Emma's Random Thoughts

Ayah of The Day 1 >> Quran 2:164

2011-09-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

The first favorite ayah that caught my attention last Ramadan was the 164th verse in the 2nd chapter of the Quran, the name of the chapter (surah) is "The Cow" or "Albaqara".

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاء مِن مَّاء فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الأرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخِّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاء وَالأَرْضِ لآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

"Surely, in the creation of heavens and earth, and the alternation of night and day, and the ships that sail in the sea, carrying that which benefits men, and in the water Allah sent down from the sky, then revived with it the earth after it was dead, and in every creature He has scattered on it, and in turning of winds, and in the clouds employed to serve between heaven and earth, there are signs for those who have sense."

I believe that the meaning of the ayah is very clear; Allah is stating that those who use their sense and logic will find signs as they observe the creation. The reason why I liked this ayah is because it explicitly shows how highly required it is by our creator that we pay attention to the details around us and not just take this world for granted. We need to observe and reflect on every little being because no matter how little it may seem, just like us, it was meant to be a part of this universe. We need to study the laws by which this universe is governed, we need to explore and make sense of them in stead of just sleeping at night knowing that the sun will rise again in the morning only because it always does.

This ayah reminds me of the importance of meditating and observing and I can relate to it whenever I study something new in science. No matter how busy life gets and how horrible the worldly events may seem, there's always this beautiful shivering feeling and amazement that visits me whenever I realize the brilliance and perfection of the balance that God has offered to us with his creation and laws. I always end up saying "Sobhan Allah" - Praise be to Allah for this perfectly created universe. This state of mind I reach when I meditate or study science strengthens my faith and trust in Allah for I become purified by يقين certainty and thoughts that reminds me of a quote by Ralph Waldo that goes like this: "All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I haven't seen".

It's just sad how many Muslims nowadays forget such teachings of the Quran where we are asked to study the universe and not just take it for granted. How come it is the case that we now only "receive" knowledge that was observed by others? how come we stopped exploring God's creation and waiting for others to make sense of it and make our lives easier? how come we have the truth in our hands and others are working hard enough to prove it? How come many people who claim to be "religious" rarely speak of anything that has to do with "thinking","reflecting" and "reasoning" even though they were mentioned hundreds of times in the Quran!?

Anyway, I advise you all to take a 10 mins break every day and dedicate it to meditation; observing the world around you, appreciating the brilliance of all that exists and understanding the signs of the Creator... and say: Sobhan Allah.

My Ramadan's "Ayah of the day"s

2011-09-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Quran is truly beautiful.

It's beautiful not just because of how comprehensive and perfectly written the Quran is but because of the state of mind you experience when you contemplate on the words of Allah. It is for this reason that I decided this Ramadan, I want to do more with the Quran than just reading it. I need to experience the pleasure of understanding it and meditating on its meanings. So everyday, as I was reading the Quran, I stopped at the verses that caught my attention and tasted the pleasure of contemplating on them, then shared them with others (on facebook).

Now that Ramadan is over, I will do more than just sharing my favorite 30 verses from the Quran; I'll be writing more about each verse (ayah), why I liked it, how I understand it, what its interpretation is and when/why it was revealed to the prophet (pbuh).

These are my favorite 30 Ayahs of Ramadan 2011 :)

Ayah of the day 30:

"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me" Quran 51:56

Ayah of the day 29:

"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." Quran 49:13

Ayah of the day 28:

"O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful." Quran 49:6

Ayah of the day 27:

"And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend." Quran 41:34

Ayah of the day 26:

"Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." " Quran 39:53

Ayah of the day 25:

"and do not turn your cheek away from people, and do not walk on the earth haughtily. Surely, Allah does not like anyone who is arrogant, proud;" Quran 31:18

Ayah of the day 24:

"Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]." Quran 30:41

Ayah of the day 23:

"And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought." Quran 30:21

Ayah of the day 22:

"O ye who believe! enter not houses other than your own, until ye have asked permission and saluted those in them: that is best for you, in order that ye may heed (what is seemly)." Quran 24:27

Ayah of the day 21:

"Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which you used to differ." Quran 22:69

Ayah of the day 20:

"And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to the other direction]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss." Quran 22:11

Ayah of the day 19:

"And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds." Quran 21:107

Ayah of the day 18:

"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided." Quran 16:125

Ayah of the day 17:

"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)." Quran 15:9

Ayah of the day 16:

"Have you not seen how Allah has set forth a parable: A good word is like a good tree, having its root firm and its branches in the sky.It brings its fruits at all times with the will of its Lord. Allah sets forth the parables for the people, so that they may take lesson...."

Ayah of the day 15:

"The deeds of those who refuse to believe in their Lord are like ashes blown away by the wind on a stormy day. They will not be able to gain anything out of what they did. That is the farthest point of straying away from the right path." Quran 14:18

Ayah of the day 14:

"Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." Quran 13:28

Ayah of the day 13:

"And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a clear register." Quran 11:6

Ayah of the day 12:

Say: "See ye what things Allah hath sent down to you for sustenance? Yet ye hold forbidden some things thereof and (some things) lawful." Say: "Hath Allah indeed permitted you, or do ye invent (things) to attribute to Allah." Quran 10:59

Ayah of the day 11:

"O mankind! there hath come to you a direction from your Lord and a healing for the (diseases) in your hearts,- and for those who believe, a guidance and a Mercy." Quran 4:57

Ayah of the day 10:

"Say: "Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our protector": and on Allah let the Believers put their trust." Quran 9:51

Ayah of the day 9:

"But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah: for He is One that heareth and knoweth (all things)." Quran 8:61

Ayah of the day 8:

"Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds:" Quran 6:162

Ayah of the day 7:

Say, "Not equal are the evil and the good, although the abundance of evil might impress you." So fear Allah, O you of understanding, that you may be successful." Quran 5:100

Ayah of the day 6:

"For this reason, We decreed for the children of Isra‘il that whoever kills a person not in retaliation for a person killed, nor (as a punishment) for spreading disorder on the earth, is as if he has killed the whole of humankind, and whoever saves the life of a person is as if he has saved the life of the whole of humankind. Certainly, Our messengers have come to them with clear signs. Then, after all that, many of them are there to commit excesses on the earth." Quran 5:32

Ayah of the day 5:

"O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do." Quran 5:8

Ayah of the day 4:

"O men, fear your Lord who created you from a single soul, and from it created its match, and spread many men and women from the two. Fear Allah in whose name you ask each other (for your rights), and fear (the violation of the rights of) the womb-relations. Surely, Allah is watchful over you." Quran 4:1

Ayah of the day 3:

"You shall never attain righteousness unless you spend from what you love. Whatsoever you spend, Allah is fully aware of it."

Quran 3:92

Ayah of the day 2:
"When My servants ask you about Me, then (tell them that) I am near. I respond to the call of one when he prays to Me; so they should respond to Me, and have faith in Me, so that they may be on the right path" Quran 2:186

Ayah of the day 1:
"Surely, in the creation of heavens and earth, and the alternation of night and day, and the ships that sail in the sea, carrying that which benefits men, and in the water Allah sent down from the sky, then revived with it the earth after it was dead, and in every creature He has scattered on it, and in turning of winds, and in the clouds employed to serve between heaven and earth, there are signs for those who have sense." Quran 2:164

My next post isA will be the beginning of a series of posts in which I give focus on each of the above ayahs to express my thoughts. I am doing this in efforts to share the beautiful taste of disconnecting from life and purely meditating on the words of the One who knows best.

It's been a while!

2011-09-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

Wow! the last time I posted anything on my blog was more than 2 years ago!

A lot of things have happened in my life; on the personal, social and even the NATIONAL level lol. Lots of changes have occurred, lots of surprising events have taken place, lots of people have been met and lots of experiences have been went through and all of this have lead to the emergence of a lot of thoughts, feelings and ideas that were born in my head. Unfortunately, not all of them were properly expressed though.

Writing has always been my best communication channel. I fell in love with writing when I was around 8 years old and making up lame pop songs, then my passion for writing grew more as I became a teenager writing deep emotional poetry but it was only when I started this blog to share my random thoughts that I realized my passion.

