Hani > Hani's Quotes

“The Egyptian chronicler of the Napoleonic invasion, ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti (1754-1826), was impressed with the scientific interests of the French but described their mores in scandalous terms:   Their women do not cover themselves and have no modesty; they do not care whether they uncover their private parts. Whenever a Frenchman has to perform an act of nature he does so wherever he happens to be, even in full view of people, and he goes away as he is, without washing his private parts after defecation. If he is a man of taste and refinement he wipes himself with whatever he finds, even with a paper with writing on it, otherwise he remains as he is. They have intercourse with any woman who pleases them and vice versa. Sometimes one of their women goes into a barber’s shop, and invites him to shave her pubic hair. If he wishes he can take his fee in kind.7”
― Joseph Massad, Desiring Arabs

“You are my only prize; the kids are a bonus.' Baba had a way of reassuring Mama of how much she meant to him. Their love story inspired all of us; they exemplified everything that was beautiful about marriage. They worked together as a team, they complemented one another. The sacrifices were many, but they never kept count.”
― Hani Selim, Osama's Jihad

“Baba instilled in us a strong sense of community, and he wanted us to always give to those who didn't have. "You don't give the money to the church, mosque, government, or anyone else for that matter; you give it to the needy yourself. Don't always count on the middle man. The money you are spending in God's name is the money that benefits those in need.”
― Hani Selim, Osama's Jihad

“We think and believe that we are exceptional. We have created so many stories around how exceptional humans are. We were created by the hands of the divine, and the universe is our gift. We believe that it was all created to serve us, but the reality of the matter is, we are not exceptional except for our ability to kill beauty and destroy. We are not as fast as the gazelle or a cheetah; we can't fly like birds; we don't have fur to protect us in the cold; we don't have natural strength to lift heavy objects like a gorilla or an elephant. We created fables to explain our presence, even scientific ones that we can't prove. It is all unproven theories, on all sides. We are not exceptional; we are only exceptional when we work together and in sync with nature like every other creature.”
― Hani Selim, Osama's Jihad

“I will share with you the stories of the family, my own personal stories, and those of how you became a part of our lives. I plan to share with you openly and without censorship. I plan to share stories that most fathers - especially those of conservative roots - wouldn't share willingly. Your gedo always said, "When your son gets older, treat him like a brother.”
― Hani Selim, Osama's Jihad

“He always had a song to dictate to me. He did simple things, which meant the world to me.”
― Hani Selim, Osama's Jihad

“I knew there was a point in my life where I couldn't go to Baba for much; I had to hide a lot from him, and it wasn't because he wouldn't have listened. He lost my trust somewhere along the line because I didn't think he would be able to handle my life, because it was so different from his own. I want you to know both the good and bad; I want you to see me as your fellow human, and not a God. I want you to see me as your friend one day and to not fear approaching me.”
― Hani Selim, Osama's Jihad

“It's all a conundrum, isn't it—
forgetting the mixed tape in the car...
feeling forgotten when...
so many people are thinking of us?
Drinking when we should be eating...
sleeping when we should be making love...
thanking God above when we don't have enough?

Each day is a mad rush to something irrelevant.
We measure our pricelessness by our successes, which...
still equals money.

Life goes by so quick when each day is a mad rush to slow motion.

We eat fast food so that we can go to bed on time,
but, trust me, everyone wakes up too late.”
― Heather Angelika Dooley, Ink Blot in a Poet's Bloodstream

“A good writer
never tells your secrets,
they tell their own.

They sacrifice themselves
and surrender you.”
― Heather Angelika Dooley, Ink Blot in a Poet's Bloodstream