Closing Pandora's Box

This is the final award I have recently been given. When I first looked at it, the word Rad reminded me of German back in high school. Rad in German means bike. But I don’t think this award has anything to do with bikes.

It was given to me by the lovely Sana Castellano (@ A Life Worth Living). Apart from being lovely, she’s funny, witty, clever (aren’t all med students?) and I think she has been going through relationship issues with her blog recently *insert fly inviting moment here* (inserted). Her layout has changed so many times recently that I sometimes had trouble realising it was the same blog I was reading. Now it’s a nice and lovely purple. I think she has resolved her relationship issues with her blog so you can pay her a visit and read some of the awesome things she has to say.

The rules of accepting this award are relatively simple (or not depending on which way you look at them). All you have to do is post a picture you have taken or one from your camera / phone, and give it a caption.

True love in a 330ml can. <3

This picture was  taken by my little brother (or his friend, I can’t remember) at a mosque event a few years back. My hair was so long it wouldn’t fit in my hat. And the eye lashes. Well 2 friends of mine liked them so much they offered to give me a free makeup session involving things that I didn’t even know the meaning of.

Anyway, onto the awarding part. Here are a few awesome bloggers that rank 6.759+ on the Rad scale.

1. Sana Castellano (@ A life worth living) totally deserves this. Yes I know it’s a bit weird to give back an award to someone who gave it to you, but in this case I hope you can overlook that. If you don’t believe me, just check out her blog.
2. Smiley (@ Sparkling Smiles) hates dislikes (?) awards because of the attached rules and regulations. But she totally deserved this. You don’t pre-book people to write your biography unless they’re good. She’s not good, she’s A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Take a read of her recent posts and you will nod your head in agreement. Every post that her fingers type is just so wow. Pretty good job for butter fingers ;).
3. Zαìήαβ (@ Dummy Escape) is pretty Rad (no not in the bike sense of the word). I like her blog because it’s simple. People try so hard to stand out from the crowd that they end being the same as every one else. This blog is different; it’s not hard on the head, nor the eyes and it’s beauty lies in its simplicity. I like it, and I think you will too!
4. Since I started following Ella Unread’s (@ From the STUPIDEST corner of my mind) blog, I have never left her writing without feeling something. She writes short posts, but they are soaked in emotion and humanity, so much so, you’re bound to come across one that’ll make you nod your head and say ‘Me too’.
5. One blogger that is never afraid to say things bluntly, or speak of topics that many people would rather brush under the mat and act like they never existed is Azra (@ Azurah). Her posts can leave you LOL-ing, shaking your head in disgust or scratching your chin deep in thought and there are only very few people who can do that. I personally have learnt a lot from reading what she has to say.
6. Furree Katt (@ Furree Katt) is cool personified. Her blog is a place where you can laugh and have a generally good time. Her writing is always refreshing and fun to read, and the writer herself is a very nice person.
7. AcetylCholine (@ Critical Velocity) is probably the loveliest, funniest and most awesomest Martian you’ll ever come across. And you still want to know why she’s a worthy recipient of this award?
8. I decided to leave Yours Truly (@  {{ Yours Truly }}) to the end of the list because she deserves a special mention. Like all the other people in this list, she is an excellent writer who can keep you captivated for a very long time in words that are extremely thought provoking and true. She is an amazing writer who writes once every 6 or so weeks. That is why I mentioned her last. :P

I hope and pray you all have a lovely and productive week ahead.

[This is a scheduled post]

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Title: Fireflies – Owl City

Yesterday at the hospice my colleague and I started talking about the pornographic industry. Though initial parts of this conversation maybe somewhat crude and explicit, the points raised at the end are extremely important and thought provoking.

I just want you to concentrate on what he said about rationalising the irrational to make it acceptable. Come to think of it, it happens a lot in today’s society. We are quick to find rationale for things that really shouldn’t be rationalised thus allowing us to brush those monsters away from our thoughts. Why? Why do we allow such things to happen?

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Title: Nobody’s home – Avril Lavigne

Here are the Rules for receiving the award:

1. Thank and link back to the person that awarded you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

This award was given to me by Kamila (many many months ago), Yours Truly and most recently by Zainab. Thank you all ever so much for awarding me!

7 things about me:

1. I think I have suffered more colds in this year alone already than the whole of last year. -___-
2. I am really craving a muffin with a hot mug of milk and honey, right now.
3. I procrastinate a lot and had an essay to hand in last week on Wednesday. I think that was the first time ever I felt sick of my procrastinating and nearly cried. But I didn’t. I did the essay instead. Thank you General!
4. I am in a good mood  today (Saturday). After a break in domestic football due to international matches I was once again able to watch my dear Manchester United come back from 2-0 down at half time to win the match 4-2. I only watched the first half because dad’s crew came round to watch the cricket world cup final and kicked me off.
5. I wanted to be a tree at one time in my life (don’t even bother asking).
6. A few minutes ago my brother farted. It was lethal. I smelt it with my blocked nose.
7. I just sneezed and you wouldn’t guess what happened. No, the keyboard is clean. I sneeze farted .