There is this special connection between my mind and the pen (or in this case the keyboard) that pleasurably translates my thoughts and feelings into words. So even though I might not be the best at it, writing still helps giving me a sense of fulfillment and happiness.

Because of how busy my life suddenly got 2 years ago, I barely got the chance to reward myself every now and then with writing... but the accumulation of unexpressed thoughts in my head was too much pressure to handle that I almost had a break down. Of course it wasn't just the fact that I had no time for writing that frustrated me but it's the idea of not having time to do ANYTHING that I feel like, the idea of not being in control. My overcrowded life overcame me and I lost control over my life. But this had to stop!

So I sat down with myself and had one of those "we need to talk" conversations that ended up with many promises one of which was to never EVER let go of a source of passion. No matter how busy my life is, no matter how stressed my mind gets, no matter how tired my eyes feels , it never hurts to spend extra 30 mins before sleep on something that makes me happy. 30 mins of reflecting life events and putting them in front of my eyes. 30 mins as a chance to look at the full picture. 30 mins to let out negative energy and thoughts. 30 mins to highlight positive emotions. 30 mins to dream and visualize. 30 mins to inspire and get inspired. 30 mins to give me a reason to wake up the next morning and gladly survive life. 30 mins are not too much to ask for :)

So to my blog, I shall return.

------------------------------------------

Isn't it amazing when you receive messages in life that shows you are not alone?

I mean... I swear right after I was done with this post, I read a couple of pages from "The Pilgrimage" by Paulo Coelho and I ran into this statement:

"The first symptom of the process of our killing our dreams is the lack of time. The busiest people I have known in my life always have time enough to do everything. Those who do nothing are always tired and pay no attention to the little amount of work they are required to do. They complain constantly that the day is too short. The truth is, they are afraid to fight the good fight."

Object Oriented Romance

2009-07-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

You initiated the constructor of my heart

But i just can't run it, cause the server wont start
You're the parameter of my methods
For you define all my variables

You use the right syntax
To compile my emotions
You call the right subclasses
That extend your devotion

You need no IF conditions
To prove our compatibility
You're the one who fixes my bugs
Understanding my dynamic property

Each and every single day
You add a new index to my array
A new feeling of some data type
That inherits the super class of my life

No warnings No errors detection
No SQL or NullPointerException
But something is still keeping us apart
This bughead server wont freakin start!!

Me, Myself and I

2009-04-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

I'm just trying to find a way to explain
How i am seriously turning insane
Crazy is what i used to call Me
But Myself has now acquired the name

Speaking of Me and Myself
It's been a long time since we talked
I think we should get together
The three of us shall take a long walk

As we're wandering through the woods
Our thoughts struggling in my head
I decided to say some random words
To break the ice and move ahead

The word "love" came up
I found myself rising above
For she believes in its powers
And it's all what she's thinking of

She said:
"Feel it from the inside
And spread it all around you
Smile at every face you see
And leave the past behind you"

And then she started chanting
"Om Shanti Peace peace
Peace, love and understanding
Please please please"

But then there was me
Sarcastically starting to clap
While laughing hilariously she said
"Could you please cut the crap?"

She said:
"Wake up honey it's reality
Where love does not exist
Nobody cares and nobody will
as long as you insist!"

"We're all alone in this world
Striving for peace of mind
The peace you're talking about
It is beyond space and time"

And then there was silence
It was my turn to speak
I regret the chosen topic
For it makes me feel weak

I said:
"Love is what i thought
But not what i felt
Loneliness is what i fought
But in my heart is where it dwelt"

"I'm stuck in the middle
of love and loneliness
Hope and despair
Strength and weakness"

"My words, My thoughts
My intelligence, My personality
My insecurities, my failings
My emotions, My Insanity"

Again I started hearing it
Disturbance in my brain
At night it wont let me sleep
At night when voices scream

In my head they keep roaring
They're angry with my mind
yet all I'm struggling for is
Kissing away the image of your smile

What's happening to Me?I am hurting myself!
This must be put to an end
I'm talking to Myself, but she 's not inside
I can't seem to find Me as well

Now I'm lost in the woods
I can't find my way home
Why did i take life so seriously
Why didn't i just let go?

... It's okay if you don't understand a word in this poem! LOL

She Thought...

2009-04-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

The thoughts in her head
The feelings in her heart
The words on her lips
The tears in her eyes

The pain through her veins
The struggle within her soul
The guilt on her chest
The weakness of her all

She thought she had this life
She thought she understood
She thought she got it all
She got it all wrong

She thought it was the time
When things were finally fair
She thought there could be more
She lost all what was there

She thought that you were true
She thought this time it's real
She thought she had a clue
Now there's too much to heal..

As she was breaking down
She knew what she had to do
It was her last resort
To end what she's going through

At dawn when the air was thin
And the sky was very low
Gathering herself she swallowed her fears
Then she was ready to go

On her way she was chased
By images from her past
But nothing could break her will
Nothing could hold her back

After a long painful journey
She made it to the top of the hill
The wind was blowing angrily
Yet she strongly stood still

It was the time and the place
Tears started running down her face
Of all the sins of disgrace
This was her favorite mistake

She closed her eyes and smiled
What's left was only a while
She could finally feel peace of mind
She took her last breath and died..

p.s: That's a very depressing poem, I was not feeling well when i wrote it ... So i definitely do not mean it ..I hope it doesn't encourage any suicidal thoughts in any one 's head!!! lol

The Whole "Hijab" Thing

2009-03-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

Terms used:
Hijab: The Veil/ higab
Hijabbed: Wearing a Hijab
Hijabi: a girl wearing a Hijab
:)

Hello!

Today I'll discuss many of my thoughts on Hijab but whether it's an Islamic obligation on women is NOT one of them. Actually i will not be talking about Hijab as a concept but how people view it. I just think that the issue of Hijab is overrated, Yeah..I think people (either supporting or fighting it) are unnecessarily making a big deal out of it. Usually people in our beautiful Arab societies make big deals out of issues that are worth a chewing gum just to appear like they have some points but we seriously need to grow up and stop dividing the community into groups more than it already is because now there's a "Mo7agaba" and a "Mesh Mo7agaba"... I'll get to this division later but let me start the discussion properly.

In the last couple of years, some religious Muslim people started encouraging girls to wear the hijab and thus devoted Muslim girls started wearing it (which is not bad). However, almost all religious discussions were then directed towards the Islamic dress of women and ignored anything else (like the basic principles of the Islamic faith, the behavior of a Muslim, the purpose of our life....and more important issues).

This lead to a huge gap between the people's attention to their appearances and their realization of their spirits, they became separated. That's a huge problem because being disconnected from your true self means that you're unbalanced which means that you're not able to think clearly! With time, people unintentionally began relating the personality of a girl to what she's wearing. They could even judge the strength of her faith and the more covered she is, the more respected she became even if she doesn't even pray, she is to be considered a good Muslim.

Consequently, Hijab became more of a cultural thing ...which is not the point. But group A which i was talking about in my post "Muslims in Egypt" appeared.

As more girls started wearing the hijab, another group of Muslim people (group B) noticed that and were upset, either because they're against the idea of Hijab in general or because of how group A prioritized it over other things. As a result, they considered themselves against the Hijab Movement and started fighting it!

They developed some opinions like: Hijab is a backward step in the society!, Men force women to wear it, it's against women freedom....!

Accordingly girls are being judged again according to their clothes. If she's hijabbed then most probably she was brainwashed by men to do so. She must be uneducated or narrow minded and she can't think on her own. She definitely needs help!

Hundreds if not thousands of groups and events on facebook calling girls to take off their Hijab because they're "free". Many websites and campaigns against wearing the hijab. Slogans, articles and pictures making fun of the Hijabis and offending the hijab calling it things like ignorance and retardation...But they're still calling for the "freedom" of girls. Do i smell contradiction?

Despite the fact that i do wear the hijab, i'm not taking sides here. As a matter of fact i'm against both sides! lol. No really, I totally respect those who support the hijab and those who fight it. But don't you think that there are MUCH MORE important things to talk about? In our society: drugs, sexual harassments, real ignorance, poverty...but we're still discussing whether a girl should cover her hair or not. Why don't we all act upon our beliefs. If you believe in Hijab, just put it on and leave the others alone. If you believe Hijab is pointless, forget about it. It's okay to share your opinions but you guys are spending too much effort and time on something that won't really make a difference!

