I'm a Muslim First

he is so called
an educated dude
with some bombastic degree
from a school in Karachi.

In star bucks I bought
him coffee with latte
and sat to talk many things:

well, tell me, I asked
why is religion important to you?
"well, err..yes, I tell you,
because I was born a Muslim."

"so I do what Muslims do -
my deen is first, everything else
is second, third, four of fifth..."

"I'm a Muslim first
my father was a Muslim first
and his father was a Muslim first..."

and if your father's father's father
a devout Hindu wasn't converted to Islam
by brutal force by followers of Islam?

would you then not be a devout Hindu,
doing what Hindus do, worshipping idols
reading Vedas, doing puja and holi?

and suppose you were born a Christian,
would you not be worshipping Virgin Mary
who being a virgin gave birth to Father's son?

is only God not absolute? I asked.
"yes, he is," he answered.
"no idols, no Shivas, no son of God either,
only Mohammad, may God's mercy be upon him."

was Mohammad God? I asked
if not, he wasn't absolute.
so why follow him?

"err.. he was the last prophet.
my father followed him, I follow him.
and if my fore fathers' father was a Hindu
who cares! that was long long in the past."

he got up and left.
it was prayer time.
the fourth in a row of
five day after day.