My cousins are sitting at our dining room table, folding paper airplanes and decorating bookmarks with stickers. Two of the boys are talking about soccer. The oldest boy says his favorite is Ronaldo. At the end of his assessment, he adds, “Messi sucks.” “I like Messi!” chirps his younger brother, who seems sad that his big brother doesn't like what he likes. “Messi supports Israel,” the older brother retorts. “Ronaldo supports Falasteen.” The debate ends there. It doesn't matter who the better player is anymore. I'm grieved that my cousins—my Palestinian, elementary-aged cousins—must debate human rights instead of just soccer.
Kat Abdallah (she/her) is a mixed-race Palestinian-American writer, teacher, and performer. She is currently pursuing a PhD in creative writing from Oklahoma State University. Instagram: @kat.d.abdallah