Actually what's truly and personally pissing me off is not only the way people think of hijab but the pressure both sides of the debate are putting on the girl wearing it. It's like everybody is waiting for the Hijabbed girl to sin...

Hijab-Supporters are criticizing her actions that are not "suitable for a girl who wears hijab"!
Hijab-Fighters are criticizing her actions that "prove that the hijab she's wearing is pointless"!

In the end, you're always going to hear this sentence from both sides:
"Shoof ya akhy mo7agaba we bet3ml eih!"

It's like the day i decided to cover up i announced to the world that i'm perfect...
Everybody is expecting me to dress in the perfect modest way! (I'm not saying i'm not supposed to dress modestly, that's what the concept of Hijab is all about to most people but it still doesn't give you the right to assume i was intentionally wearing my slightly tight jeans to drag attention). Not only that, but i'm expected to ACT in a certain way as well. Come on! I mean it's a piece of cloth not a halo or a sensor that's supposed to electrify me whenever i'm about to commit a sin!

I'm wearing the hijab for my own personal reasons. Girls have brains, remember? I am able to judge for my own self and make my own decisions. I'm not waiting for you to brainwash me about how i've been brainwashed my whole life! You don't even know what i'm thinking. You don't know what Hijab represents for me and how my life is affected by it.

I'm not giving excuses for myself or for any Hijabi who makes mistakes, I know some silly mistakes are sometimes done which contradict the concept of Hijab but so what? You sometimes pray your daily 5 prayers perfectly and sometimes you're mind is thinking about something else, some other day you miss the duhr Prayer but usually you're doing your best to wake up for Fajr. You see...we are all human beings we are all doing our best. And seriously that's the most important thing of all, that we make sure that WE are doing our best and not Others!

Don't you see that Satan himself is satisfied with this division? Can't you see how weaker and weaker we become each day? How we're being humiliated in front of the whole world!? There's incredible technology in the real world but in our world we're still concerned with the hijabbed girl that smokes shisha.

Let's bring back the Glory of our beautiful faith.
Let's learn to love each other and focus on our similarities and forget about our differences. And direct all our energy to something useful.
I hope i was able to deliver my message correctly...

A Great Stanza From an Arabic Poem

2009-03-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

ولـــدتك أمك يا ابن آدم بـــاكياً

والناس حولك يضحكون سرورا

فاحفظ لنفسك أن تكون إذا بكوا

فى يوم موتك ضاحكاً مسرورا

الأعشى بن قيس

We will not go down (Song for Gaza)

2009-01-15T10:21:00.000-08:00

A great song for Michael Heart. Please watch the video: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlfhoU66s4Y&eurl=http://www.michaelheart.com/Song_for_Gaza.html#)

Or download it FOR FREE from Michael Heart's website (www.michaelheart.com)

Here are the lyrics:

A blinding flash of white light
Lit up the sky over Gaza tonight
People running for cover
Not knowing whether they’re dead or alive

They came with their tanks and their planes
With ravaging fiery flames
And nothing remains
Just a voice rising up in the smoky haze

We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die
We will not go down
In Gaza tonight

Women and children alike
Murdered and massacred night after night
While the so-called leaders of countries afar
Debated on who’s wrong or right

But their powerless words were in vain
And the bombs fell down like acid rain
But through the tears and the blood and the pain
You can still hear that voice through the smoky haze

We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die
We will not go down
In Gaza tonight

We will not go down
In the night, without a fight
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools
But our spirit will never die

We will not go down
In the night, without a fight

We will not go down
In Gaza tonight

Israel For Dummies

2009-01-04T06:47:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, I had my first protest experience in my university (The German University in Cairo). I was informed that a group of people decided to stand together carrying signs and pictures for Gaza and showing the world (other GUCians actually) that they're against what's happening in Gaza. I've been watching the news and i know how our fellow brothers and sisters in Palestine are suffering (as usual) from the inhumane actions of Israel, so i decided to join them. Although, this protest made absolutely no difference but i thought it was such a great thing to do. I mean, people all over the world are protesting. A couple of days ago there was a protest in Toronto where the number of Jews was even greater than the number of Muslims! Actually there was a protest in Israel itself! So it's on the minds of everyone, it is a matter of humanity. The fact that we are all united; Muslims,Christians and Jews really touched me. Can't the world see that religion is not the opium of the masses as claimed by Karl Marx? In fact, it is exactly the opposite; LACK of religion in our hearts is the reason for all this mess we're living in. Terrorism, wars, oppression ...all started when people walked AWAY from religion.

Anyway, after i went home i had so many thoughts in my head concerning the whole Israel-Palestine conflict thing. So i talked to my dad (who's in love with history) and asked him about the beginning of all this suffering, how it all started. And so he started narrating the story of Palestine...of course i will never be able to tell it the way he did (I'll just write it in points) and i might unintentionally drop some important events. So with the help of the internet i decided I should write it anyway to share with you guys and to keep my self reminded.

(1)

Palestine was ruled by the Ottoman Empire from the 1500's up until World War I.

In 1922, Britain got a League of Nations “mandate” to rule Palestine as a colony.

Between 1933 and 1945, the British imperialists, along with the U.S.,
severely restricted Jewish immigration into their own countries in order to push Jews toward Palestine-at a time when Jews in Europe faced the Holocaust.

(2)

In 1936, the Arabs began a major revolt against British policies and ever-increasing Jewish immigration. The revolt ended in 1939, the same year the British released a document known as the White Paper of 1939, which limited Jewish immigration to Palestine to 75,000 over five years - and none thereafter. It also prohibited future land sales to Jews, and promised Palestine independence within 10 years, presumably as an Arab-dominated state.

1937, Peel Commission finds the British promises to both Arabs and Jews irreconcilable, declare it's Mandate unworkable, and recommend partition of Palestine into Arab, Jewish and British sectors. The Peel Commission is a British Royal Commission of Inquiry set out to propose changes to the British Mandate of Palestine following the outbreak of the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine. It was headed by the Earl Peel.

Haganah, Irgun, and the Stern Gang emerge as Jewish terrorist groups. Riots erupt and terror attacks increase from both sides.

(3)

Irgun, led by Menachen Begin, announce in 1944 a war against the Mandate and intention to assassinate all British officials who limit Jewish immigration. Most Israeli leaders then, as now were members or supporters of these Jewish terrorist organizations.

The British, after securing their oil interests in Iraq, and the Suez Canal in Egypt, drop the Palestine issue like a hot potato. In 1947, Britain told the United Nations it was ending the Palestine mandate and handed the problem to the United Nations.

A U.N. commission recommended that Palestine be partitioned into two states, one Arab and one Jewish, with Jerusalem under international control. The United States supported that idea. At that time, the Palestinians outnumbered Zionist settlers two to one and owned 92 percent of the land. But the partition gave Israel 54 percent of the land. The recommendation was endorsed by the U.N. General Assembly on Nov. 29, 1947 as U.N. Resolution 181.

The Arab states and the Arabs of Palestine rejected the U.N. partition, feeling that all the land was theirs. The Jews accepted the plan and on May 14, 1948, led by David Ben-Gurion, declared statehood for Israel. U.S. President Truman recognized Israel immediately, followed shortly after by the Soviet Union.

(4)

In May 1948-after the Palestinians and the Arab countries refused to accept the UN partition-Israel launched a war against Palestinians. Israeli forces massacred 250 villagers in Deir Yassin, including 100 women and children. Israel used this atrocity to spread terror among the Palestinian people, and many fled their homes in panic. By the war's end in January 1949, nearly 800,000 Palestinians-two-thirds of the population-had been driven into exile; Israel had seized 77 percent of the land.To the Arab world, the war was a humiliating defeat, another instance of pan-Arab unity proving unequal to the power of outsiders. It remains a source of bitterness to this day, with the story of how the war drove Palestinians off their lands referred to as al-Nakba, "the disaster."

By the time the 1948 war ended - through a 1949 agreement called the Rhodes Armistice - some 700,000 Palestinians had left their homes, most moving into the area now known as the West Bank and creating the refugee crisis that still exists. At the same time, a similar number of Jewish refugees fled their homes in neighboring areas and other Arab countries because of the turmoil.

