Islamic barbarism, a myth or a creation of an ignorant media?

Osama dead? Haha.

So yeah the whole world is saying " Bin Laden is dead, Rejoice!". If the US thinks its going to fool the better educated public that Bin Laden even existed to begin with, then it should think again because their half baked attempts to seal off the Bin Laden Lie, was lame and theatrical. That he was shot at in his hideout in Pakistan, is something I scoff at.
Americans have this strange habit of trying to unify varying public opinion about the crises back home, into that of solidarity with nation and state by affixing a common enemy in the public mind. You can see it, if you were shrewd enough, that mentality that has carried them far in terms of world politics, in movies like Bat Man and shows like Heroes.

First of all, Bin Laden never existed and even if he did he was a scapegoat avatar to further US's plans to target a common enemy to reignite their dying and sputtering war economy. I, as a Muslim, never espoused nor supported his so called "Global Jihad". No Muslim in his right mind would. True, Obama in his charismatic as ever speech did flourishingly and quite nobly told the public not to associate the tyranny of Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden with the religion of Islam and its followers. But that's just very well like telling your kid who sees you smoking everyday that smoking is bad, that only you can smoke but the kid can't smoke. As the moral of the story translates, it invariably means, only the US can get away with killing off so called terrorists, no one else should do it because no one else is qualified to play God and decide who is or is not the terrorist. Yay for the world!

Second, everyone( except the americans themselves) knows that 9/11 was orchestrated by the Zionists. So in the end everything comes down to theology and tussles for power based on ideology. Before, they could target -isms like Communism, but now that Communism has been flogged and shown the door with its tail between its legs, there aren't any other -isms of the same threatening degree left. So what's left for the power hungry Zionists to do but play their cards well, and my they've been doing that for centuries its like second nature to them. What have they been doing again? Yes fooling the world. Don't get me wrong Im not against the Jews as a race, Im against their zionist views which are very much against universal laws in that they espouse themselves as the superior race that HAS to save the rest of the human race. Islam is the world's 2nd largest religion. China housing the world's largest population is now a global power to be reckoned with. At least there is no risk of converting people to become Chinese but where a faith is concerned, it involves conversion if it were to expand; therefore this entails a huge threat to them. If such conversion were to take place, a transfusion of values would take place vis a vis first world values that have deep judo-christian roots. I have nothing against the original Jewish and Christian scriptures on their own( in fact Islam accepts these two religions as authentic) but the atheistic and secular world view garnered by the small ruling party of the world, and indoctrinated through global domination as the one and only valid view of the world, stands to be corrected or changed if Muslims were to become the dominant population...Therefore, what do they do but create an avatar to channel the world's hatred towards a religion which till the last century had no problem co-existing with its neighbours.

It is very sad that the vast majority of the people nowadays are ignorant and they take at face value whatever the Zionist owned media feeds them,saturated, diluted and improvised versions of the truth, bottled and sold with a twinkle. I'm not saying the Muslims are perfect, true we have our faults just like every other human being has, but what I'm saying is how lowly and despicable it is to interpret a peaceful and loving religion with its own set of ethics and values, as a barbaric and diseased indoctrination just to selfishly guard one race's status of superiority above others. We were all created equal and everywhere we go we see hypocritical slogans about equality and human rights...what equality? How can we pay respect to Equality as a distinguishing ideal in its own right when it is being written by the pen of the winner, a winner with his own perceived view of what equality should be,who judges everything by the shadow of his own being.

Hana Tajima

Its too sad that nowadays, the trend is that people are afraid to talk about religion or freely admit that they do want to follow religion properly. It is seen as something that one celebrates in a cultural and commercial sense( i.e christmas) but nothing more. Too often we see, rampant in the pop culture phenomenon today, eschewing of anything related to religion. The media does an excellent job of connoting anything connected to religion as indoctrination, rigidity, backwardness and narrowmindedness. So it is rather to refreshing to see a drop dead gorgeous beauty like Hana Tajima, a revert to Islam, put us muslims to shame by showing everyone you can be muslim and not affix yourself into the neat grave of stagnation and stereotype the media and the suspicious world has prepared for us. Truly an inspiration, she makes me think that I can be a good muslim AND be fashionable if I am strong and true like her.

