Confessions of an American Muslim

Underwhelmed in 2012

2011-06-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

With reports that the Obama fundraising machine has its sights on $1billion for the 2012 election cycle (yes, that’s a “b”), the Republicans up till now have seemed reluctant to throw their hats in the ring. But nominations are slowly trickling in, and the election is looking to be, well, boring.

In the United States, a potential candidate for a party must get the nomination, and usually, prepping a candidate for nomination requires several years of name dropping, formulaic partisan policy adoption, and high profile speeches. Not this year for Republicans. This waiting game is unusual, and can probably be explained by a combination of the economy on micro and macro scales, the butt-whoopin’ the Republicans took in 2008, and the Tea Party phenomenon. Perhaps added to that is the realization that Republicans have screwed up big time—cutting the budget to drastically harm entitlements and education while stubbornly refusing to raise taxes on the rich or make serious cuts in other parts of the budget. Americans might not be as smart as a 5th grader, but we learned to count in kindergarten.

While President Obama has tried to keep his voter base together at the expense of the rest of the world, Republicans have given their token shout-outs. Obama’s May speech, for example, resulted in the usual “you’ve thrown Israel under the bus again” for the simple suggestion that latest Israel-Palestine negotiations begin at the 1967 borders. Now, everyone knows that there is no way Israel would have accepted that negotiation starting point. Everybody also knows that Obama’s suggesting such was an insincere attempt to appear to be a neutral peacemaker. Yet Republicans don’t want to let go of the AIPAC dollars, and so made the statements.
Who are today’s Republican contenders? Here are a few—mostly recycled from past election seasons:

Michelle Bachmann: This Congresswoman is a Tea Party favorite whose grasp on American history and the Constitution is, umm, loose. High school student Amy Myers challenged Bachmann to a “fact check” debate on American civics and the Constitution, stating her cause for concern over Bachmann misstatements:
“As one of a handful of women in Congress, you hold a distinct privilege and responsibility to better represent your gender nationally. The statements you make help to serve an injustice to not only the position of Congresswoman, but women everywhere. Though politically expedient, incorrect comments cast a shadow on your person and by unfortunate proxy, both your supporters and detractors alike often generalize this shadow to women as a whole.”
(I am seriously impressed with that young lady. I hope politics don’t ruin her.)

Update: Bachmann is enjoying an early start as her soundbites are coming off as attractive to primary-type Republicans. I don't expect that to last too long, but at the time of this writing, she's about neck-and-neck with Mitt Romney.

Newt Gingrich: Ex-Congressman Gingrich is probably the most factual of the Republican bunch. I don’t care for him much—he’s a womanizer and a hypocrite, but he’s the one I like best so far.

Update: He's out, but just doesn't know it yet, I think.

Mitt Romney: Former Governor Romney is vanilla. Just plain vanilla. Everyone can agree on vanilla, even if it’s not anyone’s favorite.

Update: Still vanilla.

Donald Trump: He’s not running, but he’s fun to talk about. He ranted on about the Middle East overcharging for oil, and taking back the American economy from China. His pro-birther campaign lost him any semblance of credibility—he actually stated that he was proud of himself for forcing Obama to obtain and show his “long” birth certificate from Hawaii. I predict that his reality show won’t last too much longer. Well, that’s more of a hope than an actual prediction.

Update: Does anyone care?

Tim Pawlenty: Two-term governor of Minnesota, Pawlenty’s goal is to out-vanilla Romney. If he can convince Evangelical America that he is a better alternative than the Mormon Romney and will appeal to the center, he may just have a chance.

Update: Predictably, and like everyone else, taking swipes at Obama.

Sarah Palin: No one’s really sure what Palin is doing these days, including Palin. She is currently taking a tour of the country on bus. The bus, decorated with Palin’s name and patriotic images, has hit the political circuit without a statement of intent except having a nice vacation. She reportedly will not speak to the “lamestream media” because it would affect her contract with Fox News. This is a no-news situation, but of course, the lamestream media that Palin so loves to bash, is eating it up. May Allah help us.

Update: I'm still not sure what's going on with her, and neither is she.

New mentions: John Huntsman (ex-governor of Utah), Rick Perry, (governor of Texas), Hermain Cain (corporate officer and business leader), Ron Paul (Congressman). Hmm. There's another guy out of Pennsylvania, but I can't remember his name and I don't think he's all too important.

I reiterate, complain all you want about Obama, but I still see no better alternative.

What's to Celebrate?

2011-05-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

Bubba came over the other day all giddy and excited. He had heard the news about Osama bin Laden and spent the night partying and whooping it up in the streets of New York. Not wanting to deal with his drama, I was going to brush him off. But since he showered, shaved, and brushed his teeth for my benefit, I graced him with a few moments of my presence.

“Hi Debora! Didja hear the news?” We’re not talking about the myth of global warming or The Donald’s “Grand Accomplishment,” are we?

“No, of course not, but we can discuss those later. I’m talking about Osama bin Laden.” What about him?

“Well, he’s dead.” I’ve heard. So what can I do for you today?

“I was just wondering what you think about it.” You first, Bubba. What do you think? But softly, please. I have a migraine.

“I’m so sorry to hear it, Debora, but you should take an aspirin and celebrate with me and the rest of the country. That SOB is sleeping with the fishes and now we’re vindicated!” Okay then, does this mean that people can stop dying now?

“What are you talking about?” Uh, have you forgotten that there are still two wars going on?

“Yeah, I did forget for a little bit. But you can at least pretend that you’re happy, can’t you? Because you’re acting like you hate this country!” No, Bubba, I don’t hate my country. I appreciate the fact that this act will bring closure to a lot of people, but not everyone. The killing won’t stop, and the 9-11 survivors won’t get their loved ones back. And, predictably, al Qaeda is making plans for retaliation.

“But—" No talking, Bubba. I’m not done. There have been disasters all over the world lately. Tornados. Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Nuclear accidents. The oil spill. Peaceful protestors slaughtered. Innocent people sitting on death row. Institutionalized rape. AIDS orphans. Still no peace in the Middle East. A large portion of the world has no clean water, let alone food to eat or prenatal care—

“Maybe you need something a little stronger than an aspirin. How about a quaalude cocktail?” Not finished! All the terrible news in the world, Bubba, that we, as a nation, seem to care too little about. Then we hear, from conflicting reports, about this unarmed man, and others, being sniped. A man that we have every reason to hate, granted. But BAM! No trying to take him peacefully, no due process… If that had happened inside our country to white people, the uproar would be deafening. Yet what do we do? Dance in the street? Congratulate the president? Shake each others’ hands? Is this what we’re teaching our children is appropriate behavior?

“But he’s Osama-bin-flipping-Laden! He killed thousands of people! I really don’t see what the problem is!” And that’s the problem, Bubba. No one sees it. No one understands that dancing in the street about a dead man is insane.

“Speaking of insane.” Call me crazy, Bubba, but remember I was the first one to tell you that going into Iraq was not only wrong, but bad for this country, long before it showed itself to be a bottomless pit.

“Yeah, you did.” You called me Psycho Witch and questioned my intelligence, my patriotism, and my belief in God.

“But not in that order…” True enough, sir. You know, we’ve wasted too much time talking about this dead man. Tell you what. I’ll let the potential for a conspiracy theory in this case lie, and you admit that partying in the streets was probably not the appropriate reaction to OBL’s getting whacked. Then let’s walk away from this topic.

“Maybe you’re right, just a little.” Maybe you are too, just a little.

Strawberry Bread--C'est si Bon!

2011-05-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

Laila and I went strawberry picking at one of the local farms last weekend, and all I could think of was strawberry bread. Alhamdulillah, this is one yummy recipe, and while it does require so many smooshy berries, it is worth making once a year-- not only for the tasty goodness, but also for the "teach my daughter how to bake a loaf so she doesn't think her mama is completely useless in the kitchen" benefit of it.

My mother thinks the recipe is "too wet," but I disagree. The berries within can be liquidy in their respective pockets, but they set as the bread cools. I suggest removing a few of the berries from the recipe if you have a gas oven, add a little more flour, or just bake a little longer.

STRAWBERRY BREAD 2 loaves

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, mashed
1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Grease two loaf pans
3) Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well
4) Make a well in the flour mixture, and add the rest of the ingredients; mix until just moistened
5) Pour into loaf pans, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar
6) Bake one hour until done

("Done" = testing with a toothpick. When a toothpick comes out without liquid batter on it, or "clean," then the loaves are baked)
Tip: Freeze your fresh strawberries before making this recipe. Thawed strawberries are very easy to mash.

See You Next Month, Insha Allah

2011-04-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

The March earthquake and tsunami in Japan killed thousands, and only time will tell how many will suffer and die due to the ongoing nuclear disaster. In recent history, there have been so many earthquakes, floods, and manmade disasters affecting the entire world in one way or the other. All things being equal, I feel rather fortunate to be alive.

We are told in the Quran that we will be tested, and the Japanese have been run through the wringer. They have by all accounts been graceful, good citizens, and there are no braver folk than the ones working to keep the nuclear disaster within the zone of least possible harm. Most of us can take a lesson in stoicism, if not wisdom, from the Japanese woman currently living in a homeless shelter because, even though she has grown children, she does not want to burden them with her needs.
For all the acts of bravery, selflessness, survival and death, a Muslim has to hope that the brave Japanese, and all victims of disaster, have a spiritual back-up plan. We all will die sooner or later.

(Even if science suggests that cryonics is a viable bridge between today and future life extension, a corpse has no control over his environment and no guarantee of physical safety. Consider the claim of author Larry Johnson, a former executive at cryonics storage facility in Arizona, that baseball great Ted Williams’ frozen head was used for batting practice by the facility’s employees.)

This week, the United States has been hit with a wall of tornadoes moving across the country from the Midwest to the East Coast. Many of those tornadoes landed in my neck of the woods, and on my birthday, no less. While I did make sure to spend time on the porch making dua in the beautiful storms, I considered that there would be a trailer park in danger somewhere (they always hit the trailer parks) and that some people would likely die in North Carolina and Virginia, as tornado victims had further west.

Relatively speaking, the storms and tornadoes resulted in few deaths, subhan Allah wa alhamdulillah. Trailers had indeed been hit, and a tornado touched down in downtown Raleigh. But a Lowes home improvement megastore was destroyed, and not one person within on this busy Saturday was killed.

While my beautiful little girl made sure her daddy bought flowers and planned cake and ice cream for me (but mostly for her), I contemplated the ayats from the Quran that state that no one knows when he will die or what the next day holds. Like countless times before, I have come to the same conclusion: we cannot know why Allah does what He does, we must simply roll with it. We are the Submitters, after all.

Leaving Half a Country Behind

2011-03-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

During my first trip to Egypt, I decided that the country had an inferiority complex. Fair or not, PC or not, my conclusion was based upon the stark differences between how Egyptians treat each other and how Egyptians treat foreigners. One afternoon, my sister-in-law and I were in a restaurant in a business district in Cairo, where we were ignored by the servers. I finally flagged down a waiter and said, “fee eh?” with a terrible American accent. He apologized profusely, stating in Arabic that he thought I was from Tanta (which apparently is Egyptian for “ghetto”). When my sister-in-law politely told him that I was American, the man blushed, perhaps realizing that his tip had flown out the window. My sister-in-law remained polite despite the fact that her hometown is a close-by mini version of Tanta. Offended by the waiter’s blatant bigotry, I asked why it mattered whether I’m from Tanta or the US or China—aren’t I a human being?

While I was in Egypt I also came to the conclusion that Egyptian women were the most patient people on the planet. Alhamdulillah, patience is rewarded in the hereafter, even if it is not today. The needs of Egyptian women follow their husbands’ and their children’s. If there is nothing left after their families are taken care of, Egyptian women just do without. Very noble, these women.

For the purpose of this short article, I will not go into the abuses, discrimination, and annoyances that women have to put up with every day in Egypt, except to state that these acts are theorized to be the result of men’s frustration with life outside the home, and that men on a large scale would regularly be imprisoned (or successfully sued) for their treatment of their spouses, their daughters, and strange women on the street were they to act like this anywhere in the West.

Alhamdulillah, the revolution brought out the best in Egyptian society, with very few negative elements. But revolutions, unfortunately, tend to disregard the value and relevance of women’s participation in society and politics, let alone the revolutions. Case in point: this revolution’s protests were strongly supported by women, yet the committee tasked with drafting the new Egyptian constitution includes not one.

This passionate revolution included men and women, and amazing to me, so did the post-revolution cleanup. Let’s remember as time passes that women are not the only ones that should use a broom, and that men are not the only ones who should participate in this new democratic society, insha Allah.
And while we’re establishing the new society, let’s leave the hijab debate out of it.

In honor of spring...

2011-03-01T05:54:00.000-08:00

Black coffee no help
Much work to do, no desire
Inchworm distracts me

A Lesson in Elegance

2011-01-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

I was in transition. I lost my job, made the decision to divorce my husband, and could not wait to leave the state where I'd lived for years and so hated. Strangely enough, I was not unhappy with my predicament. The decision to leave my husband, who was by most standards a catch, and someone who had always treated me with utmost deference and respect was painful, but it was something I had to do. The decision to leave the job was made for me, and was in retrospect a blessing.

So despite the upheaval, the world, I thought, was a very good place. I met my husband-to-be and was happy about that. As we discussed the future, he brought up religion. Religion had never been a particularly strong part of my life, nor did it seem to be for him. I told him that I was a Christian because that's how I was raised; specifically, I was a Catholic. Like many other religions, Catholicism taught that non-Catholics were going to hell. I always had a problem with that. I always had a problem with a lot of things in Christianity and Catholicism, but never really thought through as to why. So when Ahmed told me that he was a Muslim, and it didn't matter what, he would never become a Christian, I shrugged my shoulders and said “okay.” I was confused as to how he could think I would spend any energy trying to convert him to Christianity when I never prayed or attended church myself, and in fact hated every church into which I ever set foot.

During that conversation, Ahmed told me that I should learn about Islam and that I should get a book to read about it. (This was before the internet, obviously.) He made it clear that he would never make me convert to Islam, but adopting Islam had to come from the heart. I shrugged my shoulders again. Like he could force me to do anything I didn’t want to do. Snort. As if.

So taking his advice to heart, I journeyed to a bookstore and found two books on Islam. One book was written by a brother whose heart seemed to be in the right place, yet I found the book to be quite sexist. Despite that, I was not turned off by Islam and in fact the brother, Allah bless him, made several decent arguments for Islam. Not convinced however, I turned to the second book, which was the Quran.

I found the Quran amazing. It was majestic. It was authoritative. It was scientific. It was insightful. It understood individuals and humanity in a way that no one did. It fleshed out those reasons why people intuitively believe that there is a God. It filled in those many puzzle pieces that had been missing in Christianity, in the Bible, and in my life worldview.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing, I found Islam is not apologetic, as many religions are. For this American who was raised a Christian, and having been exposed to dozens of Christian sects, all of which had tried to get me in their clutches, Islam came as a breath of fresh air. There is a reason that Christianity is broken up into as many sects as it is. It has to appeal to so many people, yet it is based on assertions that simply don't make sense. So it is quite capable of further misshape in order to fit the people whom it wants to attract.

Islam on the other hand, makes sense and is perfect as is, and warns us not to warp it. There is one God. His name is Allah. He is the God of Moses, Abraham, Jesus, and Adam. He is the God of the Jews. He is the God of the Christians. He is the Lord of the World. There is no God but God. He has no use for a son. He has no reason, nor an inability, to walk the earth as a man. He created the earth and everything on it, and the rest of the universe. Devising a rival of Allah that could in any way match him, whether dressed as Shaitan, a stone idol, or Jesus, peace upon him, is plain foolishness and a waste of time and energy.

La ilaha il Allah.

I knew I was a Muslim after I read the Quran once. Years later, I came to realize that I really never was a Christian.

My future husband told me, incredulously, “No one can become a Muslim after reading the Quran one time."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, that's what I am."

“But there's more to being a Muslim than reading the Quran once or twice.”

Of course there is.

Did you ever walk into a furniture store for no particular purpose, and you see the perfect couch? You didn't know you needed the couch, but once you saw it, you knew that it was perfect for your living room.

Okay, maybe you can draw your own analogy. Then magnify its importance infinitely. I knew upon reading the Quran that Islam was what I was missing all my life, though I did not know it until then. The pieces clicked. Simple and perfect. Like an elegant math proof.

I like to tell myself that reading the Quran converted me to Islam, but that is not entirely correct. The thing is, I would have never considered reading the Quran, reading a book on Islam, let alone converting to Islam if the one Muslim I knew pretty well was a jerk. I held no preconceptions about Islam. The Muslims I'd met throughout my life were nice people. Palestine was about land, not religion. Israel and Egypt was about Israelis and Egyptians, not Judaism and Islam. Had I understood that “Muslims” could run airplanes into buildings, and murder people and then call it Islam, I would have been unable to look at Islam objectively, astaghfurallah.

My model however, was my extraordinarily handsome future husband who is kind, sweet, easy-going, patient, and funny, as well as deferential to his mother (always a plus when being sized up for future use). It turns out that Allah gave me just what I needed, when I needed it. Alhamdulillah.

People convert to Islam by so many avenues. Some are searching; I was not. Some are pious; I was not. One conversion scenario will not fit all, which is the beauty of Islam. If I were to be forced to attend a masjid, forced to become a Muslim, forced to study Islam, for example, I would certainly turn around and run as fast as my legs could carry me, screaming. Allah, in His wisdom, instead let me catch Islam in my two hands as it floated through my arms in front of me. What more beautiful way to become a Muslim than that?

A Slow and Painful Death

2010-11-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

It’s official: the world has gone crazy. The news continues to feature an overabundance of stories about bullies and immoral internet practices that lead to suicide. It was recently reported that one high school in Ohio, USA has had four bullied suicide victims in recent years. Three victims’ parents are suing the school for their children’s death on the basis of having provided an environment that is conducive to bullying. The latest suicide trend seems to feature children who are perceived to be, or perceive themselves to be, homosexual.