Israel increases the size of its territory by 40% possessing approximately 8,000 square miles of Palestine - reducing the Arab lands set up in the 1947 U.N. partition by some 50 percent. Jerusalem was divided, with Arabs on the east side of the armistice line - the Green Line - and the Jews on the west.

Curiously, Israel still refuses to accept any identified boundaries, and, Israel was established as a state for "Jewish People", not as a state for its citizens.

(5)

The 1960s saw a revolutionary upsurge among Palestinians. Palestinian guerrilla organizations launched armed struggle against Israel in 1965, with the aim of creating a democratic, secular (non-religious) state throughout Palestine. In March 1968 Palestinian fighters held off a major Israeli attack at Karameh, Jordan. In 1967 the Israelis launched the “Six Day War” and seized the remaining 23 percent of historic Palestine-the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem-along with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Syria's Golan Heights.

UN Resolution 242 called on Israel to withdraw from all areas seized in the 1967 war. But the Israelis began to build heavily armed settlements in the occupied areas. Since 1967, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have been under harsh military occupation, denied basic rights and unable to develop any viable

(6)

On Oct. 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel. The attack caught Israel off guard. It was Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, and most of Israel was shut down for the holiday.

Six days into the fighting, the U.S. began a massive, $2.2 billion airlift of fighter planes, tanks, helicopters and munitions to Israel. It was worth it, Nixon said, "to maintain a balance of forces and achieve stability in the Middle East."

Eventually, Israel was able to turn back the Syrian and Egyptian armies and even pursue them into their own territories. In the end, Egypt lost about 7,700 soldiers; the Syrians, 3,500.

The battle between the Israelis and the Arabs raised the tensions between the superpowers considerably, and on Oct. 22 the U.S. and Russia moved to halt the hostilities by proposing U.N. Resolution 338, which called for an immediate end to the fighting and the resumption of efforts toward peace under the guidelines set out in Resolution 242. The resolution passed unanimously.

The war left Israel as the Mideast's dominant military power once again, but it also established the Arab states' ability to inflict heavy damage on Israel.

It also inaugurated the tradition of huge U.S. military aid to Israel, which continues to this day - in recent years, about two-thirds of the roughly $3 billion a year in U.S. aid to Israel has gone to the Israeli military.

(7)

At Camp David 1978, the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab state is hammered out.

In return for peace with Egypt, Israel agrees to hand back the Sinai and remove all Jewish settlements there. A highway is to be built between Jordan and Egypt that Israel guarantees "Free and Peaceful Passage". Israeli airbases built in Sinai to be handed over to Egyptian civil authorities.

Notice That: The reluctance of Arab states to take Palestine refugees, and the wish of many Palestinians to keep their identity and status as a dispossessed people, led to the continuation of the refugee camps set up!

(8)

The first Palestinian intifada (uprising/ shaking off) that erupted in the late 1980s deeply shook Israel and the U.S. imperialists.

The tactics were far less violent than those seen in confrontations these days; Palestinians threw stones and Molotov cocktails, and Israelis fired rubber bullets in response. Strikes and boycotts were also used. Palestinians believe the power of the intifada, along with the worldwide attention it generated, pressured Israel to begin negotiating seriously with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) .

In addition to outright bloody suppression, the U.S. and Israel initiated a so-called “Peace Process.” A key part of U.S. strategy has been the “two-state solution”: official Palestinian “recognition” of Israel and end to all resistance, in return for a small state in the West Bank and Gaza. By the late 1980s Yasser Arafat and the PLO had basically agreed to this.

The U.S. and Israel have never intended to allow a truly independent Palestinian state. Under the Oslo “peace process” begun in 1993, Israel transferred about 40 percent of the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority (PA). But this PA territory is only about 10 percent of historic Palestine and consists of small disconnected pieces of land surrounded by areas under Israeli control. The main roads, key water resources, and access to neighboring countries and the sea are all controlled by Israel. And the Oslo agreement made no provisions for the four million Palestinian refugees living outside of Israel, West Bank, and Gaza. During the years of the “peace process” (1993 through 2000), the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank doubled.

The U.S. and Israel dropped this “peace process” and pursued even more unrestrained tactics after the year 2000. Meanwhile Israeli settlements have multiplied, now numbering hundreds, with Israeli troops protecting their land grab and aggression.

(9)

The second intifada began in September 2000 after years of failed peace negotiations and a provocative visit by Ariel Sharon-the man responsible for the 1982 massacre of hundreds at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon- to the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, an area known as the Temple Mount to Jews and as Haram al-Sharif to Arabs.

Continuing to this day, the second intifada is far more violent and bloody than the first, with Palestinians employing suicide bombers and guns.

Since the late 1980s Israel has at times promoted the growth of the Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas as a countervailing force against secular forces and to stoke clashes among Palestinian groups. Hamas, with its reactionary ideology, is in some ways a perfect foil for the U.S. and Israel, who try to portray themselves as modern democracies confronting obscurantist theocracies. (Enlightened people in the West who want to oppose fundamentalist theocracies can start at home: the U.S. has a president who is deeply connected to Christian fascist theocrats.) The U.S. and Israel have used the victory of Hamas in the recent Palestinian elections to justify intensifying brutality against the Palestinian people by further embedding these attacks in the overall rationale of the “war on terror.”

(10)

Israeli brutality against the Palestinian people became even more deadly after Ariel Sharon was installed as Israel's prime minister in 2001.

In 2002 Israel began erecting a fortified barrier-concrete walls, electrified fences, electric sensors, razor wire, trenches, and watchtowers-across more than 400 miles of Palestinian land in the West Bank. This apartheid wall further isolates many Palestinian towns, separates farmers from their fields, and steals more land from the Palestinians.

By early 2003, no agreements have been reached. Israel continues its policy of colonization of occupied territory (in violation of the 4th Geneva Convention) and the confiscation of precious water resources in the West Bank for new Israeli settlements.

In September 2005 Sharon carried out a “disengagement” from the Gaza Strip, dismantling Israeli settlements and military installments-as part of a plan to make Gaza into a big prison for the 1.4 million Palestinians there, while moving to annex more land in the West Bank. Sharon's successor, Ehud Olmert, has continued on this path, announcing a plan for “unilateral withdraw” from the West Bank-which means consolidating Israeli control over the most valuable and strategic territory, while intensifying the siege around the scattered Palestinian enclaves.

Further adding to the misery of the Palestinian people, the U.S. and European powers invoked Hamas' victory in the elections for the Palestinian legislature in early 2006 to cut off or restrict aid to the Palestinian Authority. This economic strangulation is having a traumatic effect on the Palestinian people. More than half of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza now live below the international poverty line of $2 a day. The UN's World Health Organization has warned of a “looming” health crisis, with hospitals and clinics running out of medicine, fuel, and other vital necessities.

-----------------------------

Sources:
(I apologize for i haven't got enough time to paraphrase some paragraphs)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/nation-world/mideast/wars/

http://revcom.us/a/052/palestinefactsheet-en.html

http://unimaps.com/historic-israel-palestine2/index.html

PLEASE CHECK THESE STATISTICS: http://www.ifamericansknew.org/

If you're interested you can also check:

http://revcom.us/a/1226/palesinterview.htm

http://www.palestinehistory.com/history/brief/brief.htm

http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_history.php

http://www.palestineremembered.com/

A Land Called Paradise

2008-12-12T03:34:00.000-08:00

Newborn

2008-11-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

I came to say hello
to the lovely newborn
I'm not here to frighten you
I'm here to welcome you home

like a drop of rain
falling in the ocean
you came to this world
full of purity and devotion

Devoted to learn, live, and love
sincerely worshiping God above
Observing reality and what it's made of
innocently satisfied with less than enough

For the first time in your life
I'm watching you open your eyes
crying out loud to the world
hush little baby hear my advice

For this is your new home
Starting from tonight
you only have one chance
to live this life right

Only three things you need to know
To eternal peace they'll help you flow
three keys for decrypting the code
Hiding the art of enjoying the show

One is Purify your mind
Two is Surrender your soul
Three is listen to your body
integrating them all

Purify your mind from hatred
The soul surrenders to the creator
The body is the indicator
Showing the way to our savior

If one day you lose your track
Just focus and you'll be back
Take a deep breath and relax
You shall recover from the slack

I'm telling you this my friend
to cut it short for you
Experiences, pain and in the end
nothing is really true

In a world full of beauty
All people are depressed
for there's evil inside their hearts
Covering the truth with ugliness

Ink on a piece of paper
is what it's all about
a smile on a pretty face
is what it takes to frown

Memories of what was
dreams of what will be
imprisoning the soul inside
the cage of personality

This will all fade away
nothing but memories will stay
recalling this life as a day
time as we know it will go astray

I'm running out of words
running out of time as well
I pray for the lord to protect you
And the truth shall inside you dwell

I came to say Goodbye
to the lovely newborn
I was not here to frighten you
I was here to welcome you home

------------------------------------

Spot the difference!

