Why do you stare?

Why do you stare

Just because I cover my hair

Why do you glower

Just because of my attire

Why do you seem to think

That I don’t care

That I have no feelings

No sense of compassion

No sense of fashion

No sense of what’s right

And for whom I fight

So just listen to me

Truly… I’m free

I’m part of mortality

Not an alien freak

And this hostility

Is hurting me

Deep inside,

I’m burning

Yearning to break free

Of this stupidity

Why can’t you listen?

Why can’t you open your eyes?

See my tears

See me cry

See me and open your heart

I’m not a strange being

I’m not an invading force

I’m just a human girl

And you have no right

To mess with my affairs

To make rules and laws

That goes against my way of life

Against my sense of what’s true

No matter what you think

I’m not in need of a rescue

I’m happy with what I choose

I don’t need liberating

And I’m not giving up

I don’t need your blessing

To follow my heart

To live my life

But just listen

I’m asking you… listen

See me for who I am

See me for what I am

Please… I’m asking you

 Just for a second

Open your hearts

See the truth

See me for who I am

See me for what I am

Look past the screen

Look past the barrier you see

And look at my personality

I’m not a murderer

I’m not a beggar

I’m not a failure

I’m just a human being

And I just want you to see

Me for who I am

Underneath my scarf

Underneath my hijab

I’m just an ordinary girl

With hopes and dreams

And I want to be free

Of you discriminating me

Because I’ve done nothing wrong

And you shouldn’t convict me

For breaking a law

That doesn’t exist

Leave me in peace

Stop trying to “assist”

Because it’s not helping

It’s just breaking

Our souls

By locking us up

In a jail of hate and scorn

And of adversity

As if we have some fatal disease

And it hurts

So please

Listen to me

When I say

We are already free

We have no desire

No want to shed our attire

We just want to be let free

Of this cage of misery

Of hate

This boundary

That you have helped create

Pay attention to me

Because instead of liberating me

You have thrown me to the lions

And I’m tired of being torn at

I’m tired of being an outcast

I just want to be me

And I want you to see

That you haven’t helped me to be free

Instead you’ve taken that away

Face it… you’ve imprisoned me

And I hope you’re happy

Because I’ve lost my liberty

Why couldn’t you see?

That I was already free…