‘Leeches See No Colour’

Words by Zarah Noorani Featured image found via @brownhistory

Hatred is a leech that may never let go of us, and funnily enough this ‘leech’ doesnt see colour, race, religion, height, sex, orientation or illness. How amazing is that, no? Would we have ever guessed we should just adopt the ways of a simple human feeling like ‘hate’? Wow, this truly baffles me. Excuse me while I take a minute to sit back in my chair and think about this. 

The world is taken hostage of an ongoing pandemic, and amidst this, some people still find the time to practice their prejudice out in the public. These are the people who don’t think, but do! Good for them, but is it really? My blood truly goes beyond its boiling point when I hear about these incidents, only for it then, to come down with just a sad thump that only kickstarts several moments of grave anxiety. I am fuming! And I… I am too nervous to do something about it. I often find myself going back into my own head about everything. From the countless names of victims of school shootings, to the countless victims of police brutality; from people of colour everywhere, to innocent muslims being killed only because they committed a crime by believing in their god. From them, to me. It shouldn’t take a horrendous, terrible incident to happen to YOU for it to really matter.

Things that we were brought up around aren’t the things that define us and our behaviour. Crime is a GENERAL concept. Americans do it, Armenians do it, Indians do it, Africans do it, Saudi Arabians do it. Everyone fucking does it. Crime is a general concept. As should be it’s fucking punishment! When will we understand that the act of theft sees no colour, that rape sees no colour, that the act of murder, fraud, corruption, homocide, genocide, abduction, sees no colour. Our brains are the exact same in composition. No brain and no heart is ever black or brown or white. While the world goes down in flames with unjust systems, the least we can do is start changing this way of thinking. Let go of what our ‘ancestors’ believed and start understanding humanity for what it is. Right from changing the way we talk to baristas that mess up our order to our house help; from drivers to our parents; from neighbours to lovers and friends to family. Start being good to everybody. It may not ‘benefit’ you, but it certainly won’t hurt.

Being treated differently because of your colour or your religion is something one should never have to go through. It takes years, YEARS, to get rid of that thought. It really shouldn’t be something everyone should ‘experience’ before they truly understand how important it is to change. Don’t only support selective causes, because you think they matter, I’m sorry I have to say it like this, but you’re being a big fucking part of the problem. Every cause is important. Every movement is important. Don’t just support something because it’s trending. Look into it, educate yourself and understand what’s happening right under your nose and around. Don’t be a fucking idiot, and understand that police brutality is a problem everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Selective support is a problem, don’t be a part of it.

I’ll excuse you, while you understand my plea and take a minute to lie back and think. Really fucking think.