The Submission

The hand belongs to Asma. Against Nasruddin’s strong advice, she insisted upon attending the hearing. And against his better judgment, she demanded to speak with Nasruddin as her translator. In Bengali, she speaks of the peaceful nature and beauty of Islam, and points out that Muslims don’t try to define what the Christian heaven is. She speaks of her dead husband who loved and believed in America, who was university-educated but chose to work as a janitor here because he believed that in America it is possible to work your way up. She speaks of how he proudly paid his taxes and of Abdul, her son, who is an American. She tells the crowd that an American built their parliament in Bangladesh. She expresses that a garden memorial is fitting because it symbolizes how non-Muslims and Muslims have grown together. Nasruddin, ever cautious and aware of the trouble that could come to them, edits out the most heartfelt and vehement parts of Asma’s speech, including her assertion that the crowd should be ashamed.