Saturday, December 10, 2022

Truly and Authentically


                                                                                                                 My painting on a shirt.    


                 I have always been a proud Arab. A proud Muslim. A proud Jordanian. A proud Iraqi. A proud Palestinian. I have been raised to cherish the ever fading golden strands of our nation. A nation that stretched far and wide and brought with it amazing civilizations, cultures, science, beliefs, architecture, art and law. A history that wrote phenomenal books whose characters were Ibn Batuta Travellers, Ibn Al Haytham mathematicians,  Jaber Ibn Hayyan scientists, Al-Kindi philosophers, Al Mutanabi poets and Al Jahith writers.  A nation that has not been that intensely proud in a long time. 

                I have not been so fiercely proud of being Arab in some time now. I mean, I am not proud of our collective recent history. We Arabs, have lost our guide and our light has dimmed. And I am not here to point fingers at any factors or entities that led to this. This is not a political post. This is a post on the love of a nation. How we stick to family no matter how many sour grapes we had amongst and between us, how we help strangers and are generous, and that beneath our sad faces, you will always find a smiling one ready to give. I love how when we see any Arab in any world country, we would smile big and have a bit of a chitchat. I am proud of that part. 

          And I am also proud of how Arabs, as a whole nation, would light up when ONE of us does well.  Morocco reaching the Quarter Finals at the World Cup has proven that. The viral videos of Arab nations jumping up and down after Achraf Hakimi scored the decisive goal were heartwarming to watch. Along with the smile that broke out on my face, there was a faint glimmer shinning in my heart. It was wonderful to be witness to how we still had sibling feelings towards our neighbour. 

               Having an African Arab country reach the quarter final is a dream come true. And what an epic dream it will be when an African Arab country reaches the semi final.... the final.... or even WIN the World Cup... What an inspiration to African and Arab countries alike! It would be a symbol of our ability to do anything if we guided and supported one another. We can sort ourselves out and take control of our lives. We can focus on what is important and keep our promises to advance together. That is the kind of contagious virus I would like to see spreading amongst us in the Arab World. A virus that other nations would welcome at the borders with open arms instead of lengthy lockdowns. Then I will be truly, holistically and authentically proud to be an Arab.

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