The Pain of Being Human

The Pain of Being Human, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

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pjsava has sent you a message on Flickr.
Subject: A warm salute from Colombia
Date: 30th December, 2010

Dear Mr. Firoze

I guess I should began by introducing myself, my name is Pablo Salazar and by the magic of the internet I have come across your magnificent collection of photographs, let my say that they have taken my breath away since the fist time I saw them.
I must also confess that initially I was shocked and sometimes disgusted by the shear and pure boldness of your images, the pain, the blood, the suffering but above all the poverty, there is so much poverty in my country and seeing the same things in India kind of made a connection between this two places, then I began to notice the faith, the hope and the commitment of the people that you have captured in such a magnificent way, then I became a captive of your images.
As a catholic I have found very disturbing the images of the matam, in my faith self inflicted pain is not encouraged but as I looked around other things began to surface, there is no pain without release, Oh how much do I wish to have that moment of enlightenment that the followers of Hussein have in their pain, how deep must be the connection with God in that moment, for all, children and adults alike, but how?, in my life pain has been a constant, but not the physical one, the spiritual one, so here comes my question. Can you explain me how do you reach that connection with God?
In hope and solidarity from the other side of the world, may the Father of us all bless you and your family
with my warmest regards
Pablo Salazar

This is my reply ...

because i cut my head
in the memory of the
martyred grandson of the holy
prophet of islam i a shia hindu
am called a heretic because
my bleeding the pain
on my body i inflict
this bleeding makes
the sanctimonious sick
so living in glass houses '
at my house they throw
a few bricks persecuted
for being human i am
in a fix but those who tie
bombs around their waist
bomb humanity in heaven
get nubile virgins to pick
holy soldiers of god as suffix
no in islam of the fundamentalist
it is a different yardstick
so i bleed showcase my
pain as a protest against
terrorism called yazidiyat
that went against human ethics
yes i am a shia a black shroud
a bleeding fabric my pictures
graphic that good sense restricts
but truth justice are pillars
dont fall because of racist edicts