Award to 15 other bloggers

1. Tazeen @ Crimson Sky.
2. Kitkat @ Kitkat’s Tales.
3. Leah @ My Tasty Treasures.
4. Anna K @ A he♥rt for all.
5. normal.is.overrated @ Conceal your thoughts.
6. Randomhyper @ Organized chaos.
7. рεяfεcтℓγ▪ιмpзяfзcт @ Politics of a Torontonian Hijaby.
8. justine love @ Psycho Chick Lessons.
9. SaJ @ Bleargh!
10. Sidrah @ Under The Magic Tree.
11. me_duress @ Another Man's Dream.

Stay smiling! =]

[This is a scheduled post]

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Title: Fireflies – Owl City

It has been exactly a week since I last posted, and as I have recently received a lot of awards from lots of lovely people, I think I’m going to spend the next few days working on them.

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So here are the rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person that awarded this to you.
2. Link posts by you and fellow bloggers that YOU find inspirational.
3. Give the award to 10 fellow bloggers.

This award was given to me by ¤•˚Zαìήαβ˚•¤ (@ Dummy Escape). Thank you ever so much for giving me this honour! You should pay her blog a visit, despite it being very pink, it really is simple and sweet.

I’m going to combine points 2 & 3. Here are some bloggers and their blogs that truly light up my blog-reading:

1. Sara (@ Sweet Serenity in Islam) is extremely knowledgeable, and well spoken. Her blog is for everyone, Muslims who wish to improve their faith and non-Muslims who wish to learn more about Islam. Inspiring Post: Fulfilling our dreams.
2. Though Aeesha S. (@ Aeesha’s Recital) hasn’t recently posted any long and detailed posts, there are many many things one can learn from what she has to say and be duly inspired. While browsing through her blog looking for a relevant post to share with you all, I came across the following one-liner that sums up my point. Inspiring Post: An appraisal.
3. One blog that I have recently started following (literally last week) is Audacious Tori’s (@ Audacious Tori). The reason I like it is because her posts are simple, and usually short but extremely truthful, blunt  and hard hitting. Inspiring Post: When it is over?
4. Another new blog is Chymere Hayes (@ Chymere Hayes). ‘A personal journey to success’ from which we can all borrow a few words of wisdom. Inspiring Post: Note to self.
5. I know I have mentioned Gary (@ Khlanie) a few times before, and if any one deserved this award he surely does! Amazing writer, humourous and inspiring, I have trouble finding words to describe him. Inspiring Post: Positive energy saboteurs.
6. Amira (@ The Stranger’s Diary) is another very knowledgeable blogger who is always interesting to read. Inspiring post: Should be sleeping (a few pictures).
7. MoniqueS (@ My social anxiety disorder), writes from a personal perspective about the title of her blog. There are many ill conceived concepts regarding anxiety disorders and her blog goes a long way in shedding some light on the hidden secrets we may not normally notice or overlook. Inspiring post: My film career and social anxiety.
8. There are some people, whose words make you realise the value of living each and every day. The writer of TheraScribbles is one of them. His words are from the heart and talk about his battle with depression. Inspiring Post: Should I stay or should I go.
9. Asma Khan (@ Stay Blessed) is an excellent and thought provoking writer. Each of her posts leaves one nodding their head in agreement. Inspiring Post: Toxic Relationship.
10. I need a break. Don’t hold your breath for this space.

Hope you are all having a lovely, relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

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Title: Fireflies – Owl City

Some of you may remember the interview with a niqab wearing lady I posted a few months ago. Last week on Monday, the Times 2 supplement contained another juicy article and I’ve posted it here for you to get your teeth stuck into:

The article, which featured on a double page spread, is a very interesting read and raises a lot of issues.

Click on the files to download

Part 1 – 2.58mb

Part 2 – 548kb

Part 3 – 3.5mb

If you are a Muslim woman or girl, to what extent do you agree with some of the comments made by Shaista Gohir? Has Islam really become a patriarchal faith dominated by men?

..."The preachy police - you know, these young men who think they are the moral police. They go around judging other Muslims. They are becoming quite arrogant. What irritates me about them is that they have reduced Islam to a few sets of rituals and the dress code - but Islam is much more than that. It is about how you treat other people; it is about respect, justice and tolerance. So the preachy police will pull out verses on dress but ignore the ones on being good to your neighbour, or being peaceful. They have reduced Islam to a piece of cloth."

