A Woman’s Call

This is my open letter to Womankind, if such a concept seems reasonable to you. Why shall I address only women in a man’s world? Precisely because men have driven this world unto its near destruction long enough. It is understandable: unlike us, men cannot bring life into the world as they are merely the sparkle that ignites our inner fire. No, the only control men have over life is to end it. And we all know now just how far they will go. Don’t get me wrong: I do not hate men. I am the widowed mother of two pre-adolescent boys. I know men as I know my boys with all their charming and less appealing traits. I was happily married until death brutally claimed my husband. I have been through hard times but I was born into them to start with. I am a hybrid, a half blood, and my birth into the world was mixed with joy and disappointment. Half French from my mother and half Spanish Gypsy from my father I have grown through the spite of both. Gypsies see the world in two parts: Gypsies (in my case Gitanos) and the others they call Gadgé. Being a hybrid and being female were heavy enough burdens to grow up with. But I made it through, because in spite of the common idea that hybrids are fragile, I find it is the exact opposite: we have to be stronger in order to fight off all prejudices and discrimination. In the end we rely on our most profound strength: the resilience of our mixed blood that makes us so unique, so dear to both races, or species, or whatever it is that humans have found to further deepens the gaps between themselves. The truth is, and certainly those who, like me, come from a mixed background will almost always experience it, the truth indeed is that we are all the same. We are humans aren’t we? So why are we pretending we are so different? Really, if you look into your heart, you will know I am right: you are like me and I am like you. You may not like me but you cannot deny that I am as human as you are. And humanity is the tribe I will answer to.

I am calling out to every woman in this world who, regardless of her ethnic origin, religious background or even sexual orientation, will recognize my voice as female, feminine, and therefore will feel and acknowledge the resemblance, the sorority. I am calling on to you my sisters because some of us are suffering today and I believe that we, as loving sisters, must show them we will not turn our backs on them. Muslim women are indeed women like us, mothers, daughters, and sisters. The most common thought when a Muslim woman is seen wearing a Hijab (headscarf) is to assume that it is a sign of oppression and that this woman is not free of her own choices. Yet in the “Western” world (of what I know myself from France and Canada) wearing a Hijab is certainly a very difficult and courageous act because it is the visible and unmistakable sign of a religion that has become synonymous with terrorism since the 9/11 attacks. But “terrorism” has no race or religion. The Muslim community, Islam, have nothing to be forgiven for. The actions of some people cannot justify the generalization of a whole group. I think History has proven this point many, many times. People from my father’s family have perished in concentration camps during World War II along with Jewish people, communists, homosexuals, and many other oppressed groups rejected solely because of their existence. This situation is not different. As human beings we cannot accept this injustice: we cannot condemn and reject Muslims on account of their nature. I was raised a Christian and as such I will address the Christian community, in particular the Catholics. Oh my sisters and brothers I am asking you, for the love of Jesus (peace be upon his head) himself: who is the good Christian? who is the good Catholic? I will tell you. The good Catholic is the one who hid his Protestant neighbours on the night of August 24, 1572 at Saint Barthélémy, France. An estimated 70,000 Protestants were killed in France, 3,000 in Paris. Yet a lot survived because good Catholics extended their hands to their Protestant brothers and sisters. The same good Catholics, good Christians, saved their Jewish neighbours from deportation during World War II. The good Christians today, I have no doubts, will reach out their hands onto their Muslim brothers and sisters.

All I am asking of you is to follow my lead in a peaceful and symbolical gesture: let us wear a Hijab for a day. Let us show our solidarity and love for our Muslim sisters who choose to wear it every day, not as a sign of oppression, but as a sign of courage and honesty.
Last weekend we celebrated my son’s birthday at a bowling place in Hamilton. One of my son’s friends was a young Muslim child who was afraid to reveal who he was but wasn’t sure how to explain why he would not eat pizza with pepperoni. When I asked his mother about their religion she almost apologized and said very nervously: “Yes we are Muslims but we are not fanatical terrorists.” She was panicky and scared. She admitted that her family was uncomfortable with the idea of being identified as Muslims. This family doesn’t pray at a Mosque but at home, hidden from the public eye. For fear of what you may ask? Last week I was at an event organized by the Hamilton police, which was held in a Hindu temple that was burned down a few years ago by people mistaking it for a Mosque. I think this example doesn’t need any further explanation. The situation is already very serious and I will not be a part of it. No matter what happens to me after Wednesday April 4th, 2007, I want the world to know that I, Muriel Walker, was not an accomplice of what is going to happen very soon, another monstrous crime against humanity.

If you do not have a heart you must at least have a brain: use it. Think about it. Is it fair to let Muslims suffer from the mistakes of a select few? Is it fair to see them all as terrorists? Is it fair to condemn Islam in a world where scientology is actually defended by famous and powerful people? If the answer to these questions is “yes” then we need to be very, very worried: it means we are too far gone already. If God wanted to test us all and certainly all of us, Jews, Christians and Muslims answer to the same God, then he wouldn’t do it any other way. If you are looking to test your faith, whoever you are, this is your moment. Ask yourself this question: are you a good human?
My sisters I turn to you because the fate of our men is in our hands. We have to do this for them too because they are our sons, our fathers, our brothers, our husbands, our lovers. And because we do love them we must save them from themselves. Let them come back to us as they come from us. Let them see us as we truly are. In a world where the female body is always on display, always exploited, let us flash our real beauty, our inner beauty. Let us show the world why we are beautiful and necessary and why wisdom is born from us. Let us not be measured in terms of size, colour, or sex-appeal. Let us be recognized and respected as the guardians of all human life, because essentially, I believe this is what we are and should always be.

Is it too simple to think this way? Is it unrealistic to hope this way? Is it ridiculous to speak this way? Is it futile to dream this way? I do not know the answers to these questions but I know this: asking women of all origins to wear a symbolical piece of garment for just a day is not going to harm anyone. Every woman on this planet should be free of such a choice. And that is exactly what I need you to know about my motivations for doing such a seemingly strange and unexpected move.

I believe in you my sisters. I am now asking you to believe in me.

Dr. Muriel Walker
McMaster University
Tuesday, March 27, 2007