There are other reasons to commit suicide, and there are methods that are not instantaneous, but carry the same hopelessness that ‘instant’ suicide victims carry. This is one such example:

A Muslim man, thirty-five, has a wife and six children, and he is very poor. He and his family are new to the West, having lived all their lives in a refugee camp without easy access to food, clean water, medical care, or electricity, but as compared to most refugees and most camps, they’ve done okay. He was and remains illiterate. He is too intimidated to try to learn the language of his host country, let alone to make friends with Muslims in the new community. He pays someone to take his driver’s test to get a license, and finagles a car from a no-credit/easy-credit dump. In the refugee camp, having a job was nice but not necessary, and never lasted very long. In the new country, however, showing up to a low-paying job five days a week is not optional; the man must go to work every day (taking overtime, if he can get it), and even with food stamps and other forms of welfare, the man is smothering under the weight of his paternal responsibilities. He has no outside friends, and does not make it to the masjid except for forty-five minutes on an occasional Friday. So he starts to drink.

It turns out that getting drunk is easy, forgetting is easy-- any child could do it. A shot of whiskey, or two or four, is just what he needs to lessen his burden for a while. But there is a reason Allah does not permit Muslims to drink. The budding alcoholic continues to lie to his family and sneaks alcohol whenever he can. He plays hooky from work, is slacking on the job. He holds the car keys and his family’s feelings hostage; his wife and kids are terrified that he will kill himself by wrapping his car around a tree. How does Islam prevent this man from doing so?

The Quran states that drinking intoxicants is prohibited. (5:90) But with Allah’s infinite wisdom, the Quran also states in part: “O you who believe! do not go near prayer when you are intoxicated until you know what you say…” (4:43) The inclusion of both ayat demonstrates the veracity and insightfulness of the Quran—there were Muslim drunks at the time of the Prophet (saws), there are Muslim drunks today, and there will always be Muslim drunks despite the prohibition. The inclusion also implies that even if a person is drunk, it is possible to recover from the condition and return to prayer.

It takes a man to own up to his responsibilities, and unless this Muslim brother flies straight, he will remain a drunkard until he loses his family and everything else he has. He must realize that working every day, no matter how little interest he has in the job, is a jihad which he cannot fail.

Can the Muslim community be of help here? Insha Allah. The brother should be welcomed to the community, looked for at Jumaah, encouraged with smiles to learn a little English (and maybe even Arabic) here and there, and help him prepare for a better job. Perhaps a corollary to the two ayat above can clumsily be stated this way: If a man spends his life praying and doing good, he will have no time to be a drunk.

And if his friends can help him envision a day when his children are educated, wealthy professionals who support him and his wife in their old age, so much the better.

Sore Winners

2010-11-13T17:23:00.000-08:00

The United States held its elections last week. Midterm elections typically act as a report card for the president, and this election has spoken volumes.

Throughout the campaign season, Tea Partiers have denounced Democrats and all things Obam-ish, with Sarah Palin throwing her support behind extreme personalities all over the country. Obama has been to blame, according to non-Dem’s, for the failure of the economy to pick up sufficiently, for the deficit, and for the US’s new healthcare program. Obama campaigned furiously, begging for more time for his Congress and policies. Some Democrats distanced themselves from the president, attempting to salvage their careers after committing political suicide by backing conservative-hated Obamacare.

As expected, Republicans took over the House of Representatives in a landslide. Contrary to campaign promises, Republicans will not be able to repeal Obamacare or any other law that has come into existence since 2009, due to the Democrats retaining control over the Senate. However, Obama will likely ride out the rest of his administration without being able to pass any substantive legislation due to Congressional lack of cooperation.

As the saying goes, the only thing worse than a sore loser is a sore winner, and Washington will be chock full of them come January. Obama has already extended an olive branch to the Republican leaders in Congress, but Republicans are having none of it. Said Senator Mitch McConnell, “The White House has a choice: They can change course or they can double down on a vision of government that the American people have roundly rejected." Sarah Palin herself (who put her in charge?) is encouraging Republicans not to compromise once they enter the Capitol building.

There was some sanity in the election results. Sharron Angle and Christine O’Donnell, both Palin endorsees, were defeated by their Democratic opponents. Angle, running against has-been Harry Reid, was almost a shoo-in until her mouth got in the way. Christine O’Donnell, similarly, was a strong candidate, despite initially being viewed as vacuous, until it became too clear that, as well as being none too bright, that she was more ignorant of the American Constitution than a typical 1st grader.

The two Muslim candidates, Andre Carson and Keith Ellison, both Democrat, were reelected. Ellison had a particularly nasty opponent, who accused him of everything short of flying planes into the World Trade Center. To its credit, his district stood behind him and overwhelmingly voted to keep him in office.

What does this election mean for the next two years and the 2012 election? History says that presidents who lose Congress during the midterm will win reelection. However, the right has done a fantastic job of vilifying this president and will continue to vilify him until he is removed in 2013. This has been an odd election season, considering the fact that candidates who are incumbents and/or spend the most money usually win. That has not happened this year across the board. For instance, incumbent Tom Perriello of Virginia spent about twice that of his opponent, yet could not keep hold of his seat. Ebay’er Meg Whitman, who ran for governor of California, spent $142 million of her own fortune on her campaign, yet lost to Jerry Brown.

Republicans are claiming that Obama has been unsuccessful over the last two years and that Republicans have taken over Congress because of America's anger at Obama. Now that they have won the House, they are claiming to be helpless because Obama is still in office. The fact is, Americans are angry. The economy has not recovered to the extent that they expected in 2008. All in all, Obama has not done a terrible job on the home front, yet Tea Partiers have convinced America that he has done nothing except spend money and drive the country into the ground. (Funny, no responsibility for the previous eight years taken.) Obama is a liberal; his agenda concerns socialist programs by nature. In effect, he has sacrificed his political future for health care, and he’s proven that he’s been unwilling to play nice with Republicans—until now, when he has no choice. To be fair, though, Republicans were not going to like him, no matter what he did.

Interestingly, the president and Republicans have refused to use the wars, Israel-Palestine, gay marriage, or immigration as talking points in this election. Obama has been saving these subjects to establish commonality with Congress for the remainder of his term. This approach was useless during the campaign season, but it may help him throughout the next two years if Congress sees political benefit in cooperation. What this means is the rest of the world will be at the mercy of Obama’s desire to get along with a Republican Congress. Allah help us.

Yes, we do need math.

2010-11-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

A writer friend of mine posted this article from a professor of mathematics. The professor thinks that traditional ideas concerning math in schools should be reexamined.

http://www.care2.com/causes/education/blog/do-we-really-need-math/

I could not disagree more.

My personal theory is that Allah is a mathematician, along with every other good thing. Allahu alim.

I don’t think a writer has to know how to do calculus. But a writer should know what calculus is, and what it does for us. Algebra is useful, and whether or not we realize it, we use algebra all the time. We use the processes we learn in geometry to come to conclusions in our lives, and we also use geometry rules and techniques for things like woodworking and architecture and engineering.

Math is a terrific mental exercise. Chemistry is aided by algebra. Physics is aided by calculus. Nurses are required to take statistics classes in order to learn how to administer dosages properly. Computer scientists are aided by mathematicians.

Music is mathematical. The notes and tonal relationships are all math. Math is really beautiful. And there is an actual ratio, which is math, admit or not, that corresponds to beauty.

I think that the best reason for students to take math is that kids don’t know what they’re good at until they try. If I don’t make my daughter take algebra because she doesn’t want to, I’m not giving her the opportunity to develop her mind, and she really does deserve the opportunity to experience all the education she can get—to see what she likes and what she doesn’t like. I want her to be able to excel at whatever it is she wants to do without incorrect, preconceived notions of what is out of her intellectual reach.

Also, since strong math skills are a necessary for other courses of study, I am, insha Allah, preparing her for the time when (if) she decides she wants to study science.

It would be a crying shame to make her take remedial classes in college and delay her science study because she didn’t feel like taking Algebra II in 11th grade. No. If she has the capacity to learn in high school, then she needs to.

If my daughter becomes a writer instead of scientist or mathematician, that’s OK. Having a math background cannot hurt her (though it won’t help much in law school, ;-))… I have never regretted taking math classes in college—even the esoteric ones that nobody except a mathematician has any use for, and even if I don’t remember one bit from some of those classes. (It’s been many years.) It was great mental exercise, and very challenging.

(This is not to say that I think that pursuing a degree in math back then was particularly useful, but that is a different issue.)

If there came a day when my writing daughter decided she wanted to resume her studies in science, then even then, she would benefit from having taken those math classes in high school, because relearning takes less time than learning.

Answering the pilot

2010-10-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

My neighbor sent me an email that has been circulating since after 9-11. She asked me what I thought about the statements within. My answers are bold within and begin with **** asterisks.

> >>Subject: From Am. Airline Pilot

******** The author of this email has not been verified.
////////////////
> >>The paper stated that some Muslim doctor is saying we are profiling him
> >because
> >>
> >>he has been checked three times while getting on an airplane
> >>
> >>The following is a letter from a pilot. This well spoken man, who is a
> >pilot
> >>
> >>with American Airlines, says what is in his heart, beautifully....

******* Pilots don't check people before they get on the plane-- TSA does. So what? I'll bet every 'brown' person in the world is sick and tired of being profiled. If he doesn't want to fly because of it, he shouldn't. In the same vein, if the pilot does not want to hear complaints from annoyed passengers, he and his airline should get off their asses and give better service to the thousands of hostages they hold every day in their cramped sardine can airplanes.

> >I've been trying to say this since 911, but you worry
> >>me. I wish you didn't.
> >>I wish when I walked down the streets of this country that I love, that
> >your
> >>
> >>color and culture still blended with the beautiful human landscape we enjoy
> >in
> >>this
> >>country. But you don't blend in anymore. I notice you, and it worries me.

*********** Chances are you didn't notice the Middle Eastern man before because you were more worried about getting mugged by an African American. Sorry to take that away from you.

> >>
> >>I notice you because I can't help it anymore. People from your homelands,
> >professing
> >>
> >>to be Muslims, have been attacking and killing my fellow citizens and our
> >friends
> >>
> >>for more than 20 years now. I don't fully understand their grievances and
> >>hate, but I know that nothing can justify the inhumanity of their attacks.

********* If there have been killings, the murder has come from both sides. You cannot be so naive as to think that the United States is completely innocent of the injustices and inhumane treatment of people around the world. And that's BEFORE 9-11. How about since 9-11? The United States has more than exacted its revenge upon Afghanistan and its people, as well as a nation full of innocent people, its corrupt leadership notwithstanding. There have been an estimated 300,000 people killed in Iraq alone, which is over 100 times the amount of people killed in the terror attacks of 9-11.

> >>
> >>On September 11, ARAB-MUSLIMS hijacked four jetliners in my country. They
> >>cut the throats of women in front of children and brutally stabbed to death
> >others.
> >>
> >>They took control of those planes and crashed them into buildings killing
> >thousands
> >>
> >>of proud fathers, loving sons, wise grandparents, elegant daughters, best
> >friends,
> >>
> >>favorite coaches, fearless public servants, and children's mothers.

********** Many of whom were Muslims. Innocent Muslims, also mothers, fathers, children of mothers, and grandparents like the rest of the victims of that terrible attack.

> >
> >The Palestinians celebrated, the Iraqis were overjoyed
> >>as was most of the Arab world.

^^^^^^^^^ That is inaccurate. Most of the Arab world was devastated and sympathetic to the United States after 9-11 and bent over backwards to help the United States in its quest to fight terrorism, that is, before the US went too far.

So, I notice you
> >>now. I don't want to be worried.

******** Nobody wants to be worried. Certainly not me.

I don't want to be consumed by the same
> >rage
> >>
> >>and hate and prejudice that has destroyed the soul of these terrorists.

******** I appreciate that.

But
> >
> >>
> >>I need your help. As a rational American, trying to protect my country and
> >>family in an irrational and unsafe world, I must know how to tell the
> >difference
> >>
> >>between you, and the Arab/Muslim terrorist.

********* Well, you can take a first step by understanding that not all Muslims are Arabs, and not all Arabs are Muslims. For example, I am a white American Muslim woman. There are a lot of us. Islam is represented by every country, every race, every color. Isn't that wonderful?

> >>
> >>How do I differentiate between the true Arab/Muslim Americans and the
> >Arab/Muslim
> >>
> >>terrorists in our communities who are attending our schools, enjoying our
> >parks,
> >>
> >>and living in OUR communities under the protection of OUR constitution,
> >while
> >>they
> >>plot the next attack that will slaughter these same good neighbors and
> >children?

********* Well, you can start by talking to us. It's pretty simple. Muslims are not adherents of an esoteric religion that requires its followers to shun society. If my child is in your child's school, and if I'm going to the same grocery store that you go to, and if I'm voting in the same election that you're voting in, trying to shield my children from the same types of bad things that you would, and I'm driving on the same roads, paying the same light bill, walking on the same street, attending the same library, enjoying the same park, speaking (or trying to speak) the same language that you're speaking, the overwhelming odds are I'm not a terrorist and I do not support terrorism.

> >>
> >>The events of September 11th changed the answer.
> >>It is not my responsibility
> >>to determine which of you embraces our great country, with ALL of its
> >religions,
> >>
> >>with ALL of its different citizens, with all of its faults.

******** I would say not.

It is time for
> >>every Arab/Muslim in this country to determine it for me.

****** I disagree.

> >
> >I want to know, I demand to know, and I have a right
> >>to know, whether or not
> >>you love America .

********** Well, you can ask me, but I prefer you ask nicely, or I will tell you to take a flying leap.

Do you pledge allegiance to its flag? Do you proudly
> >>display it in front of your house, or on your car?

********** Again, you can ask me. But if you don't get the answer you're expecting, in the exact language that you want it, well, too bad. Why would you ask of me what you will not ask of any other American in this country? My Constitutional right to express myself is no less than yours, regardless of my ethnicity and religion. First Amendment: check it out.
Do you pray in your many
> >
> >>daily prayers that Allah will bless this nation, that He will protect and
> >prosper
> >>
> >>it?

******** It's really not any of your business what I pray for...

Or do you pray that Allah with destroy it in one of your Jihad's?

******** ... but I will state unequivocally, no, I don't pray for that...

******** ... and no, your conception of jihad, which not incidentally apparently coincides with al Qaeda's definition of jihad, is not part of my daily prayers. My definition, and the Arabic definition of "jihad" is "struggle," which sometimes might entail war, but more often concerns a dieter's efforts to diet, or a mother's desire to raise her children correctly, or a father's constant going to work every day to bring home a paycheck to take care of his wife and children. My definition, and Islam's definition of jihad, is more correct than yours or al Qaeda's.

Are
> >>you thankful for the freedom that only this nation affords?

******** Yes. I appreciate that laws exist in this country to protect our speech, or religions, associations, etc. I also appreciate the fact that this is a nation of laws.

A freedom that
> >>was paid for by the blood of hundreds of thousands of patriots who gave
> >their
> >>lives
> >>for this country? Are you willing to preserve this freedom by also paying
> >>the ultimate sacrifice?

****** I think that depends upon what your definition of ultimate sacrifice is. I will not sell my soul for this country, if that's what you mean. I must answer to God, a being of whom I am more afraid than you.

Do you love America ? If this is your commitment,
> >>then I need YOU to start letting ME know about it.
> >>
> >>Your Muslim leaders in this nation should be flooding the media at this
> >time
> >>
> >>with hard facts on your faith, and what hard actions you are taking as a
> >community
> >>
> >>and as a religion to protect the United States of America . Please, no more
> >
> >>benign overtures of regret for the death of the innocent because I worry
> >about
> >>who
> >>you regard as innocent. No more benign overtures of condemnation for the
> >unprovoked
> >>
> >>attacks because I worry about what is unprovoked to you. I am not
> >interested
> >>
> >>in any more sympathy. I am only interested in action. What will you
> >>do for America - our great country - at this time of crisis, at this time
> >of
> >>war?
> >>
> >>I want to see Arab-Muslims waving the AMERICAN flag
> >>in the streets. I want
> >>to hear you chanting 'Allah Bless America ' I want to see young Arab/Muslim
> >
> >>
> >>men enlisting in the military. I want to see a commitment of money, time,
> >and
> >>emotion
> >>to the victims of this butchering and to this nation as a whole.
> >>
> >>The FBI has a list of over 400 people they want to talk to regarding the
> >WTC
> >>
> >>attack. Many of these people live and socialize right now in Muslim
> >communities.
> >>You know them. You know where they are. Hand them over to us, now! But I
> >have
> >>seen
> >>little even approaching this sort of action. Instead I have seen an already
> >
> >>closed and secretive community close even tighter. You have disappeared
> >from
> >>
> >>the streets. You have posted armed security guards at your facilities. You
> >>have threatened lawsuits. You have screamed for protection from reprisals.

********* OK, all that is the most ridiculous rant. Muslims are not hiding. We may be protecting ourselves from people who are physically violent against Muslims, threaten Muslims, throw teargas in masjids when women and children are present, who call the police from fear or hatred against Muslims, who oppress our children in and out of schools, who spit on Muslim women because we wear scarves on our heads, who commit crimes against our property and our bodies.

********* On the other hand, it may be just because we're busy cooperating in police and FBI investigations, doing charitable works in the food pantries, hospitals, and shelters of this country, or working our 9-to-5's. Or else praying for patience when dealing with really stupid people.

********* As for the security guards, it surprises me that you notice. The fact that you do, shows me that our paying people to patrol the masjid grounds is not a waste of money.

******** I hope you are not seriously suggesting that Muslims' threatening lawsuits and asking for police protection from reprisals is somehow out of line. I would imagine that if your wife and children, and the rest of the employees of American Airlines, were threatened by any segment of society (air rage victims perhaps?) that you would expect the support of the authorities, at the least. You would also expect to appropriately use the court system as a reparative remedy. Why would you insinuate that that is inappropriate behavior?

> >>
> >>The very few Arab/Muslim representatives that HAVE appeared in the media
> >were
> >>
> >>defensive and equivocating.

******** That's because you're watching too much Fox News.

They seemed more concerned with making sure
> >that
> >>the
> >>United States proves who was responsible before taking action.

********* Well. We see where ***act first, think later*** has done the United States SO MUCH GOOD. Thousands of American soldiers, and hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis, and what have we accomplished? Not one damned thing.

They seemed
> >>more concerned with protecting their fellow Muslims from violence directed
> >towards
> >>
> >>them in the United States and abroad than they did with supporting our
> >country
> >>and
> >>denouncing 'leaders' like Khadafi, Hussein, Farrakhan, and Arafat.