The Prophet's Last Sermon

This is the Prophet's last sermon...and for all those who accuse the Prophet of being a paedophile and an opportunist and tyrant, I ask one thing and one thing only, judge a person by the whole of his conduct and his words and these are his last words. It does not include any self interest nor hate nor bigotry. Ask yourself what a reasonable man would construe of a stranger's character by the most important words he would say when one is at the mercy of death. So for all those people that think blindly Islam is a religion of honour killings, discrimination against women and violence, just read the following excerpt and ask yourselves, are you making these deductions out of baseless ignorance which you justify as the rightful just because popular culture and the media is portraying Islam that way or are your deductions based on solid proof and authority?:

This sermon was delivered on the ninth day of Dhul Hijah, 10 A.H. (632 A.D.) in the valley of Mount Arafat. The contents of the message were collected from different narrations, and there are other parts to it that are not mentioned here. This sermon still needs the authenticity of all of its parts to be checked.

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore, listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take interest, therefore, all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer inequity. Allah has judged that there shall be no interest and that all interest due to Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib (the prophet's uncle) shall henceforth be waived.

Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right I waive is that arising from the murder of Rabiyah bin Al-Harith (relative of the prophet). O Men, the unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to forbid that which Allah had made permissible. With Allah the months are twelve; four of them are holy; three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumadah and Shaaban.

Beware of Satan

, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain right with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never commit adultery.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. All mankind is from Adam and Eve,

an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.

Learn that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim, and that Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to your selves.

Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah, and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others, and those to others again; and

may the last ones understand my words better that those who listen to me directly.

Be my witness O Allah, that I have conveyed Your message to Your people."

Of serious thoughts: religion & life

As always im still stumped about my religion. I believe in it. I know He is always there, an Omniscient presence watching over my family and I. Yet I feel like He is something beautiful I see in the corner of my eye and once I turn to look at it, it disappears immediately. I wish I could find a way to make that reality stay. Im really confused. Morality and religion. What makes one a good Muslim? What is even the definition of a muslim? How do you determine whether God thinks you are a Muslim or not? I believe in Islam and I think it is the religion for mankind but some things still stump me and I feel like I’m running around in circles chasing my own tail. Inside an endless mazelike labyrinth of possibilities and hopes. I am lost.

I still think Islam in today’s context has been misinterpreted. I think the jurists nowadays suck big time and the sly demons; misguided Orientalists of the West have reduced Islam to an arcane, mythical religion founded on the roots of barbarism. I think Islam nowadays, the Islam that MOST Muslims see and practice has fragments of the original religion mixed with the tainted aspects of the West’s meddling in it. Who knows maybe the stuff we take to heart have been misinterpreted and manipulated by those cunning enemies of real Islam.

Sometimes I think of the Planet of the Apes. How all the apes tried so hard to suppress the human beings because they knew that humans were the real masters of the world and they feared them. Because they knew the truth, that they were inferior once and humans ruled- the truth is hard to accept. Maybe Islam is like that too. Wait correction, I KNOW ISLAM is like that. It isn’t about old men in beards and moustaches reciting verses from the Quran they barely even understand. It is not about those who follow the ritualistic aspects of Islam being superior to the ones who actually might have the brains to begin to grasp what real Islam might be about. True rituals are important but I think the whole concept has been turned upside down and instead of focusing on the essence of Aqidah, they are focusing on the physical, ritualistic aspect which is important too but rather ineffective without belief. And humans are not robots. They are creatures of reason and emotion and I think the truth is that Muslims nowadays do not know how to appeal to those fundamental aspects of the human soul anymore. It has become rank and stale like a beautiful room gone to waste; that has not been aired or maintained properly. If Islam were a house, the Prophet would weep to see the state Islam is in today. I don’t think there exists any scholar today who can properly portray what Islam is all about…To revolutionize the entire way of Islamic thinking. It reminds me of Atlantis the animated movie where Atlantis was once a great advanced nation with impressive technology but its later generations no longer knew how to make use of the massive amount of resources left to them.

I hate it when I’m forced to believe things as they are just because they’ve always been that way. I need proof to support my belief. I don’t just believe in a religion just because I was born into it. I know I haven’t done enough research to even begin to understand the wealth of my religion. But I know for a fact, with the faculties of thinking vested in me, that Islam is undoubtedly the way of life our Creator has intended for us. Because it is in line with our very intrinsic nature. It is not harmful to life and us. In fact it is pervasive, like a deep, deep underground river, always present but out of sight and flowing powerfully. It doesn’t go against the rocks, it shapes them and forms the awe inspiring landscapes we see around us. Nothing happens without reason or purpose.

For example, the many aspects of Islam that are so beautiful and perfectly moulded for humanity and the sanctity of the thing we call our soul, are often sidetracked and swept under the rug in favour of annoying debates over topics that should not even be an issue in the first place-whether a girl who doesn’t wear a headscarf would go to hell or not. Whether all non Muslims would end up in hell because they do not profess and verbally express the Shahadah. In the first place who are the Muslims nowadays to determine whether the so called non Muslims would go to hell? What makes YOU think you are in a perfect state of Muslim-hood to judge other people who might not have been fortunate enough to be born into truth. If that is the case, if non Muslims were all to end up in hell regardless of their deeds, just because they did not verbally express the Shahadah and live a strictly “Muslim” lifestyle, then why should us so called Muslims not be equally responsible for propagating the truth to the these people? If we fail in our duty to represent the truth in a good image, as what it is, how then can we blame the non-believers from believing? So my reasoning is this, if we ourselves cannot portray the image of Islam properly- as what it is, as a mercy to mankind- how can we call ourselves “Muslims”? So you see in my opinion, the definition of who is or is not a Muslim should be left entirely to God. In the meantime, you try to abide by the rules and apply it to your life as best as you can and hope that God is actually more merciful than those white beards make Him out to be. That’s all I can say for now.

There are countless “non-Muslims” who have contributed way more to humanity than a ragged mat rempit “Muslim” wastrel ever is capable of doing. All those scientists dedicated to finding cures for incurable diseases and the Christian doctors risking their lives in war torn Palestine to save the victims of Israel’s cruel massacre-what of them? The very fact that they are able to compete on a fair ground with “Muslims”…does it not show that God is just and fair? That He has a masterplan for every individual. And it is up to us to use our brains to see the Truth that’s been lying smack between our eyes all along.

The War of the Women

(This article strikes deep at the chords of my soul,truly it does. I wish to God I'd have the strength to wear Hijab)

By: By:Yahiya Emerick & Reshma Baig

A popular English saying says that "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." The meaning being that if a woman feels like something unfair happened to her, her anger will be limitless. I'm not going to say that that is necessarily true or not, but I have seen shades of it in the world-wide war between women who wear the Hijab (head-scarf) and those who want to oppose it.
Why do I describe it as a war? If you have to ask then you haven't been paying much attention to what women talk about in public meetings, articles, lectures, and even among themselves. The battle consists, quite interestingly, of four distinct war-fronts. There are 1) the women who wear Hijab out of conviction that it is the Islamic thing to do. Then there are 2) the women who wear it only because their mothers and grandmothers wore it; unaware of its true Islamic significance. The third group, 3) the non-Muslim feminists, rally against anything that covers up even one inch of the female form, but we already expected this from them. And finally, 4) there are the secular "Muslim" women, who almost never practice Islam anyway, but who have Muslim names and roots, who make it a point to appear at all Muslim gatherings with hair fashionably styled in full public glory.


For the sake of this article, one issue must be clear from the outset (so as not to ruffle the feathers of too many readers): An operative definition of the Hijab-wearing woman must be constructed. Albeit, as described above, not all Hijab wearers are alike. Women wear the Hijab for varying reasons. In reality, there also exists those noble and true Muslim sisters who wear Hijab because it is Islamically correct. They perceive it as intrinsically empowering. In addition, the Hijab is not a facade (the "I'll wear Hijab then do whatever I like" attitude). The operative definition of a true Hijab wearing Muslim woman is one who correctly follows the guidelines of Qur'an and Sunnah and whose only motivation is to please Allah. (Qur'an 33:59) This type of Hijab wearing woman is intelligent, Allah-fearing, overcoming the temporal trappings of the life of this world, and ultimately very happy with her decision. She is not out to please anyone except her Creator.



Now as stated previously, there are the four groups in this Battle of the Scarf. But it's not a fair war. Although it would seem that there are two factions on each side, in fact, the culturally-based Hijab wearing women are no help to their Islamicly-oriented sisters. The cultural Hijab-wearers don't look at their Hijab as an Islamic duty, but rather as an affiliation with some old-country culture. And in fact, they wear it only out of habit.
Obviously, then, the daughters of such women, feeling more "American" than Arab, Indian, Nigerian (or any culture transmitted by family origin), never wear the Hijab themselves because it's just "culture" and thus the cultural women are no help in the Islamic struggle. Their own offspring become some other "culture" just as they are only motivated by what they grew up with themselves.
Have you ever seen the women, walking in "full" Hijab, but then their two or three daughters, even if they're teenagers, are dressed completely like non-Muslims? It's incredibly common. I feel like asking those mothers. Why are you even wearing Hijab if it wasn't important enough for you to pass on to your daughters?


So the Islamically-oriented Hijab-wearers are quite alone in the face of the assault by the feminists/secular "Muslimahs". The relationship between those two erstwhile allies is strange. The agenda of the Western feminists has always been puzzling. They cry about equality and respect but then push for things that dehumanize women and put them at the mercy of merciless men. They'll say women should be respected for their minds rather than for their bodies, but then they'll say that women should go around in mini-skirts and g- strings. It's funny how some ultra-Feminists argue with pride that the only professions in which women earn more money than men are prostitution and fashion modeling--then, while complaining against violence towards women, they try to encourage more women to be "empowered" by disrobing (utilizing work- place fashions that place more emphasis on the female figure rather than intelligence and qualifications).



Men are an aggressive lot. If you take away clothes from a woman, the man is not suddenly going to start respecting her. Rather he's going to take it as a green light to chase after her. It's interesting how so many male fashion designers are worshipped by Western, European, and now even "Muslim" women. (Armani, De La Renta, Gucci, Mizrahi, Lauren, etc...)
It doesn't take an analyst from Fashion Avenue to figure out that a man will design clothes for women that fits one main criteria: That the outfit be pleasing and attractive to the eyes of a man. From this arises the catch- phrase: "powerful and sexy". Some cultural "Muslims" with more of an interest in fashion (rather than their love for Allah) heed the call of Vogue, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan rather than the guidelines for dress in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Unfortunately, both "Muslim" men and women have fallen prey to the paradigms of worldly dressing. (Is it really dress for success or dress for sex?). Some brothers are ashamed of their wives and daughters wearing the Hijab in public (the "you look too dowdy with that thing on your head" syndrome.) Some women discourage their own Muslim sisters from wearing the Hijab saying that they'll "never succeed" or "just look old-fashioned and oppressed", or as I've overheard time and time again, "you only need to wear Hijab on Eid or at Jumu'ah prayer".
It must be added here that Muslim women are not being encouraged to dress dowdy, sloppy, or out of the "mode". It is merely being asserted that what is touted as fashionable is not necessarily empowering--or flattering-- in the real sense of the word.


Islam arrived on the scene more than 1400 years ago to fortify a woman's dignity; introducing the concept of "covering the parts that elicit desire". Time and time again it is implored that "Allah is beautiful and loves beauty." Our Creator made us beautiful and the dictates of "modern" fashion morph that beauty into something exploitative and ugly.
The feminists say that women should be free and independent, never relying on any man. So the message men extract from this is that now they can have as many lovers as they want and never have to be tied down to one woman ever again. Consequently, a woman who dates can expect to go from man to man for twenty years or more before she can succeed in tying one down in marriage. And now women have to dress even more alluring to attract men, and have to work harder to keep them around lest the "roving eye" spots another, younger, prettier catch. Women, as polls have shown, are more harried, stressed and suffering from acute eating and other disorders than ever before.


Feminists say that all spiritual traditions are male-oriented and have worked to keep women down. While this may be true in the case of Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism, these feminists have no knowledge of Islam. All they see is the stupid, chauvinistic cultural traditions of backward X,Y or Z Muslim country and they equate that with the teachings of Islam. Then pseudo- scholars from the West quote ayat and Hadith out of context and paint a picture of a barbaric religion which seeks death for all.
On the same level, there are also ethnic "Muslim" women out there who do more to disparage Islam and present apologetic misinformation than their non-Muslim associates. Case in point: In a recent New York Times article about the growing number of Hijab wearing women in America, a "Muslimah" doctor from Chicago is quoted as saying that "Hijab has nothing to do with Islam." Her justification was that she was from Pakistan and it's not important over there. This makes one wonder: Which version of Islam is that? Oh, the abridged version. (Qur'an 33:64-68)



At the same time there is the wave of Muslimahs in America who assert their identities as Muslims and are cognizant that the Hijab is a requirement. These are the sisters on the frontlines who you see in various workplace settings with their Hijabs. The Hijab, as many sisters have commented, changes everything. Peoples are compelled to see you as a Muslim and therefore must assess their own feelings about Islam and Muslims. Ill feelings and sincere understanding of the faith are put through the sieve that is the Hijab.
You can imagine the outrage feminists feel when they hear that women are leaving "liberated" Western-secular culture and accepting Islam. I once overheard one feminist say, "Why are they entering a religion that will oppress them." It is so wired. If a woman walks down the street in a french- style head-wrap, nobody blinks an eye. If an old woman has a scarf or net wrapped around her head, nobody even looks. But the minute a woman walks in public with a scarf worn in typical Muslim style, people women mostly, absolutely freak out. Otherwise nice women will start muttering insults or even yelling.



Of course, no one says anything bad when they see a statue of Mary wearing a veil- and she always has a veil on. And no one yells at nuns, many of whom dress more Islamically than most Muslim women. So why the anger at the Hijab? You know, there's an interesting experiment you can try, and it may also save you from committing sins. Whenever a pretty girl walks by, almost every man looks at her, right? In Islam this is discouraged, for obvious reasons. But the next time you see a pretty woman walking by a stationary group of people, don't look at the pretty woman, (save yourself from a sin,) instead, look at the faces of the other women as the pretty woman passes by them. You'll be amazed to see that it's the women who are most blatantly and closely watching the young debutante prance by. And the glances of the women will follow long after the men have lost interest.



It's amazing! Women judge each other by their looks and appearances more than you would imagine. Especially non-Muslim women, who see the new female as a potential rival for male attention. When a Muslim woman, dressed according to her conscience, walks by, you see these same women grimace and make ugly faces. Why are they so threatened by a covered woman even more so than a half-naked one?
Because the half-naked woman is only a rival for a man. The covered woman is a direct challenge to any woman's whole being, sense of self and way of life. A modestly dressed, covered woman is a walking, talking challenge to the women (and men) who are sacrificing their Akhira for success on the terms of Dunya. A woman in Hijab who is a functioning member of society is a clarion call to everyone around her. She symbolizes a woman who is empowered by Allah (swt) rather than by the shabby, eclectic, pop-cultural, spiritually bankrupt throngs who pass as the icons of contemporary society.



The average non-Muslim woman sees nothing wrong with unmarried sexual relations, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, dancing with men, walking around half-naked, maybe taking drugs, gossiping, lying, using foul language, etc... (Who are all those immigrant Muslim men who race to marry such women and ignore their noble Muslim sisters?)
While the Muslim woman, in Hijab, radiates the exact opposite! She doesn't engage in those things and rather tries to be humble, self-controlled, full of nobility and goodness and spiritually motivated. Non-Muslim women freak out because they feel so much shame deep down that they are so rotten and unclean! (Culturally-oriented Hijab-wearers don't threaten them much because they usually are rude, loud and without inner-purity, as well. There is a style of Hijab and a look of inner-purity which distinguishes the conscientious Muslimahs from all others. You can see Taqwa in a person's face!)



A Muslim woman, whose inner-purity is reflected in her behavior, is more beautiful than even the most sensually dressed non-Muslim. So many men I know have said this, both Muslim and non-Muslim! Men love to run after the easy women for "conquests" but they want to marry someone who is pure more than anything else in the world! Non-Muslim women are filled with their shame/rage and it makes them attack Islam and things Islamic with a venom more deadly than any Orientalist ever had.
So many Western women, despairing of the lifestyle in which women have been reduced to mere sex-objects for men, are leaving the immoral lifestyle for the Islamic one in huge numbers. It doesn't matter if they find good husbands or not. They're accepting Islam because it's real, because it speaks to them as women.
But still the non-Muslim women twist their hands in rage. Now, because there is a whole class of Muslim immigrants who grew up worshipping America and the West, associating its technological advancements with its values, the non- Muslim feminists have a useful new tool in their fight against the one thing that shows them how wrong they are. These allies are the women with Muslim names who don't practice Islam, or who at the very most consider Islam to be a praying and fasting "religion" and little else.



These "Muslim" women, who may be victims of backward cultural traditions, think that the "Muslim" culture they came from is what Islam is about. Well, if that was true, I wouldn't like Islam either. I'm sure you'll agree that Muslims are sometimes the worst examples of what Islam categorizes as bad. But most of us are intelligent enough to realize that just because I have to pay a bribe to the policeman or if a woman has to abort her daughter in favor of a male child in the future-- it doesn't mean that Islam teaches that.
But there are a whole class of "Muslims" who can't seem to make such distinctions. They can't seem to understand where culture ends and Islam begins; they can't seem to let go of cultural values and adhere to the teachings of the Qur'an; they can't seem to wash away the taint of culture to expose the illumination of Islam. That would require a sacrifice on their part. (Oh my god! If they followed true Islam they might have to allow their daughters to marry people of a different ethnic group. Can't have that now!)



Already the feminists have destroyed Christianity and Judaism. Read that sentence over one time. Those two religions are now in the dust-bin of history, despite a cough from them every now and then, because they're effectively marginalized. The feminists, without even understanding that Islam is best for them, have brought secular "Muslim" women into their ranks to show the world that Islam should become as quaint and marginalized in society as Christianity is now.
Just on a side note, you know how Christian missionaries are roving all over the world and making thousands of new converts every day? They brag about it and Muslims complain about it because countries like Indonesia and Nigeria are in danger of becoming "Christian" countries in a few decades. But wait a minute! Who are the Christians converting and who is becoming Muslim?



The Christians are converting ignorant villagers, uneducated natives and people with Muslim names who don't know anything about Islam. While those who are accepting Islam are Jews and Christians- Westerners who are highly educated and have lived the secular way of life all their lives! The dumb become Christian while the educated be come Muslim! There's some food for thought!
Back to the war of the women: How have the feminists used these "secular Muslim" women? They have convinced some "Muslim" women that the path to money and power in this country is through bastardizing your own soul. By conforming to the heathen wishes of the majority, you can achieve loads of worldly success. That if you're a working professional (in any field), that success can only be attained by ripping off the "oppressive weight" of your Hijab and donning a "powerful and sexy" power suit.
As many Hijab wearing, practicing Muslim sisters have commented, the Western feminist ideology only hurts those who are ready to sacrifice their Next Life for the success of the world. Our practicing, Hijab wearing sisters have proved time and time again that they can wear their Hijab and become teachers, doctors, nurses, accountants, principals, economists, professors, etc... On the same level, without sacrificing their identity as Muslims; they are accepting the challenge of success while not simultaneously sacrificing their Islam.



But the feminists have their ready slaves: there are "Muslim" women who are brought by the feminists to their seminars and meetings to give the "Muslim" voice (read: token "Muslim" woman who will lash out against Islam and emerge as the Renaissance Woman Who Emerged From Behind The Veil.) Because these women had no real belief anyway, they almost always parrot, quite shamelessly, the views of the feminists. Then these "Muslim" women become filled with the idea of a crusade against "oppression" in their ethnic communities. An Arab secular "Muslimah" will work her agenda in the Arab community; an Indo-Pak in that community, etc...
It's easy for them to do this given that most of the Muslims who immigrated to this country are as of yet, unorganized and unaffiliated with any Masjid or organization. What's more, we shoot ourselves in the foot because some of our centers are run by people who are also secular in their outlook and just want to be important in the eyes of their associates. (Qur'an 9:107-108)



The feminist "Muslimahs" set up clinics with free counseling (toward non-Muslim values), abortion facilities, women's shelters and the like. (They get grants from universities, local governments and feminist organizations.) They say they're helping, but by promoting values in the minds of the women they serve which are unIslamic, they really cause harm in the long run.
They literally make it seem as if all you have to do is remove the Hijab, wear a mini-skirt and give up Islamic teachings then all your problems will be solved. When the root of the problem to begin with is almost always someone in their lives, maybe themselves or their husbands, were not following Islam to begin with! The cure can never be the poison.



The culturally-based Muslim Hijab wearers are the most vulnerable. They are usually, and you know this is true, uneducated village-style women who will listen to anything that sounds "sophisticated". Their Islam is usually a mixture of folklore, cultural traditions, superstitions and the like. They are the majority of women in the Muslim world. They're not bad or evil or anything, they're just completely unaware of real Islam. The feminists and the secular "Muslimahs" want to "liberate" them into the great world of today's used, worn-out, vulgar, "modern" Western woman.
The women who have either accepted Islam or who rediscovered it after living in a Muslim family are often quite alone. Those who love Allah by their own conviction and who seek to follow Islam truly are the enemies of the feminists, and by extension, of the Shaitan. The Shaitan calls people to forget Allah, to forget that they're responsible for their actions and to forget that this life is a short time of testing. He lures people with their animalistic desires and their cravings for the best in life. He whispers that there are no moral standards and that you can do as you please. Those who accept this call, whether with Muslim names or non-Muslim ones, descend to the level of intelligent beasts. (See Qur'an 7:16-17)



I have personally witnessed confrontations between those who wear Hijab by conviction and those secular "Muslimahs" who say it's not required. Every single time, the secular "Muslimahs" have utilized an insulting and nasty tone. Arguing with their worst faces. Of course, one of the signs of a hypocrite is that they'll get nasty in a disagreement, but then again, they don't accept the Hadith usually anyway, unless it seems to agree with their positions. (Qur'an 33:36)
The Muslim women who don't yet wear Hijab, but who desperately want to, sometimes may become afraid of the mean-spirit of the secular "Muslimahs." Nobody wants to be pointed out and nobody wants to be yelled at. I feel bad for these women. Their hearts and minds are tugging them towards true Islam but the nastiness of mean, shame/rage filled people make them afraid to wear Hijab. And sometimes the conscientious Hijab wearers don't always know when to be gentle and don't always encourage their sisters in a thoughtful, sisterly way. This as a result of always having to be on the defensive.



This war will go on for as long as there are women who believe in and love Allah. Many a Muslim man, whose own faith was weak, has fallen to it and pressured his wife or daughters not to wear Hijab. But in the end, the purity is the proof. A Muslimah in Hijab always looks purer than a woman in a mini- skirt. And a Muslimah in Hijab who practices Islam, will always be happier and free of shame, while a "liberated" woman has nothing but the empty standards of fashion magazines, western-style therapy, and empty and temporary "love" affairs to look forward to.
There is one incident that we'll never forget. We were once at a Muslim youth rally on the east coast. There were hundreds of Muslim college students in attendance. As we were moving through the crowd we came upon a group of Hijab wearing sisters. One of the sisters, a young woman of about 18 or 20 was stating, "One thing that scares the heck out of everyone is an articulate, well dressed, intelligent, and professional Muslim sister wearing Hijab". It's true. Because they present the alternative that every woman can attain. That is the real equality and the real standard of respect. (See Qur'an 33:35)



The trouble is, so many people are so trapped in the sinful, immoral lifestyle of lies, substance abuse, irresponsibility and chaos, that their shame drives them merely further into rage.


We know of one mother, a Muslim woman, who sent her daughter to an Islamic school in Michigan. The daughter opened her eyes to Islam and wanted to wear her Hijab outside of school, in public, also. But her mother, who was a secular "Muslimah" forbade her to wear Hijab saying, "I won't have my daughter being better than me." May Allah help us and the Muslim women who strive to please their Maker and ultimate judge. Amin.
The authors would like to state that this article is not intended to disparage those Muslim sisters who do not take Hijab for whatever personal reason. It is understood that a sister will take Hijab when she is ready since there is no compulsion in Islam. At the same time, according to the Qur'an, Hijab is a fard and this fact cannot be overlooked. (Qur'an 33:59) Allah (swt) is the final judge. May he give us all courage.


Yahiya Emerick's articles are reproduced here electronically with permission from the author. - H.A.

Stereotypes: a misnomer

The trouble with stereotypes is that they leave no room for interpretation and zeroes in on one particular feature of that race to the exclusion of all other traits.

I think when stereotypes become extreme to the extent that people act out on them it becomes racism. There is really a fine line between stereotyping and racism.

Take for example Arabs. Arabs are generally seen as barbaric, uncultured, crude, rude,arrogant,snobbish,aggressive,narcissistic, horny and not that endowed in the hygiene department. I myself am guilty of this culturally demeaning form of typecasting...Whenever i see an Arab id wrinkle my nose to hold my breath( the BO is intoxicatingly horrible)and id avoid Arab guys like Im being paid a million bucks to win a race. So far ive been hit on by sleazy Arab guys and been talked rudely to by the same.
They tend to be arrogant too with the false belief that they are superior to the Asiatic race because of their white skin colour and Arab lineage which was the cradle of Islamic Civilization.

But sometimes things and people happen. And when i mean happen they hit you like a red ominibus on a deserted highway. I made friends with this Arab girl called Medina and she was the opposite of everything i held Arabs to be. She was as gentle as the personification of the Arab psyche was not. She was kind, had clear eyes...the kind that shot right through your soul and identified whether you were kindred spirits or not in an instant. She was a perfect lady, modest,unassuming and friendly.

And take for example, White people. Most Asians are subconciously or conciously in awe of their previous colonial masters. Who were almost demi-gods with their white, fair skin, freckles, blond hair and coloured eyes and of course unbridled power that brought the whole world to its knees. So the result is that you see Asian girls( anyone not white) throwing themselves at these white guys in what they see as a move towards the perfect coupling. You see them dressing sluttily and clinging onto the white tourists looking for a casual fling like lost puppies. You hear of them engaging in lewd sex acts to please the modern white male. Why all this? It all boils down to stereotypes...again.

It took the Black Americans years to fight for their equality. To break the mold of stereotype cast by physical overtures that bespoke of their inferior status( in white peoples' eyes): their black skin was associated with ugliness and lowliness, their wide spaced eyes and wide flat noses were considered a derivation of the ape race. They were seen as slaves with little or no intellect at all and driven to lose their humanity through inhumane methods of labour.

Because you see, stereotypes are the result of ignorance of another's culture and values. What the western world sees as good or noble may not be seen as such in say, the lost Aztec Civilization. But that doesnt mean the Aztec people were inferior to the Western civilization...It just means that there is a difference in the set of values and culture to compute. We live in a world where everything Western is seen as worth emulating and good...an investment( even in terms of education) and anything that goes against the grains of Western Civilization's culture hub-which through its media tentacles have influenced the world to think of its culture and values as the universal truth-unacceptable.

