'Sick of it all'. Poem by me.
Sick of it all I'm a child brought up in a house of more than one faith. A house of Catholics and Church of England Christians. A house with a Muslim father. A house with family members who are loving. Who are caring. Who are similar. But they aren't the same. I talk to my cousin from Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. I ask her if she's safe. If she's she well. When my English cousin pops round the house I ask her: "Are you safe?" "Are you well?" Both cousins are similar. But not the same. For when I am asking my Muslim cousin, I'm not asking "how's school?" I'm not asking if she's had a cold. I'm asking her if the bombs hit the family home. I'm asking her if she's still alive. I'm asking her how the teenage female that she is can cope in the terrifying land of the Middle East. I don't ask her anything else. Her being safe is good enough right? Wrong. A world full of terror and fear isn't a world for my cousin. A world where I watch the television and hear rotten politicians refer to muslims as dangerous. As radical. As disgusting. Well I'm sorry for I disagree. For the father and family I have met so far do not fit in this category. My biracial self does not fit in this category. No Muslim should fit in this category. I do apologise for the tiny, minuscule percentage that do. I truly am. I'm sorry. Not only for the European or American lives lost but but also for those innocent muslims who thought their homes were once safe. That their country was once safe. Just as we like to hope ours is. But it's not. England is a country with political issues. A country with conflict over laws that need changing. Over feminism. Over democracy. America is a country with political issues. A country with conflict over laws that need changing. Over feminism. Over democracy. They are similar, sure. But not the same. For as the media shows, a sinister character is amongst America as Brexit was for the UK. A character threatening the lives of many. The lives of Mexicans. The lives of women. The lives of immigrants. The lives of Muslims. A man who calls women pigs. A man who calls immigrants rapists. A man who sexually assaulted a women. Only for it to be labelled "Locker Room Banter". Because equality's real, right? Because racism, homophobia and sexism isn't real, right? Because I might finally lose faith in this generation if I see one more meme, one more post, one more casual joke about the racism, homophobia and sexism in this world. So you think rapes funny? So you hate crime is funny? So you think the Orlando killings were funny? Look up. Because I don't see any of these victims laughing. -Georgie Kulkhan