********* First of all, Louis Farrakhan is not a leader of anything, except the Nation of Islam, which really is not Islam. He is not the leader of a nation. No one is bending over backwards to unilaterally support him and the other three that you have mentioned. Whatever else is going on in a Muslim's mind, this "seem[ing] more concerned" is a statement based upon conjecture and your own fertile imagination than anything that has actually been said by any Muslim, in or out of this country.

********* But let me be clear. I don't want ANYONE dying unjustly-- Muslim or Christian or atheist or Buddhist or Jew-- American or Iraqi or Japanese or Indonesian or Peruvian. You appear to be of the opinion that it is perfectly okay to kill Muslims, if it furthers America's cause, and not only that, but that I should be in agreement with you. YOU ARE WRONG. It is NOT okay, and I don't have to agree with you, and I don't have to prove to you my allegiance to this country.

********** My opinion is based upon my faith as well as my love for this country. Just as I would denounce my brother's robbing a bank, or my child's slapping one of her school mates-- if I did not love my brother, if I did not love my child, if I did not love my country, I would not waste my breath. Let me sum this way: You love your country your way, I'll love my country mine.

> >>
> >>If the true teachings of Islam proclaim tolerance and peace and love for
> >all
> >>
> >>people, then I want chapter and verse from the Koran and statements from
> >popular
> >>
> >>Muslim leaders to back it up. What good is it if the teachings in the Koran
> >
> >>are good, and pure, and true, when your 'leaders' are teaching fanatical
> >interpretations,
> >>
> >>terrorism, and intolerance? It matters little how good Islam SHOULD BE if
> >>huge numbers of the world's Muslims interpret the teachings of Mohammed
> >incorrectly
> >>
> >>and adhere to a degenerative form of the religion. A form that has been
> >demonstrated
> >>
> >>to us over and over again. A form whose structure is built upon a
> >foundation
> >>
> >>of violence, death, and suicide. A form whose members are recruited from
> >the
> >>
> >>prisons around the world. A form whose members (some as young as five years
> >
> >>old) are seen day after day, week in and week out, year after year,
> >marching
> >>in
> >>the streets around the world, burning effigies of our presidents, burning
> >the
> >>American
> >>flag, shooting weapons into the air. A form whose members convert from a
> >peaceful
> >>
> >>religion, only to take up arms against the great United States of America,
> >the
> >>country
> >>of their birth. A form whose rules are so twisted, that their traveling
> >members
> >>
> >>refuse to show their faces at airport security checkpoints, in the name of
> >>Islam.

********** Another rant. If you want to know what Islam is about, go to a mosque and talk to an imam. Or ask me. I don't mind. Just don't say ridiculous stuff like that any more, because frankly, Muslims have bent over backwards to educate Muslims and non-Muslims extensively in the media. But people hear what they want to hear. And people with your same arguments, untruths, and accusations have continued to propogate lies about Islam-- supposedly based upon what some really evil people did on 9-11.

********** But you know what? People have been trying to spread different versions of those same lies about Islam since before 9-11. The truth is the truth. Whatever form this propaganda takes, the truth remains the same, and Islam's answers remain the same.

> >>
> >>We will NEVER allow the attacks of September 11,
> >>or any others for that matter,
> >>to take away that which is so precious to us: Our rights under the greatest
> >
> >>constitution in the world.

******** OK, no one's trying to take it from you. But you seem hell-bent on keeping those rights from me. That leap I was talking about above? Go for it.

I want to know where every Arab Muslim in this
> >>country stands and I think it is my right and the right of every true
> >citizen
> >>of
> >>this country to demand it.

********** A true citizen? Don't you mean a non-Muslim citizen? Well, shame on you.
A right paid for by the blood of thousands of my
> >
> >>brothers and sisters who died protecting the very constitution that is
> >protecting
> >>
> >>you and your family.

********** Again, ask nice and I'll be happy to tell you what I think. But no, it is not your right. It is not your right at all. It's not your business unless I find it in my heart to share it with you. So unless you can respect that, then step back. Don't try to bully me.

> >
> >I am pleading with you to let me know. I want you
> >>here as my brother, my
> >>neighbor, my friend, as a fellow American.

********** Really.

But there can be no gray areas
> >or
> >>ambivalence
> >>regarding your allegiance, and it is up to YOU, to show ME, where
> >>YOU stand.

********* How dare you? YOU are the one propogating hate and fear in this country. It is not me.

Until
> >>then.
> >
> >'YOU
> >>WORRY ME!'

********* That's obviously your problem, not mine.
> >>
> >>CANADIAN COMMENTS:
> >>
> >>I totally agree with this sentiment. /////////////// For Canada , with all the
> >multiculturalism
> >>
> >>we've been told is so important....why should we not, as Canadians, expect
> >>that
> >>the millions of new people immigrating to our country will show their love
> >for
> >>our
> >>country, their allegiance to our country, their willingness to obey the
> >laws
> >>of
> >>our country, and acceptance that we are a Christian country?

*********** I would argue that this Canadian is as deluded as the man above, and for the same reasons. There is approximately the same percentage of Muslims (regardless of nationality) in Canada as there are in the US. The two countries are large enough for everybody except haters.

Just because
> >>they are able to enjoy exercising their own religion, they should not
> >expect
> >>us
> >>to be ashamed of ours. They knew Canada was a Christian country when they
> >came
> >>here.
> >>Why are we erasing Christianity because immigrants who are unwilling to
> >adopt
> >>
> >>our way of life expect us to? There is just too much insanity in the world,
> >
> >>and we have to start taking a stand.

*********** I'm not really sure who this person is talking about now, but (s)he also watches too much Fox News apparently.
//////////////////////
>> >>
> >>THIS IS TOO GOOD TO JUST READ AND DELETE.... LET'S SATURATE NEW ZEALAND,
> >
> >AUSTRALIA , THE USA AND CANADA
> >>WITH THIS ONE!

************* All the "white" countries, I notice.

A Ramadan Visit with Bubba

2010-07-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Muslim community in New York City is planning to build a great big mosque and community center. Like many things that are uncontroversial except when Muslims do it, this building is meant to benefit and fill a void in this town which purports to have 600,000 underserved Muslims. The problem is that it is two blocks away from the Twin Towers site, aka “Ground Zero.” This proposed mosque is not the only one to face opposition in the United States.

Plans for the center have been approved by the City, and Mayor Bloomberg has given his own blessing, despite opposition and outrage from many in New York and in the United States. Sarah Palin, bless her heart, has made a plea to “peaceful” Muslims to “refudiate” the community center, calling it a stab in America’s heart. Would someone get that woman a dictionary?

(How irrational is it that I fear the emergence of American concentration camps for Muslims, should Palin ever be elected to office?)

Opponents of the community center have done what they can to stop it, including attempting to classify the old retail store a historic landmark, and initiating an investigation into the center’s source of financing.

I expected a visit from Bubba so we could discuss this subject and my lifestyle choices. After all, Bubba is a goodhearted guy who only wants what’s best for me. He did not disappoint:

Hey Bubba, how ya doin’?

I guess I’m okay—just a little down about that mosque they’re planning in New York City. Why does that bother you Bubba? It’s supposed to be like a YMCA and a cultural center, as well as a mosque, which is really needed in New York, considering all the Muslims that live there. I think it could really be a great thing for Manhattan.

I don’t think so. Them Muslims are desecrating the victims of 9-11 and the Twin Towers. How is that, Bubba? It isn’t being built at Ground Zero.

It’s too close! It’s a slap in the face to Americans! Whoa, Bubba, help me understand the slap-in-the-face thing. I’m fasting today and I’m a little fuzzy.

Oh, is it Ramadan again? I’ll be careful what I say, because last year you about bit my face off. You know, I shouldn’t have done that, but you did call me a cat lover. That just wasn’t nice. And, I apologized, which is more than I can say for a certain good ol’ boy.

But you own a cat! And you feed all the cats in the neighborhood. I think you’re just too sensitive. You’re probably right, but that doesn’t answer the question: how is a mosque a slap in the face to Americans? Wouldn’t American Muslims be using the mosque? How is that bad?

Hello?! Have you heard of 9-11? It’s too soon! And it’s telling Muslims that they’ve won! Bubba, I think you’re the one being too sensitive here. Nine years after 9-11, isn’t it time for Americans to stop being so reactionary and wake up to the fact that Muslims are here—actually, American Muslims are here—and we aren’t going away any time soon? I really take offense to the fact that some Americans want to deprive other Americans, especially me, of our constitutional and human right to our own religious choices, all in the name of America itself, and that, my friend, is an unconstitutional act. It’s not right and is completely illogical. It’s really starting to burn me!

Slow down, now, Missy. Maybe you should take a pill and have a glass of wine, because you’re getting a little too worked up. It’s only a mosque, for goodness’ sakes. Argh! That’s what I’ve been saying all along!

Debora, you’re starting to scare me. Could you stop banging your head on the table? I think you need to leave now.

Are Muslims supposed to do that when they get angry? I thought y’all strapped C-four to your chests and— Not another word, Bubba. It’s time for me to pray. I’ll see you after Ramadan. Have a nice day.

The Whack Awards

2010-07-07T23:10:00.000-07:00

In honor of record heat in North Carolina, (subhan Allah) and partially in response to the continuing oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, I would like to present the first annual Kiki Purr award, as well as a few virtual whacks with my new and improved Absurdity Stick ™.

Actual trophy and sticks, sorry, are not in the Crescent Times’ budget.

The first whack goes to President Obama, who upon Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States, stated that Mr. Netanyahu is a leader who is willing to take risks for peace. I would love to be able to take this whack back, Dear Readers, but I am not holding my breath, and I suggest you don’t either.

Another half whack for the president, for his impotent use of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for political purposes. NASA is an incredible organization, with the best scientists and technology in the world. But NASA is expensive; even with budget cuts, it retains over one half of a percent of the American budget. That translates to about US$18 billion, which, even by federal standards, is a lot of duckies.

Humanity benefits from this agency beyond and closer than the stars; it is an inventor extraordinaire. NASA-based inventions include satellite television, the CAT scanner, cordless power tools, the computer joystick, and the microchip. Very cool stuff. It makes sense then, to keep NASA around, even if it is an expensive program and even if we never make it to Mars. President Obama, however, saddled NASA with another task: a reach out to Muslim dominated countries. This move was intended to make Muslim countries “feel good about themselves” due to Islam's extensive historical contributions in math and science.

Unfortunately, Obama's attempt to kill two birds with one NASA stone has backfired on him, as conservative America has taken to ridicule both Obama and the modern Muslim world for this act. (Thanks, Mr. President. We needed that.)

Alhamdulillah, the Christian world has not cornered the market in Nobel prizes. For every mocking talking head in this country, there is at least one Muslim scientist, insha Allah, making history and people’s lives better. Next time, Mr. President, keep the politics out of science.

Runner up for the political whack is Hillary Clinton. Secretary of State Clinton informed the State of Arizona that the federal government would be suing it over its constitutionally questionable immigration law. The problem? Secretary Clinton let this slip in an interview with an Ecuadorean television station. Bad form, Madame Secretary—almost as bad as the immigration problem on the Mexican border and Arizona’s attempt to fix it.’

A whack to British Petroleum, Halliburton (yes, that Halliburton), Transocean, and each talking head who made the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster a political issue. A special whack for Joe Barton, Texas congressman, who apologized to BP for President Obama’s reasonable request to establish a $20 billion escrow account intended to cover damage claims for affected Americans. He called it extortion.

(November’s election will tell if Barton’s shameless bid for oil dollars backfires. BP can hardly afford to further alienate Americans by supplying that man any dollars.)

Now for the Kiki Purr award, which is for one of those special people who recognize the need to do the right thing, even if it is darned inconvenient, or very, very expensive.

This year, Kiki Purr goes to actor Kevin Costner. Influenced by the tragedy of Alaska’s Exxon Valdez oil spill, Costner bought and developed a piece of centrifuge technology from the United States government in hopes of cleaning up similar oil spills. An interview with Costner reveals that every seven months, the amount of oil spilled in accidents around the world equals the amount of an Exxon Valdez spill. This environmentalist and fisherman wanted to prevent the disastrous effects of a bad accident. Costner, it appears, was trying to do the right thing simply for the sake of doing the right thing. Nice.

Costner’s technology is efficient and requires no chemicals added to the treatment area. The machines produce clean water (99.9% oil free) and return the oil to a completely usable state. Even if this technology is not the entire answer to an oil spill, it is a long way towards a solution.

Oil companies should have been climbing over themselves acquiring this technology years ago, yet they did not. Though the machine is efficient, the federal government never mandated its use (or any other similar technology), and until this disaster, it appeared that Costner’s investment return would remain a goose egg.

Seventeen years and US$24 million later, (and two months after the initial explosion) Costner’s invention is a recognized necessity. His company is under contract with BP to build thirty two machines at a half million dollars each. May he make millions, insha Allah. In the meantime, I do hope he graciously accepts this humble award.

Religion debate? No thanks.

2010-06-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Why not?

First, I'm a working mother and wife, have a lot of commitments that I struggle with daily, and as much fun as it is to argue and debate sometimes, it doesn't get my work done or food on the table.

Second, I am not so arrogant as to think that whatever I say will change your opinion as to whether God exists.

Third, and I don't mean any offense, but there is no way you or anyone else can convince me that God does not exist. For all the reasons you have to claim there is no God, I will argue those reasons, and sincerely believe that those reasons, prove that God exists. My beliefs, furthermore, are easily supported by proofs in the Quran (and to a lesser extent, the Bible) and an observation of science and human nature. These proofs, which easily, logically, and elegantly support Islam, do not, cannot, fully support other religions or atheism. In short, I am a Muslim; like it or lump it.

Fourth, most non-Muslims' opinions of Islam are tainted by what they read in the papers. Sometimes the information is accurate, sometimes not, but it is almost always spun to put Islam in a negative light. Calls for reform are, in my opinion, silly, because Islam as it is supposed to be practiced, that is, as it was practiced at the time when Islam was propogated, is as close to good as humanity gets. So the word "reform" cannot possibly fit today's world, but most non-Muslims (and some Muslims, too) ignore that fact.

This is not even to mention the difficulty an "Islamic" government would have distinguishing its current cultural and political practices with the practices of Arabia at the time Islam was propogated.

Furthermore, dealing with the anti-Islam/anti-Muslim predisposition of the West can be easily remedied with education (which allows for a decent debate), but how many of us have that education, or are inclined to learn (from reputable sources) all that we need to understand and intelligently argue for or against something? Although I have a pretty good grip on American, Western European, and Islamic history, I am not a history scholar. Most of us are not. And even mentioning the European colonization of Africa gets me looks like I'm from another planet.

No thanks.

Fifth, and finally, I think that some things are just better left alone. Americans, and probably Aussies, too, love to take action. If something's wrong, we want to fix it. We want to shake it, take it apart, experiment with it, figure it out, and put it back together. We want to "new and improve" everything, and as my mother says, "fix it till it breaks."

Well, we just can't always do that-- not with people, not with countries and foreign regimes, not even with our own governments-- and we elect those people!

So Then What?

2010-06-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

Indonesia is raising a generation of lung cancer patients. In ten years, American pharmaceutical companies will test their curatives on these suffering victims, hopefully returning to the US with good news to share with the Food and Drug Administration. Or, they will pay for Indonesian funerals while looking for new test subjects in another part of the world.

This largest Muslim country is apparently the only country in the world to be ignorant of the dangers of tobacco, and according to CNN, tens of thousands of young children are addicted. While its National Commission for the Protection of Children has begun a campaign to stop child smoking (the boy in the news story was an addicted two-year-old!) Indonesia has a long way to go to educate the public and wean its babies from the cancer stick.

It takes little imagination to see what’s going on here. American tobacco advertisements are pervasive in Indonesia, and when emphysema and lung cancer are endemic, Western pharmaceuticals will swoop in like hawks. Why Indonesia? A cynic would say it’s because Africa has AIDS. A Muslim cynic would say it’s because Indonesia has Muslims.

Can’t we do better than to provide the pharmaceutical industry with Muslim lab rats? More generally, are we telling the truth when we blame every ill that Muslims suffer, directly or indirectly, on the West? Don’t we have a responsibility to strengthen ourselves from these outside attacks?

This month, we’ve seen Israel board an aid ship on its way to Gaza, killing nine humanitarian workers. A “defiant” and “self-preserving” Israel justified the attack and intercepted the next aid ship that came along.

This is terrible press for Israel, even in the United States, but it’s not fatal. The majority of American politicians remain staunchly pro-Israel, because frankly, that’s where the money is.

Ex-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer has called for the firing of White House correspondent Helen Thomas. Thomas, who has worked the White House beat for over fifty years, made a statement to the effect that citizens of Israel should move to Europe and the US, and move out of Palestine. Big faux pas for Thomas, who no doubt gave a candid opinion based upon decades of up-close observation and frustration at the futility of Israel’s stealing Palestinian land in the first place. Thomas eventually retracted her statements and has retired, but not before giving Israel-supporters and Ari Fleischer yet more ammunition and excuses to label contemplative men and women “Jew haters.”

That Fleischer’s comments reeked of entitlement, and that neither Thomas nor Fleischer should ever be hired as ambassadors to the Middle East, are facts that need little discussion. Rather, what needs to be figured out is, what would happen if Israel did not exist?

The only thing that all seem to agree upon is that Israel is oppressive. Israel is bad. Israel hurts Palestinians, and must continue to hurt Palestinians for as long as it exists. But what, other than increased elbow room, will improve if Israel exists no longer? Last year, Hamas persisted in carrying out its disgusting and feeble attack on Israel despite the murder and destruction Israel’s retaliation brought to the people whom Hamas represents. Can the Palestinians expect better governance than Hamas has shown thus far? Do the Palestinians deserve to be handed from one oppressor overlord to another?

Israel, and the United States, are obvious and convenient scapegoats for much of what goes on in the Muslim world, including internal politics and power grabs. Yet can Israel take 100% of the blame for Gaza’s poverty, after Egypt’s efforts to close down the life-giving tunnels that run between Egypt and Gaza?

Can the ballot-stuffed elections of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Egypt all be blamed on the United States? Is a burqa ban in France a fair topic for outrage when Turkey, Algeria, Tunisia, and Kyrgyzstan have advocated some form of hijab/niqab prohibition in recent years? Are Western countries the only legitimate targets for accusations of isolationism, religious discrimination, and xenophobia?

