Watched

Watched

"It takes a few seconds for me to realize that the crazy
bleating noise was triggered by me. The metal rods stationed at the
entrance are flashing wild, for me. And the security guard and some
woman in a cardigan are bearing down--on me. Then my arm is seized,
the backpack yanked off my shoulder. I see the suit guy bringing up
the rear, looking not uncle-like at all, but tense."
Naeem, protagonist of Marina Budhos' Watched, is in a world of
trouble. He's been shopping with a friend, Ibrahim. Ibrahim has
tried on a $700 suit he could never afford. When they split up Naeem
triggers the store's alarms. It turns out there are unpaid shirts in
his backpack, stuck there by Ibrahim who will get off with his suit
while Naeem takes the fall.
This isn't the first time Naeem has been in trouble. He's sure
he will be booked and jailed and his parents will be called in.
Having turned eighteen, he'll be charged in adult court. But the cops
who talk to him have another option to offer him. If he can keep an
eye on his Muslim neighborhood and report anything suspicious back to
them, they'll not only get the charges dropped, but pay for the
intelligence.
At first Naeem is checking out computer websites, using a
persona to get accepted by groups. Then he's watching a Queens human
rights group, pretending to volunteer. At first he sees himself as a
hero, but as his work gets closer to home he begins to wonder.
Although a work of fiction, Watched is based on reality. As
author Budhos says,
"I wrote this book while buffeted by painful headlines--the
terrorist attacks in Paris, sting operations and further attacks in
the United States, and the rise of ISIS and their slick recruitment of
young people. My aim is to tell the human story behind the headlines,
to explore the complicated choices and pressures teenagers--especially
Muslim teenagers--face when their world is so riven and made
precarious by violence, extremism, intolerance, and mistrust."
I think she has succeeded beautifully. For this reason I highly
recommend Watched to all who believe that Muslim lives matter.
On a personal note, I'm using the tail end of March break to do as
much writing and spring cleaning as possible. As I write this the
sunshine streaming through my studio window feels like a blessing from
above.
A great big shout out goes to Stephen Hawking who the world just
lost. One of the most amazing individuals ever born, he never let
severe handicaps interfere with his optimism and curiosity about this
beautiful blue planet hurtling through space.
jules hathaway



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