TEARS have poured like a relentless torrent, my heart splintered into irreparable fragments, and a profound and relentless sadness engulfs me. Each day becomes an insurmountable struggle as guilt, hopelessness and despair weigh me down, rendering even the simplest of tasks unbearable.
The world's aversion to me is an immutable reality. It's pounding at my soul like Israel's air strikes on Gaza.
It leaves me with no recourse but to wield the formidable strength of storytelling, illuminating the plight of a forsaken people, abandoned in plain sight as the world watches their deaths in HD and 4K. The world hates me, and I don't understand why.
I write this letter not just as a 33-year-old unmarried woman, but as a journalist and a human being who has witnessed the consequences of division and oppression. I grew up in a democracy, but what was once an apartheid state where an entire people were oppressed purely because of the colour of their skin. Yet, as I look at the world today, it pains me to see the continued repression and oppression of Muslims across the globe, from China to Palestine, and even in so-called progressive democracies like France.
In a world that aspires to uphold principles of freedom and justice, it is disheartening to witness the persecution of my fellow Muslims solely for their beliefs and practices. In China, Uighur Muslims face unimaginable horrors, including forced assimilation. The prohibition on performing the pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam, is both heart-breaking and incomprehensible. Why are these peaceful acts of devotion so vehemently policed?
In Palestine, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has caused immeasurable suffering. Palestinians of all faiths endure daily hardships, living under constant surveillance and restrictions, while their right to practice their faith freely and safely is often undermined. And now, a genocide. The smell of death hangs heavy in the air as bodies remain trapped under the rubble. At least 8306 people have been killed in Israel's war on Palestine - it cannot be called a war on Hamas when so many innocent women and children have died in Israeli attacks since 7 October. More than 1400 innocent people have been killed in Israel.
In France, a nation that prides itself on liberty and equality, Muslims are targeted for their religious practices. The ban on headscarves in public places is a direct infringement on personal freedom - a symbol of religious identity erased. Peaceful protests in support of Palestine also prohibited.
As a modern Muslim woman living in a democratic country, I cannot fathom why my religious practices, which harm no one and have no impact on others, are subjected to scrutiny and prohibition.
The headscarf I wear is not a symbol of oppression, but a personal choice that allows me to express my faith. Just as Christians wear crosses or Jews don kippahs, Muslims should have the right to wear the hijab without fear.
The world should not be hellbent on hating us. Freedom and justice must extend to all equally, regardless of their faith.
Let us stand together against hatred and discrimination, working toward a world where the principles of democracy and human rights apply universally, and where no one is judged or oppressed for their beliefs.
As the unmarried daughter, this is what weighs me down.
Sincerely,
The Unmarried Daughter
