anti-muslim-incidents-sept-11-2001
#bnv2016
#bnv2016poem
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