American War
I am reading a book by Omar El Akkad. He is a journalist. He was born in Cairo Egypt and grew up in Doha, Qatar. He has filed dispatches from the NATO led war in Afghanistan, the military trials at Guantanamo Bay, the Arab Spring revolution in Egypt and the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson, Missouri. He now lives outside of Portland, Oregon.
The story is about a Civil War that breaks out in 2074. Use of petroleum fuels is outlawed. The story is told from the perspective of a twelve year old female refugee. It is a chilling read.
Here is a segment that intrigues me. It is a liturgy of sorts, a mnemonic call-and-response teaching verse that is used in one of the refugee camps.
What is the first anesthetic?
Wealth.
And if I take your wealth?
Necessities.
And if i demolish your home, burn your fields?
Acknowledgement.
And if I make it taboo to sympathize with your plight?
Family.
And if I kill your family?
God.
And God….
……hasn’t said a word in two thousand
years.
Good girl.
I recommend the book. Here is a NPR interview with the author.
