Six Girls and a Regime
We sat in the class together
Exchanged notes and learnt from one another
To them the world was fine
Until their dictates were always getting signed
Little did we transgressed
In reply, they pointed out how we dressed
Earlier, in solitude, we had wept
Complained, thought reasons for neglect
The sun didn’t betray us
Rain was fair without any ruckus
Cladded in hijab, we studied for years
Suddenly, one day, they showed their immense fears
Stopped from wearing hijab — attending classes
Sat outsides, lived the meaning of the word — harass
We sat adamant, simmering like volcanoes
Our-so-called friends didn’t care much though
We were six and fought well
At such a young age, we experienced hell
Protest grew bigger
On social media, hatred had umpteen triggers
Court orders were not valued
Principals ensured classes for us were discontinued
Bold that we are, timidity took a backseat
We’re brave, determined, we’ll not retreat
We’re unafraid, we’ve hope
Despite fancy people’s assurance — we’re all one folks
Solidarity poured in from foreign lands
Alas! Our country’s majority still misunderstands
Threaten, hit, and insult us
We use all of that to fuel our guts
Wearing hijab on our own will
Allah’s command is only that we fulfill
Who are you to question us?
Address other issues and gain trust
We love our country and it’s ours
Quran and rights empower
Remember history mocks the cowards
Your ulterior tricks will take you downwards
We’ll be the future one day
Understand, inequality, bias, and hatred go a long way
Allow us to wear hijab was our only plea
It’s my love for Allah — that’s how I see
Lionhearted — our sisters gave an unflinching fight
Who claimed themselves country’s saviours
Showed their utterly spineless behaviours
Generations to come in the future
Will learn about you as abusers
Read how bravery looked like in your gutless regime
Our right to education was unredeemed
We make the country — we live in
The baseless accusations that you keep shoving in
We’ll get you out sooner
Years later, the world will remember what we did
For the love of Allah, we stood with grit
We didn’t sway, bend or break at all
We proved our mettle and didn’t fall
Those who didn’t stand beside us now for a second
Don’t forget, this time you’re spared
Next time, in this regime, you’ll be threatened
For being in power, they know how to keep people frightened
Stand up once and show empathy
Like real humans do; not experimentally
Walk in our shoes and walk a mile
Living with questions in this country is nothing less than an exile