2008-11-07T02:05:00.000-08:00

Isn't this...wrong?

Muslims: Think before you talk (part 1)

2008-10-31T05:09:00.000-07:00

Hi my Muslim friends,

Have you heard about a guy called "Mohamed Al-Munajed"?
No?
I haven't heard of him before, I wouldn't really care about whatever he says honestly. He is supposed to be a "Sheikh" in Saudi Arabia but how many Sheikhs are there in this world? How many of them actually know what they're talking about?? only a few. Unfortunately, there are people who actually listen to every Sheikh and every word and i'm not talking about Muslim fans of blablabla sheikhs, i'm talking about the west!! Yes! Apparently, they listen to unknown sheikhs. Those sheikhs start to bluff and say stupid things, next thing you know they're on the news!

What sheikh Munajed said about Mickey Mouse!

What the NEWS said about sheikh Munajed!

What was he thinking??
I know his intention is good and he thought he's saying the right thing and ............but MICKEY MOUSE? TOM AND JERRY? dude, whatever message he was trying to deliver, it's totally pointless!!

It's true that the media keep focusing on such words of such people and making big deals out of them, and totally ignoring the good ones' speeches. And YES, they twist their words sometimes. But..again, it's funny! Those people make the catchy headlines! I can't really blame them! I'm even starting to think that maybe muslim scholars enjoy making fools out of themselves after all... as they keep making the media's job easier.

grrr...So what i want to say here is: PLEASE, I beg you Muslims to think before you talk. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the one we should learn from, and he was well known for his wisdom. He knew when to talk,what to say and how to say it. Do you really think, if the prophet was among us these days with these events and circumstances, he would care about the lawfulness of watching cartoons? that are actually Fiction!? Mickey mouse even walks on his feet, lol.

So please if you have something to say, think of its validity, think of its consequences, think of its importance, and most important of all, make it clear that it's your OWN opinion. And if you'll start talking about mickey mouse and bubblegum then it'd be better if you shut up! for God's sake :)

Think think think BEFORE you talk...

( Just to be fair, In defense, Sheikh Munajed said this ...however, the damage is done and he did mention mickey & tom and jerry as examples...?)

Woman jailed after 'killing' virtual husband

2008-10-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Source : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081023/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_avatar_murder

TOKYO – A 43-year-old player in a virtual game world became so angry about her sudden divorce from her online husband that she logged on with his password and killed his digital persona, police said Thursday.

The woman, who has been jailed on suspicion of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data, used his ID and password to log onto the popular interactive game "Maple Story" to carry out the virtual murder in May, a police official in the northern city of Sapporo said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of department policy.

"I was suddenly divorced, without a word of warning. That made me so angry," the official quoted her as telling investigators and admitting the allegations.

The woman, a piano teacher, had not plotted any revenge in the real world, the official said.

She has not yet been formally charged. If convicted, she could face up to five years in prison or a fine up to $5,000.

Players in "Maple Story" create and manipulate digital images called "avatars" that represent themselves, while engaging in relationships, social activities and fighting monsters and other obstacles.

In virtual worlds, players often abandon their inhibitions, engaging in activity online that they would never do in the real world. For instance, sex with strangers is a common activity.

The woman used login information she got from the 33-year-old office worker when their characters were happily married to kill the character. The man complained to police when he discovered that his online avatar was dead.

The woman was arrested Wednesday and taken 620 miles from her home in southern Miyazaki to be detained in Sapporo, where the man lives, the official said.

The police official said he did not know if she was married in the real world.

Bad online behavior is usually handled within the rules set up by online worlds, which can ban miscreants or take away their virtual possessions.

In recent years, virtual lives have had consequences in the real world.

When bad deeds lead to criminal charges, prosecutors have found a real-world activity to cite — as in this case, in which the woman was charged with inappropriate computer access.

In August, a woman was charged in Delaware with plotting the real-life abduction of a boyfriend she met through the virtual reality Web site "Second Life."

In Tokyo, a 16-year-old boy was charged with stealing the ID and password from a fellow player of an online game in order to swindle virtual currency worth $360,000.

Virtual games are popular in Japan, and "Second Life" has drawn a fair number of Japanese participants. They rank third by nationality among users, after Americans and Brazilians.

By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer

Hmmm...

3am Ibrahim

2008-10-17T05:16:00.000-07:00

20 years ago i was born
and when i first knew a home
you were there

Many years have passed
and i grew up so fast
you were there

We needed help you were around
Love and care is what we found
you always cared

you were not just doing a job
you were building an unbreakable bond
you always cared

I got used to hearing your voice
I got used to seeing your face
you were there

I used to start my day with your shine
Saying "saba7 al kheir" with a smile
you were there

You, your wife and kids
are family to us and always will
you always cared

You were a great husband, a great dad
and what a hard life you had!
you always cared

3am ibrahim you always cared
3am ibrahim you were there
when i was young you were there
when i got older you were there
yesterday morning you were there..
But at night, you were not..
3am ibrahim..
yesterday you were gone.

Today i woke up
Starting a new day
you weren't there

Tomorrow in the morning
while i'm waiting for my bus
you won't be there

3am ibrahim i miss you
3am ibrahim we all miss you
we all cared

May God bless you
May God protect you
And in paradise put you there...

Amen

This is not really a poem..more of spontaneous thoughts.
Yesterday October 16th at about 4 something, 3am ibrahim, the porter of our building, passed away after fighting with sickness. I hope he is safe now. I hope he is feeling better. I hope he is with God in heaven. He is missed already..May God make his family strong...Allah yer7amo.

Muslims in Egypt

2008-08-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

I believe that the hardest thing about writing an article or writing anything in general is how to start it, how to get into the subject and discuss the point you want with a proper introduction. Honestly, I’ve always said that I love writing but I never said I’m good at it…hehe. And I have to admit I actually SUCK AT introducing what I want to talk about. So here is the thing, I’m going to create my own style of writing (which is not approved at all by the professional standards…but…WHO CARES?)…

Subject I want to be talking about today is: Muslims in Egypt. It would be wrong to generalize, but let’s just say what the majority of Muslims in Egypt are like. From my little experience in life, my interaction with the few people I’ve met, and of course our beautiful media; I’ve reached this conclusion:

Muslims in Egypt are classified into FIVE groups.

1-Those who believe that they're better Muslims than the others(GROUP A)

2-Those who believe that they're better Muslims than the others(GROUP B)

3-Those who have the word” Muslim” in their IDs, but they actually don’t care (GROUP C)

4-Those who take advantage of being Muslims! (GROUP D)

5-GROUP E

I don’t really care about group c right now, so they won’t be involved at least in this article. Now what about group A?

GROUP A are those who chose to call themselves “Religious” or the Arabic word which is somehow starting to piss me off “Moltazem”.

Who are those people?

-Those who think that a Man with a beard is usually “moltazem”.

-Those who think that a girl must wear hijab or even niqab or else, she won’t be “moltazemah”.

-Those who usually talk about nothing Islam-related except for the previous two issues.

-Those who consider people who are not “moltazem” in their dictionary bad Muslims and spend too much effort on fighting them with either words or even cruel behaviors.

-Those who believe that the others are “leehom el dunia” and their group are “leehom al akhra”…in other words, those who seek nothing in this life but becoming “moltazem” and meeting his/her “Moltazem” soul mate and raising a “Moltazem” family. Working a little bit harder to succeed in work? No… Spending more time on learning about important issues? Politics Maybe? No… History? No…RELIGION???....No!

