This American Muslim

Beginings Start with Endings

2011-07-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

Dear followers and friends and random curious folk stumbling onto my blog, I regret to inform you that this endeavor is coming to a close. This American Muslim was a blog that started as a means of staying in touch with friends, continuing an open dialogue of self development and also a means of carving out a place for myself amongst the billions of people out there on this planet. It has been an immensely enriching educational experience, one that has been filled with all sorts of emotions and all sorts of unexpected surprises.

I have won awards and recognitions for this blog that were not expected. I have gotten attention that was certainly surprising. I have been made out to be something that I was not and gotten way to much credit for things I had certainly nothing to do with.

The blog will continue to stay online for perpetuity. Even the things I don't feel strongly for, it will all remain as a testament that I have the capacity to grow, develop, mature, learn and see things differently.

When I started this blog I was very much focused on a world that was monochromatic. I fear that I was very much partisan and liberal in my views. Some of my friends suggest that it was my immaturity, but I respond that it was also the visceral response to a social paradigm shift- a attitude born of the post-9/11 culture I was coming of age in. September 11th will forever define my generation and shape our future, in ways we can't even imagine today, but after 10 years September 11 has come to signify my own journey.

I went from being non-religious to being a person of strong conviction and faith. In my faith I gave up all those things that I associated as keeping me from focusing on my faith- music, movies, reading fiction, drinking coke and other things, partying and clubbing. In the starkness of faith I discovered how life is not any simpler, that complexity is surrounding us forever. In that complexity I found that faith was not meant to provide answers, rather faith was a means to cope with the complexity and help us as individuals and society deconstruct, interpret and benefit from those complexities. That realization has been enlightening, as it has helped me find my happy medium between faith and life's complexities.

I think I may have utterly failed in chronicling this personal journey. In fact, in many ways, this blog represents a large failure in coherency, as it has ping ponged between all sorts of subject matter. But then again, that is me, utterly in bliss when I am going from one thing to another, its the clinical ADHD in me.

Fear not, for in every end there is a beginning, and in the conclusion of THIS blog I am happy to report that I will continue to blog at www.affadshaikh.com where I will continue to carry on the "This American Muslim" title, however, with the help of some reflection and time there will be more focus on the subject matter. I ask that you continue to keep your curiosity and link into the above address.

Thank you. Thank you, and most sincerely thank you for having an interest in my life and thoughts.

Social Justice Has No Place for Discrimination

2011-05-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

“You just won’t fit in” she told me over the phone, and I sat back listening to her as she continued to say “So I asked what she meant by ‘won’t fit in’- I spoke Punjabi, I understood South Asian culture, I was a proud Punjabi- so she told me ‘we deal with Sikhs, Hindus, and well your scarf makes you stand out, people won’t feel comfortable with you.”

So ended, a brilliant interview, for an opportunity of a life time for a dear friend of mine, who I will call Fatima. Fatima is a striving doctor you see, attended UCSD and didn’t just become a dear friend of mine, but I was also friends with her family- brothers, sister, even got to know her parents really well when one of her brothers invited me to spend the night while I was visiting.

Those in between life moments gave Fatima time to devote herself to a non-profit working on health care issues for the South Asian community. Fatima’s only deficiency, as pointed out by her interviewer, was that she wore the headscarf- the hijab- the garment worn by Muslim women. Fatima made a difficult but conscience decision to wear the hijab because of her sincerely held religious belief that the hijab was a practice that she wanted.

Non-profits, are by extension, corporate entities created to foster community, address social needs and provide values that better society. This particular non-profit worked in an area where there was not only a dire need but also a significant challenge to bring information to the people who most needed it. Yet they conscientiously choose to not only discriminate against a religious practice but also to further reinforce the damaging stereotypes that have lead to religious intolerance and wars in South Asia.

While I chastise this particular non-profit, I admit, it’s not the only one. Sarah, another client of mine, who is Pakistani American, born and breed in the United States, was pursuing her career as an event planner working within the non-profit world. She doesn’t wear the headscarf and for the most part didn’t define herself within the narrow “Muslim” definition. When applying for this particular job in Los Angeles, she found herself qualified and hired just through phone interviews with the hiring supervisor. Sara said “he asked me to come in, go through the formality of the interview, it was only meant to be an opportunity to ‘get to know each other better’”

Well they definitely got to ‘know each other better’- he turned out to be a closeted bigot and racist, and Sarah, sadly she became unqualified for the position after she refused to answer questions about her “thoughts on terrorism” and “whether she had any family members in Pakistan who were with the Taliban”. The EEOC also found that this particular non-profit and “employee” were discriminatory toward Sarah. I know this, because after this took place, Sarah came to my office and shared the incident with me, I told her to file a complaint with the EEOC, but also told her to see an attorney. The attorney advised the same, but asked that she pursue monetary compensation.

Sarah wasn’t interested in that, she was distraught and disturbed that an opportunity to her professional career was destroyed because of the discriminatory behavior of an employee, and that a organization that worked in the non-profit arena would have such a toxic environment. She asked the EEOC that proper training be provided and that policies be put into place to ensure this didn’t happen to others- the EEOC agreed and pursued that during the mediation.

Those were just two cases over the past year that I had the opportunity to work on, but I have heard numerous stories. Most recently while I was in Sacramento for the API Policy Summit I met a young South Asian woman, also a strong Punjabi- Aisha- that related similar story. She shared her experiences during a workshop I helped SALDEF put together.

“I like football, why the hell would I like cricket?” Aisha told me at The Cafeteria, at the after-party mixer. “This white, middle aged man, goes around constantly pointing out that I am ‘Muslim’ and that as a ‘Pakistani’ I should ‘fit this mold’ or ‘fit that stereotype’” she goes on “all I said was that I like football, and he went off on how all Pakistani’s like cricket, how would I know how to play football” That was one incident leading on to numerous others where, according to Sarah, this coworker “constantly worked to create an environment where I feel marginalized, where all I am is this ‘Pakistani foreigner’’ even after she made it clear that she’s more than just another “Pakistani, I am an American.”

But what got me was when she responded to my question about “have you talked to co-workers, asked them to say something, or talk to your boss?” Aisha’s response was that at this particular non-profit her colleagues felt she was being “too sensitive” and making a “thing out of it.”

Aisha, like Sarah, doesn’t wear her religion on her sleeve. She defines herself simply as a proud American. But in all three cases, the non-profit environment is toxic toward people who are associated with Islam and Muslims. I feel that even in Muslim non-profits there is the pressure to fit a “certain type of Muslim”. All of this disturbs me to no end.

The so called “progressives” and “liberals” and “leftist” “Democratic party” sort are no better then, if not worse then, the right-wing isolationist’s tea-party sort. At least with that particular anti-immigrant, you-aint-American variety, you know precisely who you are dealing with. But the people who fight on behalf of the oppressed, the voiceless, the minority- we allow this culture to pervert our very own causes.

To all the the Aisha’s, Sarah’s and Fatima’s out there, I say this, you have to stand up and say no to this behavior. Call it out and take’em to the EEOC. We cannot work on social justice issues if those very Institutions are bastions of discriminatory practices. We need to regulate and if these institutions can't recognize the toxic environment they have, then there must be a reckoning with the Federal Laws on employment.

Relative Identity and Duality of Existence

2011-05-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

10 Years On, Class of 2001- Still Asking “Who’s the American?”

I visited Pakistan after ten or eleven years of being in America. My next visit didn’t come until some fifteen years later. During my first and second visit the common question amongst my extensive extended family was “who’s the American?”

See my first visit I surprised everyone with my ability to speak and understand Urdu as well as my intimacy toward “Pakistani culture”- so the sarcasm in the question “who’s the American?” was evident. But during my second visit to Pakistan the reality of the gulf of distance that existed between the culture of Pakistan and what I was normalized with in the US was so apparent that people asked sincerely “who’s the American?” (as they pointed at me as if I didn’t understand Urdu).

I pride myself in the respect I have toward my parent’s culture and to a large degree mine. But while my parents cultivated this general sense of affinity toward Pakistani culture, they encouraged my “American culture” in controlled doses. They encouraged me to be active, to be political, to think and ask questions, they were quick to make me understand that while appearances mattered, education was critical. My parents valued American ideals but also feared social norms they found to be disturbing and unhealthy- disrespect of elders, from an early age they limited fast food consumption, didn’t watch “R” rated movies, had “controlled play times”, were given supervision all the way up into our adult lives to the point where I worry that my mom is worrying about me if I don’t check in with her, sleeping over at anyone’s house was an extraordinary treat (as long as they were Pakistani, Muslim, lived within five miles of us), encouraged to volunteer and be altruistic all around toward all people.

But this “mixing of cultures” was inadvertently creating a sense of openness to all the “others” out there. Even now when I tell my mom “oh, I am trying x food” my Mom will give me some disapproving comment. Somehow I have become too adventurous for my parents own taste. But I relish in the idea of getting to learn about the “other”.

It took me some twenty years to get to a level of comfortably with myself, with the “other” and with being open to “uncomfortable” situations. Part of this process had to do with understanding myself, respecting myself, being open to listen to others, but first learning to listen, accepting that there was “not one single narrative” and that what “others” disagreed with, might just be something I have to live with.

To get to this stage I had to first find in myself a sense of respect- so when I was young I did so by telling elaborate stories of my ancestry, the foreign land from “whence I came”. It was a means of gaining approval from those around me who “didn’t know me”. But it was as much about gaining their approval as it was gaining my own approval for where I was from. So it’s no wonder that my first visit I was so much so Pakistani. I could easily sink into that pillow of computability because that was what I knew best.

In going to high school and being accepted just as Affad Shaikh, a new problem arose, being happy with the Affad Shaikh. See it’s a funny thing, for immigrant children and/or families there is a sense of cultural ghettoization that seeks out the people who most relate to your experiences, but at the same time you reject and hate the very things that make you different, or keeps you from giving you the things you most want- acceptance, freedom, individuality, control. What happens is that people like me live in a dual existence- behave and act a certain way at school and differently when at home or with “your people”. This existence is not easy to maintain, sadly, some people choose one or the other, others, like me, have a really hard time accepting both because social pressures and the culture around you suggests that there is only one acceptable choice- you can't have both.

I wasn’t happy with the dual existence, but at the same time I didn’t know how to be happy with myself and not hurt my parents who raised me with certain values found in their cultural experiences or vice versa. The harshness of the choice became more apparent when I went to college and found myself in a post-9/11 world where “you were with us or against us”.

I reflect back and understand that my parents only wanted me to achieve, be happy and live a dignified life. But as a college student the reality of disappointing my parents or not living true to myself was much more acidic then what it seems like now. But it wasn’t just my parents, at that point, there was enough rejection of me for who I was perceived to be, that it was also the “the community of rejects” that I felt I would let down. So in finding that narrative that saw me as part of the vibrant America that existed required finding those “untold” stories, the parallel experiences in history, and identifying the overarching values that were shared in my experience and American history.

In my second visit I was an outsider to Pakistan, a mere visitor. I had found myself far from the culture and its reality because so much of what I understood through my experiences as an adult was distinctly American. Poverty, illiteracy, social taboos, drives toward economic success- all these things are shared human experiences- but the reality of those experiences lies in one’s perspective. Like have you ever wondered where blood comes from at a hospital.
Here in the US we have blood banks and the various non-profits that collect and stock blood, which makes it easier for you or me or a family member to have that life saving supply when God forbid we have need for it. In countries like Pakistan, families give blood or have to go find blood through various private hospitals, they actually also purchase that blood- getting sick in Pakistan is a sure road toward poverty, and your level of wealth determines the level of medical treatment you get. There are so many things we take for granted in America that really only come to light when people travel abroad.

See in Pakistan identity isn’t a nationalistic concept- here you are AMERICAN, no matter which “region” of America you are from. “Where you are from?” is really a response to those who aren’t Caucasian, but in places like Pakistan, you’re ethnicity (and most notably your language) is what defines your identity. Also, in America, you can be an atheist or Jewish or Hindu or Buddhist or Sikh or Quaker- but it’s hard to imagine Pakistani Jewry (though there was a very vibrant Jewish community in Karachi).

Being American is not a hard thing. We live in a society where its accepting of people no matter their religion, class, gender, sexuality, race or nationality. Yet when I asked a group of 7th to 10th grade Muslim girls in a workshop about “how they see themselves”- not a single one of them suggested “American”- maybe it was obvious, so didn’t need mentioning? The vast majority of these girls were born in the United States and existed in a post-9/11 world, where the idea of “ghettoization” in the Muslim community was being abandoned. Where leaders rushed to engage the community, get them civically involved, to present an identity that showed the compatibility of being “Muslim” and “American”.

Yet when I finally told the group of girls that I identified myself as being an “American Muslim” they gave me this distraught look, some asked “why?” others just looked away. There was a bit of unease and tension in the room for a split few seconds, and I had to point to their list of “positive things they saw in themselves” such as honesty, loyalty, modesty, integrity, love, affection, pride- and ask “are these things exclusive to Islam and Muslims? Or can the broader American public have these qualities? Can we be American and Muslim and be all these great qualities to?”

The Discomforting Reality of Identity

2011-05-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

10 Years On, Class of 2001- Still Asking "Where are you from?"

When I was young I was asked by adults and peers (constantly) alike- “where are you from?” See, saying “Palmdale” or “I am American” wasn’t sufficient, what was really being asked was “WHAT ARE YOU (racially, nationality wise, because you aren’t white)?” Being young, I just assumed that because people wanted to know “where I was from” I must not be from America, I must not be American. So I was Pakistani. But then my parents took me aside and showed me this document, it was my naturalization certificate- they were really proud and my dad grinned and said “its official, your Amreekan now.”

I wanted to respond and say “no, no, it’s fun being Pakistani”- and it was, because all of a sudden people started asking me all these “other questions” like “when you grow up are you going to have an arranged marriage?” or “does your dad work at 7/11?” and “do you eat monkey’s?”

Well the last question was not so interesting. All these questions left me an opportunity to use my imagination and create stories of who I was and where I was from. In this situation I could be whoever I wanted, as long as it was “American”. It was brilliant for making boring assemblies go by faster. In telling these stories, I could easily separate “me” from “them” and place myself in a world where things were the “norm” and they were the “other”.

But subconsciously the concept of “otherness” began to grow, because in other ways I was different, wasn’t part of the “norm”. Activities around Christmas time I would wonder aloud, I am not “American” (because part of being American in my head was also being a “Christian”) so why should I do these things. While “I” didn’t eat “monkey”, I definitely didn’t eat pork, so the staple food of a boy under thirteen- hot dogs and pepperoni pizza- still created this sense of otherness that required uneasy discussions about Muslims not eating pork.

