The Watched Citizen

That fateful day of September 11 was an American tragedy:

Watching twin towers crumble and descent into ashes,

Witnessing innocent souls vanish into the flame and smoke,

As their saving heroes rush into looming hell with no chance of return

Citizens of all colors, religions and non-believers wept together in grief

We hugged each other to ease our pain.

Many Muslims-Americans owned those shoulders sobbing with grief.

As the media scrambled to find the cause and who to blame

Fingers were pointed to east to those who carry the Muslim name

“Hell no, the Mohammedans!” I cried with no faith in the news.

As the world reeled with disbelief, fear gathered among the faithful

Children pulled from schools and forced to stay home

Their neighbors gave suspicious looks and called them ‘sleeping cells’

Even cab drivers were passed by travelers who carried scorn,

Those who shared cubicles at work with others were isolated

No “hello” or “how are you?” from their colleagues at work,

Hate hung in the air and the future became bleak

The Commander In-Chief declared a war by raising his glistering sword

“This is a new crusade,” he affirmed with vengeance on his head.

Nations were asked who they sided with;

“With us or the enemy?” world leaders were asked to choose,

The line of “us versus them” was clearly drawn.

As U.S. forces crossed the Tigris River Bridge,

And bombs rained over historic Baghdad,

Scores of Muslim-Americans were rounded up in mass,

Shackled in chains, blind-folded and shunted to the unknown,

Their American Dream shattered as they became the scapegoat.

And the Patriot Act was hastily passed by a concerned Congress,

The regular frequent flyers like me soon black listed by the TSA*.

The suspicious list grew ten fold each day.

Facing the TSA screeners has become the biggest nightmare

Imagine if you are pulled aside every trip you make

I gave up the question “why am I being pulled aside” long ago

“The random search picked you up” was the answer I used to receive

If random check was a lottery game, I could have been a millionaire by now

A joke that TSA officers do not appreciate.

With all new hi-tech technology, body scans and finger prints,

The system failed to find equilibrium justice for citizens affected by this law.

Stories of Muslim travelers in America was horrifying least to say.

On one of those days, I was pulled aside at Dulles Airport

Looking around as TSA officers sifted my stuff;

A young woman with Islamic head scarf came to the second line.

She was soon pulled aside and the search soon followed.

Young, vibrant face with a pure American accent,

Born and raised in America, but the hijab on her head put her in a different category.

The fear in her face as someone from a distant land.

I can never understand the logic of blowing up planes or buildings.

I’m not even sure if the “70 virgins reward” is a prize to die for.

I don’t want to be the sacrificial lamb of American security.

Isn’t there better way to guarantee both security and personal liberty?

Liberty is what brought us here in the first place.

Despite these inconveniences, America is still the best place for peace and freedom

Thousands still brave the roaring seas to reach the Statue of Liberty’s flaming torch.

Conflicted soul as I may be, this America still remains the greatest land on earth.

The beacon of hope shines for all seeking liberty and freedom.

I must be patient till my back bends with age,

Despite TSA, America is a great place for all.

By Farah M. Mohamed

farahmohamed@somalimedia.com