Not to lessen the importance of the effect of American action on the Middle East and around the world, (because there is plenty of blame to go around), come on, now, people, let’s fix what Allah gives us the ability to fix now, and trust Him to help us later take care of the rest.

Meanwhile, Back in the States…

2010-05-09T15:44:00.000-07:00

The United States is reeling from a catastrophic oil spill, spring flooding, and election primaries throughout the country. The tea baggers continue to grumble, the State of Arizona is on everyone’s hit list for passing an immigration law of questionable constitutionality, and the Staten Island ferry crashed.

The elephant in the newsroom is the attempted Times Square bombing, allegedly carried out by Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-American. Alhamdulillah, the bomb was defective and no one was hurt. According to the latest media reports, the Pakistani Taliban is the mastermind behind the crime. It is unclear whether Shahzad worked with a group within the United States, or was taking direction from Pakistan.

To prepare, Shahzad purportedly traveled to Pakistan for training. (His family in Pakistan claims to be completely unaware of any activities with the Taliban.) American authorities believe he was financed by the organization, and now is urging Pakistan’s government to make sure it is not inadvertently supporting anti-American elements such as the Taliban and al Qaeda.

Again, alhamdulillah. Shahzad seems to have been a complete imbecile. He used the wrong fertilizer and had a terrible habit of losing his keys. And according to authorities, he’s now singing like a canary. Good for his deen that he did not kill anyone, including the many Muslims who were in Times Square. Protecting Islam by attempting murder? I think not.

Having started out with limited confidence in the Obama Administration, I am increasingly disillusioned with every passing crisis. This incident is no different. Authorities had already been aware of Shahzad’s activities to some extent, yet he succeeded in going through the motions to execute the crime. Consider the fact that Shahzad was permitted to board the escape plane to Dubai. The media and government made a huge deal of capturing him before the plane took off.

Kind of silly to claim victory over such a thing. What would have prevented the US from turning the plane around in mid-air, and what risk was there that Dubai would have prevented the US from taking Shahzad into custody if the plane reached its destination?

Consider Attorney General Eric Holder’s comment, “The reality [is] that there is a constant threat from those who wish to do us harm simply because of our way of life.”

(Did you, I like I did, have a flashback to the Bush Administration?)
By “our way of life,” Attorney Holder, do you include the wars in which the United States has been stuck since 2001 and 2003 and have killed thousands of innocents? How about foreign policy disasters since 1947? Oy vey. Obama’s cabinet just doesn’t have the flair of its leader, and its leader’s lack of substance is becoming clearer by the day.

Giggle worthy news … An employee of the US Transportation Security Administration was arrested for assaulting a coworker who mocked his, ahem, manliness, as the man went through one of those new body scanners during training.

One critic of the scanner stated, “I really think it would give a lot of folks pause if they thought that TSA employees were mocking naked body scans of American air travelers.” No kidding. Those things are a bad idea no matter how you look at them. Pardon the pun.

How many nukes does it take to destroy the world? … The United States has revealed a number: 5,113. This is the number of nuclear warheads the US admits to having, in hopes of encouraging other countries (read: China and Israel) to become more transparent about their nuclear capabilities.

The number is not the actual number, as it does not include the several thousand that are not assembled, some capable of reassembly, some ready for disposal.

Finally … Israel has refused to cooperate in a United Nations resolution to develop a Middle East non-proliferation treaty. Big surprise.

A Conversation with Bubba

2010-03-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

I was the victim of a hit-and-run this week. No worries, I was not hurt. Perplexed, maybe…

I had the pleasure of having lunch with Michele, a Muslimah attorney and friend. This was a treat for me, as it is a rare occasion that I go anywhere sans Laila, and never to a place with fresh sushi. Our fine lunch, however, was momentarily interrupted as one of the restaurant patrons told us upon his exit, “Wearing those things gives you blinders.”

Dear Readers, the man did not even slow down on his way out the door. No time to rebut, to ask for clarification or explanation, or to call him snarky names.

It took Michele and me about ten seconds to conclude that, yes, he was talking to us about our scarves, and yes, he was an idiot.

(Actually, I had thought that there was so much anger at Obama and Democrats for passing the Health Care bill that Muslims were on the backburner, and frankly, not worth the haters’ time this month. But after witnessing the signage of the Tea-baggers, who remain convinced that having a Black, allegedly Kenyan-born Muslim president is worse than death, I realized my mistake. There is plenty of hate in Conservative America to go around. Sheesh. You’d think after a year, they’d give it a rest.)

So, upon hearing this (what I can only assume is a) disparaging remark, after lunch I did a quick search on my new Droid to see exactly where this “hijab=blinders” remark came from. The statement, after all, screams of those pseudo-intellectual-yet-pithy comments that wrap everything up neatly like “They hate us for our freedom.”

A cursory search led to many negative comments about hijabis, many of them that pseudo intellectual/pithy type, but I did not find what I expected. I imagine it’s out there, what I call, “A Conversation with Bubba.” Goes something a little like this…

“Muslim women are oppressed.” Why, Bubba?

“Because they wear a rag on their heads.” Why would that oppress them?

“Because they come from Arab countries like Afghanistan and Iran where they don’t have personal freedom.” Okaaaay... so you’re saying that a piece of cloth is oppressive because the countries are not free.

“Yup, that, and they’re Muslims.” So what about Muslims in this country?

“They’re welcome in this country as long as they dress like good Americans and speak English.” I'm with you on the English part. So how do good Americans dress?

“You know, showing their hair and whatnot.” What’s ‘whatnot’?

“You know, their legs and cleavage and whatnot.” Do you have a daughter, Bubba?

“Yes.” Really?

“Yes.” Wow. Okay, so in America, don’t we have freedom to dress the way we want?

“Sure, as long as you’re acting like an American, because America is a good Christian country.” Who says?

“The Constitution.” No it doesn’t.

“But all our forefathers were Christian.” Did our forefathers tell us that we had to be Christian, regardless of our beliefs? Is that in the Constitution?

“It’s implied.” Where is it implied, Bubba? No, never, mind. We’ve gotten off the subject. We’re talking about the headscarf.

“Well, if you’re in America, you should dress like an American!” But I am American, Bubba.

“Then you’re stupid!” But I have over seven years of higher education and I’m a lawyer. And I’ve actually read the Constitution, by the way.

“Then you’re brainwashed.” Because I have a piece of cloth covering my hair?

“Because your husband made you a Muslim.” No, he didn’t.

"He's an abusive husband?" Nope.

“He made you wear that rag on your head.” You’re reaching, Bubba. Try again.

“You’re a liberal.” Now, you take that back!

“Sorry, my bad.” S’alright. Okay. Go on.

“Then you have blinders on and can’t see the truth. Comes from wearing that scarf. It’s also squeezed your brain and given you a fever.” Ahhh. Now I understand. Thanks, Bubba, for setting me straight on Islam, my clothing, medical condition and marriage, world politics and political geography, American history, and the Constitution.

“You’re welcome, ma’am. Now take off some clothes!”

I am tempted, from here on out, to chase down future hit-and-runners, offer them my business card, and ask them to call if ever they’d like to schedule a real discussion about my scarf. Michele, however, would be mortified. I'll leave her out of it.

Jefferson was Wrong

2010-02-13T17:14:00.000-08:00

America’s Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776, announced that all men are created equal and have inalienable rights bestowed upon them by the Creator. Thomas Jefferson famously stole John Locke’s “life liberty, and property” replacing the last of the list with “the pursuit of happiness.” Ignoring the fact that Jefferson actually meant equality and rights for rich white men, that he was a great thinker and writer of his day, and, along with Ben Franklin, is one of my favorite colonial dudes (he owned a Quran, for goodness’ sakes), there is that problematic reference to happiness.

How does one define happiness? Is it elation, or is it something less exciting? Is it the lack of unhappiness? Is happiness the destination, or the road travelled, or a byproduct of a life well-lived? Where does one’s right to happiness end, and who has the right to infringe upon another’s? An intrinsic difference between Islam and modern Western philosophies and interpretation of religion is the fact that Islam does not place such an emphasis on personal happiness, but instead on faith and deeds.

“Faith and deeds” makes sense in a way that “pursuing happiness” cannot. We do things every day that run counter to happiness. Mothers endure childbirth, change diapers—nasty diapers, attend mind-numbing school functions, and clean house. Some women, I’m told, even cook. For all the good things that mothers do, there is no guarantee that she will be happy in her parental role. Nor can she trade in her child for a better model.

A couple years after putting on the hijab, I met my extened family at a function in Philadelphia (where the Declaration was signed, incidentally). When my dear Aunt Wanda first saw me in the scarf, she sweetly told me that I looked like a nun. (She is not the only person who has admired my nun look.) Apparently, she had not gotten the memo that I had become a Muslim.

When I talked to her later that afternoon, it was clear to me that she was in a mild state of shock because all she could say over and over again was “Well, as long as you’re happy.”

At that point, I could have told her I had to shoot one hundred baby seals as an initiation requirement and eat the beating heart of a US Congressman.

As if Congress had any heart. (Just kidding, Mom.)

Alhamdulillah, I am grateful that she was so accepting, even if she perhaps held warped notions of Islam and Muslims. I was, though, somewhat taken back by her mentally justifying my conversion with personal happiness. How easily we throw that word around but fail to qualify it.

Jefferson should have stuck with the script.

Response to Ms. Erbes rant

2010-01-21T23:03:00.000-08:00

OK, I'm all for differences of opinion. This one, though, has gotten my goat.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/01/21/ready-to-run-frances-proposed-burqa-ban-why-americans-might-w/

I have a hard time believing that she can be serious at all about this-- it's that insane. Therefore...

Ms. Erbe'

Your arguments are fallacious. The suggestion to ban a piece of clothing under the guise of freedom is, quite frankly, ridiculous. Do you understand that freedom in this country means freedom to choose the clothing we wear? Why on earth would it not? You give no valid reason. Fashion is not the same as it was 234 years ago, and in ten years, it will not be the same as it is today. Why should I confine myself to the whims of fashion and allow my life to be dictated by New York designers and their runways?

Do you not see how ludicrous that is?

Your comments about 'prescreening' potential Muslim women immigrants so they may benefit from the spectrum of US-given rights may not be such a terrible suggestion except for the attachment of your fashion requirement. (Why on earth do you not suggest that potential male immigrants be vetted and educated as well?)

Modern American life, generally, is not antithetical to Islam, fashion being one large, but superficial exception. To suggest that women may not come to this country unless they are willing to dress like prostitutes-- or like you-- doesn't sound like freedom that I want a part of. Frankly, Ms. Erbe, my patriotism is not based on something so superficial as your fashion sense.

Don't attack me, an educated, American Muslim woman, who has decided to wear a headscarf-- or the many educated American Muslim women who choose to wear the veils over their faces. Similarly, don't insult us by chalking our decision to wear our clothing up to a need for acceptance or a desire to please our husbands.

You, Ms. Erbe, are trying to apply the same pressure that you vaguely accuse Muslim men or Muslim society of doing to their women. Shame on you.

We are educated for a reason-- our religion requires us to gain knowledge. We make the choices we do because we are enlightened.

I have advice for you. If, in your community you feel affronted by Muslims who wear modest clothing, don't take it personally. It's got nothing to do with you.

This is the Consolation Prize?

2010-01-03T10:59:00.000-08:00

Here Muslims awkwardly sit at the beginning of a new year. The United States has suffered through more winter storms than most Decembers, the economy is still in the tank, people are out of jobs and are still losing their homes. Muslims in America, however, seem to not be doing too badly, alhamdulillah, despite Fort Hood and the would-be [insert vulgar phrase here] airplane bomber from Christmas Day.

There does seem to be less backlash, as mainstream coverage of Fort Hood and the underwear bomber has focused less on the general Muslim population and more on extremism and the shortcomings of the FBI and CIA. It helps that the Muslims related to Major Hasan gave non-cringe-worthy interviews. Also influencing the American media is the fact that the town crier, ie, the underwear bomber’s father, is a banker and used to be the Nigerian finance minister. (How extreme can a finance minister be, anyway?)

The government of Iraq is suing Blackwater, the private military company that was performing services for the United States in Iraq. In September, 2007, Blackwater employees allegedly massacred many Iraqi citizens and attempted to murder many more. Criminal charges on the matter were dismissed by the federal District Court in Washington, DC. The Iraqi government will urge the prosecution to appeal the dismissal as it prepares for its civil suit. Several other civil suits by individual Iraqi citizens against Blackwater (now Xe) are in the works.

The District Court’s decision was based on the prosecutor’s use of inadmissible evidence: statements ‘coerced’ from the Blackwater employees who were allegedly afraid of losing their jobs if they did not speak. The employees were given immunity from prosecution for their eyewitness accounts.

The civil suit is a consolation prize of sorts, assuming Iraq can win its case. It appears, though, that those murdered Iraqis might have to wait for Judgment Day to get their justice.

(Reality check. Federal prosecutors do not ordinarily make mistakes that will get their case against mass murderers summarily dismissed. The fact is, if the evidence on which the case was built was inadmissible, then the judge did the correct thing. The law is the law, which we count on to protect ourselves and society, even when it shows itself to be less than perfect. The case apparently should not have been built upon evidence of the Blackwater ‘confessions.’ Glean from that what you will. Insha Allah, the Court of Appeals will determine properly whether the lower court erred.)

So, in 2010, is there less anti-Muslim sentiment than post 9-11? Arguably, yes. The GITMO prisoners, for example, will be seeing American justice sooner than later, and those who believe that American courts are better venues than military tribunals seem not to be afraid to say so any more. Americans of all faiths are speaking out against Palestinian suffering in greater numbers than before. But we have so far to go.

The US has two elected Muslim Congressmen since 9-11, Keith Ellison and Andre Carson. Congressman Ellison was reelected. But the haters are still around, in and out of the government. Fox News still hates us. Or loves us. Rest assured, they love the ratings that Ft. Hood and the underwear bomber have generated, and the fact that these incidents happened “on Obama’s watch.”

Depending on how you look at it, putting out these minor fires could be our jihad, our purgatory, or a really disappointing consolation prize. It seems that Muslims have an uneasy truce with most of America; alhamdulillah, it could be worse.

When the Shrink Needs a Shrink

2009-12-10T09:18:00.000-08:00

And among His wonders is this: He creates for you mates out of your own kind so that you might incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you: In this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who think. (Quran 30:21)

It is lawful for you to go in unto your wives during the night preceding the fast: they are as a garment for you, and you are as a garment for them.... (Quran 2:187)

American Army Major Nidal Hasan has been charged with the murder of thirteen people at Fort Hood, Texas and the attempted premeditated murder of thirty-two more. The complete details of this tragedy have yet to be revealed. It will be months or years before the public knows all the facts behind this terrible story.

What we know about Major Hasan is a big batch of contradiction. On one hand, we have an (alleged) murderer who had been in touch with America-hating extremists. He was investigated by the FBI and not particularly well-regarded by his peers.

On the other hand, Major Hasan was known as a quiet man, a peaceful man, who originally believed in the righteousness of joining the Army, but whose conscience started to weigh on his feelings about his career. Increasingly disillusioned by returning soldiers and their stories, and ever peace-loving, Major Hasan tried to get out. No doubt that pressures and insults from fellow soldiers helped guide him to that decision.

The American military, like all others around the world, has its share of dirty little secrets. But Vietnam, for example, shows us how those secrets cannot stay hidden. Too many soldiers came back from Vietnam psychologically disturbed, unable to sleep, needing psychiatric evaluation, having dependency problems, and too often needing to be institutionalized or incarcerated. Iraq has shown us the same trend.

Might is right in the military. Soldiers are trained to ask no questions and to do things that no one who believes in God should be asked to do. So momma-raised soldiers may be mentally and emotionally torn between their countries and their consciences. This phenomenon is nothing new or unique to Major Hasan.

It is easy to see how American soldiers, whose coping mechanisms must necessarily include detaching themselves from the perceived enemy, would find Major Hasan a threat, and why they would ostracize him.

The question begs, “How does a soldier get through his time without going off the deep end?” The answer is as old and as simple as Adam and Eve and is given to us in the Quran. No one ever hears stories about happily married mass murderers.

It is sad that Maj. Hassan tried to find a wife but was unable. (This fact in itself is amazing to me because of the many, many single Muslimahs in this country looking for a husband.) Having a spouse, that is, having someone to come home to, to air frustrations with, to get good counsel, and to rejuvenate and strengthen ourselves, is one of the blessings that Allah intends for us. This is ignoring all together the importance of creating a family.

Whether marriage would have helped Major Hasan keep it together, Allah only knows. It is certainly easy to imagine, however, a wife supporting her husband through such a tumultuous, trying time. More plausible, even, to see her urge her husband to choose another career from the start because she knows her husband better than he knows himself.

Plug for Muslim Media

2009-10-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

As we thank Allah for allowing the Crescent Times to start its second year, we find at least one of its columnists evaluating the worth of Muslim media in the West. Whether Muslims in Western countries need media outlets would seem almost too self-evident to discuss. However, considering the difficulty that all media, especially traditional print newspapers are having these days, perhaps the importance of Muslim media should be talked about a bit.

So here's the plug:

As an American Muslim, I am particularly annoyed by the West's inability to 'get it right' when it comes to Muslims and Islam. Also bothersome is Arab media's joyfully anti-American slant. Neither of those opposites represents me.

Muslims everywhere need representation. Yet Muslim media outlets face challenges that others do not.

First, of course, they are Muslim controlled, with Muslim perspectives, so are under the scrutiny of the entire world. It is hard to find a Muslim perspective that will satisfy everyone. I could say that the earth is round and mothers should love their children, and some hater somewhere will accuse me of being an evil, backward, oppressed, circumcised, socialist rag-head Muslim who hates my own freedom, and won't be happy until the West is destroyed and Islamics take over the world. (I have no idea what that even means.)

The diversity of Muslims in the West means strength for the community, but the diversity brings, well, diversity. Differences in fashion, culture, and madhab lead to clashes of opinion. At the end of the day, however, we all say “La ilaha il Allah” and we live our lives accordingly. So Muslim media is, or should be, a method of bringing the extended Muslim community closer and giving Muslims a forum for expression and information sharing.

I appeal to you, Dear Readers, to support the Muslim media available to you. The costs involved in keeping a medium running are high. HIGH! Acquiring advertisers and developing readership are difficult at best. These independent publications, not funded with millions of corporate dollars, are labors of love. Insha Allah, there will be a time when Muslims in the West, by sheer strength of numbers, can support many brands of Muslim media. But until that time, please help this emerging industry and Crescent Times by buying advertising space and subscriptions, patronizing its sponsors' businesses, giving feedback, taking an interest in your community, and most importantly, making dua'a for the industry's (and CT's) strength.

