Tag Archive | justice

Freedom cries

May14

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When the price of protest songs is solitary confinement

When rappers end up bring tortured

When freedom of speech is non-existent 

When so much in your life is controlled and inspected

Freedom cries 

Liberty dies

Justice is hand-cuffed 

And beauty must hide

When youth leave their country

Because they don’t see hope 

When corruption is rampant

Inflation roars 

When the retirees and teachers protest

When the prisons are full 

When the courts are only a show

And lawyers get arrested

Tears run down the face of a nation 

And joy is hard to come by in most places

But no matter how dark the night  

The dawn will come and the sun will rise 

May 14th, 2023

They persist

Jan6

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I look and listen from a distance

And see a nation in turmoil and pain

People asking for justice and equality

Asking for a normal and acceptable quality of life

But change does not come easily

There is always resistance and pushback

Nevertheless the clock cannot be turned back

People are no longer content with the status quo

They continue to speak up 

Despite the crackdowns

Despite the threats

Despite the imprisonments

And despite the executions

I admire the strength and courage 

Of my countrymen and women

I worry for their safety and security

And I look forward to the day 

When their sacrifices will have paid off

And peace and security and equality prevails

January 6th, 2023

For the courageous people of Iran

Hear me roar

Oct15

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I am woman, hear me roar
Hear me cry out with the pent of anger of years
Hear me shout the anthem of freedom
Hear me voice my grievances
It’s been long enough
And I’m tired of being told who I should be

I am woman, hear me roar
With the courage of a lioness
Prepared to fight for her home
Prepared to protect her kin
With fervour and ferocity

I am woman, hear me roar
Don’t expect me to be quiet any longer
Don’t try to control me because it does not work
A sense of justice has been awakened with in me
Which can set fire to injustice and brutality

I am woman, hear me roar
I am stronger than you think
When I want to defend my rights
I am an opponent you should fear

I am a woman hear me roar:
Woman, life, liberty!

October 15th, 2022

Sun of Justice

Sep26

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The difference is conviction

The difference is ardour and being on the side of justice

The difference is they are not obeying anyone

This is their fight

They are the soldiers and the generals

A fire has been lit for freedom

Its flames are growing everyday

The winds of opposition only cause it to spread

You can’t control a wildfire

The energy of youth

Youth who are tired of lies 

Youth who know their rights are being trampled on

Youth who feel they have nothing to lose

This energy feeds the fire

Injustice can prevail for a while

It can maintain its strong grip on power for some time

But those who are tired of corruption and empty promises

Those who long for freedom and equality

They can only be suppressed so long

The night of oppression is dark

But we can see the glimpses of the dawn

A dawn that will come because of the sacrifices being made

A dawn that will have its price

But soon will the sun of justice shine
For the brave people of Iran

September 26th, 2022

The point of no return

Sep25

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I see people persisting and persevering

I hear their cries

Asking for freedom

Asking for equality

Asking for justice

I see people paying a price

With bullets in their bodies

With their bruises and injuries

With being intimidated and arrested

I see people’s bravery

Women removing their headscarves

The symbol of subservience

When not their choice

Men standing with women

Boys and girls arising

I see Iranians outside Iran

Supporting their bothers and sisters

Worrying for their safely

Admiring their courage

Praying for their well being

I wonder how long those in Iran have to

Put their lives on the line?

When will other compatriots join them and support them?

When will government agents stop hitting

And  sometimes killing their own people?

Their own brothers and sisters?

Their own compatriots?

When will this talisman break?

When will this darkness give way to light?

When will the people’s wishes for justice materialize?

The future is bright

But the path is to freedom

Is paved with blood and sacrifice and

Unity is the hallmark of victory

We are reaching a point of no return

Can this nightmare be coming to an end?

September 25th, 2022

For the brave women and men of Iran

Uprising

Aug1

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For my brothers and sisters in Iran:

A people demanding justice

Demanding free speech

Demanding the ability to buy the basic necessities of life

Demanding better environmental policies

Their voices are loud

They can be heard in all the different corners of Iran

From Khuzestan, to Tabriz to Tehran

They are united

Their demands are clear

They don’t fear retribution

They demonstrate peacefully

Will this time the results be different?

