She lay with her fists clenched, stretched and made tiny sounds. Testing the limits of her abilities, this red new born with a head full of hair and closed eyes was beauty personified to her family. Unknown to them, her clenched fists was a foreshadowing of her fate.
Throughout her childhood she defied all conventions and from an early age had, as her Dad said, “a mind of her own”. She never accepted anything without questioning its purpose. When her Dad would tell her to go to bed she would clench her little fist look up defiantly and ask why she had to go to bed, or why she had to eat all her food, or why she could not go outside, why, why, why. It was the inevitable response to anything she did not want to do.
She continued this behavior in school, never accepting the authority of any teacher. She always wanted to know the reason for everything that she was required to do. She went through her school years with her fists clenched and a defiant look for anyone who tried to assert their authority over her. This included her peers as well as adults, she would not meekly acquiesce to anyone’s demands. She was defiant and often her clenched fist was used as a club to drive away the other kids who demanded her obedience.
Her defiance was was seen as a sign of strength by her parents and as leadership by her peers. As she explored the world and learned of the injustices and inhumanity of others she would become angry, clench her fists and wonder how others could be so intimidated by the power that demanded others to bend to their will.
In college she joined groups demanding social justice and attended protests against police brutality, hunger, war, higher taxes or any other action that caused her to clench her fists and ask why is it that way. Her activist life made her happy but she was not fulfilled. She felt that she needed to do more to help solve the inequities the world presented to her.
Her family began to worry about her activities. They warned that her defiance of convention and authority would lead to problems. She clenched her fists and and told them she would do things her own way and did not need their advice nor their help. She was dedicated to her activist life and could imagine no other way to live.
She joined an international aid agency and soon was traveling around the world to some of the most dangerous and depressing places in the world. She became an organizer helping groups who wanted to obtain justice and equality. Her primary work was with women seeking civil rights in their homelands.
That led her to Afghanistan. In the midst of this war torn country she began working with women who wanted an education. She soon became known as the woman with clenched fists. She was adamant in her beliefs and unwavering in her courage to defy anyone who would deny women an education.
One day as she was working at a school for women, a group of radical religionist entered the school and began beating the women yelling and telling them that God wanted them to cover themselves and serve their husbands, not learn foolish western ideas about mathematics or science. In the midst of this uproar she entered with her fists clenched and that defiant look on her face. Telling these men that women had every right to be exactly what they wanted to be. Her anger and defiance was met with a clenched fist in the middle of her face. She screamed and attacked the man who had hit her. Suddenly a shot rang out! When the sound had died away and the smoke had dissipated she lay on the floor with her fists clenched and her heart stopped.
The women she had defended quietly surrounded her dead body. As they viewed her their faces turned red, they stretched their arms to the scarves on their head uncovering their hair, making quiet sounds of anger and grief as they clenched their fists and asked why the world was full of injustice and wondered what they could do to change it.
No comments:
Post a Comment