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Feel free to leave your thoughts in a comment, and feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.

[This is a scheduled post]

Disclaimer:
All views mentioned in external articles belong to their respective writers and are by no means my own.

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Title: Alice – Avril Lavigne
All scanned images were taken from the Times2 supplement included inside the Times on the 21^st March 2011.

The men, the women, the children walk
In a line, on the side of the dusty track.
Feet scraping, shoulders hunched, in silence, no talk.
Left, right, left, right, left, right, there’s no going back.

Some carry their lives in bundles, on their heads, their backs or hanging by their side,
Under the burden of memories, others carry themselves from falling to the ground.
Their shadows spill around them, forming dark puddles where they collide
Left right, left right, left, there’s no turning around.

They are  like soldiers, they are martyrs, each one an exile,
Marching in suits starched with mud, others with dresses torn.
Feet hurting, cuts in skin that is still fragile.
Left, right, left, right, it’s behind, a cause forlorn.

Where are they to go?
Left, right, left, no rhythm in their feet.
The eyes of the world are on them, what do they have to show?
Left, right. Maybe one day  they will be back, they are not yet beat.

Nas - (March 2011)

This poem I wrote after a 3 year drought of poem writing and so thought I’d share it with you.

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“Most of the patients here,” she said. “Suffer from terminal illnesses and disease. Many have been told they have limited time to live.” It was another day at the hospice training. And we were having a group discussion. “I want you all to get into pairs and threes if needed, and discuss what you would do if you were told you had a short amount of time to live?” I ask you that question,

What would you do if you were told you would die soon?

“It’s important because many of us never think about it. And I think we should ask it because it reminds us of our mortality.” She said after the discussion.

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Many people in the Middle East, in New Zealand, in Japan, were forced to ask themselves this question. There are people living today, who have the shadow of death hanging over their shoulder and they just do not know when their counter will stop counting. We’ve all heard and seen pictures of the death, the destruction, the suffering those people are going through. We’ve all heard the stories of poverty and persecution some people are a victim of each day of their lives.

When you jump into bed tonight, just spare a minute for those people, who do not have a bed in which to to sleep. Think of those people who will be resting their head amid the sound of gun fire. Think of those people who will be cuddling up against rubble. Think of the elderly, the children, the sick, the injured. Think of those that have lost brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters and friends. Think of them and say a prayer.

Please do give generously to those charitable organisations that are providing aid to those in need to the best of your ability.

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Title: Better Days – Goo Goo Dolls
Picture 1, showing a girl walking with a bag through rubble taken from here.
Picture 2, showing a woman prisoner taken from here.
Picture 3, showing a frail man laying taken from here.

O ye who believe! be strict in observing justice, and be witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or against parents and kindred. Whether he be rich or poor, Allah is more regardful of them both than you are. Therefore follow not low desires so that you may be able to act equitably. And if you conceal the truth or evade it, then remember that Allah is well aware of what you do.¹

O ye who believe! be steadfast in the cause of Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just, that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah. Surely, Allah is aware of what you do.²

In my 6^th form class there were 10 boys (including me). We had quite a weird bunch of guys.

• One was gay. He was an excellent singer. We made fun of him.
• One was extremely homophobic, spoke like a robot and loved America more than anything. We made more fun of him.
• One was a diehard Chelsea fan and came to school drunk on many occasions. We had a lot of banter with him, because he was a little mentally challenged loud mouthed.
• One was called Eid. His ability to change his tone from ghettoese to well spoken, grammatically correct English was quite startling. But with a name like Eid, how could you make fun of him?
• Two were Manchester United fans (like me), hard working (not like me), good guys (I was a bit of a *insert appropriate word here* back in the days).
• One was an Arsenal fan. Dynamite comes in small packages. He was small. Every Monday I’d happily remind him, “For the last however many seasons, the only silverware Arsenal have seen has been the studs on their boots.”
• One had the most ostentatious hair ever and would be seen each morning during registration drinking a can of relentless with a carrot cake.
• And then there was me.

Our form got along well with each other (apart from American kid). We played hilarious pranks on one another, like on valentines the gay guy gave the homophobic guy a rose. We shared a lot of friendly banter (mainly about football) and also a lot of homework (usually chemistry).

I was good friends with most of my form, especially the gay guy. We used to sit next to each other in Biology class, had long discussions (mainly me making fun of him) and he even nearly tricked me into seeing a BMW once (not the car). There was another Muslim guy in my maths class who hated the gay guy. “F***ing f*g,” he would say. “Look at that poofter. Stay away from me!” Once I was discussing this with the gay guy and I told him, “Though I do not think homosexuality is right, I also do not think it is right to discriminate against any person.”