Back then “habib” or “hajdhi”, “camel jockey” or “sand n!Back then “habib” or “hajdhi”, “camel jockey” or “sand n!$&#” were common slurs thrown my way, but I was smart, got good grades, didn’t stick my nose where it didn’t belong and played by the rules.” were common slurs thrown my way, but I was smart, got good grades, didn’t stick my nose where it didn’t belong and played by the rules. It was in high school that finally the question “where are you from” ceased to be the relevant topic, plus by then most of my peers knew me. I no longer had to place myself, but rather I was accepted for who I was- Affad Shaikh, he plays soccer, swims, a bit nerdy/book wormish, likes alternative rock music, doesn’t date or drink alcohol, but generally speaking a pretty chill guy. I stopped viewing myself as being the “other” in AP US History or Civics or any of the other classes I took, conversations were about “we” and “Americans (inclusive of me)”.

When it comes to identity I grew up for the most part in a world that existed outside the September 11^th, 2001 reality. I went to college immediately following 9/11, and I saw myself as being “American” and was deeply affected by what had happened. When I was slapped with questions of “where ARE YOU from” and followed by slurs of being a “terrorist” or “traitor” and talked down to for being Muslim and Pakistani, I immediately fell into a mode where I accepted the reality of the situation, joking around with others and even putting down the “religious sort”. I didn’t want to rock the boat, you know, I just wanted to fit into my new college environment.

But after a while it got to me. I was supposedly going to school at an elite university, a place where I was with people who mutually sought out education and would have appreciation and respect for people, cultures and ideas different then their own, who would not sweepingly brush broad strokes of generalizations and ignorance against a group of people. (Plus, hello, I wasn’t really all that practicing of a Muslim, if you recollect where we met and what was going on at that point…)

So I had to go back and ask myself- “is this what it means to be American?”- To hate myself, to hate the religion my parents raised me under, to hate the culture my parents’ adult life had existed in. It was really tough to figure out because around me were people who only saw things in certain ways- either you accept who you are and reject “America” or you accept “America” and reject who you are. That equation didn’t make sense to me, I struggled really hard as I saw people around me telling me that it was either or.

The thing is, America is and never was, an “either or”. I was lucky enough to find myself surrounded by people who helped cultivate that narrative. I am an American. America is all that I know, yes I wasn’t born in America, but I was raised here and ever since I could remember my very first memories, it’s America that I remember. I remember my dad taking my mom and me to Sears, and he bought me my first stuffed teddy bear, just after we arrived from Pakistan- I still have it, and ever since I have been biased toward Koala bears. I remember going to Lake Arrowhead and climbing trees and seeing the boats, thinking how cool it would be to ride in one- really, really, REALLY FAST. I remember going to Sears again, to purchase my Nintendo Entertainment System, and then getting really angry at my dad for using the one controller to play by himself and taunting me about how he will play until it was my bed time. I remember going house hunting with my parents, being excited that I was going to have my own ROOM, and playing in the snow for the first time, right after we bought our house.

Every memory that means anything to me is here in my home, the United States. So when an intern was asked “where are you from?” and they responded “Pakistan”, they were asked “where were you born?” to which they responded “the US”; I could only wonder "why don’t you see yourself as an American", but most importantly how are we failing as American Muslim leadership in instilling a sense of ownership and belonging into our country?

...more to come....

I watched the Hate Video in Orange County- What can I do?

2011-03-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

Are you appalled by the hate that you saw in the video posted yesterday by CAIR? I know how you feel, I was the one taking the footage and being told to go beat my (future) wife. I was called a terrorist, a pedophile and told that I was a traitor. My own experience didn't make to much of a significance, unfortunately I am used to these things. What my heart bleeds for, were the kids. I heard kids saying "Daddy they want us to go home, they are going to hurt us" or "why do they hate us, why are they saying go home"- one six year old even said "I dont want to be here, I am scarred"

I posted a note a while ago and pictures, but the video took longer to post up. Now that you have watched a fraction of the five hours of hate I had the opportunity to document there is something you can do. Hold people responsible- starting with the ELECTED OFFICIALS. I felt like I was watching the Little Rock 9 walk into Little Rock High School surrounded by the National Guard. At other points it reminded me of a KKK rally. When I heard the elected officials there, I thought about Governor Orval Faubus, called civil rights activists "communists" who were undermining our Constitution.

When Japanese Americans were rounded up during WWII and sent off to concentration camps, the Congressional Hearings held afterward identified three area's that lead up to the stripping liberties and massive violation of civil rights- fear and ignorance of Japanese Americans, but the more serious issue was the lack of political leadership to stand up to that fear and ignorance. Our elected officials allowed one of the darkest moments of history occur under their watch. Today we have elected officials drumming that same beat of fear, ignorance and hatred- they can not be allowed to go unchecked.

We so frequently quote Pastor Martin Niemoller- "when they came for me"- yet for the past several years we have witnessed the creeping of this hatred and paranoia towards Muslims, and all to often people have shrugged their shoulders thinking that "its not anything but free speech" or "well they are Muslims, the new Jews and Catholics"- but sadly this is not America nor the attitude of Americans who value our Constitutions and the society that it establishes. The Tea Party might not be attacking you currently- but they are attacking the what makes America great- and if we allow this mentality to take over then when they come attacking Mexicans, or Women's Rights activists, or the LGBT community, or African Americans living below the poverty line- who will be left to speak out?

Here is something you can do- HOLD ELECTED OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE:

1. Contact them:

Contact: Gary Miller (R) California

Contact: City of Villa Park regarding Councilwoman Deborah Pauly

Contact: Ed Royce (R) California

Contact Jerry Brown - Governer California

Contact: Other Congress Members

--If you live in their districts, then make sure you ask for a IN DISTRICT MEETING!

2. Write to the OC Register and tell them about this

3. Share the video and have discussions

4. Contact your local mosques and show your support-http://www.islamicity.com/orgs/

Tech Toys in 2011

2011-02-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Its 2011 and I am excited about all the possibilities. This year I am excited about some tech toys and I wanted to share with you what I am really looking forward to using this year.

1. The iPhone 4- so I hear rumors that there is a 5 coming in this summer and it will be totally redesigned and my iPhone 4 will be irrelevant and out of fashion, but I am head over over the iPhone. It is a marvel, but AT&T is a bust, a complete bust.

2. Microsoft Arc Mouse- middle-top-row, this mouse is amazing. Its a wireless mouse- small, sleek, functional and intensely enjoyable experience using. I think it will revolutionize my experience on my PC.

3. HD Microsoft Camera- (top furthest right) this is an amazing little tool. I am doing a good deal of video conferencing with my brother in Boston. This camera and software is a good plug-an-play toy. I think there are some amazing things I can do with this in the future so will share whats going. There is a built in mic on this, but I personally found it to be a little weak.

4. Logitech headphones and mic- (bottom far left) this little tool is great, not so much for the video conferencing but actually to go with Rosetta Stone, which is a language learning software. The headphones are comfortable to wear providing clear crisp sound and easy to use. They work through a USB port like the Camera, the mouse, so USB slots are a commodity.

5. Kindle- (bottom middle) Aaaah, my KINDLE! Its the most amazing little gadget ever. Its like reading a book, but having your entire library at your fingertips. I am able to access Amazon store online and directly purchase new titles- sadly not all the books I want to read are available on the Kindle (or even digital) platform! But I have read more books since I bought this toy, then I have read in the past four years. It was a cheap and worthwhile investment. Its easy on the eyes as well, the e-ink technology really is amazing.

6. iTunes- (bottom far left) iTunes was great as a iPod medium, but its even better as a iPhone medium. I have access to TED lectures, to iTunes University, to iTunes podcasts- its AMAZING piece of interface software!

So you got my immediate six, there are FOUR more that I hope to share with you later this week. Be on the look out. By the way, thank you to all my subscribers and return readers. I know I have been on hiatus for sometime now, but my life got hectic and complicated with family weddings and work happenings. Yes, this was six months ago, but it took six months to recover and get back into the swing of things. Look forward to some really great developments and changes and hopefully content.

Fred Korematsu- Civic Leader, Prophetic Example and Japanese American Incarceration

2011-01-30T05:19:00.000-08:00

Individuals that lead by their own example are counted among the most influential and lasting figures in history. The prophetic narratives of the past are firmly established in this same principle. There are countless examples of our own beloved Prophet leading his companions through the trials and tribulations of the day by the example of his own conduct and actions. By doing so he inspired people around him to become the great men and women etched into our collective narrative. In fact, what set the Prophet aside from others were the traits that governed his behavior which were shaped by the challenges he faced. In the Prophetic example Muslims learn that any act by which someone is hurt, or his person or possession or dignity are subjected to any loss is absolutely forbidden and the corollary is that a Muslim is enjoined to be benevolent towards others, to serve them and to fulfill the needs of others when in their power to, regardless of their race, religion or nationality. However, history provides many other archetypes of this model of leadership as well.

Fred Korematsu’s contributions to society have gone unrecognized until January 31, 2011 when the state of California will celebrate a day in honor of his dedication to American principles and leadership. He is indispensable example of leadership to the American Muslim reality in a post-9/11 America. Korematsu was a Japanese American internee during World War II who was convicted of a felony charge for disobeying the government order that forced 110,000 Japanese Americans into concentration camps, dispossessing them of their livelihoods, their homes, their dignity and humanity. The overwhelming numbers of Japanese Americans were citizens and not a single one was charged with espionage or disloyalty to the United States as was suggested by the justification of the internment on the grounds of “military necessity” by the government.

Without Korematsu’s courage, determination to his innocence and the assertion of his rights, history would have written incarceration as an American precedence rather than a grave mistake. Korematsu challenged the United States government two times: the first time in 1944, in which he defied the US government’s unconstitutional internment of Japanese Americans and refused to go into the camps, and the second time in 1983, in which his original 1944 conviction for refusing to go into the concentration camps was overturned by the federal court in San Francisco. The 1983 decision established constitutional precedence in an area of American law that has rarely been successfully challenged, and Judge Marylin Patel went on to say in her decision that “it stands as a caution that in times of distress the shield of military necessity and national security must not be used to protect governmental actions from close scrutiny and accountability”. Korematsu’s determination, his success in his legal case and the judgment issued by the judge gave the Japanese American community the ability to organize and challenge the mass internment of the community during WWII.

Even with successfully having helped initiate the campaign to get a formal apology from the US government and monetary compensation for each living internee, Korematsu continued to fight the government on behalf of communities that faced similar discrimination and civil rights violations. When the president claimed vast “national security” power over Americans without oversight by the courts following the September 11^th attacks on New York and Washington D.C., Korematsu fought back. He publically spoke out, at a time when it was unpopular, and submitted a “friend of the court” legal brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on the indefinite detentions by the US government of Muslims, Arabs and South Asians. He reminded the country that grave harms to innocent people and to the nation itself result from mass racial incarceration during times of public fear and ignorance. He asked us all to be vigilant- not only over outside threats to our safety, but also over government abuses of power that threaten our fundamental liberties.

Like a "little rudder", Korematsu’s leadership helped the collective efforts to eventually turn the big ship of society in the face of civil rights violations, fear and discrimination toward the principles that affirm America. To learn about leadership and to be a leader one only needs to look at the contemporary example set my Korematsu. Like the Prophet, such a leader challenges us to reconsider our beliefs and our conduct so as to be a benefit to others. Leadership cannot just simply be about representing a group; such leadership is limited narrowly to identity politics and immediate self-preservation. I believe that the circumstances of the time and the tenets of our faith demand that we not just represent a community but also lead in society; working to organize the civic infrastructure needed for active citizenship that engages diverse constituents, cultivates leadership and develops potential solutions to complex issues faced by a globalizing society. In celebrating the first Korematsu day, Muslims should make the intention to strive harder to apply the Prophetic example of being benevolent towards others, to serve them and to fulfill the needs of others, regardless of their race, religion or nationality.

How I Lost Faith in CNN and American Media

2011-01-29T13:43:00.000-08:00

Have you been watching the news these days? I have been amazed by the unfolding events that are taking place across the Middle East, but if you have been watching CNN then there seems to be a great black hole when it comes to coverage of the events there.

For four weeks Tunisia was in chaos, with some of the most agressive and spectacular protests in a country that has never had demonstrations. Protests that focused on the country's political and economic crisis should suggest a news story in the making, yet there was no coverage from western media, especially American media and CNN until the President of Tunisia finally resigned and fled the country. By that time CNN was so far behind in explaining the situation that coverage focused on the history of the rule of President Ben Ali and the socio-political processess that led to his ouster, all the while CNN correspondents were at a loss to explain the ongoing protests and why people were still out in the streets. Worse yet was the fact that CNN was looking for the stories of violence and destruction, the angry Muslim or Arab street erupting in American flag burning or Zionist bashing. But there was none of that to be found.

Then came Egypt and again from the New York Times to CNN the organizing of the protests were seen from a sceptical and begnign perspective. The American news media carried the State Department line that "Egypt was stable" and the "protests were just the airing of recent frustrations" overlooking the brutal dictatorship that President Hosni Mubarak had imposed on the Egyptian people. Infact, Biden went on air suggesting that Mubarak was not a dictator and to justify his assertion he posited that the support shown to American interests in the Middle East were indicative to the free and democratic nature of the current Egyptian regime.

Sadly news reports and analysis by CNN and many other American news outlets focused on "how Egypt is not another Tunisia". While the EXTRODINARY events of Friday unfolded, the media in America continued to downplay the significance of the protests and even worse the aspirations of the Egyptian peoples to have a true and ultimate democratic political system. DC talking heads and inside sources continue to prevail the talking points being spewed across CNN and western media, they continue to accept the major talking point that "stability in Egypt" is critical to American interests in the region and that security must come at the expense of the Egyptian peoples desires for the universal freedoms they are out in the streets putting their lives and livelihoods on the line for.

Infact very little coverage of the actual protests is taking place. The normal 24 hour coverage for wolrd events such as the Earthquake in Haiti or the political upheveal in Ukraine or even the North Korean firing of missles at South Korea.

I agree with some of the conversations taking place on my facebook.com page, one commentator said the following- "CNN is stupid for towing the US policy line toward supporting the dictators". The Egyptian government will change and it will present a new set of realities in the world affairs. Our government and the media is honestly clinging to something that died a decade ago. When the reality on the ground catches up for people in the US, it will be to late, and unforutanely we will have let our selves down when it comes to supporting democratic values. For all the problems I had with Bush the one thing he had right was pushing for democracy in the Middle East. Condaleeza Rice's statements can now be applied appropriatly as "the birth pangs of democracy" (when she orginally referred to Israel's attack and war on Lebanon).

If you are at all interested in whats taking shape in the Middle East, go to Al Jazeera English and check out the non-stop on the ground coverage of Egypt and all the other mass protests- Yemen, Jordan, Algeria- that are taking place. This is the very history that will come to define our near and far future and don't rely on American media to present with any information, they just can't cope with the realities on the ground and will continue to present their jaded (US State sponsared) perspective, until Obama will get a State of the Union speech oppurutnity to endorse the democratic aspirations of the people in the Middle East.

How Coachella Broke My Heart

2011-01-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

For the past several years I have really been hoping to make time out for Coachella, don't know what Coachella is-don't fret, here's the four-one-one:

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly known as Coachella or Coachella Festival) is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice (a subsidiary of AEG Live) and held at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California, it is also a city in Riverside County, California; it is the easternmost city in the region collectively known as the Coachella Valley.

Coachella started as a pure rebellion to Ticketmaster and its stranglehold control of venues in Los Angeles, when Pearl Jam first played on the Empire Polo field to a crowd of 23,000 people in 1993. The venue was totally untested- its hot (up to 100 degrees during the day) and its cold (freezing temperatures after nightfall), its in the middle of NO WHERE!, its surrounded by little red-neck communities of insulated folks who don't generally care for brown folks or hippies from Los Angeles, its dry as a dessert, largely because its a desert and its one of the lowest points on Earth along with its vicinity to the Salton Sea.

Last year Coachella drew 75,000 people- and I was not amongst them. What gets me most interested in the festival is that its unique and fresh each year, with performances who have never before sang at the festival before- lots of fresh new bands and sounds.

What I can't stand is that its three days in the desert heat, sun and that this coconut can only take so much of being out under the naked sun. That's why I was immensely heartbroken to hear that this year the organizers will no longer offer ONE DAY PASSES because they feel the festival is a "experience that requires attendance to all three days". My brown rear end it requires attendance for three days- I lived in the Antelope Valley, the High Desert of California, the other end of the desert that Coachella cohabits with my hometown and I know three days out in the sun will not only kill me but be the worst experience in my life, even if the sounds were beautiful. So no Coachella this year, or in the years to come.

I Want My Hijab Without My Stockings

2011-01-21T16:37:00.000-08:00

Well well, new year and a new look- not for me, but for Disney! Remember just a few months back I was working on the Disney Hijab cases and thinking why wouldn't Disney evaluate its policy and make it in line with standards that fall within Federal guidelines? Well it seems like Disney Executives were listening, read the USA Today article, they just were thinking more exposure means better returns:

Walt Disney Co. adopted a new dress code that absolves women working at the company's theme parks from having to wear pantyhose when dressing in skirts, says Disneyland spokeswoman Betsy Sanchez.

Of coarse this is a policy that took into review other fortune 500 companies. What seems questionable is that in evaluating their policy, wouldn't it be beneficial if they also evaluated their potential employment bases. Anaheim houses the largest Arab population outside of Deerborn, Michigan. There is a "Little Arabia" that encompasses close to five blocks of the city's major street. There are two Islamic centers that have congregations of two-thousand people each and a third Islamic center in Garden Grove that is the oldest such center west of the Mississippi. There were altogether five cases that were reported to me from Disney employees involving the hijab situation, yet Disney's response was to work on the immediate cases and not the overall policy.

I would really like to see Disney do whats right, and Disney in my eyes has always done the right thing, even if it took decades for them to move toward that decision. I wish that implementing a fair and judicious "look policy" that ensures the religious beliefs of a person are protected or "REASONABLY ACCOMMODATED" should not be something that takes decades to do.

"Oh Captain, My Captain"

2010-11-25T00:27:00.000-08:00

Life has been conforming. I wake up, go to work, come home, cook food, eat, surf the internet, sleep and repeat this over. Here and there I sprinkle some speaking events or meetings on the weekends, and then there are all the family events. Conforming to the rigors of a schedule has been my life.

What has helped is that I wake up knowing that I am doing something that helps people, that doesn't get boring or mundane, that there is a certain sense of passion for my career. That makes it easier for me to make sacrifices, like most recently, I sat down over a course of a few days with no commitments, realizing once again that my life has been reduced to work and family.

Even the things I enjoyed doing- hiking, surfing, socializing, heck blogging- have been marginalized to footnotes.

Mr. Keaton (Dead Poet's Society) warned about the dangers of society forcing you to walk lock step and clapping to the same rhythm. Having lost one's sense of expression and individuality we fall into the trap of doing things the way they should be done. Like for instance now that I have worked for a period of time I am expected to have saved up and be on the precipice of marriage. Maybe that is appropriately expected, maybe I desire to do that- but should I do something just because it seems to be the right time?

I was so keen on carpe diem during high school. I didn't want to be a conformist- yet I was such a conformist, in my own rebellious way. Obviously carpe diem has been quite modified to fit a more Islamic perspective on life. To that extent so has the issue of marriage. A friend of mine shared some insight with me that was incredible- it helped remove the social burden that was starting to weigh me down.

If we believe in Allah, then we believe in our destiny being preordained. We believe in naseeb. Having accepted this premise there really are two options left for an individual, but both of them at the end require us to wait for our naseeb. The first being one who can just wait for a naseeb, going through their life doing all the other things they need to do, they set out to do and let naseeb settle its score when necessary. Of coarse this individual does not shy away from the opportunity of naseeb. Then the second type of person is the one who needs to do something- be "active"- until naseeb comes knocking at their door. This type of person needs to feel that they are filling their life with action, its almost as though this person has a compulsion toward an attention deficit, needing a new distraction as soon as possible. They need to be doing something. But at the end both of these individuals can't change naseeb- who or when it happens.

I realized that in the past couple of years I filled my pool of patience with work. Now having realized this past year that work had eaten up my life, that my friends really don't like hanging out with me because all the conversations somehow go to "my work"- I felt quite like a stranger. That feeling of being new in a place, not knowing anyone, not having anything to do began to eat me up. Whats funny was that people were coming to me for advice and the only thing I would tell them is that I am always working, which made the situation for me even more real- THAT ALL I DO IS WORK.

Its time to change that. Its time to add more value to my life. Its time to meet new people, to learn new things, to enrich my mind, soul and body. I signed up to do some volunteer work in Los Angeles with low income kids, I start guitar classes, I bought myself a Kindle, I am learning Arabic and have a fear that Kung Fu is going to be torture- but all of it is part of getting over this place I have been in for the past couple of years. I am going to go about doing my business and let naseeb smack me when its time.

Dinner Sucks- First Night

2010-10-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

You know when you feel like your an under achiever. When you know you are capable of doing so much more, being something immensely better then you could currently be. I would say I feel like that often. I go home to my parents house where they have a TV and cable, and I would just lounge on the couch watching...The Food Network! Years of watching the channel, I felt maybe its time to actually put myself to the test. So here it is, the challenge: cook as often during the week, and cook using reciepes or renditions of reciepes I have bookmarked over the years. All the while I get to share with you my progress and pass judgement on myself. Tonight verdict- out of 5, 5 being the best- I give myself a 3.85!

The Carbs- Lentil Rice

Lentils, basmati rice, small raisans and some tumeric, salt, bitsy bit of red chili, ground cumin and a pinch of cinimon.

I cooked the lentils first in the rice cooker, added some more water and added rice along with all the flavors. Left it to cook- I focused on the other stuff after this. Unfortunately, I felt the rice over cooked and got a bit more mushy then how my Mom would make it, but the tastes were great. the recipe here.

The Veggi's- Roasted Asparagus

One bunch of green asparagus, two tablespoons of wonderful oil- I prefered using seseme oil- salt and ground pepper. Baked in the oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.

I put this in the oven after the chicken, but I cooked it with the chicken for about the same time as the chicken- bad idea #2. Bad idea #1, I added more then the recommended oil amount, so the asparagus being cooked for longer then the appropriate time resulted in a crispy, but oily aspargus. You can get the recipe here, I changed it a tad bit by adding garlic salt to it instead.

The Main Dish- Tangy/Spicey Chicken Kabobs

Two chicken breasts, two teaspoons of honey, a quarter cup of orange juice, a teaspoon of lemon juice, salt, pepper, sarachi spicey sauce, Korean chili pepper, garaam masala, cumin, garlic/ginger paste- on the scewers- one red, yellow, orange, and green bell peppers; one small squash, one medium size white onion. I combined all the goodness for the chicken and mixedin cubed chicken, left over night. Cleaned and cut the veggies and stuck them all on the skewer, cooked under 450 degrees for 15-18 minutes, half way through i poured some olive oil to keep it moist.

These came out AMAZING, I would up the spice level on a few notches so the taste is stronger, it was a bit mild for me. I have enough left over for the next two days.

Been Around, Some Days Just Ain't Like Others

2010-10-04T23:43:00.000-07:00

Watch the subtlety of the gestures we go about in our daily life. Maybe its because people don't pay attention, that we take for granted those raw moments when we think no one is looking. Those are the moments I fear most, because of the type of person I am.

You know those moments where you pick your nose in order to get a cliff hanger embarrassment from becoming your downfall. Or you want to not be so excited because that just might lead to social suicide. Or you just enjoy the moment and can't keep from staring at whatever it is that makes you feel so good all of sudden.

When I find myself observing those moments in other peoples lives, I feel like I have seen them naked. I feel I have intruded in their lives and should not have been cognizant of the moment. I want to take time and turn it around so that way I can change the fact that I observed something.

Then that moment fades and I laugh inside my head and wish I could have video tape that moment and posted it on youtube so the world could laugh with me.

Lo Siento, Soy MIA

2010-09-02T23:26:00.000-07:00

"Dude where you been?" asks the blog reader.

"Man, I been busy, you know I been taraweehing it up" responds me.

"Listen hombre," continues the weird blog reader "you could post a thing here or there, just asking you to show some love man. Is that to much?"

Yeh you got it, it just might be to much. I am overwhelmed currently. Trying to make the most out of Ramadan, working on some pretty big cases at CAIR- Disney to name one; got some family weddings coming up, my brother moved to Boston (going through separation anxiety and medium range of depression), I been travelling (was in DC for a week, in Bay Area, in Vegashi). It has been one crazy jam packed summer! So crazy that I haven't had one single moment to hit the waves, my poor wet suit and board are collecting cobwebs!

But since I was talking about Vegashi, I thought I would share some love and post this video of the Beckapolooza that took place in DC last week. I just am happy that I was in DC earlier and hadn't gotten my trip ruined by i'gnant folk (watch the video!), though my experience at the National Art Gallery and Norman Rockwell exhibition were ruined by crying, annoying kids.

The video was compiled by my DFA co-award winners Chase Whiteside and New Left Media. I personally was very happy Chase asked questions about the Moslems and the "terror-monument-mosque-meant-to-be-a slap-in-the-face-of-Americans" - but most notable for me- was the questions about immigration and what should be done about 'them illegals' wait until the end.

I loved how telling it was for people to be heard saying "lets enforce the law" and then to hear others not even know what the law is! Silly, i'gnant folk. Freedoms on one hand and shear lack of evidence or factually inaccurate accusations on the other- with freedom comes great responsibility, and these folks show how stupidity is the death of democracy (the rise of fascism as seen by the Geller and Spencer types.) Enjoy, or sigh in depression, at the video- but please go support the New Left Media folks, they got great hearts and lots of passion but really dry wallets.

Las Vegas vs San Diego

2010-07-29T00:19:00.001-07:00

Two cities, two videos. Hands down San Diego can't be touched. Las Vegas can't measure up unless their is a 2012 event in which Vegas becomes beach front property and California somehow ends up under the Pacific ocean or floating out there somewhere.

But here's the deal, two conventions in two cities- ComicCon in San Diego and Netroots Nation in Las Vegas- both premier videos- Dexter at ComicCon and President Obama at Netroots. Its like your favorite mass murderer or your favorite letter-downer-President, I mean how easy does the choice get?

I mean what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right...or wait, what happens in Vegas that weekend will be blogged, tweeted and shared on the social media websites...

Anyway, for the wonderful attributes that are thrown at San Diego, Netroots was still worth it, my hope is that next year I can go to both- Netroots in Minniesota and ComicCon...well, I hope its in San Diego. Enjoy the Dexter Season 5 clip and Obama.

Vegas and Netroots Nation

2010-07-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Got back from Las Vegas, Nevada. No offense to those in Las Vegas, but I really don't like the place. Its all fake and full of the seven deadly sins plus more- in your face and to the extreme. Even if there were things to see and appreciate the place was an inferno- 110 degrees!

Everything is fake on the strip- from the riches to the people, from the food to the entertainment- its all a sham.

But on the other hand, the conference was a blast. I want to THANK DEMOCRACY FOR AMERICA, NETROOTS NATION and all the donors and sponsars who made the Netroots 2010 conference happen.

I come back, like last year, from the conference really questioning my politics. I realize I am just as invested in my political independence as I was before. Netroots is a progressive liberal political community gathering- a significant portion of the ideology I find myself unhinged by because it doesn't resonate with me. I have to think hard about my "liberal" and my "progressive" politics because I constantly found myself questioning what people were saying, more often disagreeing with their politics. But like someone said, if you feel comfortable with everything around you then you've stopped living and experiencing so it is refreshing to be challenged to evaluate my politics.

I have a hard time listening to anti-big business diatribes. I am invested in unions and what unions do, however, I am just as keen on giving corporations room to function as well. I am not happy with the anti-globalization talk, I firmly believe in globalization and specifically that capital and business is not the sole object of free movement of things- but rather globalization in all its forms should be embraced and dealt with.

To that extent "Made In America" is important but economic growth requires specialization and development of skill sets and needs and not investment in failing industries or companies. For instance I learned that there is a progressive vision of the "new economy" that I find myself interested in learning more about- a new economy that appeals to my sense of freedom, justice and strengthening all Americans not just a few. (talk about that more in a later post)

I learned about the election process and the tools being used to integrate and help candidates win, but also, I learned about the governments unholy alliance with private companies to store information and create "digital" profiles of all Americans, not just the ones suspected to be criminals. Worse I learned about the digital gulf that exists in America, how a large swath of America doesn't even have access to the internet- from the rural farming communities to the inner city, many Americans are not connected in comparison to the number of users (citizens) that are connected to the internet in other Western nations.

I met some amazing people- a former Black Panther party member who is a grandma blogging out against the racist so called new black panther party, inner city activists working to get kids active and civically engaged, a Asian Film festival organizer from San Diego, cool ACLU peeps from New York, the DREAM KIDS! activists, and the list goes on and on.

I was even more excited to see the DIVERSITY! There were two dozen Desi's (south Asians) there, a good half a dozen Muslims- Latino's, Blacks, Asians, immigrants- legal and undocumented, and those who identify as LGBT. This diversity in peoples was a significant change from the previous year in Pittsburgh. The panels themselves were filled with diverse people who were not just qualified to speak on the issues but they also happened to be from those communities that dealt directly with the panel discussions.

I applaud Netroots Nation for really addressing these issues from the previous year and not just putting together another great conference but putting on a REAL conference that reflects the grassroots. I look forward to Minneapolis, Minnesota 2011!

Finally I hung out with some old friends, made some new friends, ate some amazing food and got some insight on Vegas's other half and how they live.

Whoa, How Great to Go Into Netroots with Top Muslim Blog Award!

2010-07-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

I woke up in the morning and couldn't make sense, my hair was all over the place and I felt like I ran a marathon, Disneyland ain't just for kids, it makes the parents go mad, screaming little children and lines are the law of the land. (I took my siblings to Disneyland yesterday)

Sitting in front of my computer screen, going through my emails-quarantined; I find a little number from Top Muslim Blog, got blogging award for all my groggy thoughts!

Online Doctorate Programs

According to the people that manage the awards, the award highlights the very best blogs about the Muslim faith on the internet as selected by the judges, and is designed to thank me for my contribution toward the world wide web. The way it works is that "each judge rates each blog across 20 different attributes providing it with a ‘subjective’ score. The ratings are then compared, and awards are given out to blogs in the 99% percentile (meaning the top 1% of blogs receive awards)."

In truth, I didn't even know I was nominated (and no, I didn't nominate myself...). That's why I was so enthusiastic and came up with my own rhymes (read above first two paragraphs) I was stunned to find that out of 150 junk emails, this one stuck out, to the point where I had to click to open it and make sure it wasn't a joke!

I am pleasantly surprised and happy to accept the honor, though I do believe that the other bloggers who are on this years awards list, are far more deserving of the award then I am!

I'd like to take this moment to thank my parents, you the readers, that person who stumbled on my blog and nominated me, the judges and above all God, without whom my breathing, my thinking, my actions, all my abilities would be next to nothing. To all my readers, thank you for reading my stupidity and sarcasm, my miserable grammar and spelling, all of which shows my weak (pathetic) grasp of the English language- I grunt much better.

To Jihadi Joe for being such an amazing motivating force, so many times I decided to call it quits, throw in the gloves, take up a real hobby like crocheting- but at every corner you were there egging me on, playing a game of chicken with me and I never the one to back down continued to tango, to entertain your cross country love affair with me- thank you Joe Kaufman, I couldn't have thought about all these things before the wonderful world of blogging you encouraged me to participate in!

5 Kashmiri's - 1 Palestinian- Two Occupations, a World of Difference

2010-07-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

How many Kashmiri deaths does it take the American Muslim community to pay attention to the Kashmir conflict?

Its a rhetorical question. There isn't a right or wrong answer. There will be people who will find the discussion below to be insensitive and offensive. I do not mean to be insensitive, however, I do mean to offend, to offend in a way that challenges people to reflect and think about issue I am presenting. The question is a means to continue, if not even begin a discussion on what social justice means to Muslims.

The question is one that I have struggled with since I was getting involved with the Muslim community back in college. I always have this nagging feeling that life no matter who’s it is, is not worth less than any other person’s life. Put simply, one murder is a murder to many; justifying deaths as collateral damage is wrong- that dead person is someone's mother, father, brother, son, niece, nephew, grandparent, friend, coworker or neighbor- so why does Palestine consume the American Muslim community and other peoples, other Muslim deaths seem to go unnoticed?

American Muslims pay only prayers of conscience to so many Muslims communities. People are aware about Kashmir and probably have an idea of the suffering in the Philippines or Chechnya, but does anyone know about the Rohingya?

Sidetrack (In 1978 over 200,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh, following the ‘Nagamin’ operation of the Myanmar army which directly targeted civilians, and resulted in widespread killings, rape and the destruction of mosques and further religious persecution. Since 1978, these Muslims have lived in squalid slum refugee camps with no rights or opportunities and hundreds of thousands continue to flee persecution in Myanmar. In February 2009 there was evidence of the Thai army towing a boatload of 190 Rohingya refugees out to sea and leaving it there, giving factual evidence of the stories that many refugees had been conveying to Indonesian authorities and human rights activists of being captured and beaten and then abandoned at open sea.)

Further Sidetrack (In neighboring Cambodia the genocide of Muslims was written about by Andrew Perrin a reporter for Time Asia, in an article in 2003 in which he stated that a "genocide [was] committed by the Khmer Rouge against Cambodia's small Muslim Cham population". During the massacres by the government, a disproportionate number of Chams were killed compared with ethnic Khmers. Ysa Osman, a researcher at the Documentation Center of Cambodia concludes, “Perhaps as many as 500,000 died. They were considered the Khmer Rouge's No. 1 enemy. The plan was to exterminate them all" because "they stood out. They worshiped their own god. Their diet was different. Their names and language were different. They lived by different rules. The Khmer Rouge wanted everyone to be equal, and when the Chams practiced Islam they did not appear to be equal. So they were punished.")

The point really is just to say that when it comes to social justice is there a priority list? Obviously I don't intend to imply that it’s a conscientious effort. American Muslims emphasize the Palestinian struggle in terms of justice, oppression and brutality. All this leads Muslims to believe- though to an extent rightly- that if Palestinians are able to receive justice then the problems in the global Muslim (ummah?) community would fix themselves.

Maybe that might be the case. If resources from Palestinian efforts are freed then we can pay attention to the obscure Rohingya community, or assist the Cham with their efforts toward justice. But the issue is, if there are Muslim communities- if we are only narrowly concerned with Muslim affairs- that are suffering with oppression and brutality how do we evaluate who gets our full attention, is it just on the basis of the brutality or nature of oppression?

One of the key factors raised is the idea of injustice and oppression that the Palestinians have faced for the past several decades in our focus on the Israeli occupation. If the measure is oppression then here is some perspective to consider- for one Palestinian death there has been five Kashmiri's killed in the past ten years of conflict. (1 Palestinian = 5 Kashmiri's for the past 10 years) Yet there are very few flotilla's reaching the Kashmiri's.

This is extremely elementary and unscientific, so don't quote me for the figures. Here is how I came to the conclusion:

Reuters reports that since 1989 68,000 Kashmiri civilians have been killed in the struggle for independence from India (for the record, I believe Kashmir deserve complete independence from Pakistan as well as India). My quick google search on Palestinian deaths resulted in finding a figure for the deaths of Palestinians since 2000 being 6,348 (for Palestinian to Israeli ratio, since 2000, its been approximately 6 Palestinians to 1 Israeli). Since using the 1989 Kashmiri death count and the 2000 Palestinian death count would throw the ratio off, I did the easiest thing I could think of- took 68,000 divided it by 21 years giving me an average of 3,238 deaths per year since 1989 for Kashmir. I took 3,238 and multiplied it by 10 years, giving me approximately 32,381 Kashmiri deaths since 2000. The resulting ratio is approximately 5:1 (32,381 Kashmiri: 6,348 Palestinian).

Obviously there are significant concerns with the methodology, the numbers and so on, but statistics is a game and we can get lost with all the numbers, so I want to just take the numbers at face value to evaluate my rhetorical question.

Kashmir has been rocked for the past two weeks with protests and riots. Eleven civilians have died, including a 15 year old boy who was in his house and not participating in the protests. Indian military has imposed a de facto curfew on the population centers- all of this resulting from the Indian military report that the deaths of 3 Kashmiri civilians in May of 2010 was a setup by the Indian military forces, made to look like the civilians were militants fighting against India and having died in a gun shootout with Indian occupying troops.

Most people will roll their eyes and say 3 Kashmiri civilians, a staged shoot out, it’s not really significant. Yet since 1989 68,000 Kashmiri's have died. One death here and there to equal a grand total of 68,000 people directly due to the conflict. UNHCR reported that there are roughly 1.5 million refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir in Pakistan administered Kashmir and Pakistan just from the past two decades of fighting (along with a devastating earthquake).

The concern about "staging" by the Indian military is significant because it indicates the Indian military forces brutality toward the Kashmiri population and their impunity. Staging a shoot out is the tip of the iceberg, for example like when the Indian military claimed that a January 6, 1993 massacre in the town of Sopore was 'unfortunate', claiming that an ammunition dump had been hit by gunfire, setting off fires that killed most of the victims. TIME Magazine described the incident as such: "In retaliation for the killing of one soldier, paramilitary forces rampaged through Sopore's market setting buildings ablaze and shooting bystanders."

For the period from 1989 to the end of 1999, confirmed figures show that 67,717 (which is different than the total death toll figure I use) people have been killed as a direct result of the occupation and fighting, and another 4,501 killed while in Indian Army or police custody. Asia Watch and Physicians for Human Rights report of May 1993 states that security personnel used rape as a "means of targeting women whom the security forces accuse of being militant sympathizers; in raping them, the security forces are attempting to punish and humiliate the entire community."

According to a 1994 United Nations publication from 1990 to 1996, 882 women were reportedly gang-raped by security forces in Indian adminstered Kashmir. A four members fact finding team led by a Mumbai based journalist, Ritu Dewan, visited Jammu-Kashmir in May 1994 and later wrote that incidences of rape is higher than what is reported because of the associated stigma associated with it. According to reports, just on one night of February 22, 1991 troops of the 5th Rajputana rifles allegedly raped 30 women in Kunan-Poshpura district in Kupwara who were aged between 18 to 85 years. More recently, in November 2004 the alleged rape of a mother-daughter by security forces in Badar payein district of Handwara sparked protests across Kashmir- which itself was preceded by another incident from Mattan Anantnag district, where a woman was allegedly gang raped by troops of the Rashtriya Rifles. A 2005 study conducted by Médecins Sans Frontières found that Kashmiri women are among the worst sufferers of sexual violence in the world, with 11.6% of respondents reporting that they had been victims of sexual abuse. (Figures and stats are here and from websites of the organizations)

Human rights abuses in Kashmir by the Indian military go beyond just rape, and includes such things as "extra-judicial executions", torture, "disappearances", and collective punishment. Furthermore, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) grants the Indian military wide powers of arrest, the right to shoot to kill, and to occupy or destroy property in counterinsurgency operations with complete impunity.

The 1996 Amnesty International Report is critical of the situation in Kashmir. "The brutality of torture in Jammu and Kashmir defies belief. It has left people mutilated and disabled for life. The severity of torture meted out by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir is the main reason for the appalling number of deaths in custody of young men picked up by the army or the paramilitary forces during crackdown operations in the villages and other areas to identify suspected "militants". A 2008 report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees determined that Indian Administered Kashmir, was only 'partly Free' (as was declared of Pakistan administered Kashmir).

This long list is not to say that Pakistan administered Kashmir or the insurgents fighting against the Indian government treat Kashmiri's any better. In fact the insurgency has directly targeted the minority Sikh and Hindu populations in Kashmir. According to the CIA this has resulted in 300,000 Kashmiri Hindu's becoming internally displaced and about 100,000 Kashmiri Muslim's because of the counter insurgency efforts by Indian troops. Pakistan imposes multiple restrictions on people’s religious freedom in Kashmir. The constitution of Azad Kashmir specifically prohibits activities that may be prejudicial to the states accession to Pakistan and as such regularly suppresses demonstrations against the government. According to Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence operating in Kashmir is involved in extensive surveillance, arbitrary arrests, torture and murder which is done with impunity and perpetrators go unpunished, however, the statistics are significantly lower than Indian administered Kashmir.

All of this has to leave you wondering that 5 Kashmiri lives to 1 Palestinian life does not equate in any form or fashion, but why is there such little attention to the Kashmiri conflict by American Muslims when an estimated 30% of the American Muslim population is South Asian and only 12% is Arab.

Out of my friends list, some 600 people on Facebook, only 2 posts on Kashmir besides mine. Sad reality that some conflicts and some struggles have more value than others and that conflict doesn't necessarily encompass issues of oppression and brutality, but in my humble opinion conflicts have as much to do with the land, the historical relevence and also the myths built around them.

Whispering of a Jihadi Joe

2010-06-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

Continued from "Joe the Jihadi Speaks to Me"

One of these days I will have to shed light on the history I have had with Jihadi Joe, but that will have to wait, I have other important things to share.

Jihadi Joe not only got me to Netroots Nation in Las Vegas, he's helped me get coverage at Truthdig, DailyKOS, America's Voice, and Mom's Rising to name a few. Aside from that the summer is shaping up- my sister and brother will be spending time with me so I hope to drop in at Disneyland and hang out at the beach with them. Also the summer travel season has already began to take shape, check it out:

Fourth of July will be awesome, as I will be going back to my parents home and spending time with them after six months of not being home. Being home in the high desert soaking in the intensity of the heat, the dry air, the brilliant sun as it reflects off everything, even the concrete and asphalt- great shock treatment for the body, especially after experiencing June gloom in the OC and constantly being indoors- work, classroom, car, work, classroom, home, masjid, car, car and car.

San Fran Bay Area Madness- Amazing city. In July I will be visiting the Bay Area. I hope to watch some Futbol magic take place, kick it in San Francisco, take in some hikes north of the city, get some business done with my work colleagues and EAT SOME AMAZING FOOD. There is something about the restaurants in San Francisco that set them on a different notch, and I for one will be hitting up my favorite Moslem restaurants.

Vegashi- You already know about my trip to Netroots Nation in Las Vegas. I hope to watch Ka, also hope to hit up a few college friends who reside out there and if at all possible I want to go to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (National Park #20!), I hear that its an unsung gem in the National Park system, that its amazing. The best part of the trip is the ROAD TRIP with my fellow award winner Taz (check out her blog Say What?)

When August rolls around- I roll out! Cross country ROAD TRIP! I mentioned this in my Arizona AB 1070 post, that I was planning a road trip that will circumvent Arizona. The plan so far as its developing will be like this: Los Angeles-Denver-Chicago (holding)-Washington DC- Philadelphia- New York (holding)-Boston and then Boston-Washington DC-New Orleans (holding)- San Antonio (holding before the long haul through Arizona)-Los Angeles.

Though I am not sure I like the Southern route, just because on principle, I should not go through Arizona, I have yet to figure out an alternative because I really want to visit New Orleans.

The road trip is really an idealized plan, sorta like Jack Karaouc'ing it at the end- if it happens then its all haphazard and if it doesn't then man alternative summer plans are in order! It is slowly taking shape- I am jotting down historical sites to stop at, oddities to take pictures with, food joints worth stopping for breaking the fast (it's going to be Ramadan!), and people to meet up with.

Besides that, the summer also is time to catch up on some things I have not had time to focus on. Hopefully I will be picking up my Arabic lessons, the whole learning to play the guitar and then of coarse writing. There is a lot of writing I have to catch up on- my trip to Pakistan, the cases I deal with at work and how it fits into the larger policy and civil rights balancing act, the books I have read and the places I have visited- so many things to write about!

Ecstatic is how I currently feel.

Joe the Jihadi Speaks to Me

2010-06-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well well, life is picking up again. Six months of social exile and self imposed hermitude can be shed and the summer craziness can commence.