(It should be clear I’m only referring to those who have all those characteristics not one of them only)

I think Egyptians know who exactly I am talking about now…

What I should admit first is that, I know from the very bottom of my heart that most of those people are kind people who are unfortunately mislead. They want to do the right thing but without working hard enough to figure it out by themselves. They are emotional to the point that cancels their common sense and even spirituality!

It’s a common thing especially in our amazing government, to find a man with a beard that prays 5 times a day, fasts two days a week and does all the “apparent” acts of a Muslim and at the same time, doesn’t do his work appropriately, accepts bribes, and beats his wife.

So what kind of a Muslim is that? I’m not going to talk about what Islam is… but it’s a religion after all. Everyone knows that being “religious” is being “spiritual”…and being spiritual, regardless the religion, is being balanced, having a pure soul that does not allow doing such sins as taking unearned money or being mean to other people.

So what are they thinking exactly? I have no idea!

You sit with one of them and they treat you as if you need help. As if you need THEIR guidance!

Anyway…enough with GROUP A.

Now, GROUP D!

Those are the dirty ones!

Those are the ones that want to put themselves in GROUP A, but they are actually in GROUP C. Which is much worse because not only don’t they care about religion but they do dirty things (like being prostitutes or something) but in order to hide or avoid being recognized they make sure they APPEAR “Moltazem” Muslims. For example, a woman wearing niqab in the morning and absolutely nothing under it…at night the niqab is taken off…leaving nothing but….nothing.

Unfortunately those people exist and I don’t think words should even be wasted on them.

Now, GROUP B

The problem with this group is that they are raised in environments or went through experiences that somehow made them believe that they are better than other Muslims and that they’re the only educated people in Egypt. They somehow developed a new definition for the word “Open minded” and put themselves and only themselves under its category and everyone else under the “Narrow Minded” category. They have a certain lifestyle that does not go in harmony with the teachings of Islam…AT ALL. Most of them don’t pray and some don’t even fast in Ramadan. They might know a lot about Islam and what it’s about and have knowledge about the history of Islam and some verses from the Quran or the Hadith that they usually use in some occasions to prove a point or so but from the outside they don’t have any appearance of a Muslim as well from the inside. HOWEVER, they always say that that GROUP A are bad Muslims and that they understand nothing about Islam. They keep fighting Hijab and trying to prove that it’s not Islamic and thus should not be done…at the same time, they drink alcohols, physical contact with the other sex is okay with them and other stuff. So are THEY being good Muslims themselves? I mean, I already said what I think of GROUP A and I know they’re not good Muslims but excuse me? Is group b better than group a? I don’t think so. They are just the same, convincing themselves with some stuff that they WANT to believe and calling everyone else an idiot. GROUP B THINK they are being moderate …but they are not being ANYTHING in fact. Or maybe they are just being a pain for GROUP E.

So Who are Group E?

People who are raised in a healthy environment, those who are educated enough to recognize right from wrong, those who seek knowledge and happened to be Muslims!

They also want to be religious but not by following the definition that the society created but by the definition described in the book they actually believe in. In simple words, by knowing what Islam is, and what Muslims should be like!

They don’t think they are better than any other people, they believe we should all seek perfection and we all need guidance from GOD and not from some human being. They are trying their best to understand Islam and practice it without forcing it on others. They tend to say “Allahu A3lam” rather than resorting to the “Faty” method. (faty: when someone yefty…ex. when a non specialist claims he understands more than the specialist or when someone who didn’t read a book disagrees with its 3rd page)

Those are my favorite group, in fact, those are the only REAL Muslims in EGYPT.

Members of GROUP E suffer a lot. GROUP A considers them non-Moltazem and therefore treats them bad. GROUP B doesn’t think they exist and put them together with GROUP A, so they consider them Narrow Minded and Ignorant and therefore treat them bad and GROUP D gives them bad reputation. In a dramatic way, I can say, they don’t really know where to belong….i’m serious by the way!

So here is the thing…

Sometimes there may not be one answer to a question…things could be right for a reason and at the same time wrong for other reasons with proved facts from both sides. So what should be done in this case?

Since people in Egypt are not used to having open minded debates. And Since they like judging other people so much (maybe it makes them feel better about themselves). Therefore I say we start putting religion aside for a while because we abuse it! we don’t have to agree over everything. I’m not even going to say everyone should just try to be perfect in what he believes in before starting to judge others I’m going to say and leave the others alone anyway.

Let’s enjoy the freedom of choice that Allah gave us and let others enjoy it as well.

Anyway…the hardest thing about an article is having it started but it’s not so easy to end it as well.

So…bye!

FITNA?? (Part 2)

2008-05-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Fitna is a movie that spreads hatred to towards us Muslims. That's unfair because not all of us are terrorists, not all of us are extremists...Simply, because not all of us misunderstand Islam.

My friends and i have responded to Fitna with two videos

part1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxkRTiaz46w

part2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYzCVrLLrFc

Please watch them.

I support freedom of speech and open minded discussions.

I'm against terrorists who kill in the name if Islam.
I'm against armies who kill in the name of peace!

Terrorism is not when a citizen KILLS, terrorism is when a citizen is KILLED.

Have a great day!
Peace,Salam,Shalom :)

FITNA?? (Part 1)

2008-04-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA97Kx0hfZ8

Geert Wilders made a movie called "Fitna" taking advantnage of the ignorance of his audience. Pressing on their emotions in order to prevent them from using their BRAINS!
Each and every verse (Aya) that he selected from the Quran was followed by verses in the same chapter (Sura) that explained it. But he preferred to use pictures of 9/11 to give them wrong interpretation. I believe objective people wont fall for this, the Quran speaks for itself...

You shouldn't be easily spoon fed by this man with wrong information. Seek the truth not what SEEMS to be like it. open your eyes, your hearts and your brains. Never use only one of them to drive your judgment.

Be Fair and use Logic!

The above Video is our response to Wilders, the same verses he used ONLY without manipulation, wrong translation, and incomplete quoting.

She Thought

2008-04-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

She thought she had this life

She thought she understood

She thought she got it all

She got it all wrong

She thought she made her mind

She thought that she could

She thought she'd never fall

She badly hit the ground

She thought it was the time

When things are finally fair

She thought there could be more

She lost all what was there

She thought they knew she's right

She thought at least they cared

And when she lost control

Nobody was around her

She thought that you were true

She thought this time it's real

She thought she had a clue

Now, there is too much to heal

Too much to heal…

What A Wonderful World?

2008-04-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

These are some stuff people in the west don't usually see...or even hear about.

I took these shots from the videoclip of the song "Al dameer Al arabi" = (The Arab conscience) ... which are taken mostly during the wars of Israel on Lebanon and Palestine. And that of the USA on IRAQ.

After watching the original video clip, i just became speechless. I mean, there is REAL serious misery out there.Yeah it's not news and it's well known since like forever...but why do we get so angry when we see those pics and then we start forgetting about those people gradually until they're completely erased from our memory. This could happen to us, or at least someone we know...i believe this IS happening to us already. We shouldn't really act as if nothing is going on...

This very much reminds me of this line in Cranberries' "zombie" Song :
When the Violence causes Silence, we MUST BE MISTAKEN....

I feel disturbed right now and i'm not able to sleep i can't imagine how those who actually HURT little kids can sleep and live their life normally....

"7asbona Allah wa ne3ma al Wakeel"

And they wonder why most Arabs are angry all the time!!
i myself used to feel annoyed when i see Arabs shouting and throwing words of hatred. But now i understand...now i know what they're seeing, feeling and living!

I do not hate USA or Israel ...i hate killers, heartless people...even if they're Arabs like me!

I just hope we can realize that we're all humans. We have feelings, we have lives, and we have rights....we have the right to live in peace. All of us...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_knqqbmp9A

The Moon Show

2008-03-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in one of my favorite places in this world, right in front of the sea, at night, with the reflection of the moonlight on the waves.

It was so quiet at first, but now the waves are getting stronger…the sound of their collision with the earth keeps getting louder.

It somehow scares me, but now I'm playing some music on my laptop to distract me from hearing them.

I'm listening to Beethoven's moonlight sonata. It's beautiful but even more beautiful with this scene.

I'm looking at the moon. It's wonderful…now I'm lying on the grass in front of the beach house, gazing at the sky…it's so cloudy and there is a refreshing breeze moving the clouds in a beautiful harmonic way that goes with the rhythm of the classical music I'm listening to. There is another layer of clouds, going in the opposite direction…they're closer and so the clouds seem bigger. Both layers are moving with the same speed and harmony towards the moon. Together with the music and the sound of the waves, it's like watching a ballet show where the clouds are the dancers, the stars are the background, and the waves are the music…all are celebrating the full moon ,the star of this show.

I'm ruining this amazing art of nature by the man made music I'm listening to but it’s the only thing linking me to reality…to this world. If I let myself to nature, I would go too deep in meditation. I would get carried away…with my body on the same grass in front of the house but my soul in another place …above the clouds, closer to the stars, embraced by the sea waves and the moonlight. It would feel so good that when I return to this reality….I would be let down…disappointed in how evil is in control, how ugliness is covering this natural beauty, and how humans waste their time on materials depriving themselves of such magical moments.

I'm watching the moon, admiring its beauty and how mysterious it is. We always see the lighted side of the moon, the side from which it appears to be cheerful, beautiful and bright. But this isn't the moon…it's just one side of it. A side that is not even lightened but only reflecting that light coming from the sun. The other side is that which we don’t know about. The dark side, the unknown…is it as happy as it seems from this side?

The show has come to its final scene. The clouds are slowly moving away from the moon. Now, it's time to have a clearer view of it, studying its beauty, trying to understand it. It's amazing how the moon is the only thing that can be seen by everybody everywhere.

All types of people, all kinds of animals, all kinds of creatures… when they look at the sky at night…they see the moon.

Thousands of years ago, the moon existed. People used to look at it and write poems about it. They saw it as a symbol of beauty just like we do now. The same moon with its same attractiveness. All those people we know from history saw the moon. The good ones as well as the bad ones. Maybe it meant something for some, nothing for others, but they still saw it.

The very first humans on earth saw the moon. Adam saw the moon, eve saw the moon. I wonder if they used to gaze at it as I'm doing right now. The pharaohs saw the moon, the Romans saw the moon. I wonder if it gave them this relaxing feeling I have right now.

Newton saw the moon, Beethoven saw the moon. I wonder if it inspired them the way it's inspiring me right now. Salah Al Deen saw the moon, Abraham Lincoln saw the moon. I wonder if it helped them strengthen their beliefs…. I wonder if it gave them hope and peace

It's astonishing how all beings since the beginning of this world saw the moon. Something that unites us all…I wonder if each gave himself the chance to examine its beauty and think about its mysterious side.

Another show has started; clouds with a different pattern are covering the moon again. I'm listening to Beethoven's moonlight sonata but being played with a guitar this time. As I was taking a deep breath, I noticed the orange hallow around the moon. It looks really nice… just like when the solo dancer on stage has a ray of light directed at her to have all the focus.

Wow… I'm feeling really good right now…I don't even know what I am typing or how I ended up typing things in the first place…. My hands are so cold now I'm starting to lose control over my fingers… I'll stop typing whatever it is I'm writing… I'll now just listen to the music and enjoy the rest of the show…good night…

November 24 007

Muslims and Boycotting

2008-03-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

So, they did it again. And who said they stopped in the first place?

Drawing cartoons of the great Muhammad (peace be upon him).

And it's not only drawings… long articles of insults as well and it's not only magazines… It's online websites, lots of them!

It's really annoying, and it hurts us so much. We should do something about it. We should boycott their products until they say "sorry". We should curse their countries until they apologize. We should make them pay for what they caused from pain and anger in our world. Yeah!!! That's it!!! That's the right thing to do!!

But …wait a minute. Why am I having a feeling that IF this even happened, we would feel that we got "OUR" dignity back? Why does it seem like a psychological more than a religious and responsible action? I mean… how would this solve the problem?

The apology won't help in anything!! I'm NOT waiting for an apology from those people. And I don't think that Prophet Muhammad would care about a "Sorry" from them. I think he would care more about a more effective religion based action. In stead of just being angry and concentrate all our effort on showing it!

Don't forget that he said:

“Powerful is not he who knocks the other down, indeed powerful is he who controls himself in a fit of anger.”

Peace and blessings be upon him.

But should we watch them make fun of our beliefs and just do nothing?

Let me start by asking… would a couple of human beings offend the great messenger of God, Muhammad with some stupid meaningless words or drawings?

The Answer is a definite NO.

The greatness of Muhammad cannot be affected by anyone.

Who are they? Who are WE to even dare compare ourselves and our dignity with the dignity of Muhammad?

Now, Should WE feel offended?

Well, Muhammad (pbuh) means so much to me. He is the greatest man in all times. He is the best and the only example to follow. He's been through a lot just to make sure he delivered his message correctly. By their pointless words and drawings, that does not even come close to offending his greatness. But it hurts our feelings as Muslims because they're accusing him of things he did not do. They judge him according to false claims and not true facts.

They show disrespect, without even getting to know him.

So yeah it hurts our feelings and makes us angry, yet they keep doing it. I think that means that what they're doing is "offensive".

So we should do something, shouldn’t we?

First of all what is exactly the problem?

The problem is that a couple of journalists drew and/or wrote disrespectful things about the great man, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

What are the suggested solutions?

Everyone thinks that boycotting their products, is the answer; now let's analyze what happens when we boycott their products.

1) Who will be affected?

a) Business men and the owners of the companies.

b) Arab (or non Arab) employees who work at these companies.

2) How would this solve the problem?

-hmmm…. I don't know?

By doing this, we are punishing people who were not involved in this mistake. They might even be against it!! Some of them might even be Muslims or non-Muslims who respect Muhammad.

How would this make the journalists learn a lesson??

Let's say, somehow, the effect was as great as affecting the whole economy of the country. Let's say, somehow, the journalists "noticed" that we were seriously angry, and decided to apologize. Again, would that make them LEARN anything?

Would that solve the problem? I don’t think so.

Those people don't even know WHY we're angry.

Those people make fun of Jesus (pbuh), the one whom most of them consider God, or the son of God. So how would they understand how much we respect Muhammad whom we consider a prophet?

In fact, their jokes about Jesus makes a Muslim feel offended as well! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, if we just showed them how angry we are, they would think that WE are weird. And that won't make a difference.

And I don't think that's what Muhammad would want us to do.

So what we should do is, talk to them. Explain to them WHY we feel offended. Tell them about Prophet Muhammad, his teachings and how great he is. Talk to them about his words and actions of wisdom. So that they may get to know him better and understand why we respect him and why we think it's offensive and wrong of them to do these things. (In fact, I believe most Muslims forgot why he means so much to us in the first place, we ourselves should go learn from HIM and follow HIS footsteps not ignorant people's teachings…but well… that's off topic.)

I know you may say, that wasn't their first time, but come on.

This will NEVER stop!

How would this make any sense if every time someone offends us we get angry and try to punish them until they say sorry?

And I'm telling you, it's not only them.

Our actions should be more wise, effective and of value.

Islam doesn’t need us to "punish" people for their misconceptions.

Our responsibility is to correct these misconceptions, not do things that would create more of them!

The greatness of Islam stands for itself!

I'm not boycotting any products, and I don’t hate Danish people.

I like them and I don't blame those who don’t know much about us.

Assalamu Alaikom :)

When...

2008-02-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

when you want to speak

But there are no words

When you have the words
But they don't come out

When you speak the words
But no one hears a sound

When you scream so loud
But in the middle of the crowd

When no one can hear you
or notice you around

When you see a lot of faces
Go to all the places
But nothing seems familiar
Nowhere feels like home

When you decide to let go
When you sit alone in a corner
Get a piece of paper
And write down these thoughts…

Then...Dude, you’re sick!

R.I.P Ahmed Ashraf

2008-01-15T04:08:00.000-08:00

Douaa (a prayer) to our friend Ahmed Ashraf (GUC, Engineering 3rd semester) who passed away in a car accident on the 8th of January 2008.

His sudden death made me learn a lot of things and see things from a different perspective...

اللهم اغفر لحيينا وميتنا وشاهدنا وغائبنا كبيرنا وصغيرنا

- اللهم من احييته منا فاحييه على الإسلام . ومن توفيته منا فتوفاه على الإيمان . اللهم ارحم ( أحمدأشرف) رحمة واسعة وتغمده برحمتك

- اللهم ارحمه فوق الارض وتحت الارض ويوم العرض عليك . اللهم قه عذابك يوم تبعث عبادك .