But this post isn’t about the gay guy or any of the guys mentioned above.

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I was standing in the queue at the post office. In front of me were two hijabi girls, who had just come out of school. They had been talking about all sorts of stuff; boys, one’s boyfriend, Lady Gaga’s new song and then one of them said:

Girl 1: I heard this siiiiiccccck joke this morning.
Girl 2: What?
Girl 1: Why do Jews have such big noses?
Girl 2: Errrrm I dunno.
Girl 1: ‘Coz the airs free init.
Girl 2: I don’t get it.
Girl 1: Ah don’t worry about it, I got another one. How do you get 6 million Jews into a car?
Girl 2: Errrrm dunno.
Girl 1: *with a smug I am so clever look on her face* Stick ‘em all in the ashtray.

If looks could kill, she’d have been a gonner if her eyes happened to have crossed mine.

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When I wrote my 3-part thoughts on hate (1,2,3) I got an email from someone who wasn’t too happy with the points I made. “You don’t understand Islam at all,” The person said. “You’re a Jew lover.” Followed by a lot more things that are not appropriate to mention here. Am I really?

Fear of the unknown makes people do irrational things, say irrational things and believe irrational things. I already wrote a whole post on that in part 3 of the series on hate, but I wanted to revisit the topic. A significant proportion of Muslim youth (and adults) have this notion in their head that all Jews and Christians are worthy of Allah’s wrath. They seem to think they’re doing Allah a favour by spreading the hate. Some even go as far as usurping the rights of anyone that is not a Muslim. I’d like to ask them why?

“They’re killing our innocent brothers and sisters in Palestine,” they say.
“Who?”
”The Jews.”

Let us analyse that. That reply seems to insinuate that all Jews are responsible for the conflict happening between Israel and Palestine. If that was the case, what were those Jews doing marching in London among the pro-Palestinian protestors in the wake of the Gaza bombings (2009)? If all Jews are bad, then I guess following the same logic all Muslims too should be terrorists after what happened on 9/11 in America, 7/7 in London and with that young man (Abdul Farouk Abdulmtallab) trying to blow up his balls on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. Let’s be just, and use the same measuring stick. If due to the action of a few Jews the whole of the Jewish community is labelled as being bad, then why not the same for the Muslims, and the Christians and the Hindus etc.?

If Jews are so bad, then why did the Holy Prophet Muhammad^(saw) marry one [Refer to Sister Sara’s comment below] why does the Holy Qur’an allow Muslims to marry them? The Holy Prophet Muhammad^(saw) married a recently converted Jew. And when the other wives of the Prophet taunted her or behaved harshly towards her she did not respond. Once Hadhrat Aisha^(ra) and Hadhrat Hafsa^(ra) called her a ‘Jew’ but she remained quiet. On the arrival of the Holy Prophet^(saw), she mentioned these happenings. He replied, “If they claim to be from the family of the Prophet then why didn’t you say that I am far superior because I am daughter of Haroon^(as) (Aaron), niece of Musa^(as) (Moses) and the wife of Muhammad?”. This wondrous woman I refer to is none other than Hadhrat Safia^(ra).

The Holy Qur’an talks of the Khaira-Ummah in the following words:

You are the best people raised for the good of mankind; you enjoin what is good and forbid evil and believe Allah…³

Let us not transgress the rights of justice (refer to translation at the top of the article) owed to one another for that is a commandment given to us by our Lord. I have been brought up being taught respect for others, their beliefs and their way of doing things. Just because it’s different doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wrong.

I was looking for a wallpaper of a Mosque to put onto my PC at home. Scrolling through pages and pages of pictures on Google images I came across the following picture. It looked beautiful:

That is to say, until I clicked on it and read the text on the right hand side. Bad people are found in every group, every religion, every society and every culture. I’d like to see you prove me wrong.

Come to think of it, once you remove the layers of labels everyone is surrounded by, we’re all essentially the same at the core. Whether we belong to different religions, different sexualities, different races, different sets of football fans, deep down inside, we all feel the same pain, the same hurt, the same happiness, the same fear etc. After all, we are all human and that is where it matters. Forget the labels and see the people who reside behind them.

Or maybe I’m just wrong, and just too nice. Maybe hate is the way forward (despite the lessons history teaches us contrary to that belief).

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Picture 1, showing mosque wallpaper taken from here
¹Holy Qur’an - Al-Nisa' Chapter 4 : Verse 136
²Holy Qur’an - Al-Ma'idah Chapter 5 : Verse 9
³Holy Qur’an - Aal-e-`Imran Chapter 3 : Verse 111