So I say to myself and to others! Shake free of that stereotype and get to know a person in the context of his culture and origin rather than accepting the status quo of a known, so called universal culture(i.e globalization)!

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-

The Israeli attack on Gaza is barbaric to say the least

I have,as a muslim, always been repulsed by what the Israelis have been doing to the Palestinians-bullying,controlling them like cattle and acting a merciless god over its helpless victims. This time the repulsion meter has broken. I think it is ridiculous and damnably hypocritical of Western,Israeli and some "modern" muslim leaders( mere puppets of the Zionist regime) of countries like Eqypt-to denounce terrorism and brand muslims collectively as "terrorists"( the term didn't even come into existence till the recent century. Everyone knows US and Israel need an enemy, whether real or imagined to run their War Inc.)when they themselves are the actual perpetrators.

Just switch on CNN and you'll see pro Israeli propaganda justifying their actions and downplaying the deaths and suffering. But the reality is this, due to their stupid justification that they attacked because of HAMMAS' refusal to sign the "truce"( more like servitude), they have left more than 200 already suffering families with dead brothers,fathers,uncles,sisters,aunts,mothers,children and cousins. Where is the justice in that?

“Israel is not targeting Hamas alone. Israel is targeting the whole Palestinian population, which has left 200 families with dead sons, husbands and fathers.
“Gaza is left today with nothing, no bread, no oil, electricity and medication even to treat the injured people.
“This criminal attack is directed at the will of the Palestinian people. It’s an effort to break the Palestinian demand for freedom, independence and justice.”

Mustafa Barghouthi, Former Palestinian Information Minister


For more check out this link

Kyaw Kyaw Oo's Blog

Here goes another rant

Wearing a hijab I think liberates a woman! Otherwise all the materialistic and commercial bullshit will leave u in want of something or other no matter how pretty or perfect you are. Hypocrisy runs rampant in today's society unchecked-this is evident when magazines brazenly claim that beauty is what's inside only to mock it with the next page spread of scientific findings that claim good looking people have an edge in life over the average looking ones! What kind of "idiocy" is that? Its really unfair and it tears your subconcious mind into fragments trying to piece these two non-cohesive ideals together! Its a paradox cloaked in modern mockery, embellished with "norms" of the new age and crap like that. Yet for a big talker, I am a hypocrite too because I don't yet have the guts or the commitment to live life according to my ideals. I wish God would give me the strength to wear a Hijab before its too late...sigh. Everything is so focused on looks! Looks! And looks! The only part of soul thats touched on is "Being yourself", "developing your personality". As if adding a plastic sheet of "spirituality" on the folder of humanity defines us. I'm torn constantly in two opposite directions too. I hope God will give me the grace to reconcile my inner clashes...


When one wears a Hijab, a guy cant rate your body, we don't have to care how guys assess us based on how we look but rather on our real self, our values, dignity and good family upbringing. The world would be a much better place if the human race were obedient and for once admitted that they didn't know everything. Like in those magazines, one sees frustrated girls asking for guy advice and they give advice on "how to nab that hottie"..." How to get any guy u want"...All these things that fall short of throwing oneself in the sack with every possible candidate for one's future babies! Its degradation masked beneath a sly sheet of female empowerment when actually the laugh is on us! Its the men who are smarter, who's got us thinking we've got the reins when they are the ones controlling how we think of ourselves ON THEIR TERMS! Its not female empowerment at all-its the female population willingly giving the key to their dignity and their sacred selves away to their male counterparts; letting them use it to indulge their sexual needs. All under the mask of FEMALE EMPOWERMENT!

And when you think of prostitution and pornography being legalized in "Open minded" countries like Germany, it makes a person with enough grey matter at least to fill an eggcup think...How is this "empowerment" beneficial to women when it is women who are being given a license to fulfill every sexual need put on their doorstep. It turns women into sex objects. A Thing. You use it and then you dump it. Period. When they should be given the respect they deserve!I now realize this is what the hijab hopes to do...but humans like cattle and sheep follow blindly whenever the biggest, stupidest of the flock jumps over the cliff. We in retrospect are no different from sheep.
But I still detest girls who wear hijab without reflection on its purpose, who wear it grudgingly only because their mother and their mother's mother and so on before them has worn it. Almost as if with sentimental value that binds traditions and generations and less as an injunction from God and even less without knowing and understanding why one has to wear it.
I'd rather not wear one then wear it with IGNORANCE, without any true commitment and conviction and half heartedness with a vague idea floating about in that empty canvass called a skull that God wants women to wear it. And therefore they wear it and dream of a free ticket waiting for them in the transitory bellboy's lap pocket to heaven.