Response to Mr. Thompson

2009-10-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Thompson,

Thank you for taking time to comment on the October issue of CT and for commenting on my article, in particular. This is the first time anyone has ever accused me of being “blatantly provocative.”

By that, I hope you are not accusing me of provoking violence?

I'd like to say, Mr. Thompson, that I am not a reporter for CT, but a columnist. My opinions on religion, President Obama, Iran, Palestine, and my right to wear a head scarf in America, France, Turkey, or Australia are my own and not CT's, its editor's, or its other contributors'.

Whether any particular religion is appropriate for a particular person is not my choice to make, and neither the United States nor Australia claim that fundamental right. Nor, for that matter, do Islam and the Quran. I hope you'll agree with me that I have not, in the October article, advocated anyone switching religions either peacefully or by force.

Apparently, the United States and Australia also share freedom of speech. Let's agree that opinionated folks like me are permitted to say what they want within certain parameters. I do feel justified opining about the nuns because of my extensive personal knowledge.

Your question is a good one: “Did she need to use the religious allusion to make her point about Obama’s health and other policies?”

Not necessarily. But the nuns are what come to mind when I think about President Obama. They meant well, and they believed what they said, but even to a six-year-old, they never quite made sense. I calls 'em as I sees 'em, Mr. Thompson.

Life is too short, and as we've seen throughout history, not thinking, not investigating, not speaking loudly enough against evil can be deadly, and sometimes omissions are their own separate acts of evil.

The second question: “Does she not realise that by doing so she leaves herself and, by extension, the whole of Islam, open to the same charge of lack of credibility, of having been brainwashed by their own religion?”

Answer: No problem. You may scrutinize me for credibility. I give you permission. I insist, even.

And please scrutinize Islam as well. Learn what Islam is. Learn what Islam requires of a Muslim-- it certainly isn't running planes into buildings.

Your logic leads to a conclusion that Islam is faulty because you view those verses as distasteful. Your aversion is obvious. So be it. But attractiveness has never in history been a requisite of truth, and quite frankly, one of the things wrong with the world throughout history is that religions of all kinds have been skewed, bent, and butchered to become attractive to someone. Sometimes the motives in doing so are admirable, sometimes not. Either way, it's wrong. I would not be a Muslim if I didn't believe that.

To conclude on that point, Muslims, myself included, also “sincerely believe” those misrepresented verses and the rest of the Quran.

Setting aside shariah and the opinions of those whom you call “Islamists,” the Quran itself permits polygyny. Whether I like that the Quran allows a Muslim man to have four wives is irrelevant. I accept that allowance as fact because I am a Muslim.

I also accept and appreciate that, as a woman, I have a right to stipulate in a marriage contract that my suitor will forgo his rights to Wives #2, #3, and #4 if he is serious about wanting to be my husband. And as a Muslim, I appreciate the fact that Islam permits women-- widows, divorcees, young and old, the dignity, the right and the opportunity to be married, to have sex, and carry with them labels of virtuosity rather than immorality, -- even if it means sharing a husband.

(Oh, the horror!)

On the other hand, I, like many many native born American Muslims (and those who aren't native born), appreciate and respect the laws of my country. My being a Muslim is not antithetical to being a citizen of the United States, and in fact, I am an attorney and am sworn to uphold the laws of the United States.

So I accept the fact that unless and until the laws change, polygyny is illegal.

But talking about polygyny is not!

Islam and the Quran are not the enemies of mankind. Enemies of the world include Muslims and non-Muslims who use Islam, warp Islam, interpret Islam to mean that mass murder is an act required to get into heaven.

That interpretation makes no sense. Were it true, not a person would be left on earth.

So please, I invite you, Mr. Thompson, to continue to put Islam under the microscope. Islam can take it.

Much regards,

Debora McNichol

Obama's Gimme

2009-10-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Barak Obama for being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. American opinions on the award, like so many others that regard the president, diverge. Liberals are thrilled, and the award, in their opinion, could not be more deserved. Conservatives, on the other hand, are quite resentful. (One Fox News anchor was appalled that another man who was “saving real lives” in Africa didn’t win. Come on. Like she cares anything about Africa.) While conservative scorn is unwarranted, the point is valid.

Why does a president with such a tiny CV deserve this prestigious award when the country and the world are in so much turmoil? Especially when the Nobel nomination deadline occurred eleven days after the inauguration? Isn’t a person supposed to do something before he wins that prize?

The answer to America is that he was not being judged on health care or “don’t ask, don’t tell.” The Nobel Committee simply wanted to support President Obama’s very lofty goals and “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Fair enough. There are worse things than good intentions, and perhaps this is just the humble pill President Obama needs to regroup after recent disappointments and forge on, insha Allah.

Obama's Credibility Problem

2009-10-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

(First published in the Crescent Times, WA)

Every once in a while, I’m reminded of the nuns at St. Mary’s School. Boy, they used to tell some whoppers. Not that I understood this completely at the time, or that the nuns were anything less than sincere in their beliefs. I suppose a six-year-old can be only so analytical, but the clues were there from the start. When they recounted the story of Nuh (peace upon him), they always ended with “And God felt so sorry for all the destruction that He caused, He vowed never to do it again.” Now, even my underdeveloped mind had a problem with that statement. They talked like God had no idea what would happen if he flooded the world with water for forty days and forty nights. And then He had regrets? Oh, puh-leaze.

There were other stories. After forty days of fasting, Jesus (peace upon him) was carried to the top of a mountain and Satan tempted him with food and power. The nuns thought it simply amazing that Jesus had the willpower to rebuke Satan after all that fasting.

The nuns told us about Doubting Thomas, too, who hadn’t believed that it was actually Jesus standing there after he’d died. Jesus reportedly asked Thomas to stick his hand into the gaping sword wound in his side for proof. (Now that’s just disgusting. Astaghfurallah.)

These stories, and many more, were recounted with zeal and wonderment by the nuns of St. Mary’s. I was too well-behaved to ask, “So what? If Jesus is God, then he can knock Satan out with one punch. Ding ding! Match over!”

And “Couldn’t Jesus have pinched Thomas instead and said, ‘You’re not dreaming, mate. Now get me a bandage!’”

I don’t blame the nuns. No doubt, they learned the same things they tried to teach us, and wouldn’t have become nuns if they hadn’t swallowed all of that hook, line, and sinker, so their sincerity is not at issue. Their credibility, however, is another story.

Fast forward to 2009. Health care reform is on most Americans’ minds as conservatives ramble on about death panels, the lethal Canadian health care system, and hell-bound socialists. Senior citizens are terrified of losing their ridiculously expensive Medicare and resent the idea of anyone else being on the government dime. Democrats are split because they can’t agree as to how much debt the United States should incur to provide health care to every man, woman, and child in the country (but not illegal immigrants, Joe Wilson). Moderates are jumping ship because they see health care reform as a giant pillow over the face of an already gasping economy. Needless to say, President Obama’s push to get health care reform through, sight unseen, was a huge, idealistic error in strategy from which he is having a devil of a time recovering.

Obama can’t catch a break from conservatives on foreign policy, either, and he’s losing ground with people who thought that Guantanamo would be closed and the troops would be out of Iraq by now. While Obama has been embraced by the rest of the world, his efforts to land the Olympics in Chicago have resulted in a big fat goose egg and spiteful contentment from conservatives.

Just like the nuns, Obama is having credibility problems, and the center can’t but shake its head. He and his advisors have acted under the assumption that his cult of personality would move people toward him and the liberal cause, but they’re starting to find that brilliant oration will only get a person so far and for so long, and that the angriest boo the loudest. The honeymoon is over, Mr. President.

Ramadan Report 2009

2009-09-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

(First published in the Crescent Times, WA.)

Studies show that girls grow up with self confidence when their fathers spend time with them. I’m often amazed and always grateful that my husband dotes on his daughter like he does, but I worry sometimes that the dear man might go overboard.

Take this Ramadan, for example. Laila is having a difficult time finding the motivation to fast. Yes, she’s only eight, but she is not malnourished, she is not underexposed to her deen, insha Allah, and she does have the example of two fasting parents, one of whom is doing her level best not to be cranky this month. So being a concerned parent (and not negligent, as some might allege), I make her fast during school hours by not packing her a lunch.

In contrast, Ahmed buys tamarind soda and large bottles of mineral water, chills and pours them in special glasses for her. He encourages her to drink while he contentedly watches, ignoring his own dry mouth and throat.

North Carolina has its share of hot summer sun and dehydration is a looming threat to fasting Muslims. Does that stop Ahmed from piling Lulu Bug and her little friends in the Jeep and taking them all to the lake? No, it does not. Does it stop him from taking them all for ice cream and snacks afterwards? No, it does not. (Does it stop him from bringing home smelly lake clothes that have been steeped for hours in Carolina red clay? Unfortunately, no it does not.)

Then there’s the toys. The child has more toys than Walmart. I am concerned, and rightfully so, that she cannot appreciate everything she has for the sheer volume. Many of these toys have been buried in bins that haven’t seen the light of day for a half decade. Others, like clothes she discards so carelessly, are constantly under my feet or otherwise cluttering my house. So off they go to the Goodwill store under mild protest. Only the protest isn’t from Lulu Bug, it’s from Ahmed.

How on earth, I ask myself, can this man be so deferential to this pampered little girl when I know for a fact that I love her more than he does? (This is a story for another time.) The answer is so simple. Ahmed is a very kind, generous-hearted man. He’s particularly kind to his family: to me, his mother, his daughter, his sisters. Ramadan is a time for kindness and charity, and as we say in the States, charity begins at home. What an excellent example for his wife and daughter every day, but most especially this month.

So last week, Ahmed called Lulu long distance to brag about his newest acquisition: a brand new laptop for her. Wow, I thought, happy that he was so excited about it, but a bit disappointed that I’d have to tell her that she could not have it. (It has a webcam attached, and besides, I need it more than she does.) “No problem, keep it,” said Ahmed, “Insha Allah I’ll get her another one for Eid.”

Alhamdulillah, crisis averted, and he left something in the store to get her for Eid.

Which is good, because he bought her another Wii game yesterday.

I asked him whether I could share this story with Australia and he said “Sure! Why not?” I told him that I was concerned that some people might think he was too soft. And my husband answered, “When it comes to my daughter, I don’t care what anybody thinks.” Now that’s a real man.

Does a Muslim man have to love his wives the same?

2009-08-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

No.
A man is not required to love each wife the same as the other. The Prophet Mohammed did not love all his wives the same, (they are different people, and a person owns his own heart).

However, he did treat them all as equally as he could, and he was adored by all of his wives. And none of them could have loved him the same as any other could.

It is acceptable to marry for "just" reasons, and not for love. One of the reasons polygamy is permitted is to make sure women are cared for in widowhood. Should a woman be a ward of the state or begging on the street, when a convenient, mutually beneficial marriage is attainable and preserves the widow's dignity?

Issues with wives being jealous of each other happen, no doubt. My personal opinion is that a man shouldn't have a second wife without his first wife's blessing. This agreement (or nonagreement) should happen in the initial marriage contract so there are no surprises 10 years into the marriage. Islam prefers a marriage contract in order to preserve a woman's rights... which was unheard of pre-Islam.

Of course, cultural practices often dictate how Muslim marriage arrangements are carried out, and not Islam per se.

If the first wife cannot stomach the fact that her husband is planning on remarrying, then yes, she can consider divorce.

As for "love," there are many types of love, and respect and trust are inherent, or at least should be, in all. Being "in love" is a different than a marriage that has matured, and sometimes that trust and respect are not there. So yeah, being in love is great, but it doesn't last. The good news is that if Allah lets, it will grow into something greater than that.

Ramadan Mubarak!

2009-07-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

I fasted through Ramadan for the first time in 1997. That winter month was a simple one. I was not married at the time, and didn’t really know any Muslims except my future husband, and he was in another state nine hundred miles away. Looking back, I didn’t know him all that well. So not having a benchmark other than a newbie's knowledge of the Sunnah, my expectations were only to get through the month as smoothly as possible, day by day and hour by hour. If I was lucky, I could lose a few pounds in the process. Fasting at work, I somehow managed to keep up in my very busy restaurant, broke the fast at the appropriate time, ate simply, prayed, and read the Quran. At the end of the month, I celebrated Eid by eating solo between lunch and dinner rush at the restaurant. Ramadan was elegantly simple and peaceful, but a little bit lonely.

I didn’t lose a pound.

Imagine my surprise and confusion the next year when Ahmed schooled me on what he expected to break his fast with: chicken, beef, rice, molokhia and vegetables, bread, and fruit salad in cream and sugar. Good thing he cooks, I told myself as he spent entire afternoons preparing for iftar in the restaurant. Late nights we stayed awake after long days at work. Egyptian movies and Ramadan specials played while we relaxed in the dark. Egyptian Arabic peppered our mornings as Ahmed called his family and every friend he ever had. He remained unendingly good-natured despite missing too many suhoors. I tenuously held my own, foregoing cigarettes, coffee, and most of the time, curse words. ‘Tweren’t easy.

Eleven years later, I need the spirituality of Ramadan more than ever. I’ve quit smoking, but have a temper that continues to require more tongue biting than can possibly be good for a human being. So I’ll mentally prepare myself (and Laila) for fasting and dispose of those victims of procrastination that haunt me daily. I’ll drill Ahmed to make sure we have the funds for zakat (never an issue, alhamdulillah, but I worry). I’ll schedule a pre-Ramadan blood donation.

The most important preparation, though, is done. I cannot adequately explain why Ahmed and I took so long to discuss our Ramadan practices, but we have. Alhamdulillah. As usual, Ahmed was receptive and sweet and was willing to tone it down a bit, while I agreed to try to stop being such a sourpuss.

Insha Allah, no more late nights with the TV. No more skipping suhoor. No more Maghrib feasts.

Well, maybe one. Ahmed really is a wonderful cook.

Random Thoughts

2009-06-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

1. I’m a math geek. But accounting? Yuck. I love logic puzzles and Laila’s “Eye Spy” books (very clever), but think Soduko is a dreadful bore. I’m only mediocre at crossword puzzles and I don’t care.

2. My mother, on the other hand, is Word Game Champion Extraordinaire and Gin Rummy Ringer. In my childhood, she beat me mercilessly ALL THE TIME (at cards), so I rarely pick up a deck today except to play Fish, Old Maid, and Concentration with Laila. Laila’s much better at Concentration than I. When she gets older I’ll teach her how to play blackjack, poker, and euchre (sans gambling, of course)—three games Mom didn’t ruin for me.

3. I think my mother is a beautiful woman and has an incredible smile. I don’t like her singing voice, but some people do.

4. I’ve been a Muslim since 1996. FINALLY a religion that makes sense (thank God)!

5. I’ve been on a mission to become a lawyer since 2001, inspired by a lady I didn’t know and had never met. She’s since become one of my best friends. If we could all be like her, the world would be a wonderful place.

6. I have my moments. A couple of ‘em good.

7. My husband is all kinds of wonderful. Patient, sweet, smart, good Muslim, great husband, great sense of humor, generous, and SUCH a doting father. Laila has no idea how fortunate she is.

8. Laila, thankfully, has Ahmed’s temperament, not mine.

9. Never thought I’d own a cat. This one is not too bad, though I prefer the hamster.

10. I like business law. Who’da thunk?

11. I like a whole bunch of other laws as well. I really enjoyed law school and would be working towards an LLM, an MBA, and a PhD if I were independently wealthy.

12. I knew without a doubt Laila was a boy the second I saw the “+” on the pee stick. I’m glad I was wrong. Once they hit double digits, boys are just gross. They stay that way well into adulthood and sometimes die in that state.

13. The older I get, the more I appreciate being a girl, or rather, not being a boy.

14. My best friend and I have been stuck together (sometimes by a mere thread) since middle school. That’s a good thing.

15. I used to take 100% blame for my divorce, but do no longer. I’m down to about 75% and will probably stay there.

16. I smoked for 20 years.

17. I love eggs.

18. My father met my mother while in stationed in Hawaii at Hickam (I’m in good company, apparently), but he got out of the AF when I was a baby in the mainland.

19. I want to save the world when I grow up.

20. Laila is the most beautiful thing I ever saw in my whole entire life. But I could watch clouds forever. I’m always amazed at how beautiful the sky is from day to day and I never get tired of it.

21. One of my favorite things is taking pictures of Laila while she’s sleeping, drool and all. (I will blackmail her when the time is right.)

22. I never laugh more than when I’m with Denise and Diana. I always thought it was interesting how my sibs and I laugh at the same stupid things. Bizarre nature-nurture combo. I don’t remember Dad having a sense of humor, and Mom? Oddly innocent.

23. I can argue against any political position and refuse to pick a side. Both sides are messed up. I love political science, but hate politics. Hate politicians. I hope that Obama does ¼ of the things that people expect of him. I doubt that he will.

24. Football--you bet! (Skins, of course Barbara.)

25. Laila would rather be anything else than a lawyer when she grows up… but by golly, she knows a battery when she sees it on the school playground.

Haters Locked and Loaded

2009-06-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

If President Obama is to be believed, my country is staying out of Iran’s election, short of condemning the harsh treatment of the protesters. As usual, the haters are busy hating. Conservatives are asking their audiences most conspiratorially, “Do you think he’s doing the right thing? Do you think he’s being harsh enough with the Holocaust Deniers?”

For those who don’t speak American Conservative, “Holocaust Denier” means Iran. And “Do you think he’s doing the right thing?” is a mediocre attempt to hide the fact that the president is really doing the only thing he can do—or rather, the only thing that he can say he’s doing. Wink, wink.

Weeks of civil unrest and dead people in Iran have led me to the conclusion that I just don’t care who the Iranian president turns out to be. Anyone who thinks twice about it will come to the conclusion that either man will end up the puppet of the mullahs, and all this fuss just isn’t worth it. Khatami could only do so much without his hand getting slapped. Ahmedinejad started his presidency as a clown, and if re-elected, will continue to be the Guardian Council’s court jester. The new guy doesn’t really stand a chance. Who are we kidding?

