Forgotten Kifaya's

So, often, many things that are not exactly normal... become fashion statements. In the past, rainbow bracelets were used as demarcation symbols advocating for gay rights. People wore them in protest to the norm in order to deliver a message... At some point, rainbow bracelets became so in fashion, that people who wear them now, may or may not know the meaning behind them.

NOW, kifaya's, the plaid wrap that people wear as scarves (see picture) are worn as symbols of defying the oppressive colonization of Palestine, and a statement declaring their need for independence, freedom, and a halt to Israeli brutality. The kifaya recently has become so popular and in fashion that it's crazy. People wear them left and right. You go to claires, hot topic, sears, macy's, forever 21, stores that may oppose each other 100%, yet, they sell this same symbol... However, people do not realize that political meaning. The general public just wears it, because it's in style. SYMBOLS TO DEFY THE NORM ARE BEING NORMALIZED!!! BUT NOT THE MEANING!!! and that is wear the problem lies.

The kifaya is sooo much part of contemporary fashion, yet the meaning is lost through the process of normalization. I have people asking me wear I bought my "scarf" (kifaya) from, and i look at them and say syria.... "What??? Sears???".... "NO SYRIA... You know 2 feet away from Palestine!!" The meaning is being lost, and I fear, that in the future, when the kifaya goes out of style.... When we wear one in opposition to Israeli brutality in Palestine, that people will not think... opposition to oppression... but... wow, that person is soooo 2009.... and that sucks big time... The message will remain undelivered...

So, what should we do:

1- whenever you see someone wearing one, ask them the meaning behind it... If they know it, give them a thumbs up... if they don't, tell them!!!
2- Start wearing t-shirts that clearly say: OPPOSE ISRAELI BRUTALITY IN PALESTINE!!!! or something similar, pair it with the kifaya, and make the meaning known!!!
3- POST THIS BLOG POST TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


So, all you kifaya wearing peoples out there... Please vocalize your condemnation and opposition to oppressive tactics of the Israeli police force in palestine. Normalize peace... normalize opposition to injustice.... but don't normalize a symbol... because sometimes... it can lose it's meaning.

salam \\// peace
-reem

Some poetry performances

Morning,
so... i have a couple of video's on youtube of my feature... but the audio quality sucks a bit... but anyway... I wanted to share...
to see all my video's go to
www.youtube.com/whitefawn87

This is just one... enjoy :)

Mornings are mornings

Sometimes I feel like mornings are no more than mornings... extensions of the previous day... I sleep and wake up to the same routine... I wake up to a day pretty much the same as yesterday... Are they supposed to be different? Am I supposed to make them different? If try to make them different everyday, essentially, aren't you doing the same thing? I don't know.

I was wondering why it's so hard for people to get up in the morning... Like there are days where I wake up at 7am... and I'm like whoa... I totally overslept. But I mean, if they're just extensions of the previous day, what makes it so hard to get up at 7am rather than 11am.... why is it so hard to get in bed at 9pm rather than 1am....

If mornings were just extensions to the previous day... than instead of cereal, pancakes and general "breakfast" foods, why can't we eat pizza, pasta, and salads?? I mean, there wouldn't be anything wrong with that right?

Why do we have to change our clothes from PJ's to 'daytime' clothes? I mean, if mornings were just like yesterday, why can't i just sleep in my jeans, and go out in my PJ's??

Why are you considered fasting if you haven't had breakfast in the morning, but right before you slept, you ate a whole 3 boxes of girl scout cookies...? Technically.... 3 hours later, you had eaten... right?

I guess what I'm trying to say is this... mornings can seem like an extension of all the other days... so that it feels like you're living in a year long day... but the reality is that, we live a new life every 24 hours. We wake up and can be the same or choose to do something different. We breathe a new breath, live a new moment, wake up to a new day that you've never experienced before. Sometimes you feel like that everyday is exactly the same (lol NIN)... but it isn't. My dad used to tell me growing up that I should treat each day with it's worth, like it's a brand new thing and that I want to experience every moment of it. What he told me made me start to think that days weren't just a construct of time, but an actual 'thing' that had certain rights that I need to oblige to it. Sure I can treat it the same everyday, but how do you like sitting in a classroom with a monotonous droning professor? The day has to be greated with the enthusiasm a new best friend (or i guess, a loved one). Exciting, enthralling, worthwhile even if you do nothing, savored, cherished, ect. So, if you're feeling like one morning is just a merger between the night before... write a blog post about it... It gets thoughts flowing.... and essentially, you were able to savor this moment of the new day... with some heartfelt words. And I guess it makes the new morning different and worth waking up to.

salam
-reem