[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] everybody how you all doing
everybody how you all doing
everybody how you all doing all right gay that’s receptive audience
all right gay that’s receptive audience
all right gay that’s receptive audience relief so the poem that I’m going to be
relief so the poem that I’m going to be
relief so the poem that I’m going to be doing for you today is a cold funeral of
doing for you today is a cold funeral of
doing for you today is a cold funeral of the authentic Muslim woman and I kind of
the authentic Muslim woman and I kind of
the authentic Muslim woman and I kind of see it as linked to this theme of
see it as linked to this theme of
see it as linked to this theme of courage because for me and I hope you’ll
courage because for me and I hope you’ll
courage because for me and I hope you’ll agree it’s a brave and kind of
agree it’s a brave and kind of
agree it’s a brave and kind of unapologetic rejection of the idea that
unapologetic rejection of the idea that
unapologetic rejection of the idea that there is a way to be a Muslim woman that
there is a way to be a Muslim woman that
there is a way to be a Muslim woman that there is a real Muslim woman and that
there is a real Muslim woman and that
there is a real Muslim woman and that Muslim woman actually refers to a
Muslim woman actually refers to a
Muslim woman actually refers to a monolith of people from my life of my
monolith of people from my life of my
monolith of people from my life of my experiences I know that Muslim woman
experiences I know that Muslim woman
experiences I know that Muslim woman refers to a multitude of multifaceted
refers to a multitude of multifaceted
refers to a multitude of multifaceted contradictory complex individuals and
contradictory complex individuals and
contradictory complex individuals and for me embracing that and recognizing
for me embracing that and recognizing
for me embracing that and recognizing that is a brave thing to do and it’s an
that is a brave thing to do and it’s an
that is a brave thing to do and it’s an important thing to do because it goes
important thing to do because it goes
important thing to do because it goes against the way that other people you
against the way that other people you
against the way that other people you know the media politicians even other
know the media politicians even other
know the media politicians even other Muslims even other Muslims women try to
Muslims even other Muslims women try to
Muslims even other Muslims women try to kind of co-opted and say what being a
kind of co-opted and say what being a
kind of co-opted and say what being a Muslim woman is and I think this is
Muslim woman is and I think this is
Muslim woman is and I think this is universal beyond just Muslim women this
universal beyond just Muslim women this
universal beyond just Muslim women this is about saying that everybody should be
is about saying that everybody should be
is about saying that everybody should be allowed and afforded the complexity that
allowed and afforded the complexity that
allowed and afforded the complexity that we afford for ourselves I think we often
we afford for ourselves I think we often
we afford for ourselves I think we often like to think I’m a contradictory person
like to think I’m a contradictory person
like to think I’m a contradictory person and you know I’m allowed to you know be
and you know I’m allowed to you know be
and you know I’m allowed to you know be nuanced but other people you know
nuanced but other people you know
nuanced but other people you know they’re just this they’re just that and
they’re just this they’re just that and
they’re just this they’re just that and we reduce other people to categories and
we reduce other people to categories and
we reduce other people to categories and binaries so hopefully this poem stands
binaries so hopefully this poem stands
binaries so hopefully this poem stands in the face of that so funeral of the
in the face of that so funeral of the
in the face of that so funeral of the authentic Muslim woman dearly beloved we
authentic Muslim woman dearly beloved we
authentic Muslim woman dearly beloved we are gathered here today to bury the
are gathered here today to bury the
are gathered here today to bury the memory of the one who never was who was
memory of the one who never was who was
memory of the one who never was who was written by others made for others and
written by others made for others and
written by others made for others and imposed on us today let us stamp on her
imposed on us today let us stamp on her
imposed on us today let us stamp on her grave and the world she was made to hold
grave and the world she was made to hold
grave and the world she was made to hold us in this is for the girls who cover
us in this is for the girls who cover
us in this is for the girls who cover the hair in the mornings and hang at
the hair in the mornings and hang at
the hair in the mornings and hang at least by night for the girls who keep it
least by night for the girls who keep it
least by night for the girls who keep it covered and those who never do for the
covered and those who never do for the
covered and those who never do for the girls who were forced to those forced
girls who were forced to those forced
girls who were forced to those forced not to and those whose parents made no
not to and those whose parents made no
not to and those whose parents made no comment the ones who wear it loose wear
comment the ones who wear it loose wear
comment the ones who wear it loose wear it barely wear it groovy the ones who
it barely wear it groovy the ones who
it barely wear it groovy the ones who don’t know why they wear it the ones who
don’t know why they wear it the ones who
don’t know why they wear it the ones who only sometimes do the anti-capitalist
only sometimes do the anti-capitalist
only sometimes do the anti-capitalist male gaze resistors the sisters who
male gaze resistors the sisters who
male gaze resistors the sisters who hey Jeb does not mean cloth they’re
hey Jeb does not mean cloth they’re
hey Jeb does not mean cloth they’re taking it off on days after attack the
taking it off on days after attack the
taking it off on days after attack the wearing it in bolder colors the more
wearing it in bolder colors the more
wearing it in bolder colors the more than they’re wearing it the consumed by
than they’re wearing it the consumed by
than they’re wearing it the consumed by their wearing it the warm by it weary
their wearing it the warm by it weary
their wearing it the warm by it weary with it worn and more torn with it
with it worn and more torn with it
with it worn and more torn with it dearly beloved this is for the women who
dearly beloved this is for the women who
dearly beloved this is for the women who have been spat at for their faiths
have been spat at for their faiths
have been spat at for their faiths who’ve had people cross the road over
who’ve had people cross the road over
who’ve had people cross the road over their faiths who have had buses filled
their faiths who have had buses filled
their faiths who have had buses filled with hate over their faith and the ones
with hate over their faith and the ones
with hate over their faith and the ones not noted as connected on the bus
