Assalamualikum and good evening to everyone.
First of all, I would like to thank all of you for coming here to celebrate the long and enduring legacy of women’s history and also for supporting Turning Point’s mission to help women and families affected by domestic violence. So, I applaud you for being a part of tonight’s event.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Ashwak Fardoush, and I became a volunteer at Turning Point in August 2007. Tonight, I am here to tell you what Turning Point means to me. Since I joined this organization, it has been a blessing in my life.
First, I met so many vibrant, passionate, intelligent young women at Turning Point. Through our meeting for a common cause, we have become very close and Turning Point has become a safe haven where we can express our thoughts and ideas without being judged. When we sit around in a circle, it just becomes so easy to talk about issues that I, for one, often kept to myself or tried to figure out on my own as an individual. In our meetings, sometimes we talk about topics like marriage, or career goals, or simply what the future might hold for us. At times, we discuss the painful stories of domestic violence. And there are other times when I have fond memories of laughing hysterically over funny stories that someone had said. Sharing these stories, which are strands of our identity, brings us closer and weaves together beautiful friendships. And I feel so grateful for having the chance to meet these wonderful girls at Turning Point.
There is another important component at Turning Point, and that is the clients of this organization. I once told Robina that there is something so pure about the space at Turning Point that you cannot forget it. It is so palpable, almost tangible. This sense of purity stays with you even beyond the time you spend there.
Robina simply replied that it is from the blessing from all the women who look on to Turning Point as their only hope for a new beginning. I came to realize just how much Turning Point means to these women.
During the month of January, I worked with one of Turning Point’s client. I accompanied this young woman to the court because she needed an order of protection from her husband. After spending a day with her, I saw so much fear in her eyes. There was so much fear that I could see that it prevented her from flourishing as an individual.
I worked with her several times over the course of the month. We were supposed to meet one day. However, I received a call from Suweba from the office. She told me that the client would not be able to show up for the meeting. After I hanged up the phone, I was overcome with emotion. After I hanged up the phone, I began to cry and I cried, and I cried, and I cried and I could not stop.
I cried for this woman because I knew after I said goodbye to her at the court that day, she had to return back to a ravaged home–empty of love yet full of abuse, empty of promise yet full of fear.
I cried because I have seen the same look of fear in the eyes of some women in my life.
I cried because I knew she wasn’t the only one because there are others who have been crippled by domestic violence, who have been cut off and isolated but feel ashamed to talk about it as if it is their fault.
I cried for a long time that day.
But those tears were not of defeat.
That day, I came in terms with fears of my own. I realized my fear of the term domestic violence and what it implicates, how real it is, and how much it can affect an individual. At the same time, I became aware of my fears of what the future holds for me and the uncertainties.
That day, I decided to embrace these fears. I decided to acknowledge the reality. But at the same time, I realized that I do not have to passively accept the reality as it is because I have the power to change my reality.
So, I was not defeated that day.
Also, through Turning Point, I have realized how many great figures there are in the Muslim community who have so much potential and have so much to offer. And with that in mind, it reignited hope that we can make goals, like lifting domestic violence from our community or any other idealistic goal for that matter, that seem impossible on the outset possible.
So, I ask all of you here tonight to take charge of your reality instead of passively letting it go. Let’s create a ripple of hope and try to make the world a little better place than we found it. Let’s use hope, love, peace as common vocabularies in our dialogue. As theme of tonight’s event suggests, let’s turn challenges of our own and the world’s as opportunities for us to succeed and shine. Thank you.