Blog 3 GDP

Original Text:http://911digitalarchive.org/parser.php?object_id=1651

I don’t know who Khalilah is,

There is Khalilah the friend,

The student,

The chef,

The poet,

The daughter.

Still a part of me

I am searching

To figure out

After September 11^th

People are

Questioning

The part of me

I thought I knew

When I was thirteen

I realized

That being

An African-American Muslim Teenager

In New York

Isn’t easy

I have to

Deal with

Silly stereotypes

Like

We all eat bean pies

The men all wear bow ties

We are ignorant

Lazy

Untrustworthy

Growing up

I knew I was different

Couldn’t wear shorts

Or short sleeved shirts

Had to cover my hair

Couldn’t eat pork

None of those things

Bothered me

Always people

Around

Who knew what

Being Muslim

Was about

As a Young Girl

I never questioned

Who I was

What I stood for

I was an African-American Muslim

And I was proud of that

After the Tragedy

People

Who do not understand

Called Islam

The religion of the Devil

All Muslims

Should be destroyed

I love

Believe

In my religion

It has been

Difficult

Defending

It everyday

I still felt

Alone

Trying to find that

Place

Where

I

Could express

Myself

I joined TRUCE

I am able to express

Myself

Writing

Video

Art

Made a documentary

Concerned the different roles

Religion plays

In our lives

How teenagers

Define

Religion

Spirituality

As their safe havens

Answering these questions

Was difficult

I never asked them

Of myself

These same Questions

I

Should be able to answer

I was wrong

I believe questions

Such as these

Take years

A lifetime

To figure out

Now

I am going into my Senior year

With a better sense

Of who

I am

Intelligent

Eloquent

Beautiful

African American

Muslim Girl