not noted as connected on the bus
not noted as connected on the bus the overlooked as once the asked of
the overlooked as once the asked of
the overlooked as once the asked of their drinkers and the drinkers those
their drinkers and the drinkers those
their drinkers and the drinkers those who do what the boys do and better who
who do what the boys do and better who
who do what the boys do and better who denounced the boys who are the boys are
denounced the boys who are the boys are
denounced the boys who are the boys are better than the boys who loved the boys
better than the boys who loved the boys
better than the boys who loved the boys are loved by the boys which they had the
are loved by the boys which they had the
are loved by the boys which they had the freedom of the boys steal the freedom of
freedom of the boys steal the freedom of
freedom of the boys steal the freedom of their boys stand for the freedom of the
their boys stand for the freedom of the
their boys stand for the freedom of the boys don’t vilify the boys are vilified
boys don’t vilify the boys are vilified
boys don’t vilify the boys are vilified by the boys and still stand for their
by the boys and still stand for their
by the boys and still stand for their rights
rights
rights dearly beloved this is for the girls who
dearly beloved this is for the girls who
dearly beloved this is for the girls who learned their bodies meant shame before
learned their bodies meant shame before
learned their bodies meant shame before they learnt anything else for the girls
they learnt anything else for the girls
they learnt anything else for the girls who shave off the shame and the girls
who shave off the shame and the girls
who shave off the shame and the girls who own it for the secret relationships
who own it for the secret relationships
who own it for the secret relationships the secret bodies the embodied secrets
the secret bodies the embodied secrets
the secret bodies the embodied secrets the silent babies the never born the
the silent babies the never born the
the silent babies the never born the accidentally had the quickly covered up
accidentally had the quickly covered up
accidentally had the quickly covered up the unjustly touched the unafraid the
the unjustly touched the unafraid the
the unjustly touched the unafraid the naked skin the hypocritical kissed the
naked skin the hypocritical kissed the
naked skin the hypocritical kissed the closed legs the afraid to touch and then
closed legs the afraid to touch and then
closed legs the afraid to touch and then never touched
never touched
never touched dearly beloved this is for the married
dearly beloved this is for the married
dearly beloved this is for the married and the unmarried the never married and
and the unmarried the never married and
and the unmarried the never married and the soon-to-be married the
the soon-to-be married the
the soon-to-be married the unmarriageable the second marriage the
unmarriageable the second marriage the
unmarriageable the second marriage the anti marriage the marriage conversation
anti marriage the marriage conversation
anti marriage the marriage conversation the wedding day dream the one for our
the wedding day dream the one for our
the wedding day dream the one for our parents the runaway bride the marriage
parents the runaway bride the marriage
parents the runaway bride the marriage mistake and the happy divorce
mistake and the happy divorce
mistake and the happy divorce dearly beloved this is for the sisters
dearly beloved this is for the sisters
dearly beloved this is for the sisters who wait consistently at dawn and those
who wait consistently at dawn and those
who wait consistently at dawn and those who never can for the prayer sharing and
who never can for the prayer sharing and
who never can for the prayer sharing and the sleep defying the sometimes waking
the sleep defying the sometimes waking
the sleep defying the sometimes waking and the sleepy for the ones who stumble
and the sleepy for the ones who stumble
and the sleepy for the ones who stumble over the words the ones who know the
over the words the ones who know the
over the words the ones who know the entire book and the ones who struggle
entire book and the ones who struggle
entire book and the ones who struggle with it for the ones who get five times
with it for the ones who get five times
with it for the ones who get five times a day the ones who get five minutes a
a day the ones who get five minutes a
a day the ones who get five minutes a night the ones whose five-year-old
night the ones whose five-year-old
night the ones whose five-year-old brings them back to the book the 5-pound
brings them back to the book the 5-pound
brings them back to the book the 5-pound translation the translator the educator
translation the translator the educator
translation the translator the educator the student and the mum dearly beloved
the student and the mum dearly beloved
the student and the mum dearly beloved this is for the quiet girls and the ones
this is for the quiet girls and the ones
this is for the quiet girls and the ones who speak too much the spoken fall and
who speak too much the spoken fall and
who speak too much the spoken fall and the spoken over the girls who speak for
the spoken over the girls who speak for
the spoken over the girls who speak for the girls who speak wrongly for the
the girls who speak wrongly for the
the girls who speak wrongly for the girls who think they can speak for the
girls who think they can speak for the
girls who think they can speak for the girls and the girls who don’t speak are
girls and the girls who don’t speak are
girls and the girls who don’t speak are sick of speaking already spoke spent too
sick of speaking already spoke spent too
sick of speaking already spoke spent too long woke whose words are lost whose
long woke whose words are lost whose
long woke whose words are lost whose voice is hoarse and those still shouting
voice is hoarse and those still shouting
voice is hoarse and those still shouting we were always here and she never was
we were always here and she never was
we were always here and she never was so when two hands offer us either
so when two hands offer us either
so when two hands offer us either victimhood or the total refusal of it
victimhood or the total refusal of it
victimhood or the total refusal of it may we find comfort in our own hands may
may we find comfort in our own hands may
may we find comfort in our own hands may we find comfort in the space between our
we find comfort in the space between our
we find comfort in the space between our hands where cameras never flash and
hands where cameras never flash and
hands where cameras never flash and stories do not weave themselves for we
stories do not weave themselves for we
stories do not weave themselves for we were always here and she never was so
were always here and she never was so
were always here and she never was so today let us stamp on her grave and the
today let us stamp on her grave and the
today let us stamp on her grave and the world she was made to hold us in thank
world she was made to hold us in thank
world she was made to hold us in thank you
you
you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
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