As a born Hindu, it took me
a few months to be baptised.
But when I chose to practise Islam,
I was scared of circumcision,
believing it was a prerequisite. Eventually,
I learned this wasn’t true, but until then,
I had willfully suppressed my wish.
Frequent newsbreaks alerted us
to the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
I was torn: would I be happy not to
trust Allah? Or should I revive my interest
I once lost?
Innocent men who refused to read
Kalma-e-Shahadat were shot dead.
Before firing, they were forced to show
their genitals. Did the terrorists have
a foreskin fetish?
Faiths have failed to foster camaraderie.
Is altruism headed towards extinction?
Note: 26 people were killed after terrorists opened fire on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah (Jammu and Kashmir) described the incident as “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years.”
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Madras Courier originally ran as a broadsheet with a poetry section. It was a time when readers felt comfortable sharing glimpses of their lives through verse. If you have a poem you’d like to submit, do email us at [email protected].
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