I’ve got a spring in my step, my head in the clouds, and a song bubbling in my voice.

Why?

Because it’s Boots Day.

Boots Day, Boots Day. It is Boots Day. Blue jeans Boots Day. It is Boots Day. New Jeans Boots Day. Boots Day, Boots Day. It is Boots Day.

I was singing this to Ameir in the car this morning. Cute? Superficial? Ameir chose “annoying.” Perhaps. He’s just jealous.

But why is Boots Day so exciting? Because you’re supposed to wear boots with new jeans. Because it’s *New* Jeans Boots Day. At that means that I’ve finally found a pair of new jeans that are halaal.

(All the Muslimahs *gasp.* Including old roomie and new blogger, Monapoly. Welcome, friend.)

Yes, that’s right ladies. I found a pair of jeans that are loose at the hip and thigh, accommodate for the fact that I’m a real female with curves, don’t hang low on my butt, and still look great. And they were only $14.00. $14.00. Yes. Can you feel the excitement seeping through the screen? I know. Join me. *Boots Day, Boots Day, it is Boots Day.*

*squeal!* And I don’t squeal often.

New Jeans Boots Day means that I have not lost faith in humanity. It means that there are still a few clothes producers out there who don’t make clothes for the stick-figure, let-me-show-you-as-much-skin-as-possible girls. It means that I can breathe a small sigh of relief at actually being able to find clothes I can comfortably wear, knowing that my body is loosely, fully, but still beautifully covered without having to wear a trash bag, because that’s the only thing I can buy that goes past my bellybutton.

New Jeans Boots Day is a happy day. Because it’s so hard for a Muslimah to find clothes in most stores that are affordable, loose and long enough to cover her arms, chest, torso, butt, and still stylish. It’s getting harder and harder to find everything from jeans to skirts (even skirts!) to shirts to suits is getting in styles that we can safely wear as Muslimah modest dress (with or without hijab). The fashion these days is completely dissonant with our dress code – now, as clothes get tighter and shorter, we find ourselves wearing out-of-season clothing (winter shirts in spring and summer) or having to get things tailored overseas. You used to at least be able to find dress shirts that weren’t so tight at the waist and short at the butt – not anymore. And if we can find something that fits and covers properly, it costs an arm and a leg! Even online Muslim clothing stores like Shukr are not exactly within reach of a lot of pockets.

So rejoice, Sisters. It’s Boots Day. New Jeans Boots Day.

Boots Day, Boots Day. It is Boots Day. Blue Jeans Boots Day. It is Boots Day. New Jeans Boots Day. Boots Day, Boots Day. It is Boots Day.

Masjid Al-Amawi, Damascus, Syria. This is the artwork on the building inside the courtyard which serves as the Musallah.

My friend Inji recently asked for this story, so I’m sharing it here as well. I heard it from Sheikh Hamza Yusuf at the “Reviving the Islamic Spirit” conference in Toronto. Sheikh Hamza said that scholars aren’t sure if it’s exactly true, but the fact that it is in a lot of scholarly books shows that they thought it was a very important story and lesson I’ll try to remember it as accurately as possible. The pictures are from Masjid Al-Amawi in Damascus, because it is a masjid that used to be a church. It’s a beautiful blend of cultures and architecture, with one steeple and one minaret. Muslims believe that the prophecy of Jesus returning to the world “between the two white minarets” refers to this mosque. John the Baptist’s head is entombed there, and Pope John Paul II visited it in 2001.

There was a man named Sheikh Daud Al-Baghdadi, known as a very noble and learned scholar. He had memorized entire tracts of Hadith and was a Hafidh – he had memorized the entire Qur’aan and had even mastered all of the seven different methods of reciting it. Sheikh Daud was famous for his ability to teach people about Islam and for the thousands of people who had converted to Islam after learning from him.

Sheikh Daud and some of his students were traveling to visit villages around the land to teach and convert them to Islam. when they came upon a village they knew to be Christian. They stood on a small hillock overlooking the village, resting for a while before they went in. Soon, they went down to the village and entered the gate and looked for someone to speak to. They saw a young peasant girl, very modestly dressed in plain clothing. She welcomed them in and drew water from the well to give them.

