A touch of Gamine, Old School Glamour,the Goth and the Fantastical

Revisiting Roots

Usually I don't care much for the Burmese Entertainment Industry. I think it's shoddy,lame and very much outdated but there is one Burmese Beauty whose timeless grace has floored me. Here she is!
Her name is Eindra Kyaw Zin...She's so lithe and beautiful. Without trying too hard.

Bittersweet...like Marygold

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

To Paris with Love

We're not so different after all- a mind riveting interview of Peter Sanders, Famous British Convert to Islam

As a young Muslim living in this modern world filled with hate,distrust,suspicion and misunderstanding for Islam, I have always been excruciatingly hassled by questions like "If you are a non Muslim-although it does not make sense to the essence of Islam-regardless of your deeds(good or bad)does it mean you will end up in hell?" Something was wrong.

Then the other question that hassled me was "Will I never be a good enough muslim if because of the way I was brought up, could not pray complete all the religious duties specified in Islam like praying 5 times a day and wearing the Hijab?" The second question haunted me like a nightmare and made me feel as if no matter how good I was in terms of deeds, no matter how kind I was to people according to the hadith of the Holy Prophet or the Quran, if I faltered and fell short of flawlessly observing prayers or wearing the Hijab, I would never be a true muslim in the eyes of God. I love Islam and believe in God but sometimes questions like these that conflict with the very essence of Islam tear at my heart and soul constantly.

It is due to the inefficiency of jurists, the general consensus and lack of knowledge and intellectual think tanks that ordinary muslims like me who try very hard to implement Islam into our daily lives are discouraged...being made to think we'll always be stuck as 2nd class Muslims. Because they made us believe outward appearances were more important, dogma ran rampant and overly critical hypocrites expounded the belief that there is only one category of Muslims-a very narrow one.

Whoever fell outside of that ambit was disqualified. It is indeed the root cause of consternation and confusion when the very people who are supposed to uphold Islam do not understand how to interpret and apply those rules in a reasonable manner into daily life.Having said that of course I'm not trying to justify my lack of diligent religious observation. On the contrary I'm just trying to give myself breathing space and improve without being condemned through absolutes, what Islam ordains that our forgiving God would do...

The following an interview of the world famous Muslim photographer Peter Sanders(a British man who converted to Islam at the age of 24.Before that he used to photograph the great rock stars of the 1970s)is like heaven sent balm to my troubled heart and makes me belief that there is more than one way to be a good Muslim,co-existing in Peace and Respect with non-Muslims...

Q: DO YOU COME ACROSS A LOT OF INSTANCES WHERE CULTURE SKEWS RELIGIOUS INTERPRETATION?

A: That's been one of the biggest problems in England. People have totally mixed up culture with religion that even they don't know what Islam is. We have people that think you have to be Pakistani to be Muslim. They said that to my daughters at school. "You can't be Muslim, you're not Pakistani."

I'm not talking about a certain sector, and it is in these sectors where you've got all the kids that are so confused.

You have people who justify stealing from the government; they will lie to get welfare benefits, and say," Well, they're not Muslim so I can do it.

I read an amazing article, written by a friend called " Who is the unbeliever?" and he started the article with: "I know many Muslims who behave and do things totally against Islam and I know many non Muslims who act like Muslims."

His take on the belief that non-Muslims will go to Hell:

He observed that the word "kafirun"(non believer) is bandied around and the belief is that non Muslims go straight to Hell. He says some scholars say that's not true; YOU HAVE TO BE PRESENTED WITH ISLAM PROPERLY. THEY HAVE TO HAVE A REALLY SERIOUS EXPLANATION AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT TRUE ISLAM IS,WHAT PROPHET MUHAMMAD WAS LIKE.IF THEN THEY REJECT IT, IT'S UP TO ALLAH.'

BUT IF THEY MET A MUSLIM AND THAT MUSLIM DID SOMETHING TERRIBLE LIKE CHEATED OR STOLE FROM THEM,HOW WOULD YOU SAY THAT THEY ARE GOING TO THE FIRE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T ACCEPT ISLAM?

On why he retained his British name even though he converted to Islam:

When i became a Muslim I was given another name( Abdul Adheem). And I kind of used it and was proud of it. THIS IS FINE IF YOU LIVE WITH MUSLIMS;BUT ONCE YOU GO OUT INTO THE WORLD,USING THOSE NAMES CAN BE VERY OFF PUTTING TO PEOPLE BECAUSE IT PUTS A BARRIER BETWEEN YOU AND THEM.

On the belief that external appearances or proof that you are Muslim dictate whether you will go to Heaven or Hell:

Muslims now are very obsessed with EXTERIOR THINGS. THAT'S WHY AS MUCH AS I REALLY RESPECT THE HIJAB AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE IN IT, I GET WORRIED IT WILL BE THAT,IF YOU WEAR A HIJAB OR HAVE A BEARD, YOU'RE DEFINITELY A MUSLIM.

It can't be just that, it has to be something on the INSIDE. It's about the INWARD CHANGING. If it's the outward it's easy because someone could just dress up and that makes them a Muslim? NO! It's the inward transformation.

There is a tendency now with Muslims to push ISLAM DOWN PEOPLE'S THROATS. BUT YOU CAN'T FORCE PEOPLE TO BECOME MUSLIMS. PEOPLE BECOME MUSLIMS BECAUSE YOU'RE INCREDIBLY GENEROUS AND KIND AND COMPASSIONATE AND LOVING AND THEY GET DRAWN INTO IT BECAUSE OF THIS.

His take on what constitutes a person who has Iman(faith) and is a Muslim:

Why wasn't I a Muslim before? It gets defined when you become a Muslim. I had iman(faith) BEFORE I HAD ISLAM. People think that YOU GET ISLAM AND THEN YOU GET IMAN. But I think Westerners have Iman. They just haven't found Islam.

Q: ISLAM IS NOT ALWAYS PORTRAYED IN A POSITIVE LIGHT. IS THIS BECAUSE SOME MUSLIMS ARE NOT DOING A GOOD PR(PUBLIC RELATIONS)JOB?

A:Yes. You can't say " Islam means Peace and then go out and bomb the hell out of people. You can't say we're religious, pray 5 times a day and fast all Ramadan; and then try to cheat the Government and be horrible to everyone else who is not Muslim.

-End-

16 Randomosities about me(and yes i made that word up)

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits or goals about you. At the end choose 16 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, its because I want to know more about you.

1) I have a serious addiction..more like a fetish for sleep. Like i can sleep anytime, anywhere. Disturbing, i know.

2) I tend to intimidate people esp guys at first sighting but thats only coz they haven't seen the crazy side of me and i intend it to be that way thank u...

3) I love Chuck Bass from GG. I know he's disgusting but what the hell the guy oozes S.A(majorly).

4) I am pretty sadistic...but so far haven't maimed or tortured anyone for fun, physically yet. Happy Tree Friends and Saw are in my top ten all time favourites list.

5) I have anger management issues...sometimes i just explode and immediately regret it afterwards( esp
when driving. Malaysian drivers are the worst in the world).

6)I have a goal to uncover Barney's identity. I know there's a paedophile lurking inside like a time bomb.And don't let me start on my conspiracy theories about Santa and his murky relations with Hitler.

7)I tend to get passionate about causes..sometimes even to the extent i go a little overboard and scare people.

8) I hate lizards with a vengeance and wish that they could be wiped off the earth or that the Junta be turned into lizards so that i would have a valid reason to explode and massacre them all.

9) When i value the relationships i have, i tend to express it through gift giving and making quirky handmade cards etc.

10) Am an impulse spender and thus on the receiving end of my mom's constant nagging to be a wiser spender...sigh

11) I set high standards and when either myself or the people around me don't live up to those expectations, i get moody but then get over it...most of the time.

12)I like to talk...a lot. Hence the childhood nickname " miss chatterbox".

13) As much as i like to do alot of 12) I absolutely HATE talking on the phone and would only do so if really necessary...if i call u it means u mean something to me. I'd rather talk face to face, through chatting online or sms...

14) I secretly(well not so is it) aspire to have Peter's powers so i could absorb Russell Peter's talent for criticizing every race and managing to get away with it by reason of humour...Especially in UIA i( and my friends)know which group is going to get an awful lot of bashing.

15) I bring bad luck to pet fish. So far, for the record all the 20++ fish that had the misfortune to be bought by me have died within the short period of 2 weeks(tops) and its not because i didn't care for them.

16) I wish i could say i like philosophizing and thinking too much...thoughts within thoughts...but it is a fact that it happens too often for my liking.

"In order to be irreplaceable,we must be different"-coco chanel

Heart of Glass

You give me hopes...lilting,subtle tinkling ones
that steal into my mind and surprise
Like a lost lover closing your eyes from behind
Smiling and warm until...
I see you transform at midnight's toll
into a snarling monster
You rip me into shreds and leave me to die
Caesar bleeding in the market square
Friends merging into foes dipping greedy hands in blood
That pool in a sad little crook
Of the starcrossed building

I thought you were my friend
The first of your kind
How could you hurt me so?
Did you not see my secret fears?
Do you think I'm a masquerade waiting to have her mask ripped open
to reveal what's underneath...broken, fragile thing it is...

Heart of glass,wrapped shyly in purple ribbons
Flowers twining around its throbbing crystal veins
Cupped in hesitant hands that tremble
An overt act of offering to a deity
Just to have it smashed on the dirty sidewalk
Frowned and spat at in scorn and
Worse still the ghastly indifference

If you hated me it would be bearable I'd say
Because people say " Hate is just love that's lost its way"
Maybe intuition and destiny might buoy it back to the surface
That elusive sparkling surface of rose tinted Love
Nothing hurts more than your cold indifference
Of being nothing more than a speck
A trinket of no consequence and utter insignificance
How could you treat me so?
Me who's who begging to have you hold my hand
so that you may melt my frozen fingers
And I can be whole again...

by Su Kyaw( 19/1/09)

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?