Islam for Americans
1. means god in Arabic
99 names
no eyes
no ears
Al lah
Al lah
AL LAH
alif lam lam hamsa
Allah is not male
NOT male
not a man
or he
or HE
or anything that
you
can imagine
2. Does your husband make you wear that?
I am a
wrapped piece
of candy a
swaddled jewel
I am perfect
woman under
my packaging
you may not see
my effusive gold mahr
my fruitful awrah
3. Does your religion make you wear that?
the woman
who does not
cover her hair
should have it
shorn
~ Corinthians 15:6
4. Tessellation
Middle Eastern Art Scheherazade veil sheikh
The Alhambra calligraphy Afghanistan burqa
Palestine hashish Morocco pyramids violence
hooknosed Arabic sword mosque haram thief
sand nigger Sinbad jihad camel whore infidel
Iraq belly dancing terrorist Aladdin barbarian
Sahara couscous hookah Rumi rag head bitch
5. last words
I see a woman covered
in a long dress, headscarf
and face veil
salaam aleykum, I say
and as she looks at my
bare head, tank top
and tattoos
she replies,
wa aleykum salaam sister
Khadija Anderson (blog) returned last year to her native Los Angeles after 18 years exile in Seattle. Khadija’s poetry has been published in print and online. She has been a featured reader numerous times in the Seattle area. She is also a Butoh dancer and collaborates with her eldest son in their dance company, Tanden Butoh.
qarrtsiluni 
a beautiful reading of a thought-provoking work ~
This is gorgeous.
It also resonates deeply for me — especially the last section — as a religious Jew, likely to be seen (in summertime) in a tank top and kippah (the head covering that is traditionally worn by Jewish men, though in the most traditional context, not Jewish women, who instead cover much as many Muslim women do.) It confuses some people: if I’m religious enough to wear a kippah, how can I be baring my arms and legs? If I’m secular enough to bare skin, how can I be wearing a kippah?
Anyway. The poem is gorgeous, and I love listening to you read it.
That is a beautiful poem, Khadija.
Khadija, your reading is as beautiful as your poem and yourself. HokaHey, my friend, my cousin — mitakeyu oyasin.
Niiiice
Thought-provoking. I especially liked parts 1 & 5. (But shouldn’t it be “alif lam lam ha”?)
Righteous butoh, too: that clip of 70 Virgins.
Thanks everyone for the comments, I really appreciate the feedback.
@ Nathan, I am working on a video of the poem and will use portions of 70 Virgins. Glad you liked it. Butoh is alot like poetry…
@ Tom- Are you still in LA?
@ Rachel- Thanks for your story, it is a tricky life!
@ Ayesha, it is hamsa sister!
Please let us know if/when you get that video done, presuming you decide to post it on the web. I’m very interested in video poetry, especially when it incorporates dance. I have a small but growing category devoted to dance videos at my video poetry blog, Moving Poems.
Thanks for the reply, Khadija. I was only asking because there is no letter “hamsa” in Arabic – but I was thinking literally and not “literarily” :)
So glad you shared this, K! (It’s wonderful to hear you read!)
and the poem is really extraordinary too. I love the way it permutates, translates and expands…while playing with word and sound. You read it beautifully too.
WOW! Thanks again everyone,
@Ayesha- it is an alif at the end, but it’s sometimes written with a hamsa (hamza) which is a diacritical mark – if you see the “curved” alif at the end that is it, as opposed to just the line straight up, I claimed poetic license on that because I liked the sound better : )
@ Jenny- Thanks so much, that is quite a compliment coming from an amazing poet and my favorite reader!! See you soon…
Oh, I’m a little confused now – hamza is this letter (ء), and Allah is written (الله) with the the letter ha (ه) at the end, so it’s spelt “alif lam lam ha”, or “alif lam lam alif ha” if you include the special short alif that is above the shadda over the lam – no hamza or alif/alif maqsura (the curved alif) at the end (though it might look that way in some calligraphic styles).
I’m certainly not trying to detract from your work, which is lovely – just trying to understand that small point :) Perhaps I have completely misunderstood…
HA! you are so right…that’s what happens when you take Arabic 10 years ago and don’t keep up your practice! Thanks!
Beautiful!
It’s nice to finally hear your voice, it is as beautiful as your poetry!
This is beautiful and so amazing to hear you read it.
salaam aleykum, I say.
Exiled in Seattle indeed! Love you anyway.
Read your poem and said to myself_ I’m liking this_suddenly towards last words_loving it…Thanks!