- اللهم انزل نورا من نورك عليه

- اللهم نور له قبره ووسع مدخله وآنس وحشته

- اللهم ارحم غربته وارحم شيبته

- اللهم اجعل قبره روضة من رياض الجنة . لا حفرة من حفر النار

- اللهم أغفر له وارحمه واعف عنه واكرم نزله

- اللهم ابدله دارا خيرا من داره . واهلا خيرا من اهله . وذرية خيرا من ذريته وزوجا خيرا من زوجه وادخله الجنة بغير حساب . برحمتك يا ارحم الراحمين

- اللهم انقله من ضيق اللحود ومن مراتع الدود الى جناتك جنات الخلود لا اله الا انت يا حنان يا منان يا بديع السموات والارض تغمد (أحمدأشرف) برحمتك يا ارحم الراحمين

- اللهم ان كان ( أحمدأشرف ) غير اهلا لوصول رحمتك فرحمتك اهلا لان تسعه

- اللهم اطعمه من الجنة واسقه من الجنة واره مكانه من الجنة وقل له أدخل من أي باب تشاء

- اللهم ان ( أحمدأشرف ) في ذمتك وحبل جوارك فقه من فتنة القبر وعذاب النار وانت اهل الوفاء والحق فاغفر له وارحمه انك انت الغفور الرحيم

- اللهم ان ( أحمدأشرف ) عبدك ابن عبدك يحتاج الى رحمتك وانت غني عن عذابه فارحمه

- اللهم وارزقه لذة النظر الى وجهك والشوق الى لقاءك

- اللهم ارجع نفسه اليك راضية مرضيه وادخله في جنتك مع عبادك الصالحين

- اللهم انت غني ونحن الفقراء فانت غني ونحن الفقراء فانت غني من عذابه فارحمه

- اللهم ان كان ( أحمدأشرف ) من المحسنين فزد في حسناته وان كان من المسيئين فتجاوز عن سيئاته

- اللهم اجعل ذريته سترا بينه وبين نار جهنم

- اللهم اجعل ذريته ذرية صالحة تدعوا له بخير الى يوم الدين

- اللهم ادخله جنتك وكرمك جنات النعيم

- اللهم اني اسالك الفردوس الاعلى نزلا له

- اللهم وابني له بيتا في الجنة واجعل بملتقانا هناك

- اللهم واسقه من حوض نبيك محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم شربة هنيئة مريئة لا يظمأ بعدها ابدا

- اللهم واظله تحت عرشك يوم لا ظل الا ظلك ولا باقي الا وجهك . اللهم بيض وجهه يوم تبيض الوجوه وتسود وجوه اللهم يمن كتابه . اللهم وثبت قدمه يوم تزل فيها الاقدام . اللهم اكتبه عندك من الصالحين والصديقين والشهداء والاخيار والابرار . اللهم اكتبه عندك من الصابرين وجازه جزاء الصابرين .

- اللهم اني اسالك في هذه الساعة ان كان ( أحمدأشرف ) في سرور فزد في سروره ومن نعيمك عليه . وان كان ( أحمدأشرف ) في عذاب فنجه من عذابك وانت الغني الحميد برحمتك يا ارحم الراحمين

- اللهم تقبل منه القليل وتجاوز عنه التقصير

- اللهم اجعل مرضه كفارة لجميع ذنوبه . واجعل آخر عذابه عذاب الدنيا

- اللهم اني اسالك باسمائك الحسنى وصفاتك العليا وباسمك الطاهر الاعظم ان تتقبل منا دعاءنا بقبول حسن وان تجعله خالصا لوجهك الكريم

- اللهم ثبته بالقول الثابت وارفع درجته واغفر خطيئته وثقل موازينه

- اللهم حاسبه حسابا يسيرا يامن هو ارحم من عباده بانفسهم ومن الام بولدها

- اللهم ان ( أحمدأشرف ) في كفالتك وفي ضيافتك فهل جزاء الضيف الا الاكرام والاحسان وانت اهل الجود والكرم

- اللهم ان ( أحمدأشرف ) في حاجة الى رحمتك وانت الغني في غنى من عذابه فارحمه

- اللهم حرم لحمه ودمه وبشرته عن النار

- اللهم استقبله عندك خال من الذنوب والخطايا واستقبله بمحض ارادتك وعفوك وانت راض عنه غير غضبان عليه

- اللهم افتح له ابواب جنتك وابواب رحمتك اجمعين

- اللهم اني اسالك يا حنان يا منان يا بديع السموات والارض يا ذا الجلال والاكرام

- اللهم اجعل ( لأحمدأشرف ) من الذين اذا احسنوا استبشروا

- اللهم اني اسالك يا ارحم الراحمين ان يكون ( لأحمدأشرف ) ممن بشر عند لموت بروح وريحان ورب راض غير غضبان

- اللهم يا باسط اليدين بالعطايا يا قريب يا مجيب دعوة الداع اذا دعاه يا حنان يا منان يا رب يا ارحم الراحمين يا بديع السموات والارض يا احد يا صمد اعطي ( لأحمدأشرف) من خير ما اعطيت به نبيك محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم عطاء ماله من نفاد من مالك خزائن السموات والارض . عطاء عظيما من رب غظيم . عطاء ماله من نفاد عطاء انت له اهل عطاء يليق بجلال وجهك وعظيم سلطانك

- اللهم اغفر ( لأحمدأشرف) وارحمه عدد من قالها ويقولها القائلون من اول الدهر الى آخره عدد من احصاه كتاب الله واحاط به علمه واضعاف ذلك اضعاف مضاعفه وكل ضعف يتضاعف من ذلك مضاعفة ابد الابد ومنتهى العدد بلا أمد لا يحيط به الا علمه

Emma's Random Thoughts

Ayah of The Day 1 >> Quran 2:164

My Ramadan's "Ayah of the day"s

Ayah of the day 24:"Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]." Quran 30:41

Ayah of the day 23:"And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought." Quran 30:21

Ayah of the day 22:"O ye who believe! enter not houses other than your own, until ye have asked permission and saluted those in them: that is best for you, in order that ye may heed (what is seemly)." Quran 24:27

Ayah of the day 21:"Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which you used to differ." Quran 22:69

Ayah of the day 20:"And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to the other direction]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss." Quran 22:11

Ayah of the day 19:"And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds." Quran 21:107

Ayah of the day 18:"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided." Quran 16:125

Ayah of the day 17:"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)." Quran 15:9

Ayah of the day 16:

Ayah of the day 13:"And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a clear register." Quran 11:6

Ayah of the day 12:Say: "See ye what things Allah hath sent down to you for sustenance? Yet ye hold forbidden some things thereof and (some things) lawful." Say: "Hath Allah indeed permitted you, or do ye invent (things) to attribute to Allah." Quran 10:59

Ayah of the day 11:"O mankind! there hath come to you a direction from your Lord and a healing for the (diseases) in your hearts,- and for those who believe, a guidance and a Mercy." Quran 4:57

Ayah of the day 10:"Say: "Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our protector": and on Allah let the Believers put their trust." Quran 9:51

Ayah of the day 9:"But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah: for He is One that heareth and knoweth (all things)." Quran 8:61

Ayah of the day 8:"Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds:" Quran 6:162

Ayah of the day 7:Say, "Not equal are the evil and the good, although the abundance of evil might impress you." So fear Allah, O you of understanding, that you may be successful." Quran 5:100

Ayah of the day 5:"O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do." Quran 5:8

Ayah of the day 3:"You shall never attain righteousness unless you spend from what you love. Whatsoever you spend, Allah is fully aware of it."Quran 3:92

Ayah of the day 2:

"When My servants ask you about Me, then (tell them that) I am near. I respond to the call of one when he prays to Me; so they should respond to Me, and have faith in Me, so that they may be on the right path" Quran 2:186

Ayah of the day 1:

My next post isA will be the beginning of a series of posts in which I give focus on each of the above ayahs to express my thoughts. I am doing this in efforts to share the beautiful taste of disconnecting from life and purely meditating on the words of the One who knows best.