Trafika Europe 6 - Arabesque

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.

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