The land I live in

Awat Muhammad

I live in a land steered by a tribe leader, full of killers under
whose suits blood is constantly trickling down. I live in a country
governed by two madrasas, the pockets of whose sheikhs never
fill up. I live in a country where in the name of democracy all my
wealth and treasures and ethics and sensibilities are raped and
murdered, and then they come to my service to deliver their
condolences. I live in a country with many types of mercenaries
and executioners, dressed in camouflaged clothes and black
facemasks, in suits, in civil activist masquerades, or as Zeravanis
among a thousand other names. When you ask which of these
is official, they say all are and none are! They say “you imbecile
what a difference does it make? All that matters is that they
all kill you” It is a country I live in where whereas it is a flower I
hand to these executioners they hand a bullet unto my heart in
return.

You see this country of ours is realized only in a comedy movie:
they steal your food, they tarnish your honour, they threaten
you, they steal a wagon-full of your money, often they rape
you, and they dishonour you only to at last command you to ask
for forgiveness for they heard a sound coming out of you!!! Do
you know how pleasant my country is, how fascinating my land
is? Oh heavens let my land prosper so they can steal it and not
think of killing me! I am not going to say anything and I am going
to close my eyes… It is your will; in this country in the movie
you direct the hero kills me, and then you come and assemble
committees on me to enquire why was it that I put myself in
front of that unfortunate man’s bullets? In this country that
streets are soaked with blood while the president receives a
peace award; our graveyards are filled with bodies of my selves
while law experts chatter about the supremacy of law!

I live in a country where I am short of nothing, where there are
as many armed men as there are civilians, where as much as
all the threats ever issued in all the corners of the earth have
threats been issued to my people not to come to the streets
– for otherwise they will be taken to the cemeteries. As did
Ghadafi, they say “demonstration is a basic right for every
individual, but it is important that you don’t come to the streets
and alleys.” I live in a country where I am often raped, where
they threaten me from all directions not to utter a sigh, only to
bring their own cars to the street to horn and shout in the favor
of the president. When is that they learn in this country, that
there were rulers who got 96% of the votes only to be ousted
by applauds from the city, no one knowing where all the votes
went.

I live in a country where for a loaf of bread I must tread on the
doorsteps of many officials; they all say the official is busy in
meetings. At a time when my city is boiling the president is
going for party, departing from his city lest they ask him how he
intends to solve the issue, or perhaps for fear they might ask him
for a few cents of compensation. He knows such questions are
annoying, it is better that he attends a celebration in another
country. I am lucky to live in this country, where I die and come
back to live again every day, receiving many threats of death in
the few moments I am alive. Who has such a country? I challenge
anyone to say his country is like mine…