You want reform in Iran? You want democracy? Slap the Ayatollah’s hand. Kick the mullahs out. Install people who know Islam by its other name, i.e., “the religion of peace” and THEN talk about reform, democracy, and freedom from caning for that pesky little hair lock sticking out from your hijab.

In the meantime, The Stoning of Soraya M. has been released in the US and is perfectly timed and coordinates nicely with Neda Agha-Soltan’s murder and the mullah’s call to execute protesters in the street. (Really? This was a Muslim speaking? Subhan Allah.)

Stoning is a tragic true story and a commentary on patriarchal rule in a typical village that practices a warped and widespread version of Islamic law in Iran. The heroine is a faithful, innocent housewife who is set up by her dirtbag husband, convicted of adultery, and stoned to death by a mob of villagers. The story is heartbreaking—more so for Muslims who see Islam as a balm for the ills of the world and a religion that encourages its adherents to deal with mercy and justice.

I ran across a “movie review” of Stoning, written by a self-labeled expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I would share the link with you, Dear Readers, but this man is paid by the click. To read his garbage would only encourage him. What it amounted to, though, was an anti-Islam manifesto that purported to understand the “official view of Islam” and called for a ban of Muslim immigration to the US and a reformation of Islam.

No doubt there are many more attacks on Islam that masquerade as reviews on the ‘net for this movie. Yahoo, for example, describes Stoning as demonstrating “the utter lack of human rights for women under Islamic law.” Ouch.

If I was watching the news and reading this review from a non-Muslim point-of-view, I would seriously doubt whether Islam was the religion of peace Muslims claim it to be. I would also question the sanity and self esteem of converted Muslim women around the globe.

I would think I was off my own rocker.

The haters are everywhere. So sad for Muslims these days that the enemies of Islam, including the Iranian clerics, have so much ammunition and so many outlets in which to use it. Sadder still is their latest most popular ammo: Muslims oppressing Muslims.

Q&A on Becoming a Muslim

2009-05-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

From March, 2008: a mini-interview for a student at UNC.

-- Where are you originally from and what is your profession?

I’m originally from Virginia. I became a Muslim in Indiana, where I lived for several years. I currently live part time in Raleigh, and part time in southern Virginia. My business and profession has been restaurant management. I am a mother and a law student.

-- What made you decide to convert to Islam?

I recognized Islam as the truth when I read the Koran. The realization and revelation --- “Oh yeah! Now THAT makes sense!”… where no other religion ever really did.

-- Were you religious before your conversion, and if so, what religion
were you?

No, I was not particularly religious, but was raised a Catholic. I have attended several churches of various faiths at the urging of friends and friends-of-family. I hated them all. I called myself a Catholic or a Christian, depending on the context, but I did not practice, except to open presents on Christmas and eat Cadbury Mini-Eggs. (I still love Cadbury!)

-- How are you accepted in the Muslim community as a convert?

Well enough. I have been a Muslim for several years, but for most of that, I lived in a place (small town in So. VA) where there were no other Muslims. At this point, I am not as involved in the Muslim community as I’d like to be.

-- Do your family, friends, peers, colleagues, etc. treat you any
differently since your conversion?

My family accepted it, but didn’t particularly like it. They love me regardless. I think they thought it was a phase I was going through. Twelve years later (and even after 911) they are a little closer to understanding what Islam is, and that it is definitely not a fad. I do believe my mother is embarrassed somewhat. She deals with it. She's funny like that. She loves every Muslim she ever met (including my husband), yet succumbs to the stereotypes from the media on a regular basis. She's a big fan of Fox News. Ewww.

I have a total of two friends from my pre-Muslim life, (which is not as bad as it sounds). One simply accepts it because she loves me, and while she doesn't know much about Islam, she knows that I would never choose to do something that is inherently evil. The other HATED Islam (and thought I was an idiot at the time of my conversion), yet was going to marry a Muslim and convert him to Christianity. She's now a Muslim, and is quite at peace with it, where she never was at peace with Christianity.

There are very few people in my life that have been there for decades (I'm over 40 now). This is not a bad thing, and not attributable to my being a Muslim. My BFF, now Muslim, has lost at least 1 friend directly attributable to her conversion to Islam. The ex-friend was/is an atheist, who has hated Muslims since the day (almost 30 years ago) some Middle Eastern men hit on her at a swimming pool.

My aunt didn't know I was a Muslim till she saw me wearing a scarf (which I started wearing about 6 years after becoming a Muslim) and almost had a heart attack. At first she thought I was a nun, until someone clued her in. All she could say was "As long as you're happy" over and over again. I'm glad she didn't have a heart attack because she's about 70 years old. After the shock of it a couple years ago, she's been pretty cool with it, and the extended family is OK for the most part, but their spouses are about 50-50.

Regarding colleagues: Since I started wearing the scarf, there have been a few who no longer come into my restaurant. Business hurt a little from that, but thank God, we've gotten through. For whatever reason, my scarf is a very divisive thing. Usually though, I can break down barriers and (at least temporarily) prevent people from keeping me in a stereotypical "Muslim woman = Oppressed, Non-American, Unapproachable, Stupid, Forced-To-Convert-and-Cover, Couldn't-Get-An-American-Husband, Ignorant, Going-Straight-To-Hell-Because-She's-Not-Saved Terrorist."

Usually my American accent clues a person in that I'm not "convertable," but not always. My small town in Virginia is full of Christians who have tried over the years to convert my Egyptian husband and brother-in-law to Christianity. Hasn't worked in 11 years and won't in the future, God willing. One of my Christian friends in that town has become much less visible since we had a "friendly debate." My argument leaned towards "Islam makes more sense and is more logical than the Trinity, ie, there is only one God, the Creator, who is worthy of worship, etc." Hers leaned towards, "'Being saved' is necessary for eternal life, and better to say that one is saved rather than to risk eternal damnation" and "The Trinity makes perfect sense to a person with a Bachelor's degree in Theology from Campbell University."

-- Overall, how has your life changed since converting to Islam?

For the better.
I no longer drink or smoke. I have a beautiful, fun, smart, sweet little girl. I’ve gone back to finish college and am almost finished with law school. My husband is a wonderful guy. I’m at peace.

If there’s any drawback not attributable to ignorant members of the public, it’s that I don’t go swimming anymore because I will not wear a bathing suit in public. One day, God willing, I’ll have my own fenced-in private pool.

Other drawbacks are created by people. I get nasty looks occasionally because I wear a scarf. I am viewed differently because I wear a scarf. If the attitudes got too burdensome, I would take it off, but for now, it’s bearable.

Overexposure

2009-05-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

The older I get, the more I appreciate my sisters. Neither Denise nor Diana are Muslim, but we love each other and enjoy our occasional reunions. It’s funny, though, how our values have diverged as we’ve gotten older. Or perhaps our values are similar enough, but our perspectives have changed.

A couple years ago, Denise and I were watching the news at our favorite gathering spot, Chez Mom. One of the pieces concerned an internet video showing footage of cheerleaders at a high school football game. The game itself was ignored. The camera focused on the girls’ rear ends and legs, watching in voyeur fashion them adjusting their uniforms and underwear. The camera panned in and out, looking for everything that made those young girls human, vulnerable, victims, meat.

The parents and Denise were outraged that a depraved man had the audacity to shoot the video and then circulate it on the ‘net.

I was not outraged. I was stumped.

How, I argued with my sister, could these parents be outraged without taking responsibility for having exposed the girls to such a creep in the first place? Certainly, no one would argue that taking the video for soft-porn purposes is not despicable. But when parents ignorantly pimp out their own girls, providing the material and opportunity, don’t they lose their right to be indignant?

I was reminded of the cheerleaders recently while reading about the prevalence of high school “sexting.” Naïve teens, in love for the first time, send pictures of themselves in various states of undress to their boyfriends via cell phone. Boyfriends forward the pictures to their friends for any number of reasons: for bragging rights, upon break-up, or out of sheer stupidity. The girl is devastated and loses her reputation in her school and in the community. The damage happens in a second.

Jessica Logan, an American high school student, committed suicide over sexted pictures that made their way around her hometown. She was berated and humiliated for her indiscretion. And though she understood that she was herself responsible for her picture being published, the pressure proved too much for her to bear, and she took her own life last July. To her credit before her death, Jessica used her misfortune to make others aware of the dangers of sexting.

Unfortunately, Jessica probably will not be the only self-made victim of sexting before the world wises up. A recent American study of one thousand teenagers showed that a full one fifth of them had sent less-than-modest pictures of themselves either via cell phone or online.

Australia is not immune to sexting, and incidents are increasingly common. We’re finding out that sexting is not limited to still pictures. Adelaide Now recently reported that a small group of teens, two of them only thirteen-years-old, were recently caught filming a sex act on a cell phone and sending it out to friends.

Cell phones, the internet, and other technologies being relatively new inventions for us, we cannot imagine all the ways they can be used for harm. Our kids can.

Our kids may not understand, however, that sexting is not only morally corrupt and prohibited by Islam, but also illegal. This is pornography, after all, even if it is sent willingly by the teenager’s own hand.

Alhamdulillah, Muslims are probably more aware of the dangers to our children than anyone can be, and probably do more to protect our children than most. Yet we cannot hold a false sense of security that tells us that our kids are safe because they’re our kids and they attend Islamic schools. Cell phones do not become dysfunctional on school grounds, and even innocent children can receive unsolicited porn. We must be vigilant and thoughtful to protect our children, insha Allah.

You’ve Got to be Kidding Me

2009-04-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

“You have informed us that diapers are used solely for sanitary and health reasons and not in order to humiliate the detainee” (Memo to John A. Rizzo, Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice, p. 13, May 13, 2005).

This is just one of the bizarre comments contained within the “torture memos” recently released by the Obama administration. After simple people like myself have picked our chins off the floor and breathed subhan Allah, we cannot help but ask, “Who the hell does he think he’s fooling?”

Sadly, the answer is everybody.

The torture memos are representative of the madness of the old administration. Waterboarding and “mild” techniques such as sleep deprivation, water dousing, wall slamming, and slapping have been combined to produce de facto, if not Bush-legal, torture of alleged enemy combatants. Medical personnel checked prisoners for physical and mental stamina, and supposedly, prisoners who were incapable of handling the interrogation were not subjected to interrogation. (How ironic is that?) Posthumously, the administration oozes insane malevolence as Dick Cheney has this week calmly justified the waterboarding incidents by the results that they have generated.

Law professors, the good ones, take time to tell their students that they have the moral obligation to counsel their clients to do the right thing. Too often though, the question becomes not whether the practice is wrong or right, but rather, is it legal? And what are the costs of getting caught versus the costs of compliance? Arguably, the government must do cost-benefit analyses when it comes to ensuring the safety of its citizens, and the questions are not easy to answer. But this time, like too many times since 9-11, my government has gone way over to the Dark Side.

In defining “torture” and in deliberating how far is too far, there’s no doubt in my mind that rationality, common sense, and even sanity have taken extended holidays. Consider, for example, Brian Kilmeade’s recent comments on his FoxNews radio program. Kilmeade stated that because (ex-presidential candidate) John McCain went through “unspeakable pain and punishment” in Vietnam, his opinions on torture were “skewed” and his insight should not be permitted in such discussions. Apparently, Kilmeade believes that torture is a good thing, and balanced debates on the subject are simply a waste of time.

“Is he serious?” you ask. Yes, Dear Readers, he is.

McCain, to his credit, has always pushed for American bans on torture and for purging waterboarding from American interrogation practices. Because let’s face it: if the prisoner’s diet must be restricted to liquids in order to prevent his choking on his own vomit, then yeah, it’s torture.

Further supporting my “insanity” hypothesis is the fact that the American military (not known for its gentle handling of combatants) warned the Central Intelligence Agency years ago that extreme interrogation techniques were unreliable, and that practicing these methods would have the undesirable consequence of psychologically enabling an enemy to do the same to US soldiers. This is not news. It’s common sense, for goodness sakes.

Sad to say, the large-and-in-charge signed off on the interrogation techniques. Judge Bybee, in his memo, stated that there had been no legal precedent (why didn’t that raise a red flag?) but that the circumstances and practices described by the CIA would not constitute torture. Too bad simple people like me, and probably you, Dear Readers, were not let in on the administration’s dirty little secret. We could have set the good judge straight. Allahu alim.

What is the meaning of the word 'is' anyway?

2009-01-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of the word 'is' anyway?

A non-Muslim friend emailed an article relating Hamas member Nizar Rayan's recent death and with it, a slew of questions that sounded somewhat accusatory. In verifying my response to him, I read a current article that threw me for a loop. I was shocked (truly!) by this heavily and blatantly biased article. In my American experience, blatant bias occurs most often with conservative outlets. Liberal bias is usually more subtle.

Consider the Associated Press headline: "Israel lets Palestinians Flee; UN Warns of Crisis." To read this headline sans accompanying article, one would think that there was a degree of benevolence on the part of the Israelis and that the humanitarian crisis was yet to come in Gaza. Well guess what.

As I clicked the link to this article, I was curious and skeptical as to how Israel could possibly be opening its borders to the same people it was bombing. I also wondered what else the United Nations had to warn us about, as there was already a full-fledged crisis in Palestine. Could the AP have developed the Bill Clinton disease? What does the word "warn" mean anyway? (In hindsight, I wonder why the UN failed to warn the world of Israel’s reasonably foreseeable ground invasion as well.)

Israel's allowing foreigners with passports to return to their homes by way of Israel and its airports was hardly the gesture of good faith, humanity, and decency that the headline implied. Trying to avoid an international incident is more like it. How the AP could misrepresent the ramifications of and purposes behind Israel's actions is at the least irresponsible.

We must be diligent, insha Allah, and teach our children at home and in the classroom to be. To that end, pressing our children to read the news before checking their emails and MySpace page will teach them the importance of paying attention to current events. Providing notice to the news wires that we are paying attention to both the big stuff and the details on a massive scale should spur their acting more responsibly in the future, insha Allah.

Here is contact information for a small list of major news wires and outlets. Please forgive my ignorance and the omission of the major Australian outlets:

Associated Press: To send a correction for an article or a letter to the editor: info@ap.org. To contact the editors of a department: go to www.ap.org. Click “Contact AP.” Look to the right for a pull down list of departments.

Reuters: Go to www.reuters.com. Scroll to the bottom and click “Help and Contact Us.” Under “Quick Links” on the right, click “Corrections and Suggestions.” Click “Corrections” under the Editorial heading.

BBC: Go to www.bbc.co.uk. Scroll to the bottom and click “Contact Us.” Click “BBC News Item or Programme.” Click “Contact Us” at the left, which opens a page with links that concern each news medium.

The Australian: Go to the contact page to access multiple editors and sections addresses: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/contactus

New York Times: For corrections, email nytnews@nytimes.com. For comments on editorials, email letters@nytimes.com. To comment on the Time’s journalistic integrity, email public@nytimes.com.

Al Jazeera: For English, go to http://english.aljazeera.net/. Click “About Us” on the left hand side of the screen. Click the “Contact Us” link in the middle of the page. Click the “Send Feedback” link under “Article Tools.”

Mad as Hell

2008-12-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

A friend asked me what I thought of the latest round of fighting between Israel and Palestine. How could I possibly be content?

I'm against people getting killed. I'm against Side One taking pot shots at Side Two, a bully, when the victims on both sides will largely be innocent. I'm against Side Two over-retaliating just because it can get away with it.

I'm against people with some degree of power and weapons who have so little regard for "expendable" human lives-- people who cannot count on having a home from one day to the next, who are at the mercy of border guards for food stuffs and medication, and in many cases, their lives. I'm against walls being built through other people's homes. I'm against people who claim to be fighting for their people but ultimately end up hurting them. I'm against people stealing other people's homes. I'm against people dying for no good reason.

This latest round of hostility, I see no good reason for it. Frankly, I'm disgusted and pissed off. How could I be anything else?

Please, oh please, let's fix this insha Allah.

Cyber Ozymandias

2008-12-24T17:02:00.000-08:00

By BFF Judy

' Twas a darkling ,dismal day
Of angry purple und stormy gray
For snuggles in bedding downy deep
To rest and sleep
to dream,
to sleep.......

And yet,yearning slyly caught me.
A creeping yen which forced me down
cross chilly tiles,past drafty doors
to take my pen in hand.

I hurled across the room,
this inky medium in ballpoint bound
to vent some vague yet urgent feeling
wilst powering up to surf Cybers' Sound.

AHH! the lure of this vasty deep......
this untouchable,intangible ,boundless Main.
'Tis intoxicating- this cyber-streaming...
a psychological opiate for the brain.

The joys of IM gratification
Of search engines and groups
and networks found.
Of chats with new,exciting people
and rare info run to ground.

Thus I glut myself on email.
Thousands of words of prose a day
and thus this urge is slowly sated
in creations of cyber- clay.

A Cyber Ozymandias am I.

(c)Judith El Dawy

Kiki Perspective

2008-12-04T15:14:00.000-08:00

Why don’t they just give away toasters any more? On Friday, July 25, 2008 at about four in the afternoon, my husband and daughter came home from the bank with—well, take a guess! No, not money, not a cashier’s check or a deposit slip or ISF notice… but… wait for it… a kitten!

The story: One of the bank tellers found this tiny and disgusting little thing in the parking lot of a local greenhouse and brought it back to the bank, put it in a box, and let it sit for a couple days while she figured out what she would do with it. She placed in the box dishes of soft food and water, which it hadn’t touched.

Laila saw it and simply had to have it. “It’s so cute!” she said. Ahmed, not wanting to tell her “no,” decided the kitten could come home, live outside with the rest of the cats that inhabit our porch and crawl space, and never enter the house. Ahmed has too little experience with cats.

So they brought it home and I hit the roof. Over a little kitten? Yeah, well. See, my otherwise pleasant and agreeable demeanor was influenced by the fact that the Virginia State bar exam was being conducted in a mere four days. And that I was seriously underprepared for it, and counting on the weekend to solidify some serious law stuff in my mind and figure out how on earth I was going to put my knowledge on paper without seeming like a complete horse’s patootie, thus, doing well enough to pass the exam even without knowing all there is to know about Virginia law, equity courts, and the Federal Rules of Evidence.

I couldn’t believe the gall of those two nincompoops to bring home a cat that would obviously be cared for by me. Laila care for a cat? Hmph. She doesn’t feed the goldfish, for goodness sakes! Ahmed? As if!

