What If It Were You?: A Collection of Human Rights Poetry

A child bride paralysed by fear, a man trapped in a life of slavery, a couple imprisoned for simply loving one another, a woman who refuses to bow to social pressure. For many, such nightmares are unimaginable: however, across the world, these struggles are all too real. These evocative and thought-provoking poems draw back the curtain on the men, women and children who suffer in silence, giving a voice to those whose rights, freedom and wellbeing are so often compromised. The hard-hitting realism of Arif-Fear’s poetry uncovers the reality of child marriage, modern slavery, female genital mutilation and many other forms of abuse, and presents such issues in a way which is direct and uncompromising. The subject matter ranges from women struggling to break free from restrictive socio-cultural norms, to communities in conflict and under repressive rule. Social cohesion and justice are often compromised in the name of religion, culture or for financial and/or political reasons. Arif-Fear uses her wealth of experience campaigning for human rights and a more just society to express these global injustices through poetry based upon real people and real issues.

Elizabeth Arif-Fear, who is part of the UN Alliance of Civilizations Fellowship Programme 2020 and winner of the Young Sacred Activist of the Year Award 2019 from St. Ethelburga’s, is the Founder and Editor of www.voiceofsalam.com—a human rights and interfaith platform. A longstanding activist and campaigner, she works with non-profit organisations to tackle a range of human rights, interfaith, social and cultural issues. This is Elizabeth's debut poetry collection which seeks to raise awareness of the struggles fought by many and to call for peace, justice and humanity across the globe.