Desert Flower Quotes

“I feel that God made my body perfect the way I was born. Then man robbed me, took away my power, and left me a cripple. My womanhood was stolen. If God had wanted those body parts missing, why did he create them?
I just pray that one day no woman will have to experience this pain. It will become a thing of the past. People will say "Did you hear, female genital mutilation has been outlawed in Somalia?" Then the next country, and the next, and so on, until the world is safe for all women. What a happy day that will be, and that's what I'm working toward. In'shallah, if God is willing, it will happen. ”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower

“My mother named me after a miracle of nature: Waris means desert flower. The desert flower blooms in a barren environment where few living things can survive.”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower

“Women’s loyalty has to be earned with trust and affection, rather than barbaric rituals. The time has come to leave the old ways of suffering behind”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower

“Many friends have expressed concern that a religious fanatic will try to kill me when I go to Africa. After all, I’ll be speaking out against a crime many fundamentalists consider a holy practice. I’m sure my work will be dangerous, and I admit to being scared…. But my faith tells me to be strong, that God led me down this path for a reason. He has work for me to do. This is my mission. And I believe that long before the day I was born, God chose the day I will die, so I can’t change that. In the meantime, I might as well take a chance, because that’s what I’ve done all my life.”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower

“The people celebrate with our traditional dancing: the women clapping their hands and chanting, their low sweet voices humming across the desert night, and the men leaping high into the air. Everyone contributes food, and we eat”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad

“These tribal wars, like the practice of circumcision, are brought about by the ego, selfishness, and aggression of men. I hate to say that, but it’s true. Both acts stem from their obsession with their territory—their possessions—and women fall into that category both culturally and legally. Perhaps if we cut their balls off, my country would become paradise. The men would calm down and be more sensitive to the world. Without that constant surge of testosterone, there’d be no war, no killing, no thieving, no rape. And if we chopped off their private parts, and turned them loose to run around and either bleed to death or survive, maybe they could understand for the first time what they’re doing to their women.”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower

“nothing to be done, except go see them. I also knew they”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad

“When the shows begin in Milan for the season, every woman and girl in modeling heads there, along with every woman and girl who’s ever dreamed of becoming a model. Suddenly the city is mobbed by extremely tall mutant women, running everywhere like ants.”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad

“Την πρώτη μου νύχτα στην καλύβα της οικογένειάς μου, ο πατέρας μου με ρώτησε: "Πώς σου φαίνεται;". Υποθέτω ότι αναφερόταν στην καινούργια γυναικεία υπόστασή μου, το μόνο όμως που μπορούσα να σκεφτώ ήταν ο πόνος ανάμεσα στα πόδια μου. Πεντάχρονο κοριτσάκι καθώς ήμουν, περιορίστηκα να χαμογελάσω χωρίς ν' αρθρώσω λέξη. Πού να ξέρω τι σημαίνει να είσαι γυναίκα! Ωστόσο, χωρίς να το συνειδητοποιώ εκείνη την εποχή, ήξερα πολύ καλά τι σημαίνει να είσαι Αφρικανή γυναίκα: ήξερα πως να ζω υποφέροντας σιωπηλά, με τον παθητικό, ανήμπορο τρόπο ενός παιδιού.”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower

“I feel that God made my body perfect the way I was born. Then man robbed me, took away my power, and left me a cripple. My womanhood was stolen. If God had wanted those body parts missing, why did he create them?
I just pray that one day no woman will have to experience this pain. It will become a thing of the past. People will say "Did you hear, female genital mutilation has been outlawed in Somalia?" Then the next country, and the next, and so on, until the world is safe for all women. What a happy day that will be, and that's what I'm working toward. In'shallah, if God is willing, it will happen.”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower

“When I was a child I said I don't want to be a woman.
Why?!
Because it's too painful to be a woman!"
"Let us try and change what it means to be a woman.”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower

“Знаю, що, коли мандруєш дорогою життя, потрапляєш під ревучі бурі, насолоджуєшся сонячними променями, стоїш перед загрозою безліч ураганів, виживання залежить лише від твоєї сили волі.”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower

“Ніхто не сидів і не скаржився, не скиглив: "Слухайте, поговорімо про смерть". Життя там було дуже важким, і ми потребували чималих сил, аби вижити, а негатив висмоктував життєву енергію.”
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower