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.

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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!)

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

Surat ad-Duha – The Morning Light

By the Glorious Morning Light,
And by the Night when it is still,-
Thy Guardian-Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased.
And verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present.
And soon will thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased.
Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter (and care)?
And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance.
And He found thee in need, and made thee independent.
Therefore, treat not the orphan with harshness,
Nor repulse the petitioner (unheard);
But the bounty of the Lord – rehearse and proclaim!

[The Holy Qur'aan, Chapter 93]

Clerk uses ax to fight off armed robber


Not letting her slight frame deter her, Sahin wielded an ax against a masked man who tried to rob her at gunpoint on Saturday, swinging with gusto at the would-be robber before he fled empty-handed.

“I said, “Get out, get out!” recalled Sahin, who was back at work at the register Tuesday. “I didn’t want to hit him. I just wanted him to get out of here.”

The diminutive clerk — somewhere shy of 5 feet tall and just 90 pounds — was behind the counter at her family’s business, Southaven Convenience on Montauk Highway in Brookhaven, about 8 p.m. when the man, his face covered with a bandanna, walked in, stuck a gun in her face, and demanded cash.

A store surveillance video, released Tuesday by Suffolk police, shows Sahin, wearing a long dress and a headscarf, stalling the intruder for several seconds, pecking at the cash register and searching with one hand for a panic button.

Suddenly, she grabs a 2 1/2-foot ax from under the counter, cocks it over her narrow shoulder, and takes a half dozen chops at the man, even reaching over the counter at her 6-foot target. The frightened intruder steps back and aims his gun again. But apparently confused by the onslaught, he then runs out the door with Sahin in pursuit to the parking lot.

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A nice/interesting resolution passed by the 110th Congress last week. This isn’t the first time they’ve passed a resolution recognizing Ramadan; I think they do it every year. I guess i’m not gonna knock it for being superficial….at least the issues are resonating on some level. Thoughts?

H. Res. 635
In the House of Representatives, U. S., October 2, 2007.

Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 1,500,000,000 Muslims worldwide;

Whereas since the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, some threats and incidents of violence have been directed at law-abiding, patriotic Americans of African, Arab, and South Asian descent, particularly members of the Islamic faith;

Whereas, on September 14, 2001, the House of Representatives passed a concurrent resolution condemning bigotry and violence against Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the United States;

Whereas some extremists have attempted to use selective interpretations of Islam to justify and encourage hatred, persecution, oppression, violence and terrorism against the United States, the West, Israel, other Muslims, and non-Muslims;

Whereas some Muslims in the United States and abroad have courageously spoken out in rejection of interpretations of Islam that justify and encourage hatred, violence, and terror, and in support of interpretations of and movements within Islam that justify and encourage democracy, tolerance and full civil and political rights for Muslims and those of all faiths;

Whereas Ramadan is the holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal for Muslims worldwide, and is the 9th month of the Muslim calendar year; and

Whereas the observance of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan commenced at dusk on September 13, 2007, and continues for one lunar month: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

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This is an earlier post that I re-post here, in honor of the Fourth of July, with pictures I took yesterday at the Independence Day ceremonies at Mount Vernon (George Washington’s home). More pictures here.

This was an essay i wrote for my religion class. The prompt was very broad: “What does it mean to be an American?”

What makes me an American? I asked myself a series of questions to help me attack this issue. I didn’t come up with answers to all of them, but I’ve reached some “enlightened confusion,” which is, according to Isaac, as good as an answer.

In terms of group affiliations, what are the defining parts of my identity?

To this, I answered: Muslimah, American, Pakistani descent, first-generation child of immigrants. I wasn’t sure what the order of all of these identities was, but I was certain that being a Muslimah (a female Muslim) was first. We’ve discussed in class that nowadays in America, identifying yourself by your religious identity along with your American identity is “acceptable” and the “safest” way of differentiating yourself. But I am compelled to take it a little further. I am not afraid to say that I am Muslim first and American second. And not to play the victim, but I think I live in an era and a country where that is scary to hear for a lot of people. But why should it be? Though it is a crazy hypothetical, wouldn’t a Christian or a Jew or a Hindu choose their religion over a national identity if it came down to such a choice?

As the child of an immigrant family who both understands the struggle for personal success and the difficulties of living in a country where freedom of speech and religious practice is not to be taken for granted, being American means that I can freely express myself without being forced into conformity and without fear of retribution. I know that I can succeed by getting an education and working hard without having to wet the palms of greedy government officials at every step.

That’s the traditional answer for a first-generation American, but there has to be more than that cliché. So I asked myself more questions. What do I miss when I visit my family in Pakistan for an extended period of time (one to two months)? I miss being able to go to the mosque on a regular basis and participate in community activities (women in primarily Muslim countries generally do not go to the mosque). I miss my conveniences (internet, primarily, but also things like clean water). For a longer term, I’d miss education…..and I’d miss the environment of people who think like me. Wait…that’s not right. I’d miss the environment of conversation, dialogue, and discussion. Is this what makes me being American?

But the very first thing I said I miss was a religious thing particular to my faith community. True. One of the major things I consider as my American identity is the ability to practice Islam without as much influence of the “back home” cultures (Southeast Asian, Arab, etc.). I don’t have to practice the kind of Islam the government allows through its filters. I have a greater range of motion within my community, allowing me to take leadership roles and engage in activities that are, to me, very Islamic but would not be allowed for Muslim women in primarily Muslim countries.
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I’m seriously concerned with the body image epidemic that plagues young girls all over the world, especially those in the West or those in other countries who are heavily influenced by Western culture (especially advertising). It is a disease of the mind that girls are suffering and even dying from, whether its a quiet yet nagging discontent the back of their head when they open their closet or look in the mirror to full-blown eating disorders.

I want to discuss two main things from the perspective of young girls from South Asian or Arab backgrounds (speaking from what I know…and of course I could be wrong) – their perceptions and management of their weight and their skin color.

What is the “perfect weight” for a woman?

It’s confusing. Signals from Western advertising and clothing companies tell us that the best and most popular size is somewhere below 10 or 8. Older female family members and Aunties tell us that we should be thinner. I know that so many Asian or Arab girls have been told by mothers and aunts quite plainly – “You’re fat.” – when in all reality they are normal (read: in a healthy weight range for their height) and beautiful.

What do you think this does to their self-esteem, their image of themselves as worthwhile people and their understanding of beauty?

The focus on weight and the shape of a woman’s body is sickeningly obsessive and so dangerously deleterious to her health and happiness.

But there’s another realm that tells us the opposite – that curves are sexy and beautiful (although clothing companies don’t seem to take this into effect when deciding on the shape and fabric of their clothes) and the “hourglass” figure is still in fashion. It’s dangerous to be too thin (not for health reasons) but because there’s still the “You’re too skinny” dialogue from matriarchs as well. (yet if these “too skinny” girls were to gain 5 or 10 pounds, they’d be in danger of the “you’ve let yourself go” speech again).

I hate this back-and-forth game that girls have to play to fit into a perfect dress size that will satisfy their mothers, their aunts, and their future-in-laws and husband. Is there any room in there for a woman to find a size and shape that is healthy and gives her pleasure and happiness?

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Allah is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light. Of those who reject faith the patrons are the evil ones: from light they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be companions of the fire, to dwell therein.
Surat al-Baqarah, Verse 257

I realize i may be walking a fine line with this discussion but it’s something i’ve been thinking about for a while….something, really, that has been disturbing me for a while. Excuse me if it isn’t fully fleshed out yet. I’m still pondering it.

I remember in sophomore year of college i took a class with Professor Sarah Shields called “Modern Muslim World.” It was a good class with a good professor who was surprisingly pro-Muslim, considering our current global political situation. We studied some of the history of Iraq (the US was quite early in the war at that time) and watched a film about Saddam’s early interactions with Kurds and Shia’s. Anyone who knows anything about this relationship knows what an inhuman and hellish scenario it was, with Saddam and his henchman stopping at nothing to get control of the land and its inhabitants.

As i sat there watching this film, i felt myself getting angrier and angrier. Livid is more like it. Fumingly furious. And a new sensation that, as far as i can remember, never felt before – or at least never felt as strongly or in any way that particularly mattered.

Hatred.
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In light of recent events….heck, who am I kidding? In light of my life, I think it’s appropriate to comment on something I’ve been bouncing around in my brain for a while.

So you already know my stand on pedestals (no pun intended). There are people, may Allah bless them for their efforts with Jannat il-Firdaus, who dedicate their lives to Islamic-based organizations from the smallest community to the largest national and international groups. It’s a thankless job that often takes away from family, school, a “real” job, health, time, etc. Truly, may Allah grant them better than that which they give of themselves. Inshallah, may Allah bless them with a pure intention and ultimate reward from Him in Jannah.
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