Pseudonyms

By Eltaf H.

TRIGGER WARNING: This article or section cntains information about sexual assault and/or violence which may be triggering to survivors.

We change our names like we change our inclinations- by force.

Maya, a pseudonym she chose for herself, tells the story of her friend who disappeared without anyone’s knowledge. Her name is Rafif, who lived with pain and bullying because she was transgender.

Her family seized love letters on her cell phone that had been sent to her lover:

“After they learned of her orientation, they took her to a fake doctor to read her mind and extract the “genie” inside” says Maya. “She was told she should do these practices. Then the “Sheikh” asked her mother to leave the room, and Rafeef remained alone with him. He began to assault her under the pretext of expelling the demonic spirit, and to bring her back to her senses.”

Maya tells me that this sheikh managed to assault Rafif seven times, and each time she told her friend what was going on with her. She told her family too, but they did not believe her:

Instead, her mother reprimanded and beat her and said to her, “You must put everything right and escape your shell of sin.”

One night, Rafif managed to escape from her house and go to her relatives, who in turn brought her back to her family, return to that life, which was full of suicide attempts and bullying.

Until she was cut off completely.