First- I FREAKING WON THE Democracy For America award! This will take me to Las Vegas for the Netroots Conference. Who would of thunk that I could use my closet homosexual friend- Joe Kaufman (Joe the Jihadi)- to "come out big" (pun intended) and get a sweet summer mini-vacation all paid for by Democracy For America. Granted Las Vegas isn't my type of town- to fake, no real history, all pleasure if you pay- it still will be GREAT, considering I been wanting to go to Cirque De Soliel's Ka

...okay I gotta go eat some hallal burgers with bacon at Famous Burgers so will continue this post later...

Amongst the Flotilla Madness, is the Specter of the World Cup

2010-06-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

Are you ready? Are you freaking ready for some amazing sportsmanship? I mean the Lakers are amazing, but you know what, nothing- and I mean nothing- can compare to the love I have for soccer. I played AYSO soccer for nearly ten years- ah, I sucked- but I loved the game.

Who are you cheering for? Italy? The United States of Americaaaaaaaa....ah, no, actually I am cheering for Palestine.

The world cup takes place under the weight of the Flotilla massacre, and the essence of the Flotilla message was to bring down the international attention to the immoral and inhuman blockade and treatment the Palestinians suffer under Israel. For me it is only fitting that I frame my excitement for the South African FIFA 2010 World Cup through the Palestinian perspective (plus the Pakistani soccer squad sucks).

The First Palestine Football Federation was founded in 1928, and refounded in 1952, but was not recognized by FIFA until 1998, after the creation of the Palestinian Authority. I guess that sort of brings into question this Zionist idea that "A land without a people and a people without a land" were to really mean that Palestinians (or as their other contention- ARABS) truly inhabit this place that is now Israel.

Like other aspects of Israels modern history, it seems that as hostilities increased during the 1940's between Zionist Jews coming into Palestine and the Palestinians contesting the beginning of what would be a full on occupation, the domestic league soccer was abandoned. After 1948, the Palestine FA was reformed as the Israeli Football Association.

But that did not stop the Palestinians from playing the sport del coure- football. Originally introduced by the British police and military officers occupying and maintaining the British Mandate, it became a passion leading to the formation of the Palestine Football Association attempts that rightfully were recognized in 1998.

The toll that occupation has taken on the Palestinians is telling when you look at the struggle of the football association. In 2006, while Israel was destroying Gaza, they also destroyed the main soccer stadium, which Israel said was being used by terrorists to launch rockets at Israel. FIFA is now paying to have the field repaired after they investigation found that:

it deemed the direct strike was "without any reason" and that the soccer field was not being used by Palestinians s a missile launching pad, as Israel's ambassador to Switzerland had originally claimed.

Later the Israeli's would claim that "there had not been any rocket fire from the soccer field, but that the air strike was part of an effort to deter possible attacks after an increase in rocket launches from Gaza. " The ironic aspect of this is that the field has "one single large crater" at the center of the field, right smack dab in the center- some IDF pilot thought it would be deterrent to something like playing soccer (collective punishment?). Don't believe me, check this out- “artillery fire from Israel was fired directly at it,” said an IDF spokesman. “The terrorism is coming from within them, and they need to know that they are the ones suffering.”

(A moment for pause, this seems reminiscent to how the Israeli's treated the Gaza Flotilla, constantly shifting their justification)

The difficulties, however, are not regulated to out right war from Israel. Organizing something as mundane as a training session for the entire team is near impossible because of travel restrictions placed by Israel upon people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the difficulty in obtaining an exit visa from Israel. Just imagine, the US State Department says this about traveling in Israel for US Citizens:

U.S. citizen visitors have been subjected to prolonged questioning and thorough searches by Israeli authorities upon entry or departure. U.S. citizens whom Israeli authorities suspect of being of Arab, Middle Eastern, or Muslim origin...face additional, often time-consuming, and probing questioning by immigration and border authorities, or may even be denied entry into Israel, the West Bank, or Gaza.

and for Americans who are Palestinians:

It is possible (disregard the diplomatic "it is possible" language) that Israeli authorities would consider as Palestinian anyone who has a Palestinian identification number, was born in the West Bank or Gaza, or was born in the United States but has parents or grandparents who were born or lived in the West Bank or Gaza. Any such U.S. citizen may be required to travel to Israel using his or her PA passport, regardless of whether he or she holds U.S. citizenship. Without the PA passport, such Americans may be barred from entering or exiting Israel, the West Bank or Gaza, or they may face serious delays at the ports of entry.

and

According to the written policy, foreign citizens “may transit to the West Bank via Israel after showing documents at the Ben Gurion airport or Allenby Bridge [crossing between the West Bank and Jordan] that confirm their status/position and the purpose of their visit, subject to inspection and approval by a representative of the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories.” Despite this written policy, U.S. citizens have reported contradictory procedures and instructions from Israeli authorities when entering the West Bank for the purpose of work, including denial of entry, “PA-only” stamps that prohibit entry into "Green Line" Israel, authorization of permission to work on a tourist visa, and denial of permission to work on a tourist visa.

But it gets better

U.S. citizen visitors have been subjected to prolonged questioning and thorough searches upon entry or departure by Israeli authorities. U.S. citizens with Arabic or Muslim names, those born in Muslim or Middle Eastern countries...have been detained and/or arrested at the airport and at other border crossings on suspicion of security-related offenses.In some cases, Israeli authorities have denied American citizens access to U.S. consular officers, lawyers, and even family members during temporary detention.

and then there is this warning:

Demonstrations can be particularly dangerous in areas such as checkpoints, settlements, military areas, and major thoroughfares where protesters are likely to encounter Israeli security forces. Within Israel, U.S. citizens should be aware that demonstrations in predominantly Arab areas and confrontations between Arab and Jewish residents of ethnically mixed towns can occur with little or no advance warning. (which continues) During periods of unrest, the Israeli Government sometimes closes off access to the West Bank and Gaza and those areas may be placed under curfew.U.S. citizens have been killed, seriously injured, or detained and deported as a result of encounters with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operations in Gaza and the West Bank. Travel restrictions may be imposed with limited warning...U.S. citizens have been killed, seriously injured, or detained and deported as a result of encounters with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operations in Gaza and the West Bank. Travel restrictions may be imposed with little or no warning. Strict measures have frequently been imposed following terrorist actions, and the movement of Palestinian Americans, both those with residency status in the West Bank or Gaza as well as foreign passport holders, has been severely impeded. Due to current limitations on travel by U.S. Government employees to the West Bank and Gaza made necessary by uncertain security conditions, the ability of consular staff to offer timely assistance to U.S. citizens in need in these areas is considerably reduced at present.

All this is just warning from the US State Department for American Citizens. Imagine, if you are Arab, Muslim or anything Muslim sounding, you become a second class citizen by the very country- Israel- we proclaim as being the only DEMOCRATIC nation in the Middle East. My blue passport gets treated with higher regard in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, then it does in Israel. Given that Americans have it so rough, can you imagine how Palestinians trying to play soccer go through- no wonder they can't train, play games or anything else related to the sport.

The other problem is that the Israeli-Arabs don't want to trade in their Israeli passport for a Palestinian which could mean being stateless in Israel.

On July 31, 2003 Israel enacted the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law West Bank or Gaza Strip and who marry Israelis; the rule has been waived for any Palestinian "who identifies with the State of Israel and its goals, when he or a member of his family has taken concrete action to advance the security, economy or any other matter important to the State." Upon expiration the law was extended for six months in August 2004, and again for 4 months in February 2005. (Temporary Provision), 5763-2003, a one year amendment to Israel's Citizenship Law denying citizenship and Israeli residence to Palestinians who reside in the

Although this law theoretically applies to all Israelis, it has disproportionately affected Arab citizens of Israel as Israeli Arabs are far more likely to have Palestinian spouses than other Israelis, in essence trying to control the growth of the Israeli Arab population. Further, these Israeli Arabs are 20% of the population in Israel and face the significant brunt of discrimination as the The Report by the State Commission of Inquiry into the Events of October 2000 (by the Israeli Government) :

The Arab citizens of Israel live in a reality in which they experience discrimination as Arabs. This inequality has been documented in a large number of professional surveys and studies, has been confirmed in court judgments and government resolutions, and has also found expression in reports by the state comptroller and in other official documents. Although the Jewish majority’s awareness of this discrimination is often quite low, it plays a central role in the sensibilities and attitudes of Arab citizens. This discrimination is widely accepted, both within the Arab sector and outside it, and by official assessments, as a chief cause of agitation.

Then there is the report by the United States government on human rights which states:

"In June (2004), the Supreme Court ruled that omitting Arab towns from specific government social and economic plans is discriminatory. This judgment builds on previous assessments of disadvantages suffered by Arab Israelis."
"Israeli-Arab organizations have challenged as discriminatory the 1996 "Master Plan for the Northern Areas of Israel," which listed as priority goals increasing the Galilee's Jewish population and blocking the territorial contiguity of Arab towns."
"Israeli Arabs were underrepresented in the student bodies and faculties of most universities and in higher professional and business ranks. The Bureau of Statistics noted that the median number of school years for the Jewish population is 3 years more than for the Arab population. Well educated Arabs often were unable to find jobs commensurate with their level of education. According to Sikkuy, Arab citizens held approximately 60 to 70 of the country's 5,000 university faculty positions."

In February 2007, The New York Times reported that 53 percent of the impoverished families in Israel were Arabs. Since the majority of Arabs in Israel do not serve in the army, they are ineligible for many financial benefits such as scholarships and housing loans.

Given all this it seems that its a miracle that the Palestinian Football Association has even been able to muster the roster for a team. Israel's refusal to issue exit visas has resulted in players or in some cases, the entire team being able to play games. In November 2006, all players based inside Palestine were denied exit visas. Israel can be perceived as being the culprit for torpedoing Palestinian attempts at achieving premier status in 2007:

There was a buzz about the team and genuine hope that qualification could be a possibility. Preparation for the team's third game, away to Uzbekistan, were severely hampered after the Israeli authorities refused travel permits for nearly half the squad. Barely, able to scrape together a starting eleven, Palestine sank to a 3-0 defeat. Hope was kept alive in the fourth game, when Palestine overcame similar obstacles to beat Chinese Taipei 1-0 but their lack of preparation was made evident in the deciding game against Uzbekistan where the team slumped to another 3-0 loss.

Then in May 2008, Israeli Authorities dealt another blow to the National team when the team was not allowed to travel to participate in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, a competition where Palestine was expected to contend for the title and receive a berth at the 2011 Asian Cup.

But why? How much of a possible security threat could a football game create? Well the answer lies in the very existence of the Palestinian Football Association. In Israel's eyes, there is no Palestine, so there can be no team. To prove this point, Israel does whatever it can to humiliate, subjugate and cripple the will of the Palestinian people to accept that there can be no existence unless its dictated by the Israeli government. The Palestinian FA has survived all these years pulling in from the refugees and diaspora that exist across the world, from as far away as Chile and the United States. A major factor for these disparate players is that sport is the only realm in which a Palestinian state is fully recognized and Israel does everything to undermine its recognition.

Football, the game that brings the world together, has also meant despair for Palestinians. Tariq al Quto was killed by the Israeli Defense Force and striker Ziyad Al-Kord was banned from traveling and had his house destroyed. During the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict Ayman Alkurd, Shadi Sbakhe, and Wajeh Moshtahe were among the Palestinian casualties.

Football is part of the Israeli's Palestinian collateral damage on the alter of protecting a Jewish only democratic state. Goal of Dreams is a documentary that chronicles that Palestinian reality- in the face of brutal oppression, there is nothing but a will for self determination and hope.

Yet, I do hold out hope as I watch the 2010 World Cup that football can unite. There is a group in Israel and Palestine- Goal2018- advocating for the 2018 World Cup to take place in Israel-Palestine. Though it seems far fetched, like the Palestinians I have to hold hope that there will be an end to the oppression for the sake of the Jewish people in whose name the brutality is conducted.

If Pakistan Were a Bride...its rishta advertisement

2010-06-04T01:02:00.000-07:00

"Country. Seeking financial tourist to invest, or proper grants to enforce rule of law. Divorced after first marriage to Britain, cleaved from arranged marriage to India. Children: Well-behaved, English-speaking, with multi-cultural flavors, that might lead to hostile sibling rivalry, on occasions; Children are not a problem, very fertile can produce many more. If seeking some spice to life, adventure, land is aflame with struggles and fervor. But fear not, all can be curbed with a danda-stick and some proper piasa in the form of envelopes discretely placed in appropriate slot. IMF-World Bank affiliates preferred, can be rich oil sheikh, but must apply with proper payment for further consideration. China is welcome, need not dilly dally with formalities."

When Liberty was attacked, it wasn't the Mavi Marmara

2010-06-04T00:24:00.000-07:00

Below is an excerpt of the Isreali attack on the USS Liberty, a United States naval research ship which was attacked by the Isreali Defense Forces.

Ongoing controversy and unresolved questions

Many intelligence and military officials dispute Israel's explanation^[44]

Dean Rusk, U.S. Secretary of State at the time of the incident, wrote:

I was never satisfied with the Israeli explanation. Their sustained attack to disable and sink Liberty precluded an assault by accident or some trigger-happy local commander. Through diplomatic channels we refused to accept their explanations. I didn't believe them then, and I don't believe them to this day. The attack was outrageous.^[45]

Retired naval Lieutenant Commander James Ennes, a junior officer (and off-going Officer of the Deck) on Liberty's bridge at the time of the attack, authored a book titled Assault on the Liberty (Random House, 1980; Ballantine Books 1986; Reintree Press 2004) describing the incident during the Six Day War in June 1967 and claiming, among other things, it was deliberate. Ennes and Joe Meadors, another survivor of the attack, run a website^[46] about the incident. Meadors states that the classification of the attack as deliberate is the official policy of the association, to which all known survivors belong. Other survivors run several additional websites. Citing Ennes's book, Lenczowski notes: Liberty's personnel received firm orders not to say anything to anybody about the attack, and the naval inquiry was conducted in such a way as to earn it the name of "coverup".^[33]

In 2002, Captain Ward Boston, JAGC, U.S. Navy, senior counsel for the Court of Inquiry, claimed that the Court of Inquiry's findings were intended to cover up what was a deliberate attack by Israel on a ship it knew to be American. In 2004, in response to the publication of Jay Cristol’s book The Liberty Incident, which Boston claimed was an "insidious attempt to whitewash the facts" he prepared and signed an affidavit^[47] in which he claimed that Admiral Kidd had told him that the government ordered Kidd to falsely report that the attack was a mistake, and that he and Kidd both believed the attack was deliberate. On the issue Boston wrote, in part:

The evidence was clear. Both Admiral Kidd and I believed with certainty that this attack, which killed 34 American sailors and injured 172 others, was a deliberate effort to sink an American ship and murder its entire crew. Each evening, after hearing testimony all day, we often spoke our private thoughts concerning what we had seen and heard. I recall Admiral Kidd repeatedly referring to the Israeli forces responsible for the attack as 'murderous bastards.' It was our shared belief, based on the documentary evidence and testimony we received first hand, that the Israeli attack was planned and deliberate, and could not possibly have been an accident.

