To Kill The Other..!

I have always enjoyed reading novels in my own language because I could relate more to it, I would read books in English but I was never able to enjoy them as much as I enjoy reading books in my mother tongue. But reading “To Kill The Other” was like reading a book in Arabic, I was surprisingly relating to every word written in it. I would remember situations that happened to me personally or heard it happening to people I know in this book which makes me think that the writer of the book, coming from a western background, did an excellent research when it came to writing this book. I find it really hard to write a book set in a different culture, because to understand the inner dialogues that occur within one’s self in a completely different culture needs tremendous studying.

 So to Danuta Hinc,  your book is breathtaking literally. Your book reaffirmed my belief that we are all really the same thing, we share the same human experience, different characters set in the book  from Poland,  Ukraine,  Egypt,  Afghanistan and others sharing their thoughts on life and what the other represent to them reaffirmed my belief, once again, that all we need is some empathy and openness to the other.

 One more thing that I really liked about “To Kill The Other”  is that no matter what’s your ethnicity, where you come from, your religion, you will be touched by this .  It awakens the human being in you and makes you feel connected to all human beings everywhere. You will find yourself sympathizing with Egyptian prisoners tortured in the 1980′s following Sadat’s assassination, Jews, Poles, Pakistanis, Afghans, Russians, Palestinians, Israelis and those victims of 9/11 themselves. It doesn’t matter where you come from, you will end up realizing that we are really the same thing.

 Finally It’s really great to see Western writers writing about 9/11 from a prospective that’s not biased, to dive deep into the lives of the hijackers and to know that there’s always more than one side to each story is not an easy job for a writer from the West but Danuta Hinc, once again, managed to do it.

Late night ranting..!

The fact that typing these words now is going to be a past in few hours is annoying, I have no control over time and likewise I have no control over my life. Things keep on happening and I have no choice but to accept what’s happening. I have no intention to whine but I am bitter. I think being bitter is what follows the complaining phase, you realize that complaining gets you no where so you embrace this fact and stop complaining, in other words you grow up, yet feeling bitter becomes inevitable.

 I know it’s not healthy to feel this way especially that I am in my early twenties, I haven’t seen much and yet I feel too old. I used to read a lot when I was young and I regret doing so, books contributed to my pessimism, all the elder people I have talked to in my life contributed to my pessimism, they all gave me the same message, life is not easy.

 I KNOW life is not easy, I just don’t like this fact, I know we are all in pain, I know we are all suffering from this or that thing, but guess what?  I don’t like it and I am bitter. I really am trapped in life and if given the choice I wouldn’t have trapped myself in this shit.  When the good times come I am aware that they are temporary, when the bad times come I am still aware of the fact that they are temporary. I know this fact but I don’t like it. I admit that I  have this child in me who wants to be happy forever,  I know this will not happen, I accept it but I can’t help but feel bitter.

 I know I don’t know much in  life, and I know the way I see things now will change, I  know I will never understand life or  find out why I am here, why I am friends with these people and not those people, why I was born in this place and not that place, why do I look this way and not that way, why do I have these parents and not those parents. I know my questions will never get answers. I know this but, once again, I don’t like it.

 I know my parents tell me the good is yet to come but I know they are saying this because this is what they have to say to be good parents, I know the good is not necessarily yet to come, yes good times will come  but shitty times will always be there as well.

 Lately I have been finding comfort in religion, but I don’t know if I am doing this out of belief and faith or that I am finding this comfort in religion because it’s my last resort, I mean, I don’t know if I am approaching God because God is worth approaching or that that my motive is personal and I want to approach God because I just feel safer when I approach God.

 And now the final word is to God, Dear God, I believe my relationship with you is too personal, you know that deep inside I want to be a good human being, I don’t do all the things that they tell me will please you, but I know your eye is different from theirs, and I know you know that I am trying to be someone good so please help me become a better person, keep my sanity and protect me from those inner irritating voices.