Sometimes I wonder why so many annoying bozos, assorted creeps and bigots come my way, then I realize the answer the moment I ask myself the question. They come my way because I am the only one who can deal with them accordingly. Everyone I know run from trouble while I deal with it. Notice that I didn't say that I seek it out. Never bring trouble to trouble itself until it troubles you.
In case you're wondering who this is, the name is Nabila Maher, and I'm a 21-year-old Saudi-born Canadian Muslim woman living in the City of Toronto, Ontario. As I sit in the library at Ryerson University, I smiled to myself. For the online world is abuzz with exciting news for a change. The kind of news an Afro-centric sister like myself likes to read about.
Now, considering I identify as Saudi-Canadian, you might find it puzzling that I identify as Afro-centric in my views and politics. The reason why? I have Black blood in me. It shows in the curls of my hair, the fullness of my lips, the roundness of my eyes, the light brown/darkish bronze taint of my skin, and last but not least, in my decidedly ample derriere. Women all over the world got nice bums, but everyone knows African women are the undisputed mistresses of that game.
My father, Mahmoud Maher, is Saudi Arabian, and my mother, Azizah Adewale is half Saudi and half Nigerian. I am most definitely a woman of color, forever proud of my African and Arabian lineages. I first saw the light of day in the City of Al Kharj, somewhere in central Saudi Arabia. My parents moved to Ontario three years later and we've lived here ever since.
The City of Toronto, Ontario, truly Canada's biggest metropolis, just selected veteran police officer Mark Saunders to become its new Chief of Police. The media is having a field day with this. It's a brand new day in Canada. The big news? Mr. Saunders is the first Black man to serve as Chief of Police anywhere in Canada. This is unprecedented, to tell you the truth. Many across Canada don't know what to make of it.
"Frigging minorities want to take over now," said a tall, bald-headed and tattooed, leather-clad young white man sitting next to me as he saw me browsing the news online. I hate nosy people, especially when they say stupid things like this. I took a deep breath and willed myself to be calm before I replied to this annoying and probably bigoted clown.
"Well, since you white folks aren't making enough babies, people who look like me will outnumber you soon and take over Canada," I said defiantly, and the bozo's face turned beet-red, and he rose from his chair. I looked at him, refusing to back down before this behemoth even though I'm five-foot-four and have often been called "pixie" by many.
"Bitch, what did you just say to me?" said the bozo, and before I knew it, I was on my feet, fists clenched. I saw anger in his eyes. I guess short, bronze-skinned, Hijab-wearing ladies like myself aren't supposed to be loud and defiant but oh well. Tough shit. I looked up at the tattooed freak and refused to be intimidated by his height or size. I am a Saudi woman, where I come from, we have people a lot scarier than this pale creep.
Women like me stare down the creeps of ISIS. You might have heard of them? They're the Islamist terrorist group that has a penchant for beheading those who disagree with them. I faced them when I went to visit family in the Middle East two years ago. I'll be damned if I let myself get intimidated by this Skinhead wannabe...
"Step away from the lady unless you want your teeth knocked out," said a gruff male voice, and a tall, burly brother got up and stepped between the bald-headed bozo and myself. The pale creep looked from my would-be rescuer to myself, scoffed and then flashed that fake smile I'm so used to seeing on the faces of white Canadians.
"I'm going to vote Conservative next year, and hopefully Prime Minister Stephen Harper will change immigration laws and kick all of you fucking minorities out of Canada," the bozo said, as a parting shot, and then he walked away. I slowly let out the breath I hadn't even realized I'd been holding. Seriously, that was a close one!
"Sister, are you alright?" said the tall brother, and I saw concern on his dark, handsome face. I smiled and nodded, thankful for his help, and keenly aware that everyone inside the Ryerson University campus library was looking at us. Our not so quiet little exchange with the tattooed creep hadn't gone unnoticed, it would seem.
"I'll be fine, brother, thank you," I said gently, and without thinking, I touched my savior's arm. The tall brother, who looked decidedly Somali, smiled shyly, a stark contrast to the furious man who stood between me and my would-be tormentor mere moments ago. Interesting. Very interesting, to say the least.
"As Salam Alaikum, sister, I am Dahir Hassan," the Somali-looking brother said with a gentle nod, and he hesitated when I held out my hand to him, but shook it. We exchanged a smile, and I told him my name. Usually, I am not that forward with males, especially the ones from my faith. What can I say? Even in those first moments, Dahir made an impression on me.
"Good to meet you Dahir, thanks for your help, that creep looks like he might actually hit a sister," I said with a laugh, even though I was still nervous. I'm a spunky woman, but truth be told, I know my limits. No way in hell I would have lasted more than a few minutes against that racist creep, not while unarmed anyways.
"If that pale imitation of a real man had laid a single hand upon you, my sister, he would be with his ancestors," Dahir said somberly, and I watched, amazed, as his shy smile disappeared, and a look of untold ferocity crept into his handsome face. I've heard talk of Somali men and their intensity. They're easygoing, friendly and relaxed one minute and lethal the next.
"You're an angel," I said, and Dahir nodded, once again that self-effacing, gentle smile returned to his face. We smiled at each other, and then I heard myself ask the brother to join me for coffee, since I needed a break from all the encryption codes I've been looking at for my Software Security class. Alright, and I was curious about Dahir as well.
"I'm just a nerd who got lucky and won a civil engineering scholarship," Dahir said to me, a few minutes later, as we grabbed coffee at the Tim Horton's near campus. I smiled and raised my cup to him, for even a gifted computer science student like myself can't do advanced mathematics 24/7. Engineers fascinate me, seriously.