Sheikh Daud began to stare at her, gazing at her intently. His students were horrified that he was so openly and blatantly staring at a woman. “Ya Sheikh!” they cried, “We are taught to lower our gaze! Why are you staring at this woman!” “She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” he responded. “Ask her to take me to her father, for I wish to marry her.”

Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: That will make for greater purity for them. And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 24, “The Light,” Verse 30

The girl agreed to take the group to her father, but Sheikh Daud insisted that his students leave without him. At this point, they were incredulous and insisted upon staying until they could all leave together. He demanded that they leave, however, and continue with their work. “I’ll catch up with you in a few days,” he said. They agreed and left.

It became a few days, a week, a month, and there was no sign of Sheikh Daud. His students were very worried, and decided to go back and search for him.

The lines of intricately carved columns in Al-Amawi’s courtyard.

(more…)

Many Muslims have been receiving a letter by email, supposedly written by Senator Obama, entitled “Letter From Barack Obama on his Muslim Heritage.” In the letter, the writer speaks to the meaning and significance of his Muslim name, his interaction with and respect for Muslims, and a promise to interact with Muslims “from a position of familiarity and respect [at a time when] that is something sorely needed.” The general tone is one of comforting reassurance, a kind of “I don’t hate Muslims, I actually respect them, and I’d like to work with them as friends.”

Muslims were understandably excited upon receiving this letter; it caused quite a stir. Finally, someone who and respects us and understand what we’re going through! Maybe he will be the kind of President we can trust with our lives, liberties, and mutual honor. Maybe this time, we won’t feel betrayed, like strangers in our own homes. Go Obama!

Except, Obama didn’t write this letter. Umar Lee did.

(more…)

If you haven’t seen it already – this is a great short movie. To the song “A Land Called Paradise” by Kareem Salama (btw, he’s a lawyer!)

To: Mr. —, Union Facilities Manager
Mr. —-, Associate Director, Carolina Union

CC: Ms. —-, Director, Carolina Women’s Center
Dr. —-Chair, UNC Department of Women’s Studies

Dear Mr. — and Mr. —-,

Thank you very much for your response to me and to Ms. — of the Carolina Women’s Center. I truly appreciate you noting the inconvenience and your efforts to restock the restrooms with urgency. I did not know about the vandalism and theft concerns and I appreciate your efforts to keep the machines stocked despite these problems.

I am sure I speak for many women when I thank you for paying attention to this issue on a regular basis. It is also great relief to know that when a student raises a matter of serious concern, the officials who make this University the wonderful place that it is respond with their efforts to help. I very sincerely thank you again for your work as you continue to follow up and keep the feminine products machines consistently stocked.

Please let me know if I could be of assistance in the future.

Thanks again,

Taiyyaba

The whole story:
Keeping Feminine Products Machines Stocked
Attempt 2: Feminine Product Machines
The Response
Update: Manager Response

Sheeza [see comment] brings up a good point.

For me, it was part of both (big issue & manager not responding) but I think I was angrier that they didn’t respond *because* it was such a big issue to me. The fact that the machines are there and they don’t stock them feels unjust to me. If they’re there, I expect them to be stocked – otherwise, don’t give us false hopes of putting them there! Sorry to throw a law term out, but I think of it as an “undertaking” – you start doing something, allow someone to rely on you for it – and if you stop doing it, you can’t pull out and say “Well, I never really had to do that anyway, I was just doing it because I’m nice.” Follow through!

I guess I’m angry at the principle of the thing. Here, fine, I was close to the Student Stores and I could go buy a pad; no harm done. What if you walk out in the middle of class, in a building in the middle of campus, and there are no pads there and no store nearby – what are you supposed to do?

I’d even go so far as to say that there should be more bathrooms with these machines in them – stocked, of course. The facilities managers make sure the toilet paper, soap, etc. is always stocked -why not these machines? The users pay for it with a quarter, so the cost to the facility is offset. By now, I think it has become or should become a part of the etiquette of “bathroom stocking” that pads and tampons should be available in women’s bathrooms.

