A Hate Crime Against the Universe
Posted: March 12, 2015 | Author: Love, InshAllah | Filed under: Love InshAllah writers, Radical Love, Your voices | Tags: American love stories, art, art as survival, desi, hate crime, immigrants, Islamophobia, Love InshAllah, Muslim love, Muslim men, Muslim relationships, Muslim women, racism, Salaam Love, Tanzila Ahmed, the personal is political | Comments Off on A Hate Crime Against the UniverseIt was a rainy and cold night in Los Angeles. The rarity of the rain added a sheen of intrigue as I drove up the 101 freeway through downtown. I glanced at the overpasses above, nearing the place where I’d been told the signs would be. Sure enough, there they were – jankier than I expected, but still expressing their intended hatred. In black pixelated letters one sign said No, and the other featured the image of a crescent and moon.
I took the next exit. After circling around for a few minutes, I finally found the exact overpass on Alameda St., between the city jail and Union Station. I rolled by, slowly. The signs were four laminated, letter-sized pieces of paper forming a larger rectangle. From the grommets at the corners of each sheet, plastic zip ties kept the signs fastened to the chain link fence.
Your voices