Cristol wrote about Boston's professional qualifications and integrity, on page 149 of his book:

Boston brought two special assets in addition to his skill as a Navy lawyer. He had been a naval aviator in World War II and therefore had insight beyond that of one qualified only in the law. Also, Kidd knew him as a man of integrity. On an earlier matter Boston had been willing to bump heads with Kidd when Boston felt it was more important to do the right thing than to curry favor with the senior who would write his fitness report.

Cristol believes that Boston is not telling the truth about Kidd's views and any pressure from the U.S. government.[3] A. Jay Cristol, who also served as an officer of the U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General, suggests that Boston was responsible in part for the original conclusions of the Court of Inquiry, and that by later declaring that they were false he has admitted to "lying under oath." Cristol also notes that Boston's claims about pressure on Kidd were hearsay, and that Kidd was not alive to confirm or deny them. He also notes that Boston did not maintain prior to his affidavit and comments related to it that Kidd spoke of such instructions to him or to others. Finally, he provides a handwritten 1991 letter from Admiral Kidd^[48] that, according to Cristol, "suggest that Ward Boston has either a faulty memory or a vivid imagination".

The Anti-Defamation League supports Cristol's opinion:

... according to his own account, Boston's evidence of a cover-up derives not from his own part in the investigation but solely on alleged conversations with Admiral Kidd, who purportedly told him he was forced to find that the attack was unintentional. Kidd died in 1999 and there is no way to verify Boston's allegations. However, Cristol argues that the 'documentary record' strongly indicated that Kidd 'supported the validity of the findings of the Court of Inquiry to his dying day.'^[49]

However, according to James Ennes, Admiral Kidd urged him and his group to keep pressing for an open congressional probe.^[50]

The following arguments, found in official reports or other sources, were published to support that the attack was due to mistaken identity:

Friendly fire accidents do occur in wartime. The day before the attack on the Liberty, Israeli aircraft had bombed an Israeli armored column south of the West Bank town of Jenin, demonstrating such mistakes do happen.^[51]
The incident took place during the Six Day War when Israel was engaged in battles with two Arab countries and preparing to attack a third, creating an environment where mistakes and confusion were prevalent. For example, at 11:45, a few hours before the attack, there was a large explosion on the shores of El-Arish followed by black smoke, probably caused by the destruction of an ammunition dump by retreating Egyptian forces. The Israeli army thought the area was being bombarded, and that an unidentified ship offshore was responsible. (According to U.S. sources, Liberty was 14 nmi (16 mi; 26 km) from those shores at the time of the explosion.)
As the torpedo boats rapidly approached, Liberty opened fire on them. This was after the aerial attacks. At the inquiry, Commander McGonagle expressed that he felt sure the torpedo boat captains believed they were under fire from the Liberty.^[12]
Admiral Shlomo Erell, former head of the Israeli Navy in 1967, notes that no successful argument of benefit has been presented for Israel purposely attacking an American warship, especially considering the high cost of predictable complications that would follow after attacking a powerful ally, and the fact that Israel notified the American embassy immediately after the attack.^[52]

Amidships starboard hull and superstructure attack damage.

Several books and the BBC documentary USS Liberty: Dead in the Water argued that Liberty was attacked in order to prevent the U.S. from knowing about the forthcoming attack in the Golan Heights, which apparently would violate a cease-fire to which Israel's government had agreed.[4]^{[dead link]} Russian author Joseph Daichman, in his book "History of the Mossad" states Israel was justified in attacking the Liberty.^[53] Israel knew that American radio signals were intercepted by the Soviet Union, and that the Soviets would certainly inform Egypt of the fact that by moving troops to the Golan Heights, Israel had left the Egyptian border undefended.^[54]

Lenczowski notes that while the Israeli decision to “attack and destroy” the ship “may appear puzzling”, the explanation seems to be found in Liberty's nature and its task to monitor communications on both sides in the war zone. He writes, “Israel clearly did not want the U.S. government to know too much about its dispositions for attacking Syria, initially planned for June 8, but postponed for 24 hours. It should be pointed out that the attack on the Liberty occurred on June 8, whereas on June 9 at 3 AM, Syria announced its acceptance of the cease-fire. Despite this, at 7 AM, that is, four hours later, Israel’s minister of defense, Moshe Dayan, “gave the order to go into action against Syria.””^[55] He further writes that timely knowledge of this decision and preparatory moves toward it “might have frustrated Israeli designs for the conquest of Syria’s Golan Heights” and, in the sense of Ennes’s accusations, provides “a plausible thesis that Israel deliberately decided to incapacitate the signals-collecting American ship and leave no one alive to tell the story of the attack.”^[56]

U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Barbour, had reported on the day of the Liberty attack that he "would not be surprised" by an Israeli attack on Syria, and the IDF Intelligence chief told a White House aide then in Israel that "there still remained the Syria problem and perhaps it would be necessary to give Syria a blow,"^[57]

In 1983 Noam Chomsky pronounced the attack "clearly premeditated," adding that "the general reaction of the press and scholarship" to the incident "has been silence or misrepresentation." Chomsky added that "It has been suggested that the Israeli attack on the U.S. spy ship Liberty was motivated by concern that the U.S. might detect the plans for this attack [on the Golan Heights]^[58]

The 1981 book Weapons by Russell Warren Howe asserts that Liberty was accompanied by the Polaris armed Lafayette-class submarine USS Andrew Jackson, which filmed the entire episode through its periscope but was unable to provide assistance. According to Howe: "Two hundred feet below the ship, on a parallel course, was its 'shadow'—the Polaris strategic submarine Andrew Jackson, whose job was to take out all the Israeli long-range missile sites in the Negev if Tel Aviv decided to attack Cairo, Damascus or Baghdad. This was in order that Moscow would not have to perform this task itself and thus trigger World War Three."^[59]

James Bamford, a former ABC News producer, in his 2001 book Body of Secrets,^[60] proposes a different possible motive for a deliberate attack: to prevent the discovery of a massacre by the IDF of Egyptian prisoners of war that was supposedly taking place at the same time in the nearby town of El-Arish.^[61] In 1995, mass graves of Egyptian soldiers were discovered outside of El-Arish, and IDF veterans have admitted that unarmed civilians and prisoners of war were murdered in the 1967 War.[5][6] However, this theory does not explain why the Israelis would attack a ship that was beyond the horizon from Egypt and could not possibly have seen anything that happened there. It also doesn't explain why, if the attack was deliberate, Israel would break off the attack without eliminating all the witnesses.

The press release for the BBC documentary film Dead in the Water states that new recorded and other evidence suggests the attack was a "daring ploy by Israel to fake an Eygptian attack" to give America a reason to enter the war against Egypt. Convinced that that attack was real, President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson launched nuclear-armed planes targeted against Cairo from a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. The planes were recalled only just in time, when it was clear the Liberty had not sunk and that Israel had carried out the attack. An information source for the aircraft being nuclear-armed, James Ennes, later stated that he was probably wrong in his original book. According to Ennes, the planes were not nuclear-armed, but most likely armed with Bullpup missiles.^[62] The video also provides testimonal evidence of a covert alliance of U.S. and Israel intelligence agencies.^[63] However, the fact that the Israelis themselves informed the U.S. Embassy that the attack was an accidental attack by Israeli forces within two hours of the attack renders this explanation implausible.

Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a critic of the official United States Government version of events, chaired a non-governmental investigation into the attack on the USS Liberty in 2003. The committee, which included former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia James E. Akins, held Israel to be culpable and suggested several theories for Israel's possible motives, including the desire to blame Egypt and bring the U.S. into the Six Day War.^[64]

One In a Million- "Immigrants and faggots"

2010-06-02T23:51:00.000-07:00

I have been reading some books on post-colonialism which is the study of the effects that colonialism has had on societies and cultures- reactions to, analysis of and discourse on. The ultimate goal of post-colonialism is combating the residual effects of colonialism on cultures- it is an "activist" academic endeavor. It is not simply concerned with salvaging past worlds, but learning how the world can move beyond this period together, towards a place of mutual respect. What I find engaging about post colonial academics is their pull on philosophy, literature, religious ideology's, history, political science, film, song, geography and sociology into a collective discourse. For a bibliophile like me its the quickest way to get a fix on academic works without sitting down and reading through each piece.

I personally enjoy reading Passport Photos by Amitava Kumar because its presentation of the passport, it becomes a vehicle to introduce an immigrant and the stories that are told by the immigrant that aren't found in the "passport". I found the following Gun's and Rose's reference:

Immigrants and faggots
They make no sense to me
They come to our country
And think they'll do as they please
Like start some mini Iran,
Or spread some fuckin' disease
They talk so many goddamn ways
It's all Greek to me
Well some say I'm lazy
And others say that's just me
Some say I'm crazy
I guess I'll always be
But it's been such a long time
Since I knew right from wrong
It's all the means to an end, I
I keep it movin' along

At the time Axl Rose played down the songs "racist and homophobic" content, but only dug himself into a hole as he tried to justify the lyrics. The lyrics though presents a cognizant presentation of the realities in which we exist today. Obviously, I am not implying that there is out-an-out racism or hatred in "pro-border control" groups, but the underlying racism is present in the framework. From tea party rallies to politicians speaking on the issue- the silence, or lack of rejection, of the hate that froths out of "individuals" speaks to the complicity or agreement to those ideas.

While the world, especially the US with its "interests" abroad, push the world to globalize, we here internally are faced with a conundrum- desiring badly the benefits of a rich industrialized world at the cheapest possible rate, yet, wanting to stop the flow of people to the smallest trickle possible. Globalization is all about the "free flow" of things and not limited to just money and goods, it includes ideas and people, diseases and environmental problems. The same misguided, ignorant rants of 20 years ago seem to pop up today, and yet, how can we be surprised?

Was it not just some 70 years ago that on the West Coast it was fashionable to post signs that read "Move on Jap, White man's neighborhood" or the one I found in Pittsburgh "No Dogs. No Negroes. No Mexicans"? The two consistent strains that have shaped our American reality is that of our idealism and our racism. Like to wings on a bird, idealism and racism, represent the hopes and the fear Americans have contended with since our inception as a nation, but unlike a bird, we as Americans have to move past our fears of the "other".

Kumar goes on to relate "when we use the word 'alien' it seems to stick rather unproblematically and unquestioningly to something or someone, and it is only by a conscious, critical act that we think of something different. Several years ago, in a public speech, Reverent Jesse Jackson seemed to be questioning the fixed and arbitrary assumptions in the dominant ideology when he reminded his audience that undocumented Mexicans were not aliens, they were migrant workers. E.T., Jackson said emphatically, was an alien.

The debate on language does introduce the construct of how we relate to issues. Alien seems so benign and other. Alien makes the human less human. Alien, as defined by a government agencies, establishes a legal identity, or lack there of. Why extend human benefits to something that lacks a sense of humanity?

Yet like the Guns and Roses song, "immigrants and faggots" seems to portray a disturbing taste. Unpleasant and unforgiving. The lyrics suggest the simplification of migration, as if "America is the place to be", and robs the immigrants sense of place, story- reality. Why is this person really coming to the US? Why would a person go across desert and near death to work in measly paying jobs, trekking thousands of miles away from family, home and friends?

The answers in this frame is easy- America is a land of gold bricks compared to an aliens third world setting. Simple, yet so benign. God forbid, if the US were to become a third world country, maybe because of these aliens, would you just pick up to move to China? What would drive you to China- the jobs?

By my desk at home there a picture drawn by D. Minkler in 1994, something I bought off the street vendors (the artist himself?) in Berkeley, which states "Aliens come to the US in search of intelligent life. Still looking." Above which is a cartoon of an alien at the US border being shot down, cut up and chased after by the US border patrol and law enforcement. Now, one would have to contend with armed militias. But, again, as in 1994, one does not have to go far back to see the virulent hate and ignorance that laces the immigration debate.

I have this Minkler print framed and at my desk, so that each time I look up at I am reminded of my own prejudices, I am reminded of my own "alien" experience- Pakistani national, American Resident Alien, Naturalized Citizen. Its hard to simplify something when its present in my reality.

Isreal, International Waters and the Humanitarian Aid Flotilla Confrontation

2010-05-31T15:08:00.001-07:00

But Wait California Has an SB 1070 Too!

2010-05-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

With the City of Angels about to get its lights turned off, all the immigration reform advocates have to sit and wonder, is Arizona's SB 1070 really worth it? Is Arizona that significant of a state for us to really care, just ponder that while you sit in the dark!

When the lights are on, I suggest reading the California Penal Code Section 834b which provides our very own version of S.B.1070, or at least that's the argument that Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams puts forward in his Washington Post op-ed today trying to shame Californians for playing the "holier then thou art" card.

He cites the states code as reading: "With respect to any such person who is arrested, and suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws, every law enforcement agency shall do the following:

"Attempt to verify the legal status of such person as a citizen of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted as a permanent resident, an alien lawfully admitted for a temporary period of time or as an alien who is present in the United States in violation of immigration laws. The verification process may include, but shall not be limited to, questioning the person regarding his or her date and place of birth, and entry into the United States, and demanding documentation to indicate his or her legal status."

But what he fails to do is compare California's code to the language that is found in Arizona's S.B. 1070:

FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OF A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE, WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON, EXCEPT IF THE DETERMINATION MAY HINDER OR OBSTRUCT AN INVESTIGATION. (emphasis added)

That's just the introduction of the bill. It continues to make it illegal for any state entity to declare it self a "sanctuary" and further restricts the ability to aid, abet or employ individuals who are found to be undocumented. I might be mistaken but it also places fines for legal aliens who are not carrying appropriate documentation and failed to provide documentation when asked (I could be reading the bill wrong). The only thing that I found reasonable in the bill was that it supported the full enforcement of Federal laws on immigration. And then, gave the state a steroid shot to enforce those laws.

The key difference here is the language of California's bill and Arizona's- we in California do not institute racial profiling in contact being established by law enforcement, and specifically only apply immigration verifications for legitimate arrests (hopefully all arrests are legitimate, but sometimes officers make mistakes?). California law enforcement agencies do have MOU's (memo's of understanding) which allow ICE (Federal agency responsible for Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to train a select group of officers in jails and have access to inmates there for proper immigration processing, but they do not go around stopping people so as to ask about their immigration status.