So it’s getting better – the higher-up manager of the Union sent the following email to the Director of the Women’s Center:

“On another note I was copied on an email sent to my facility manager concerning the stocking and upkeep of our feminine products vending machines. I want you to know that the stocking problem will be corrected today and I will make sure our facility staff are on top of this from now on. A number of these vending machines have been replaced many times due to theft and vandalism. I have instructed my staff to repair or replace with a sense of urgency in the future.”

Going to send them a thank you/encouraging/keep it up email.

hello, sorry for the inconveniece we are currently stocking the restrooms. thank you for bringing this problem to our attention.

[yeah. that's it.]

I’m not stopping, though. There’s still work to be done. Immediate problem has been semi-addressed, so now I can get back to class – but there is still more to do.

To: Mr. —, Union Facilities Manager

CC: Ms. —, Director, Carolina Women’s Center
Dr. —, Chair, UNC Department of Women’s Studies

Dear Mr. —:

I hope you are in the best of health and spirits.

This is my second attempt to contact you about a very important subject: keeping the feminine products machines in Union bathrooms continually stocked. My original email is below; I anticipate hearing from you within the next few days.

I’ve asked my friends to keep track of bathrooms they visit around campus in the next few days and see if the feminine products machines there are stocked. I hope that this is not a campus-wide problem, though I fear that it may be.

I do intend to contact campus organizations and see that this issue is addressed, campus-wide. As I stated earlier, keeping feminine products machines stocked in bathrooms around campus is an essential part of making UNC a supportive environment for everyone.

Thank you for your consideration. I await your response.

My letter to the Carolina Union Facilities Manager, dated January 7th, 2008. No response yet, seven days later.

To: Mr. —, Carolina Union Facilities Manager
CC: Carolina Women’s Center

To Whom it May Concern:

I write to you to raise a point of serious concern regarding the feminine products machines in Union bathrooms. Earlier this afternoon, I was in one of the Union bathrooms and found myself needing a sanitary napkin. However, the feminine products machine in the bathroom was completely empty. I proceeded to check two other Union bathrooms and those machines were also empty. I then went to the Union desk where two female employees were sitting; they were very sympathetic when I explained the problem, but of course, they could not do anything but point me to Student Stores to buy a pack of pads. They both commented that it seemed the Union wasn’t very good at keeping the machines stocked in general and I too remember the same problem from when I was an undergraduate at UNC.

This is rather an embarrassing email to write, but I feel that it is an important one, and I hope that other women will benefit from my request to you. It is an extremely unfortunate situation that when a woman is in need of a sanitary napkin or tampon, she must leave the bathroom, perhaps search in other bathrooms or ask other women for a pad, and end up being forced to buy an entire pack instead of being able to get a single product from the empty machines in the bathroom. It can be a degrading, embarrassing, and frustrating situation.

I understand that the semester has not started yet and things may not be up and running, but the timing of the academic semester has nothing to do with the facilities being stocked. Feminine product machines simply must be stocked with both sanitary napkins *and* tampons at *all* times. I do not know if the same situation exists in other UNC buildings, but I hope that every bathroom on campus has a feminine product machine and that every machine is stocked at all times. This is a simple step in creating an stable and supportive environment for all who live, work, and learn at UNC.

Thank you for your consideration.

Taiyyaba Qureshi

I’m very proud to say that my Ameir made a prayer times application for Apple computers. It’s called Guidance. It’s absolutely free to download! The link is below for you or any of your friends or family members who have Apple computers.

Guidance - prayer times for your Mac

What is Guidance?
Guidance is a prayer times application for Mac OS X that plays the Adhan when it is time to pray salah. Designed to be simple and elegant, Guidance sits in the menu bar and shows a countdown until the next prayer. When it’s time for prayer, Guidance displays a Growl notification and plays the adhan. Guidance stays out of the way while providing you with current prayer time information.

Features
* Choose from four different adhans to play, including Yusuf Islam
* Let Guidance wake you up before Shuruq so you never miss Fajr again
* Display Growl notifications when it’s time to pray
* Minimalistic interface gives you easy access to prayer times
* Get a countdown of how much time is left until the next prayer