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the foreign daughter
see that it’s a huge invention
dreamt up by people who for
centuries have been trying
to: 1) give a meaning to their
existence, and 2) control you
poor, ingenuous illiterates,
and dominate everyone
who finds life slightly scary,
namely, everybody. However,
naturally, I say nothing to these
women swathed in their robes
who always end up finding a
moral to their stories, which is
yet another reason to fear God
or whatever. I’m just happy
that years ago I eradicated
all the expressions in our-
their language that remit to
this superior, supreme being
who is unknown to me. I don’t
say
bi ismi Allah
, in the name
of God, when I start a meal,
or
Insha’Allah
hoping that
something will happen, or
Istagfiru Allah
when someone
sneezes, let alone use any
expression wishing that God
might bring you such and such
a thing, or send down this or
that scourge. Consequently,
the richness of my language
suddenly diminished the
moment I stopped believing
in God. I now know I need
only half the words to say
whatever I want to say.