I have written about this in the past and this post only supports what I have said then, racial profiling or even the slightest licensing of racial profiling is a bad law enforcement policy. Police Chiefs have stated that the Arizona bill "will cause a "fracture" between the police and their communities and damage the trust law enforcement officials have been building for decades."

-(If you haven't voted for me, please take a moment and do so here at Democracy For America!)-

Arizona's bill is significantly far from being a tool for law enforcement, and sadly, its now the very thing that is leading to Arizona's embrace of "workers programs" because its industries have seen the "flight of labor" and the Arizona economy is now facing cultural boycotts, but specifically what is termed the "Sound Strike". Artists like Joe Satriani, Serj Tankian, Rise Against, Ozomatli, Sabertooth Tiger, Massive Attack, One Day as a Lion, Street Sweeper Social Club, Spank Rock, Sonic Youth and Tenacious D, Kanye West; Cypress Hill has canceled concerts in Arizona, along with Pitbull, Conjunto Primavera and Espinoza Paz, Latin music stars Jenni Rivera and Wisin & Yandel. But of coarse there is a difference of opinion, other artists believe because of this new law they have to go to Arizona more then ever before, though it seems this is a minority perspective.

-(If you haven't voted for me, please take a moment and do so here at Democracy For America!)-

Aunty Jelass Said So

2010-05-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

Listen up kiddo's, because this is story wrote up on the web, from a person whose got heart and can't ever be anything but smart (?). My rhyming skills suck, but this blog on the other hand does not- After the Nikah- where Aunty Jelass offers up a "passionate, aggressive, and thirsting knowledge" attitude on married life.

The blog endeavor seems new and for the little that has been shared, I do admit I am quite envious because the content is hitting the heart when I read it. I just found out that the writer, Aunty Jelass, is preggers! (May Allah help her through this, and bring ease, and make the stowaway a means for paradise for the parents, Ameen) She also has a rare condition, which I am somewhat familiar with, as a friend of mine is experiencing it. Either way, this past month has been filled with wonderful stowaway surprises! So many of my friends are expecting kids, a few of them are ready to pop'em out! But iA to all of them I pray for the best.

Aunty Jelass came on my radar after she provided me some feedback on my "Knowing when a girl likes you?" post. She told me to hang in there and not to change myself, little does she know, all I do is be myself because I don't know how else to be (and it helps that I love myself quite a bit too!).

-(If you haven't voted for me, please take a moment and do so here at Democracy For America!)-

To share the love with her for reading my blog so consistently (she commented here, here and here!) I thought I would not only connect you all to her blog (be her follower fool!) but take the step to provide public responses to the questions she posted up for the brothers to answer when asked by their future better halves:

a) A friend has a daughter who refuses to wear Hijab even after she is told the hadeeth about not entering paradise because of it.

Does a hadith really qualify as a means to convince anyone of doing anything? I mean, religion is about conviction, and their is no compulsion in Islam, so a person has to find it in them between fear and hope to do what is required in by God of us. However, one has to apply the teaching of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, this friend needs to learn to spit less hadith and more expression of love to Allah. The easiest thing is to tell people things- do this, dont do that, stop, go, no, yes, maybe- but the difficult thing is to express and share with them the essence of what is behind that order- I don't mean explanations either, I mean the love for things. Muhammad Ali, the boxer, when confronted with his daughter who was wearing some scandalous clothes didn't ostercize her, but rather as he had done when she was a baby, sat her down. He gave her some love and then told her that God protects those things that we humans value most- pearls and gold. God makes them difficult for us to get to, difficult because it requires our effort and commitment. Drawing that analogy Muhammad Ali built memorable moment between his daughter, his desires for her along with his love for God and obedience to Gods words. This is not the easiest thing, and I pray for those parents out there who are faced with this situation. Having a sister who wore the hijab on her own when she was twelve years old, against both my parents wishes and her older brothers, I can only say that my lesson learned from that experience was that my sister was presented with choices and was allowed to be challenged even when doing right and finally made her decision based on her own reading, listening and discussing.

b) A friend has a 1-year old baby. The wife has no immediate family in the same town to help her. The wife wants to attend an Islamic halaqa. This requires the husband to take care of the baby for 3 hours a week during the halaqa. The husband says he is not use to this; the baby is her responsibility.

Get out my house momma, I want my daddy time with my child!

c) A friend is having problems at work. His wife hears him discuss these problems with his friends over the phone, but he never mentions it to her. When the wife asks him about what is going on, his answer is that there is nothing she can do about it, that he can handle this alone.

-(If you haven't voted for me, please take a moment and do so here at Democracy For America!)-

This is a weird prompt. Personally I talk to everyone who I think would be best suited to advise me on a matter that I am faced with. Maybe the husband doesn't feel the wife is best suited? But either way, the fact that a husband would talk on the phone in the presence of his wife about issues at his work with his friend and then not tell his wife when she asks, is wrong on multiple levels. Don't throw the bait if you don't want to catch the fish. Marriage is about communications and an answer that says your wife is useless is degrading to the marriage ya'all signed up for. In the line of work I do its not right for me to talk to people about my work because of confidentiality. However, one time I was traumatized by a situation in which I had to assist in an intervention of a person who was suicidal, that whole process required that I go see a therapist and since then I have found it very helpful in dealing with the stress of my work.

d) A lady is complaining to her mother that her husband never discloses their financial status to her. Every time she asks him about how much he earns or how much their savings are, his answer is, “Why do you ask about this? Don’t you have enough?”

I would hope my wife would be part of the finances. I won't say that I burn through money, but I will say that I have a certain sense of entitlement when it comes to buying things for myself. I like to splurge on items.

e) A friend has a wife who has a personality conflict with his sister. Whenever they visit, there is tension in the air. Usually after the visit, the husband is very upset and always blames the wife. The wife feels that she is trying hard enough, while the sister is not. She also feels that the husband is taking his sister’s side all the time and demanding too much of her.

Sounds like a bad Pakistani drama. (God, I knew I should have paid attention to those or else you wouldn't have put me through the experience of watching them!) I would tell the sister to sit in one corner and tell my wife to sit in another so I could enjoy my mom's cooking? I don't know about this because I am blessed with a pretty laid back family in terms of siblings and also my parents are not all too demanding...having been a college mentor where the idea was to "listen" then I would put those skills to use- no action plan, just listening and projecting back what I am hearing.

f) A friend who wants to get married finds the right match in a university student who is ready for marriage provided that she can continue her education after marriage. He is not sure what to do because this may mean delaying having children for a few years as well as less time spent by this wife on cooking and housekeeping. What would you advise him?

His rear end better learn how to cook, clean and multitask, or he better hire a cleaner, bring his mom, sister, mother-in-law or sister-in-law in town to do the cooking, cleaning and child rearing. Or if that's not the case, then he better get comfortable with the idea of delaying if he likes this girl that much. If he wants to change the girl then it isn't in his benefit to pursue her, he should find a girl that fits what he is looking for. I would volunteer to baby sit once the kid is older then one year, but that won't help in the immediate run of things.

-(If you haven't voted for me, please take a moment and do so here at Democracy For America!)-

List the qualities you would like to have in your future spouse in order of priority

I've done this on numerous occasions and if you would like a copy of it feel free to provide me your contact information, maybe if your appeal is moving enough, I might click the send button.

g) Write a few lines on your understanding of the concept of “Qawamah.” As derived from the following verse:

“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in (the husband’s) absence what Allah would have them guard.”

I bring the bread, you make the bacon. I provide the roof, you pick up the boots. I speak, you listen. I listen, you obey. I can't think there could possibly be more to this? Joking aside, though, I never really see myself having a "traditional" marriage- I want my wife to pursue her career, to get further education, to have goals and ambitions beyond just marriage, I want us to negotiate household responsibilities, I want us to plan together where we see ourselves in the present, the near future and the far off future. I want it to be a mutual journey, where I can be the captain and she can be the first mate...wait, I think that a line from some cheesy song?!

-(If you haven't voted for me, please take a moment and do so here at Democracy For America!)-

H) Write a few lines on your understanding of polygamy in Islam.

Its a practice in Islam that is permitted and encouraged only with strict stipulations. As Muslims we are not subjected to relative changes in social norms, rather we are required to practice the Prophetic method with all the provisions and within the legal framework of the societies we reside in, for example, polygamy is illegal in the United States (but having a mistress is not....). I would not expect my wife to deny the practice of polygamy, however, I expect my wife to stipulate her approval (or disapproval!) of the practice in our relationship. Also, I don't have any desire for instituting this because having one wife (with four personalities) is enough for me to manage, I don't need any further juggling of peoples emotions and feelings and desires and dislikes and what not.

i.) Please write a few lines on your understanding of the following verses:

Q42, V49-50

“Unto Allah belongs Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male(offspring) upon whom He wills.”

If we have a daughter then Allah is most great, if we have a son then Allah is most great? (If not then there is IVF and worse comes to worse, its okay I will allow myself to be cloned) Its pretty simple, having kids is a blessing from God, raising them is a severe challenge- test- from God. Anyone embarking on that endeavor, man may Allah be with you, and if I have such a blessing at my door then I embrace it, in fact I look forward to it- heck, I want little Shaikhs running around surfing and being activists and raising hell about their rights wherever they go, or little princesses competing to be Prom Queens and Miss America's or light feather weight women's boxing Gold medalist at the Olympics (I guess even little Princess's doing photo shoots in their Spiderman 7 jammies).

J.) Please answer the following with Yes or No. Feel free to cross out any part of statement tihat doesn’t represent your view.

I believe that family decisions should be taken by the husband, while the wife and children should listen and follow. (Y/N)
No
I believe that family decisions should be discussed between husband and wife to reach a common understanding of the situation. The couple should then involve the children and allow them to express their opinions. It is then the husband’s responsibility to make the final decision taking his family’s opinion into consideration. (Y/N)
Yes.
I believe that the man is the head of the family. He doesn’t need to consult with his family. His wife should obey all his orders in both major issues, such as moving houses; visiting families overseas; and deciding on the children’s schooling, and in minor issues such as visiting friends and deciding how to spend leisure time. (Y/N)
No.
I believe that a wife should listen to and obey her husband. The husband should be accommodative and, instead of giving orders, discuss and use the “give and take” approach. (Y/N)
Yes.
I believe that my wife’s first and most important duty is to prepare tasty good meals, clean the house, and make sure all my needs and wishes are met. (Y/N)
No
I believe that ensuring a reasonably clean and tidy house, preparing healthy meals for the family, and meeting my needs are among my wife’s other responsibilities such as increasing her knowledge and education, taking care of the children, participating in Islamic activities, and taking on responsibilities to fulfill community needs. (Y/N)
Yes.
I believe that a husband should help with the children so his wife can be relieved of being with the children all the time.-(If you haven't voted for me, please take a moment and do so here at Democracy For America!)- (Y/N)
Yes.
I believe that the children are the mother’s responsibility and the father has enough responsibility earning a living for the family. He should not be bothered in helping the mother. (Y/N)
No.
I believe that husband and wife can be friends, supporting each other, learning from one another; and sharing knowledge, experience, and feelings with one another in a relationship founded on mercy, kindness, and compassion. -(If you haven't voted for me, please take a moment and do so here at Democracy For America!)-(Y/N)
Yes.
I believe that the marriage relationship can’t be a friendship. Only the wife can learn from the husband and these limits should be set. (Y/N)
No.
I believe that a Muslim man should try to marry more than one wife in an effort to revive the Sunna. (Y/N)
No.
I believe that Islamic law allows Muslim men to marry more than one wife as an answer to certain situations. (Y/N)
Yes- but there are specific religious regulations/stipulations that must be met, and if one is not able to then it is not permissible, and also if its permitted by the laws of the countries one resides in.

There, all done. Now go read the blog for yourself. Now all the brothers going to be coming to my blog checking up on my answers for their cheatsheets!

-(If you haven't voted for me, please take a moment and do so here at Democracy For America!)-

Another good book, if youre on that endeavor to find that better half, is "Before the Wedding" by Munira Lekovic Ezzeldine. I highly recommend it.

Lost Finale- One Lesson Learned

2010-05-25T18:27:00.001-07:00

I just completed my first obsession with a prime time television drama, from start to finish. Six years. Six very long years of learning to live off of Lost when each season ended. The finale on Sunday left a bitter taste in my mouth. The fact that the authors in an interview stated that they wouldn't be answering all the questions viewers had was a solid indication that the finale was built to be a let down- no present day myth of good-versus-evil- just a sad love story, not even a tragic one at that, just a messed up amalgamation of an afterlife love affair.

My friend, in Puerto Rico now, called it right off at the beginning of this season- the finale was going to be craptacular. I told him I agreed but hoped that it would in the end have some redeeming value. After watching the whole season, no, absolutely no redeeming value found.

I believe I have in essence wasted six years of my life committed to a show that only lead me on and provided a conversation piece now and then. What a load of crap. But I need to as a human find some sort of justification, something redeeming, in my having spent so much time and effort in making Lost such and integral part of my life.

-(If you haven't voted for me, please take a moment and do so here at Democracy For America!)-

I came to that conclusion today, I realized the one lesson you can take from Lost and apply to your life- my life- its to live your life in the present.

That means not becoming obsessive about something that is a fantasy, a imagined reality, a story told in moving picture box by humans who are really not all that reliable, or budgets or fickle American viewership and polling numbers along with consumer trending and advertising.

If you can imagine my "sideways" world where I instead invested my time away from Lost and towards something productive, I could be fluent in Arabic. I could have burned off my belly of delights (costco cakes, pastries, donuts, Starbucks upside down caramel machiato). I could have learned how to build websites, use Adobe InDesign, heck, put effort into this blog's content making it worthy to read!

I would be a completer me in my sideways world, without a physical body possibly.

But alas, I can not dwell on the past. I can only effect change on the present, and to apply my Lost lesson I must be industrious in keeping myself engaged in meaningful endeavors. So thank you Lost for teaching me to ditch television and move on to living!

If you haven't voted for me, please take a moment and do so here at Democracy For America!

Warewolves, Identity and High School Students

2010-05-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

I dont know what to make of this right now, watch the video and share your thoughts.

Awlaki- He's Gone Off the Cliff!

2010-05-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't gone back to regular posting on the blog, it's been crazy with my Project Management Professional (PMP or as I like to refer to it "PMP'in it") classes, friends and family members getting married and then having to have to put the bread on the couch (I don't own a dinning table...). But I been meaning to put down something on the blog, some thoughts on Anwar Awlaki, the most recent video now makes it quite important that I do so, especially because I believe in the power of the internet medium in influencing people and that American Muslims are faced with an identity crisis that we don't seem to be making any progress on.

Here is some background:

Al-Awlaki was born in 1971 in New Mexico. His father, Nasser al-Awlaki, was in the United States studying agriculture at the time and later returned with his family to Yemen to serve as agriculture minister. The father remains a prominent figure in Yemen, teaching at San'a University in the capital.

