You spot her walking towards you down the street, covered, modest, her hair hidden behind a swath of fabric. You can only see her features but you ignore the peaceful look upon it. You ignore the smile that she may cast your way if you catch her eyes.
In an instant, you've judged her.
You do not want to believe that the smile is genuine or friendly because that goes against everything you've been taught. You don't want to believe anything positive about her.
You will ignore the new shoes that she's worked so hard to buy or the new purse which she's been wanting for so long. You're going to wonder instead what she's doing there, sharing the same space with you. She doesn't belong, you think to yourself.
You will only see the cover on her head though, won't you? You refuse to acknowledge the gentleness within her demeanor nor the blanket of kindness that seems to surround her. You will not want to note that she is pretty, despite the head covering and yes, even fashionable but...that's not how women are supposed to dress, you sneer internally. This woman is oppressed and blinded to it, you're so positive.
And in those moments as she's moving closer towards you, you will only recall all the endless reports on the news regarding her ilk, her kind, her effin' kind. Why doesn't she disappear? Why doesn't she just go away? Why does her people even exists, the murderous bastards, you fume within your being. You damn her instantly without knowing a thing about her. She must be 'one of them' you think. And the next thought, a simmering sense of hatred spreading through your being, throbbing to life, "she's to blame..."
And if someone where to say to you: But she isn't. If someone took their time to point out: She's simply walking by you. She's on her way to work, possibly like you, or to a meeting. She could be headed to the grocery store to pick up fixings for lunch/dinner, like you do. She may be running to the daycare to pick up her beloved child or anxiously hurrying along because she's late for a meeting with her friends who she hasn't seen in so long, like you may have done.
What would you say to that person? Most likely, "you're un-American!"
But you don't see that last night she was up nursing her mother who was sick with the flu, or on the phone with a friend giving him heartfelt advice or weeping into her own pillow because she was just jilted. You weren't witness to the happiness of falling in love for the first time, the acceptance letter to a new school/job. You think she knows nothing about 'your' way of life, the 'American' way although she was born here, speaks the same language, enjoys pizza and popcorn and yes, even has the accent to boot.
All you see is the head thingie, right?
You don't understand her. She is foreign. If you like her, God forbid if you like her, then are you a traitor too, you wonder, fighting this hard. And if you do like her...if you dare to look at her as a person and not 'a head thingie' does that mean that you're turning into one of them? If you stand too close will somehow her religion and beliefs rub off? You could never face your friends and you would never be able to feel comfortable with yourself because the best place to be for you? Is in the dark.
You have rejected her long before she made an appearance on that sidewalk/mall/public arena. You have no clue as to the person she is, the thoughts that run through her mind, the struggles she's faced, the achievements she's had, her philosophy, her morality, her purpose, her beliefs...you know nothing about her at all but...the head thingie. You have written her off for everything you've assumed is true, but nothing that is based on any real facts. You do not want to interact with her because you'd rather hate than understand, you'd rather blame than take responsibility.
To you, she is really not human, she's something to be feared, hated, loathed, blamed. She stands for everything that is not you and she's too stupid to realize how bad off she really is, you snort in disgust under your breath.
And all along, as she walks by, you think to yourself, 'terrorist'.
That's it...terrorist.
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