The kitten was a nasty looking, tiny thing. Its wet hair was spiked from a bath(?) that the teller had just given it. Its eyes were coated pink—so much so that the eyes, the irises and pupils were completely hidden. It looked like she had shiny pink cups over her eyes. I didn’t even want to touch it. Ewww! It’s the India of fleas! I thought as I estimated the flea count in the tens of billions. It just sat there wheezing, its head faced forward, not moving in reaction to voices that it should have heard. The Helen Keller of kittens? Pitiful.

Laila, though, thought it was the cutest thing she ever saw and said that “it would mean so much” to her if she could keep it. “Pleeease?” she asked, knowing the answer already.

I took Cutie Pie (Laila’s name for Hellcat) to the vet around the corner. The vet and the staff were marvelous; they did a flea dip, gave her a shot or two, and cleaned her up. They determined that the cat did not have feline-AIDS or leukemia (alhamdulillah), but did have mites, worms, an intestinal infection, an upper respiratory infection, herpes on her eyes, and anemia. She was no more than four weeks old, might always be chronically ill, but might be OK too, with a little care. The vet hooked us up with a couple cans of cat food, two types of oral medication, ointment for the eyes, and flea shampoo, which was dangerous for a kitten so small, but less so than the anemia she was experiencing.

Laila and I took her home and gave her a flea bath, which killed the remaining mega-fleas, who were apparently only stoned by the stuff the vet used, but not dead. After the kitten squirmed away from me once while I dried her, she decided that she would let me finish the job because falling from way up there was not so pleasant.

After I towel dried her, I wrapped her up and stuffed her in my shirt. She spent a lot of time there over the next couple days while I reread legal outlines and scolded Laila for also trying to get in my shirt.

Alhamdulillah, Ahmed and Laila took passable care of her while I was in Roanoke. Ahmed tried to punish her for something by putting her in the litter box (way to train a cat to use the box!) but otherwise, Cutie Pie (now Kiki) did well enough. They administered medicine with minimal mess. She slept in a fifteen gallon aquarium tank under blankets and showed slightly increased energy when I got back on Wednesday evening.

Laila came down with a bug (probably from the kitten) and ran a fever while I was in Roanoke and several days after, but Ahmed had that under control, too. He’s an excellent father, if not a doctor, and caregives with the best of ‘em.

I took the bar exam, surprisingly stress-free, alhamdulillah. Pass or fail, I simply gave it my best shot and knew that if it was a good day, I would pass. If it was a bad day, I wouldn’t. If I failed the test, I could retake it, insha Allah.

Alhamdulillah, it was a good day.

I cannot help but know that Allah brought this cat into our lives for my benefit. Sure, Ahmed also gets some benefit. He’s learned how to care for a cat and (dare I say) he loves her. Laila is the envy of all-- in her own eyes. The cat has certainly benefited, despite daily persecution at Laila’s hands. She’s lost her mother, but gotten an adequate substitute. I feed her, play hunting games with her, let her sleep on me, let her fetch, and change her litter box.

But I’m the biggest winner here, alhamdulillah. That Friday, I was so determined to devote my time to nothing except studying. My brother had wasted so many hours of my summer and thoughts. Lakefest had taken too much time, as had a client who would pop up with these constant time-sensitive assignments as his campaign was in full swing.

Laila was patient if not happy with her mother, and Ahmed did what he could to keep me from pulling my hair out. I only needed to study that weekend. Nothing else.

Allah had other plans. As I stared down at Hellcat that Friday afternoon, I sized up my situation with three options. First, I could tell Laila and Ahmed “no way, no how, get that thing out of my house and take it back to the bank!” Or I could postpone caring for her until Wednesday evening, in which case, she might never recover from my deliberate neglect. Or I could take care of her that night.

What was more important? The bar exam towards which I worked for the last six and a half years? Or a kitten?

There was really no contest. Such was my lesson in purrspective.

It's a Bird! It's a Plane!

2008-11-13T20:05:00.000-08:00

(published in the Crescent Times, Western Australia)

Alhamdulillah, the United States has witnessed an historic event: the election of a black man to the presidency. Tall, good-looking, smart, well-spoken, and charismatic, this man represents hope for hundreds of millions and perhaps billions around the globe, the end of an era of conceit and an American reach-out to the rest of the world. Are these hopes too high? Perhaps, but it’s just not possible for the next president to be more arrogant than the last.

It’s time for the United States to have a statesman president. Let’s make dua’a for this guy. He needs all the help he can get.

Yes, Dear Readers, I do understand that our president-elect is biracial as he’s only half African-American... but nobody in America is only one race. The fact is that Barak Obama looks black, so he is black for anyone who cares about that sort of thing.

Barack Obama represents to Americans a varied hodgepodge of goodness that has given him an incredible cult status and victory against a man, who in the grand scheme is not so bad. Obama’s biggest fans have varied reasons for supporting him. To some, he represents the ultimate in American civil rights. To the Democratic core, he's a politically gorgeous alternative to Al Gore and John Kerry. To others, he represents the end of really, really bad executive decisions, and an end to an unpopular war in Iraq. And to those who have succumbed to the trap of inflated home equity, Obama represents a fresh start.

Unlike most Muslims in America, I did not jump on the Obama bandwagon the second he announced his presidency. What has he done that qualifies him for the nation’s highest office, other than not voting for the war in Iraq? Neither did Dennis Kucinich, but Muslims didn’t vote for him. The necessity of political expediency notwithstanding, I was troubled that Obama so enthusiastically distanced himself from Islam and Muslims throughout the primary… and that Muslims let him!

Unfortunately however, having the endorsement of the American Muslim community can be the kiss of death for a candidate. No one’s courting Muslim voters—not publically, not this year.

Despite accusations, John McCain is not a genetic replica of George Bush. (Don’t the neo-cons and the other cons just wish!) He is a moderate conservative, who until preparing for this election, has always done his best to do right by this county. He has often made his party angry by jumping to the other side of the aisle in the country’s best interests. Too bad for his election, then, that he catered to conservatives by sounding like an irrational, hysterical boob during the first presidential debate, then by choosing Sarah Palin as a running mate.

I am not the only American who ran screaming the other way when Governor Palin started talking about Russia and the economy.

Senator McCain’s bad choices are good for Americans insha Allah. John McCain is a good man as far as politicians go and will try to do what he thinks is best, this election season notwithstanding. Americans need John McCain in the Senate.

Amazingly, Barak Obama out-Hillaried Hillary in the primary. His relative obscurity and chameleon-like persona allowed him to be everything to everybody. This is not to insult him; the ability to hear those who cry for relief is vital for humanity and politics. However, there is more to the presidency than political savvy and smooth talk.

Redefining “the little guy” for tax purposes, improving education, and ending the war in Iraq are attractive aspirations, but in reality, progress moves like sludge. The fact is, pulling out of Iraq today would be devastating to the United States. Though education is entrusted to teachers, it is too often hampered by them, and federal programs for state-legislated schools have had mixed results, to say the least. Too many corporate taxes, furthermore, inhibit growth and mean less jobs for Americans.

And there is no easy way out of our economic troubles. Fuggetaboutit.

So what’s in store for the president-elect besides white hair and Botox? The world seems to have pinned more hopes on Obama than an ordinary human can carry. Not everyone likes Obama, though, and according to the GOP, the world is coming to an end in January.

Paradoxically, Governor Palin hasn’t rejected the idea of running for president in 2012.

Racially motivated crime is on the upswing, and evidence of anger at the president-elect, the Democratic Party, and hatred of blacks can be seen in spots all over the country. Cross burnings, black effigies hung symbolically on a college campus, and a busload of Idaho school kids chanting “Assassinate Obama” are just a few examples of racially and politically motivated hatred that exists in this country. (Idaho is a super-conservative state, and quite frankly, I’m scared of it.)

Let’s not forget the morons from Tennessee who were arrested for plotting a killing spree. Their plan was to murder one hundred African-Americans, fourteen of whom would be beheaded (not sure what the number fourteen represents) and to assassinate Mr. Obama as a grand finale before they themselves were shot dead. Oh boy.

I do hope the president-elect has been fitted for a bulletproof vest.

The president will have his hands full with “politics as usual” as well as all the challenges that we face unique to this historic period. I hope America and the world do not become disillusioned, nor should Muslims be. There will continue to be crime, poverty, and illness in the United States and in the world. Neither Israel nor al Qaeda will cease to exist because of this president. Perhaps AIDS will be cured, insha Allah, but not because of Barack Obama.

On the other hand, perhaps Iran and the US could start a dialogue that does not include the phrases “Great Satan,” “Death to Israel,” and “Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran.” Maybe, too, we can figure out a way to give peace, dignity, and a home to the Palestinian people and all the oppressed people in the world. Anything’s possible with Allah.

Now that I'm a lawyer...

2008-10-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

I've passed the Virginia bar exam, alhamdulillah! Now I've got to figure out what it'll take to start practicing.

You know the joke about the lawyer (probably a million of 'em)... Why does a lawyer "practice" law? Shouldn't a lawyer already be an expert? OK, a better one...

What do you call a bus load of attorneys at the bottom of the ocean? A good start.

OK, enough of that....

I'm considering taking out a loan for a law practice, insha Allah. I have no money. I may want to borrow it.

Islamic banking is based on the idea that a bank can make money from
its customers without accepting interest.

How it usually works in this country is this:

The customer who wants to buy a house goes to the Islamic bank with a
down-payment of 5-50% of the purchase price. The amount of down
required depends on the bank.

The bank then evaluates the property and the risk. If the
transaction passes the bank's scrutiny, the bank purchases the home,
then resells it to the customer at a higher price (and subtracts the
down, of course). The customer lives in the house making payments
till it is paid off.

How does this differ from usury? Allahu alim. Allah says in the
Qur'an that trading is permitted, but interest is not. Scholars have
looked to history of Islamic finances as well as the Quran and hadith
and most have determined that something along the lines of this house-
purchasing model is OK.

With Islamic principles in mind also, there are no fees for late
payments and the risk between the borrower and the lender are more
equally shared than in conventional banking.

The problem is, not everyone agrees on what Islamic banking really
is… the details of it, anyway. At least one "Islamic" bank charges a
very low rate of interest. (I think in Bangladesh?) The interest is
justified because the rate is so low, it does not come w/in the
definition of usury.

Now… as for a business loan. One could go to LaRiba for information
about loans, including business loans. However, it appears to me at
this time that their business loans center around franchise
opportunities and equipment purchases, and not the service industry.

I am interested in a personal business loan based on a service
industry which does require an office, equipment, furniture, etc. but
also would require start-up funds for all the other incidentals,
insha Allah. LaRiba's business loans appear to be of the "buy-
resell" or "joint venture" types, and I must make sure that it is not
a professional ethical violation to procure a business loan according
to those terms.

Alternatively, I could see if they offer equity loans, in which case,
the collateral would be a piece of real estate and not my business.

At any rate, Allahu alim. LaRiba has a lot of detailed articles as
well as general info. There are probably several other Islamic Banks
in the country, but I am not familiar with them. Bank of Whittier is
affiliated with Lariba, but I'm not sure if all its services are 100%
Islamic. It claims to be riba-free.

http://www.lariba.com/
http://www.bankofwhittier.com/contact.htm

Insha Allah, look for Islamic banks to offer more services in the
future. They will probably have to as the demand for Islamic banking
increases.

Pretty as a picture

2008-10-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

I have no passion or talent for photography, and my sibs are better photographers (and artists) than I... I just do the best I can when I have a camera in my hand, because as real photographers, and perhaps their models know, a camera freezes a moment in time, a moment which can completely distort the surrounding event or environment... like politicians who spin bits of facts to make things look best for themselves and make their opponents look like the anti-Christ!

I do think that da'wa work could be done through photography, insha Allah, but I am not artistic enough and lack the vision to make that happen.

It amazes me what Allah makes... and constantly remakes... one day more beautiful than the last. A nice picture is nice, alhamdulillah, but can it replace Allah's creation? We can only hope to capture a fraction of what Allah gives us on film.

Ooh. People don't use film anymore, do they?

I remember the most beautiful late Asr sun I ever saw, several years ago as I was traveling to my mother's home in Maryland. I was on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, a 20-mile span that connects Virginia Beach and Norfolk to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. I am phobic of bridges, heights and tunnels, and every trip I make across that thing terrifies me, though it has gotten less painful over the years.

The trip to Mom's is about six hours, and because I travel by myself or with only my daughter, I do not dawdle.

This winter day before Laila was born, I made the trip to Mom's, and as usual, I was by myself. And as usual, I was white-knuckled as I traveled the bridge. Heading north, I happened to glance to my left for about a second and saw the most amazing sky over the Chesapeake Bay. It was the late afternoon, about 45 minutes before the sun would set. The sun shined through pink and yellow clouds and the frosty atmosphere; the sun's rays and their shadows connected with the winter bay below. Subhan Allah! I cannot describe how beautiful it was. As I drove, I looked again for another second. And then one more.

Part of me wanted to stop at the scenic outlook at the middle of the bridge to just stare at the sky until the sun went down. The rational part of me kept driving, slightly less white-knuckled.

I used to wish that I had a picture of "my sunset," but as I get older, I realize that there is no way I could have come near capturing Allah's sky, no matter how beautiful the picture may have come out. So I have to remember that day, that afternoon, that sky, that special gift from Allah to me. No one saw what I saw that day, and if anyone did, he could not have appreciated it as much as I.

That said, I love my husband

2008-10-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

I don't know who wrote these jokes... but Ahmed and I think they're hilarious!

You have two choices in life:
You can stay single and be miserable,
or get married and wish you were dead.
------------------------------------------
At a cocktail party, one woman said to another,
"Aren't you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?"
"Yes, I am. I married the wrong man."
------------------------------------------
A lady inserted an ad in the classifieds:
"Husband Wanted".
Next day she received a hundred letters.
They all said the same thing:
"You can have mine."
------------------------------------------
When a woman steals your husband,
there is no better revenge than to let her keep him.
------------------------------------------
A woman is incomplete until she is married. Then she is finished
------------------------------------------
A little boy asked his father,
"Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?"
Father replied, "I don't know son, I'm still paying."
------------------------------------------
A young son asked,
"Is it true Dad, that in some parts of Africa
a man doesn't know his wife until he marries her?"
Dad replied, "That happens in every country, son."
------------------------------------------
Then there was a woman who said,
"I never knew what real happiness was until I got married,
and by then, it was too late."
------------------------------------------
Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
------------------------------------------
If you want your spouse to listen and
pay strict attention to every word you say -- talk in your sleep.
------------------------------------------
Just think, if it weren't for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults at all.
------------------------------------------
A Woman's Prayer:
" Dear Lord, I pray for: Wisdom, To understand a man , to Love and to forgive him , and for patience, For his moods. Because Lord, if I pray for Strength I'll just beat him to death".
------------------------------------------
First guy says: "My wife is an angel!"
Second guy replies: "You're lucky ... mine's still alive."

Advice for the searcher

2008-09-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you which religion to follow. Consider, however, that rather than searching for a religion that fits you, you should instead search for the truth. When you have the truth, finding the correct religion will be so simple.

You should ask yourself several questions-- questions that are not as superficial or temporal as some of the concerns and desires that you've listed. [Acceptance of lifestyle choices in teen pregnancy and homosexuality, a singing, "modern" church service, keeping politics out of religion.]

These are simple questions, actually, but they require soul-searching, effort, and honesty. In the end, you have to live with any lies that you tell yourself... or make efforts to fix your mistakes when you are ready to accept them as such (which is what being an adult is all about, right)?

Do you believe in God? Do you believe that God is the Creator of all things and ominpotent? Is God worthy of worship?

What is the point of religion, anyway? Is it to worship God as God wants to be worshiped? Or is it simply a way to make you feel righteous and connected for a couple hours a week? Must a religion necessarily be convenient to be worth following?

What will keep you in your faith in hard times? How will your faith get you through the hard times? What will keep you from being bored in one church, or becoming dissatisfied because your opinions on politics and social issues change as you mature?

The easy answer to your question is that you can choose whatever religion appeals to you and that you can change it whenever you'd like. That's simple enough in this country.

However, as long as you're searching for the truth, committing yourself to a religion that is inappropriate for you could harm the faith that you do hold. Better to keep searching till you find the right one. You owe that to yourself.

Do I ever miss the wind in my hair?

2008-09-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

(Published in the Crescent Times, Western Australia)

It's a fair question... I've been a Muslim for 12 years and have been wearing a scarf for about half that time. A bitty part of my reluctance to wear the scarf came from just such a concern.

A trite concern? I don't think so. The decision to wear a scarf was, and continues to be, an all-or-nothing undertaking. A woman cannot put on a scarf every morning and take it off every afternoon in order to conform to the people who surround her, except you know, in extreme circumstances.

I'm the same old me on the inside, but my outside has certainly been overhauled with the simple addition of white cloth. How on earth can it be logical that a person is judged to be good, bad, trashy, clean, normal, or weird... based on a rectangle of cotton? Makes no sense. Nevertheless, way too often, like usually, that's the way Muslims and non-Muslims judge a woman.

In the end (of the decision-making, not my life), I chose to wear a scarf because I wanted to set a good example for my daughter, Laila… and maybe other Muslims looking for an example of someone who can be successful in American business with a piece of cloth on her head, insha Allah.

Laila will, upon reflection, choose to wear or not to wear a scarf in the United States by balancing religious ideals with the cold reality that too many people in this world hate Muslims and Islam, and a hijab-wearing Muslimah is the quintessential symbol of Islam. And a target. I hope to give my baby spiritual ammunition to do the right thing, insha Allah.

If anyone is doubtful that Muslimahs are not targets of hate, please enjoy the article from the Washington Post, “Spare Me the Sermon on Muslim Women” by Mohja Kahf, then read the comments that follow. Amazingly, “confused,” “bitter,” “smug,” “stupid,” and “materialistic” were all used to describe this Muslim woman who loves her religion… and wearing a scarf.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/03/AR2008100301968.html?nav=rss_religion

My decision to wear, or not to wear, the scarf required commitment, which took time. Now I'm committed. (Maybe I should be committed?) Like my faith, wearing a scarf is just a fact of my existence. It just is. There is no high plane on which I must sit to wear a scarf. No striving to reach such a plane by wearing it. No hidden meanings, no symbolism defiant or spiritual, no attempts to make a point, or my husband happy. I wear a scarf because I am a Muslim. I am a Muslim because Islam is the truth. It’s that simple.

