To value defiance
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I value defiance and courage.
What this value means to me:
- To save even one life is equivalent to saving the life of all humankind.[1]
- I must become a menace to my enemies.[2]
We are meant to save innocents, not kill them. In the table spread surah of the Qur'an, "whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity." (5:32) ↩︎
"How many of my brothers and my sisters / will they kill / before I teach myself / retaliation? / Shall we pick a number?" [...] "WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH ME? / I must become a menace to my enemies." From June Jordan's 1976 poem I Must Become a Menace to My Enemies, 1976: https://www.junejordan.net/i-must-become-a-menace-to-my-enemies.html ↩︎
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Liy is a Southeast Asian Muslim knowledge worker and poet sharing their lifelong learning from the imperial periphery. If you're new here (hello!) or need a refresher, start here for house rules. Here I maintain curated lists as a love language for others. Now is my present-day context including from my 5-year old note system. Consider subscribing for free to login and leave comments— I write slowly and send out emails rarely. If you valued what I made, tell me over DM (if we know each other) or tip me with a message— that sends a clear signal of appreciation ✨