Mosque, Temple

Let the pavilions of religion be ground to bits,
let the bricks of temples, mosques, gurudwaras, churches
be burnt in blind fire,
and upon those heaps of destruction
let lovely flower gardens grow, spreading their fragrance,
let children's schools and study halls grow.

For the welfare of humanity, now let prayer halls
be turned into hospitals, orphanages, schools, universities,
now let prayer halls become academies of art, fine arts centers,
scientific research institutes,
now let prayer halls be turned to golden rice fields
in the radiant dawn,
open fields, rivers, restless seas.

From now on let religion's other name be humanity.

Note: Yes, how about some humanity for starters? The poem above was written by Taslima Nasrin, a Bangladeshi writer and poet. She is a feminist and has been labeled, blasphemous. As far as her poetry goes, I think she does a great job of exposing the harsh reality of life as a woman in South Asia. This poem was translated by Carolyne Wright in the book, "The Game In Reverse."

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