Back to the question: Do I ever miss the wind in my hair?
Answer: Come on, really. How often do any of us actually have the wind in our hair on a regular basis? Not all of us can go deep-sea fishing daily, weekly, or even once a year. Convertibles are fantasy cars, really-- can a woman drive to work in a convertible without having to redo her hair, and maybe her makeup too?

In reality, it was extremely rare for me to ever have wind in my hair, let alone to delight in it. I never even drive with the window down (except in the winter), because it costs less to run the AC and it's more comfortable.

Since becoming a Muslim, then, I appreciate it all the more on those cool and quiet autumn evenings when the crickets are chirping, the frogs are jumping and I sit on the front porch or take a walk along the lake, usually with, sometimes without, my scarf.

Now, in the entire time I've been wearing the scarf, only once has it been a hindrance, and I was really annoyed that day. It was at my family reunion a couple years ago. We had a volleyball game and every time I jumped to hit the ball, the scarf flew up in my face. Now. It's bad enough I don't hit the ball straight anymore (astigmatism), but come on... Volleyball is one of the very, very few sports I used to be pretty good at.

While I'm a little sad that I should not waste any more efforts playing volleyball (I am a true liability), I've gotten over my annoyance. Once in six years does not oppression make, I say. It’ll take much more than a horrid volleyball game to take this thing off me.

Palin v. Obama

2008-09-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

Asalaam alaikum,

A chart highlighting some of the "differences" between Obama and Palin. Oh boy.

Republicans, you are SO predictable... As predictable, in fact, as Dems are. (How's that for an insult?) How about comparing McCain to Obama ... and Palin to Biden? Would that not make more sense?

Just a suggestion.

http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/2008/08/30/sarah-palin-vs-barack-obama/

I'm impressed w/ Ms. Barracuda, except insofar as her ability to be "the leader of the free world" though she may (or may not) be the best governor of the 50 and a reformer AND smoking hot...

Republican spin cannot erase the fact that if McCain dies in office, she has no foreign policy experience. What kind of argument is it that Alaska borders two foreign countries?!? Whatever she ends up adopting will be GOP spoon-fed. Uhh... do we need another 4 years (or God forbid 8 years) of Bush-ish foreign policy? (I envision GOP assassins targeting President McCain in February, 2009... it ain't pretty.)

Her credentials do not impress me as much as they maybe should. Look what happened the last time we elected a governor!

She did not initially oppose the "Bridge to Nowhere" (stupid idea from the beginning), though I give her credit for changing positions... something not easily done once committed, especially in one's own home.

Hubby is not a registered Democrat. So how does that make her bipartisan? Her husband's coolness has very little to do with her ability to run the country... though he is cool, and cute, too.

That she's tried to clean up Republican government in her state is noble and good, and what we'd expect regardless of political affiliation, but that does not a bipartisan make. To a cynic (qui, moi?) it simply looks like an opportunity to make headlines and empty seats for another set of cronies.

Her having more kids than Obama gives her no edge in ability to run a country.

Her 17-year-old's been knocked up. Has The Right adopted new-and-improved traditional family values? What would Jerry Falwell think?

Gasp! He'd turn over in his grave.

Would the country truly benefit more by having a sportscaster/ salmon fisherman running the country than a civil rights attorney?

And come on... an "eloquent" stump in Ohio makes her a master orator, or at least better than Obama, and better able to run the country?

Puh-leaze.

I guess we may all be consoled by the fact that either we will have either a black man or a woman in the executive positions come January, 2009.

Burma Karen Refugees

2008-08-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem

Asalaam alaikum,

If you're not up on Burma, check these out:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bm.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2006/11/10/VI2006111000901.html

Alhamdulillah, our government does some things right, and I am thankful that Allah lets us help.

http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2006/September/20060901131416ASesuarK0.3654901.html

A Karen refugee named Raheema and four of her children were granted entrance into the United States. They arrived in February, 2008.

After 20 years in a refugee camp, giving birth to 13 children, enduring the death of four children and her husband's murder, Raheema found out that she had cancer throughout her body and brain. The headaches and double vision were things she never complained about in the refugee camp. (No doctors to see, no equipment to get tested on, what would have been the use?) The cancer was found during the medical examinations required before entering this country.

Throughout her treatment, she never complained once of her situation. This was an opportunity for her to meet all the people who would help her during her illness. What a wonderful attitude... maintained throughout her radiation, chemotherapy, and mastectomy until her passing, a few short months after coming to the US.

May Allah give her good in her death, and protect her children and give them guidance now that she's passed. Insha Allah, ameen.

Burma is a beautiful country, rich and lush in resources. It's not a lost cause, despite its military rule. I had the pleasure of meeting a refugee who had been placed in the US for quite a bit longer than Raheema and her kids. This gentleman knew Raheema from the refugee camp. Her husband had been a bodyguard for his father, who was a politician/leader of some sort, displaced or killed by the junta.

As I talked to this man about his home, I was struck by how much he loved his country. It was just a little surprising to me when he said that he would go back to Burma when the junta was no longer ruling... yeah, it was worth it, according to him, even though he was fairly settled in the US, and had a cushy existence here.

Alhamdulillah.

My Dear Friend

2008-08-03T21:12:00.001-07:00

I'm not that nice a person. I very often come across as abrasive, I don't like people easily (although I'm pretty keen on humanity, generally), my personality is only mediocre, and I don't smile enough. I hate syrup, don't like kitty cats, and don't care much for forwarded emails that extol the virtues of female friendship—no matter how much I love the sender.

The waitresses in the restaurant delight in inventing 'true' stories about my evil, wicked nature; I sleep hanging upside down in a cave during daylight hours, eat raw flesh during full moons, choke small animals for fun, cut in line at the bank, etc.

On the personality scale, I'm about a 4. Not bad enough to be considered a threat to society, but I'm certainly not on anyone's Top 10 list of party invitees. Likewise, I'm not a great Muslim in this regard, as good manners and generous natures are virtues in Islam. Astaghfurallah.

So imagine my humility and thankfulness for being blessed with really, really, really good friends… friends I probably don't deserve, but God lets me have them … friends who matter.

Back in 2001, (don't remember if it was before 9-11 or after, but around then), BFF Judy (who is much more friendly than I and another one who matters) emailed me a story written by a friend she had met online, whose name is Linda. The story was an account of Linda's experience confronting members of a mega-church in Arizona whose goal was to trick Muslims in Muslim countries into becoming Christian. The ruse was elaborate and expensive, but the concept fairly simple. Make friends with foreign "friendly" Muslims and their governments, convincing the governments to give them land on which to build Christian places of worship, in the hopes, I guess, of eventually converting the entire country. They were shameless in what they were willing to do and say in order to get what they wanted.

Dozens and dozens of people worked this demonstration/fund-raiser on Church grounds. Pamphlets describing various aspects of this and other Church projects were spread on tables all over the property. The demonstration involved notably, a live presentation of so-called Muslim women taking off their 'symbols of oppression' ie, their long dresses and head scarves, and dipping themselves into a baptismal pool. Presto. Saved. Members of the church mistook Linda for one of the actresses: white middle-aged American woman, long black dress, and black scarf. In this position, Linda learned of this missionary project, and in fact, the members of the Church were quite open with their plans for deceiving the Muslims and their governments. Bottom line? It really didn't matter how fraudulent the claims and shameless the acts of these "Christians," they thought themselves privileged.

Honestly. If I were still a Christian, I would have been embarrassed.

So what happened? Well, Linda let them have it. She scolded the whole bunch of them. When they found out that she was a Muslim, they tried to play nice and asked if they could visit her at her home to talk about Christianity. As if.

One woman had the grace to take off the long dress and scarf when Linda told her what she was doing amounted to a mockery of Muslim women. Wow.

After reading this story, I was stunned. I could not believe that anyone, let alone this lady, all by her lonesome, could find the chutzpah to stand up, by herself, in the midst of all these hostile personalities, and chew them out. Well. I had a new hero.

For weeks after reading her story, I thought about this woman and her courage. It struck me how dreadfully short I came up in my own faith, how I wanted to be strong and good just like this lady, and do something really really good for my faith. After several weeks of contemplation, I woke up one morning knowing I had to become a lawyer. True inspiration, alhamdulillah. I started school in January, 2002 and finished my bachelor's degree in December, 2004, started law school in August, 2005, and graduated in May, 2008. I am awaiting the results of the July bar exam now. Insha Allah, I will be able to practice law in Virginia by November.

Since reading Linda's story, we have cyber-met and have become very good friends, alhamdulillah. What an awesome lady. Having known her for several years now, I am not surprised that she stood up to this mega-church. That's simply who she is.

How really wonderful it is to know that there are people who live their lives not compromising when confronted with questions of right and wrong. And what a privilege to be able to call her my friend.

Real Americans aren't this stupid...

2008-07-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

... are we?

I am so tired of the constant barrage of ignorance spewed by people who claim to know the 'real truth' about how evil Islam is... astaghfurallah (<-- which means "May God forgive me")...

Here is a response to a blogger who criticizes a Muslim American woman in my community rather unfairly. This lady is a very vocal activist on domestic politics and international issues.

Big surprise, and to the blogger's horror, this Muslim lady is opposed to children being blown up, shot at, or dismembered.

Sinful, yeah, I know. And how tragic that we let this woman speak out against the murders of innocent women and children.

Anyway, the blogger attempts to paint this woman as an accomplice of #1 evil ***al-you-know-who*** terrorist guy because at some point she advocated people taking up arms against people who used arms against them. Today, she doesn't have these supposed "militant tendencies" any more and now advocates communication over a "my gun is bigger" contest.

OK. The guy's claim is that one of NC's state representatives has no business being a mentor for this woman, as she supposedly is anti-American because she speaks against Israel's killing of innocent people. His evidence: her prior affinity for taking up weapons against agressors and her alleged relationship with #1 al-you-know-who guy.

(The relationship allegation is ridiculous, and not worth my time explaining here.)

His reaction is at the least, hypocritical, but he's not alone... how can so many Americans relish their right to bear arms, yet deny the legitimacy of non-Americans who need to protect themselves?

How can Americans legitimize and justify one country's desire to protect itself over another's? How can one country's children be more worthy of protection than another's?

Sigh... intricate issues, no easy answers. Life is complicated. There are no clear right or wrongs here. There are usually bad acts on both sides of a conflict where both sides have some power. The point is, we as human beings have the capability and obligation to do better.

.......................................................................................................................................................................

I am amazed that you attempt to paint ******** as the anti-Christ, or worse, anti-American, by highlighting the following statement:

"She used to support armed resistance to aggression, and now believes in dialogue and peaceful resistance."

In case you are not aware, or country was created by Americans taking up arms... using armed resistance against a government that was SLIGHTLY OVERTAXING us, and BORROWING our homes for the British army. There were no widespread and indiscriminate murders of innocent women and children, no regular political upheavals, no cyclical junta rules, no mass murders. Historians are mildly amused by the fact that Americans went to war against England for something so ***minor.***

Why would anyone automatically jump to the conclusion that a person is anti-American because bearing arms is a necessity of life, liberty, and conscience?

Our 2nd Amendment specifically provides us gun rights in order to have a well-armed militia. This ability to create a militia was to be used against an oppressive government. "Pry it out of my cold, dead hands" and all of that.

Of course, peace and communication is a better alternative than violence in most situations. However, unfortunately, history has shown us that war is a necessity. We can hope and pray that the winners of war are wiser than their predecessors. However, a just party cannot win unless it can compete. And it cannot compete unless it is armed.

This is not un-American, nor is *****'s fight for "justice for all"... justice, by the way, which is a virtue of both Islam and of the United States. Apparently, however, belief in justice is not a virtue in some who call themselves Americans and in others who call themselves Muslims.

Quick 'n Dirty Cont'd

2008-06-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

Asalaam alaikum again,

A few words before I sign off for the next couple months:

I'm a Muslim mother of one. My daughter is an awesome little person, masha Allah! Smart, cute, funny, sweet, good Quran memorizer, good-natured and even-tempered. Usually. Alhamdulillah!

"Masha Allah" means words to the effect "with God's will" or "according to God's will" or "because God said so and God's the boss of you and me."

"Alhamdulillah" means "all praises belong to God" or "praise God!" as we tend to say in America.

My husband is a great guy. Patient. Sweet. Doting father. Behaves himself.

Today and for the next two months, I will be studying for the Virginia bar exam, insha Allah.

"Insha Allah" means "if God wills" or "if God lets."

I have been on a mission since October, 2001 to become a lawyer. I'm not really sure why except that I want to go to heaven when I die. Yes, I understand that "lawyer" and "heaven" cannot usually be said in the same breath unless the words "snowball's chance in hell" are included. So be it. Allahu alim.

"Allahu alim" means "God knows" and implies "I have no idea, really."

The Arabic expressions posted here are used frequently by me (and most Muslims in this country). Best to get the meanings out of the way now. Insha Allah, future posts will not include any (or so many) definitions. These here are the biggies.

Insha Allah, I'd really like to pass the bar. God helps those that help themselves, so I need to get my heiney on it.

Salaam, Deb

Quick 'n Dirty

2008-06-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

Asalaam alaikum,

Seeing as my intro post got destroyed (don't bother trying to publish after your eyesight has failed for the day), I don't have time to rewrite a new one until July 31 insha Allah, and I'm feeling guilty for not having gotten this bad boy started (use of expression regretted 1/2 second after hitting the "publish post" button")... I'll post this response to the following questions and comments I happened to run across on Yahoo.

The questions paraphrased:

1. Five wives are allowed for one man in Islam?
2. Women are evil? (Women in general... does not refer specifically to my baby brother's ex- girlfriends.)
3. "Good" women stay at home?

Comments paraphrased:

Islam is disrespectful to women. Muslim men are jerks. Dubai has prostitution and rape. Islam is intolerant.

My less-than-brilliant, yet accurate (Allahu Alim) responses:

1. Inaccurate. Muslim men may not marry up to five women. They may marry up to four. Some choose to, some choose not to. Most will have one.

Generally the world's population is 50-50, not more women than men (or vice versa). In times of war or sickness especially in small communities, this ratio can get thrown off. In Islam, men, for various reasons, may choose to have 1, 2, 3, or 4 wives.

I cannot say this is an "extreme" practice. I'd say a man (or woman) having one or more extra-marital affairs is extreme and a less desirable practice. I'd also say that marrying a widow (as a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th wife) who has no resources gives her more dignity than putting her on welfare, and cannot be construed as disrespectful.

The rule is, however his feelings differ for any of his wives, he must provide for them equally and must be kind to them. That is not disrespectful.

2. Inaccurate. Women considered the source of corruption? No. (Maybe in some backwards societies around the globe, and not restricted to Muslim countries.) However, women AND men are required to be modest in their dress and acts, partly to prevent the temptings of pre- and extra- marital affairs, and partly because Islam is a religion of modesty.

There are things more important, valuable, and lasting than physical beauty, and modesty on the part of male and female Muslims is a reminder of such.

3. Inaccurate. "Good" Muslims, men and women, are judged by their acts. Parents would generally agree that their responsibilities include raising their children properly, right? Mothers who take care of their children in the home, raise them properly, teach them, etc., are just doing what mothers do.

However, if a woman does not want to take the responsibility of caring for her child, Islam puts the responsibility on the father. Islam places little burden on a woman in that regard. She is not required even to take care of her own children, and may divorce her husband if she feels he treats her badly.

Whether the woman is "good" or not is up to God. No one, no Muslim, Christian, or anyone else can make that judgment. Islam says that judgment is for God alone.

.......

The sex trade exists anywhere there is money. Prostitution is legalized in Nevada. Rape happens around the globe, including this country. I think it's very easy to sensationalize foreigners' bad acts and ignore our own problems. If you'd like to make things better for women around the world (which is such a noble goal and God bless you for your efforts!) then maybe start right here.

Islam does not disrespect women, though you may witness some Muslim men who do. You see women disrespected all the time in our country... sometimes legally, sometimes not. The glass ceiling... prostitution perpetuated by prostitutes, their pimps, and johns... exploitation of women's bodies at Hooters, on the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, and every smut mag and flick made, sold, and viewed in this country.

If you would like to know what the Koran says about women, the NJ Dawood translation is fairly easy to read. In it, you will find information stating that

- women have the right to own property (contrary to say, England, even as late as the 19th century)

- women are permitted the right to divorce and may remarry, contrary to words attributed to Jesus in the Bible,

- women are respected, promised heaven for faith and good deeds... the same way men are.

To state that Islam disrespects women is inaccurate.

Likewise, stating that Islam does not tolerate other religions is inaccurate. Please refer to verse 256 in the second chapter, which is entitled "The Cow." It states that there is no compulsion in religion. If you study history, you will find that Islam spread because of trade, not the sword. Muslims tolerated other religions and defended the Jews in Spain from the oppressing Christians of the time. The Muslim scholars learned, recorded, and kept knowledge that would have been completely lost during Europe's Dark Ages were it not for Islam's toleration.

I hope my answer helps you and prompts you to learn a little more about Islam.

Best wishes! Deb

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem. All about me!

2008-04-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

(This is my first blog entry that never got posted.)

Not that I'm all that interesting... If you're reading this it's probably by accident! I hope to not make you fall asleep, God willing, unless you're really tired.

My name is Debora, I'm a woman pushing middle age faster than I care to admit, and am married to the best man in the whole world. I have a beautiful daughter who is the apple of my eye. Those two, thank God, do their darnedest to bring out the best in me in spite of myself.

Life lesson #1: Love ain't a zero-sum game. The more you give, the more you get.

I'm a Muslim and have been since about 1996. In my first reading of the Koran, I came to several realizations. The first was that I was a complete dolt. (More on that in the future. Maybe.) The second was that OK, maybe I didn't have all of life's answers, and wasn't supposed to. Only God could do that. Next? That Islam is the most logical, most satisfying religion that one could hope for, that Islam as it's supposed to be practiced is flawless, that the Koran is flawless, and that God really really knows human nature. And science. (Why did it surprise me so?)

Imagine that. A text revealed to the Arabs 1500 years ago that describes how babies are made. Implies that the earth is round. Discusses the creation in terms consistent with scientific thought. Allowed women property rights, equity, and respect at a time when NO ONE, particularly Arabs, respected women.

Wow. Even as late as the 19th century, England did not allow women property rights. Women were the property.

The Muslim view surely beats the Catholic proposition that divorced women are going straight to hell, doesn't it?