Will they reach their goals?

Mothers whose sons died in the path of freedom and reform

Women who are tired of being told what to wear

And how to live their lives

Youth who are educated but can’t find work

Workers that haven’t been paid in months

Farmers who are suffering due to drought

Brought about by bad decisions of the leaders in the past

Parents who don’t see a bright future for their children

They are all raising their voices again

These are people who will not stay silent any longer

After all they don’t have much to lose

The near future will show the results of their efforts

May freedom and justice be their reward

August 1st, 2021

My hopes for the spring

Mar13

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The spring is returning

The snow is melting

The sun is shining

The birds are singing their song

Nature revives and

Birds return from their trips to warmer climes

I hope the ice of prejudice in our hears melts too

And we see each other as brothers and sisters

I hope the colour of our skin is seen a source of diversity

Not of separation and superiority 

I hope we focus on the wellbeing of others, not just our own

I hope our characters are beautified like the flowers that will bloom

I hope we educate our children morally as well as scientifically

I hope women are treated as equals with dignity and respect

I hope the darkness of prejudice, envy and greed 

Will give way to the light of the dawn

I hope flowers of justice, equality and trustworthiness will bloom

All I can do is to do may share, to play my part

To set lofty goals and serve my community

All I can do is to refine my character

To be diligent and conscientious

All I can do is practice moderation

Show respect and  be compassionate

This is all I can do

This is all we can do

To beautify the world

As this spring arrives

March 11th, 2021

Women of our times

May29

 

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In response to a recent honor killing:
Women have been under the control of men for a long time

Their lives restricted

Their choices restricted

Their whereabouts restricted

 

Sometimes men have gone too far

In exerting their authority over the women of their lives

Lives have been lost

Families put into mourning

Societies horrified

 

Sometimes these actions have gone unpunished

Encouraging others to do similar things

 

But times have changed

Today we recognize that women need not be

Controlled, guided or protected by men

 

Today, women have the same roles in society that men do

Their education is the same

Their responsibilities are the same 

And so should be their rights

 

Laws have been tilted in favour of men for a long time

That no longer makes sense

A community that is not just cannot thrive

 

May 29th, 2020

Angel of hope

Jan11

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Hope is an angel bathed in light

That comes to my dream at night

Hope is a single dandelion 

That has withstood the ravages of winter

Hope is in people coming together 

To mourn what has been lost 

Hope is in the light of the candles burning

Remembering those who are gone 

Hope is in the solidarity we feel

With each other no matter where we come from

Hope is in truth overcoming falsehood

In justice being served in due time

Hope is sometimes hard to find

It may be as rare as the dandelion on the path

But it’s there

Sometimes we need to search for it harder and longer

But it’s there

Hope never dies

 

January 11th, 2020

New reality

Feb4

What are the tools of living in an
Interdependent world
Where diverse cultures and languages
and customs come together
And must co-exist?

We can’t go back in time
Or use the tools that worked in the past
Competition, looking out only for one’s own interests
Emphasis on material things and
Feeling superior to others
Won’t work
This is an interdependent world

Debating does not work
Listening and an open mind will
Competition won’t work
Cooperation will
Rigid thoughts and ideas won’t work
Flexibility will
Living isolated lives won’t work
Mixing and mingling will

The concept of “a leader”
As the one in control won’t work
The leader as servant will
Wanting all the power won’t work
Sharing it, however, will

Seeing and sowing division won’t work
Looking for similarities will
Patriarchy won’t work
Celebrating the feminine will

We live in a new reality
We need a new vision too
A vision in which we see our fellow man
As our brother and sister
Not the other
Not inferior

In this reality
The pain of someone else
Is our pain too
The misfortune of another nation
Ours as well

In this reality
Women and men must work
Side by side
cooperation is needed
Listening is important
Compassion is necessary
Truth is paramount
And service a must

The world has changed and
So must we!
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