- Father and Daughter
A few weeks ago in my class, I overheard one of my students teasing his sister by threatening to read her diary.
‘Oh yeahhh’, he said. ‘Well, I’m gonna get ur diary and read it to everyone! Haha!’
‘Whaaatttt! What diary?’
‘Your flower covered one I know where it is! Under ur bed, all girrrrrls keep a diary!’
‘Nuhhhh-uhhhhh’
Me interrupting and hopefully forestalling the fight: ‘There’s nothing wrong with keeping a diary, lots of people do, even boys. You can call it a journal if you want. You write out everything that happens about your day. In fact, a lot of people have blogs, which are like online journals. Even me. Why don’t you write something for my blog? Sometimes when you write something out you feel better about things.’
He asks, ‘What could I write about?’
Me: ‘Well, you could write about your experiences with what happened to your father.’
He looked thoughtful and gave a shrug.
A few days later the little girl comes to me with a tiny note on purple-lined Lisa Frank paper.
‘This is for your blog, sister Jannah’.
My Father
The day my father left was a disaster
the FBI came in the house and made
a huge mess. I really didn’t like that
ATALL. When my father was with me
and was at home, he always told me
“Mama get up were going to the
mosque to pray” I really loved it when
he said that. I love my father dearly
and I would be more than happy if
he came back
home. (smiley face)
(sideways on the paper on top of the kitten angel pic) I (heart) MY DAD!
‘Mama?’, I asked.
‘Yeah, that’s what he used to call me…just…he used to say ‘Mama let’s go’… just like that…’
Her father is one of the hundreds of innocent Muslims detained and unjustly prosecuted by the government in the climate of fear after 9/11. He is currently in jail for the next 15 years and is of advanced years with health problems.
See Project Salam, the Muslim Solidarity Committee, Yassin Aref and the new film Waiting for Mercy for more information on many of these cases of innocent fathers taken from their children.
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Assalamualaikum,
I really love your writings and poems. The story about father is really melancholic and has trickled tears in my eyes. Keep writing.
W’salam
<3 That’s the saddest & sweetest thing ever mashAllah. I really hope these kids are reunited with their dad one day soon inshAllah.
Thanx nuruljannah
I’ll be sure to check out your blog!
Anam they do visit him maybe every 6 months or so. The other family once a year in the summer behind glass.
Sad, but bittersweet…
The case reminded me of the final statements brother Riad Saloojee gave, as executive director of CAIR-CAN, to the public inquiry on Maher Arar:
“In closing, I would like to say that this is the only public inquiry that I know of that is examining the impact of national security investigations on the life of a human being.
“Mr. Arar once recounted a dream he had in prison where he was giving gifts to savories to other prisoners. In my faith, there is such a thing as true dreams. But only the select are blessed to have them.”
http://www.caircan.ca/downloads/CCC-OS-09132005.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maher_Arar
I pray that both daughter, father and each of their du’aas are as such: select
Wow, this was truly touching, sweet and heart-breaking. When I first saw the entry title, it really hit me (My Abba/father is with Allah), so I always feel when I read about fathers being lost, in any manner. I certainly hope this dear father is reunited with his family soon, insha’allah. Thanks for sharing Sis Jannah.
Very touchy and thought provocative!
This is so heartbreaking =(