Once upon a time there was a little girl named Noor

People deal with turbulence differently; some people take drugs or drink alcohol, others sleep, write, or cry.

I clean up; I clean up my house, tidy my closets, label the items in my drawers, wash my car inside out, clear up my desktop, and rearrange the folders on my drives.

Today, as I was going though my recycle bin - yes I do that too - I found a word document titled Noor and I had no recollection of its contents. I decided to have one last look at it before I permanently delete it and there she was - the loveliest young girl I have met.

I do not know how I deleted that file but I was happy to have found it.

Noor Kamel is the youngest poet I know and I am proud to write about her today. I met the 9 year old poet at an event organized by Iman Youssef the founder of A New Book In The Market.

Little Noor got on stage and began reciting the poems she wrote since she was 7.

At the end of her reading she looked at her audience and said "It is never the end; it is always the beginning."

When she got off stage, she threw her little arms around me and restored my faith in love, happiness, and innocence.

I would like to share with you some of her poems and illustrations hoping that they would have the same effect on you as they had on me.

I am not a virgin (Campus Magazine - October Issue)

I clarified in my earlier writings that in the eyes of God males and females are judged on the same criteria and I have always wondered about our society and how it applauds something when it is done by one gender and then condemns that very same thing when it is done by the other gender knowing that all religions forbade that thing. I never understood how a man could choose a lie over the truth and how God's most favored creature could be so ruthless and judgmental when it came to his female counterpart. This dilemma has pushed girls to extremes; those who have complete sexual relations with the exception of intercourse, those who have "backdoor" sex, and those who have hymen reconstruction surgeries.

Here is my reply to the all the girls who lost their virginity and cannot move on:

I want you to understand that you are not alone and I also want you to understand that it is also not the end of the world.

1) Losing your virginity does not mean that you are a slut

2) Having sex with a man you love makes you human - nothing less and nothing more.

3) We live in a society that loves lies and is in love with liars ... you are better than them ... way better.

4) God is not a God of hatred and punishment ... God is loving and forgiving ... God does not look at your outside ... veil or no veil is not the question ... God looks at your inside and at your actions ... do not let anyone tell you otherwise.

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