The younger al-Awlaki returned to the United States in 1991 to study civil engineering at Colorado State University, then education at San Diego State University, followed by doctoral work at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

He was also a preacher at mosques in California and Virginia before returning to Yemen in 2004.

Awlaki is a pretty prominent "Imam" or "Sheikh" in the United States. He was in
San Diego, but had left before I got there, so I never met him, but a couple years later, people there were still talking about him. He is a common household name in fact because of a series of lectures he recorded and were distributed in the United States, one website which used to sell them says this:

Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki, author of the best selling series, The Lives of the Prophets, presents his latest lecture series, The Hereafter. In this series the Imam vividly portrays the different phases the human soul passes through during its lifetime up to its death. In breath taking style the listener hears of the events that occur just before death and the events that come after it. The Imam gives a clear description about life in the grave, the horrors of the last day, the major and minor signs leading to the last hour and the day of resurrection. The Imam crowns this eloquently narrated lecture with the process of accountability and recompense. On the Day of Judgement those who pass the test will be rewarded with Paradise and who fail will be rewarded with Hellfire.

What was key in this whole Awlaki rise to fame in the US was that he was the first to take a cohesive lecture series, frame it in a "American" perspective (his American perspective) and then mass market it to the Muslim community. American Muslims connected to his lecture series for a variety of reasons- only one out there doing it, expressing sense of Muslim pride, presenting "sound" historical narrative, isn't framed or manufactured like some "fresh-off-the-boat-production", the list goes on- BUT the whole endeavor made it big because it appealed to the "American" sensibilities of "Muslims" in the United States, ironically.

I have on occasions pointed out that I listened to his lectures. I won't hide that fact, because there isn't anything shameful about that- seeking knowledge is never a shameful act. I listened to his lectures in the same way that I approach any topic or issue- I look for what makes sense and what is relevant and discard the rest. My parents raised me to be keen on always wrapping my head around something and not reacting to it out of my invested interest. Thats probably why on my bookshelf you would find the "Communist Manifesto" sitting next to Ayn Rand's "Fountainhead", which sits next to "Civil Disobedience" by Thoreau and a host of other books on philosophy, human rights, gender studies, globalization, ethnic studies and history- all of which probably sit and argue with one another as I sleep, as Khalid Aboul Fadl aptly titled his book, a "Conference of Books."

One thing I have pointed out in the past, and probably failed to elucidate because I had not quite grasped my feelings about it, was that Awalaki had a very appealing message because his lectures set up a paradigm- "us" versus the "other"- even now that "otherness" is even more pronounced in his messages of violence against the United States and condemnation of Muslims who oppose his perspective:

"We have had more freedom in America than any Muslim country," he said in Sunday's video. "But when America started to feel the danger of Islam's message, it tightened limits on freedom, and after 9/11 it was impossible to live in America as a Muslim.

He has in the past on his blog even suggested that Muslims living in the West were "not Muslims" or what he "idealizes as being Muslim" and that they should leave the United States (I am really summarizing here because I don't have the time nor the desire to go through his blog, if its even up).

I take issue with this statement and I believe me, my family and friends are an example of how false that statement is. I have gotten more support in practicing my religion from non-Muslims in the US, then I did when I went to Pakistan from Muslims. I am able to pray, to fast, to go for Hajj or Ummarah, to explore my religion, have access to religious text, my sister wears the hijab, to create an identity, to foster a sense of community that isn't limited to the "Muslim community", voice my political views and participate in a political process- all things that fall under the "freedoms" guaranteed here to all Americans, whether they be Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jew, Christian, Buddhist or Atheist or any other persuasion.

Of coarse this is not too say there are not challenges in being Muslim in America. There are always challenges, as humans no matter where one resides or lives, Islam frames that as "tests" and each person and community has their share of them. Muslims in the former Soviet republic were forced to renounce their religion, their kids were fed food before they went to school during Ramadan, the religious books were destroyed, religious buildings confiscated and put under lock and key- Muslims in America do not face these restrictions on their freedom to practice their religion. Heck, Muslim women wanting to wear the Niqab can wear that here and not face a ban like that being proposed in France, or not have access to education or state services like that faced in a "Muslim" majority country like Turkey.

Here is what I want to get at though, I am not interested in getting into a tussle with Awalaki and his perspective, but rather, in identifying a key challenge for American Muslims with Awlaki in mind as a person who influences people because of the weakness that the challenge presents.

When Awlaki put down those lectures, his perspective was one in which he saw the viability of Muslims living in America. Since then its clear that he doesn't see Muslims living in America, let alone Muslims coexisting with the West. I refuse to accept that paradigm. I am more American then I will be anything else and I embrace my American identity; his call for violence against America is not just an attack on me but an attack on humanity, worse, its a gross distortion of my religion. The Quran states:

"Whoever kills a person [unjustly]…it is as though he has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind." (Qur’an, 5:32)

and

Prophet Muhammad said there is no excuse for committing unjust acts: "Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and not to do wrong (even) if they do evil." (Al-Tirmidhi)

Awlaki in his ideological development has lost sight of this Quran'ic and Prophetic perspective and for that he needs to be condemned by Muslims across the world. If Muslims fail to do so, then we risk to allow him to find and get a foothold in our communities. To spread his message of hate and violence by preying on those individual Muslims who are faced with an identity crisis- Muslims trying to negotiate what it means to be Muslim and to be American.

Muslims listening to his lectures will hold him as a "model" of what a Muslim should stride for. As humans we imitate "role models" who embody the message, idea's or thing we wish ourselves to be- Greyson singing an impassioned Lady Gaga song. Having been so popular in the Muslim community already, there is an understanding that his charisma and message can resonate with those trying to mold an identity where being Muslim is not a bad thing.

What is a severe problem is that those seeking to "mold" that identity now have not seen the context in which Awlaki has developed, and they would hear his lectures and search for him online and find his violent, hate and exclusive message, only to relate to that message.

That is why American Muslims have to speak out against and challenge Awlaki's distortion of theology, not ban his lectures (I am not about banning speech, I hate that our public libraries and schools ban books, like Catcher in the Rye), but work toward not promoting it and to marginalize access. (I guess that would begin by having Muslamics, a collective blog I wrote for, which seems defunct now, remove links to his blog...that will be an interesting conversation between a group of libertarians, civil rights advocates and feminists)

American Muslims really need to start addressing a major issue we face today- identity. We have the largest identity crisis in the history of mankind and it seems to me that Muslim leaders are talking about the issue, minimally, but not really coming up with solutions and are far from really addressing the problem with actions.

Kids seeking to identify with Islam and being Muslim, along with converts and individuals coming to Islam later in life are most vulnerable to an identity crisis. They are the one's who need to have the tools to manage how to negotiate being "religious" and being American. They need to find pride of self, pride of community and pride of nationality- through role models, through activities and through education that supports that perspective.

Muslims know that the best role model is that of Prophet Muhammad, one's goal is to model your life off of his to your best ability. However, as humans, we need something more real, present, we cling onto people who allow us to relate to them and help us understand things. What I often times criticize as "hero worship" in the community, where individuals become obsessed with on Sheikh or Imam or activist, who then becomes the only voice of reason for that person, everyone else is inferior to that person.

Clearly, I am not saying American Muslims don't have role models- we have so many- but they are ineffective. They are ineffective because they have not understood how to utilize technology, how to present a cohesive message and to relate to people outside of their immediate community. Worse, they have not learned to be civic leaders- a methodology of leadership that looks at ways to connect to the bigger issues, to things that fall outside the immediate community concerns.

Awlaki is a force to be reckoned with because he went from selling his lectures to posting them for free for everyone on the internet. From writing articles to blogging. From books to youtube.com video's. From being an Imam, to being an "activist" for a cause (that we all don't agree with).

The guy is a marketing genius, what makes him so successful in conveying his message, is that he feeds off the vulnerability of people seeking to find some sense of their identity. These are the people who don't come to the mosque, who don't attend the youth groups, or the MSA's because the message, from Awlaki and his group of peers, has allowed them to marginalize (isolate) from the larger community, because the larger Muslim community in America isn't good enough. The sense of group identity seems to only reinforce in these individuals, unfortunatly, when the process started within our communities, where these people felt neglected, felt "less" Muslim, lacked support and lacked venues to transition from being "not practicing" to being "practicing". We, as a community, obsessed with our issues and internal politics, passing judgment and holding a "holier then thou art" mentality, allowed these people to be disenfranchised and seek an outlet for identity formation elsewhere.

In terms of Awlaki and the lectures you all have hiding somewhere in your home. I don't know what to tell you besides that the lectures always had a hint of defining our identity as Muslims, as being other then the "West" or "Americans." This aspect never resonated with me, because I was not raised like that, I had too many good non-Muslim friends who challenged the "us" versus "them" mentality that was presented in the lectures. Yes, I had my stage of not hanging out with my friends because they drank or did drugs or had sex and I no longer feel comfortable being in that environment, but I never felt that I was "better" or that I was not part of "American" culture- one, I could easily have been that type of person (I was coming from that so how could I forget what it was like to be there) and secondly, because the Muslims around me were also very much like me- oreo's, brown on the outside, white on the inside- it was just a matter of coming up with a viable mix of the two.

Had he nothing good to say? Was it all a charade? He seems to have gone through different phases, trying on different hats, as a New York Times article explains:

Mr. Awlaki seems to have tried out multiple personas: the representative of a tolerant Islam in a multicultural United States (starring in a WashingtonPost.com video explaining Ramadan); the fiery American activist talking about Muslims’ constitutional rights (and citing both Malcolm X and H. Rap Brown); the conspiracy theorist who publicly doubted the Muslim role in the Sept. 11 attacks. (The F.B.I., he wrote a few days afterward, simply blamed passengers with Muslim names.)

.....
Mr. Abdul-Malik said that his former fellow imam at the Virginia mosque “is a terrorist, in my book” and that Mr. Awlaki and his like-thinkers were trying to reduce Islam to a “medieval narrative. It’s the Hatfields and the McCoys: you hit me, I hit you.”
Some Muslim families have asked whether they should keep Mr. Awlaki’s scriptural CDs, Mr. Abdul-Malik said. He tells them it is their decision, but he has advised shops not to carry even the earlier, benign Awlaki material.
“It becomes,” he said, “a gateway for the unsuspecting.”

I think every human, leaders especially, go through development. They hold idea's that they later think were wrong- David Horowitz. There is ample evidence of this in academia, in the lives of neo-nazi's, politicians, and everyday people like you or your neighbor. Heck, I have seen myself change from being very liberal to conservative to something more on the independent range (politically)- for gay marriage, against homosexuality altogether, then have no problem with legalized gay marriage under the constitutional guarantees. Just because Awlaki's idea's are against mainstream Muslim thought now, doesn't mean he was before, but one has to take a good dose of salt with anything read or heard by anyone, at least that's what my momma always says.

Our own Muslim scholars through the ages said to take what is correct and accept it, ignore what comes when the scholar went astray. However, most have also been very skeptical of accepting anything from a scholar that went astray and generally cited the fact that the individual later in life was not in sound faith. Further, scholars have always encouraged Muslims to take on role models, besides the Prophet, but to do so for those individuals who have ended their life on a good note.

Remember that God mandates moderation in faith and in all aspects of life when He states in the Qur’an: “We made you to be a community of the middle way, so that (with the example of your lives) you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind.” (Qur’an, 2:143) In another verse, God explains our duties as human beings when he says: “Let there arise from among you a band of people who invite to righteousness, and enjoin good and forbid evil.” (Qur’an, 3:104) When someone has publically gone off the path of moderation, and leads others down that path, we Muslims are required to speak and act against it.

Islam teaches us to act in a caring manner to all of God's creation. The Prophet Muhammad, who is described in the Qur’an as “a mercy to the worlds” said: “All creation is the family of God, and the person most beloved by God (is the one) who is kind and caring toward His family." We have to address the issues that would make Awlaki appealing to Muslims in our communities, because that is something we can immediately take effective action on.

The direction Awlaki is heading toward death is definitely not on a good note, it is far from the teachings of the Prophet, worse, it is leading Muslims astray as well, and inflicting pain and suffering on countless others. I ask if Awlaki hates the United States so much, then why is it that he hasn't renounced his US Citizenship publically? Why does he hold on to this vestige of everything he abhors? Identity crisis?

There is a crisis of identity we face as American Muslims, lets work to marginalize voices like Awlaki, contextualize them (create a frame, and put them in a box), and give our community a chance to flourish as American Muslims.

Knowing when a girl likes you?

2010-05-22T01:07:00.000-07:00

Okay the Muslim thing is hard. Being Muslim and interacting with the opposite gender, even harder. I think because I had South Asian parents and then the "lighting will strike me dead" perspective, I always ran in the opposite direction when I felt a girl was flirting or getting into me during high school. College, a bit different, that's probably where I realized "lighting" wasn't striking me nor was I going to choke, slip and fall, or get beaten to a pulp by an angel, however, having a severe car accident never crossed my mind.

But honestly the whole thing with maintaining a respectful "Muslim" gender practice really throws me off sometimes.

Like, if I am into a girl and I want to get an idea of whether the girl is into me, my "American" instinct tells me to go talk to the girl. Observe the body language, pay attention to the conversation- are we hitting it off, is she expressing interest by asking me questions, responding with longer answers. Or if she gives quick, short responses and try's to move on to the next person, usually her friend next to her, I pretty much can guess what that means (buddy, yes you reading this who doesn't get this, the girl isn't into you, move on).

That practice makes sense in a playing field where everything is open to one set of norms. In a Muslim community, that is not the case.

The Muslim girl could totally be into me, but won't approach me, rather she might ask her friends too feel things out, except the friends usually always botch it up. Or she might just be the sort that comes out with it directly, and that feels all awkward- I mean aren't you Muslim, shouldn't you not be doing this? The parents might force the two of us to sit down, which is even worse, because she might sit there chewing gum the entire time (which obviously means she's not into me). But weirder still are the moments where there is some sort of attraction on my part, but I can't show it, and our conversation is being listened to by the parents, who usually are sitting and staring at us. Weirder situation still is a brother coming up and trying to hook me up with their sister- those moments could get complicated especially when I am not interested.

Then in an "American" set of circumstances, its about paying attention to how long she looks at me while we are talking. Is there the "checking out" look- you know, the x-ray scan eyes going up and down like I am some bar code being looked up at the counter (yes I am a nice juicy steak ready to be put on the grill). Then the girl does the looking at me versus the looking past me. If there is good visual contact, and she isn't looking around for her friend, that usually tells me that there is something there- a spark.

The Muslim girl might just be very shy and respectful (haya, as they call it) and she won't even look up at me. What do I make out of that? I mean its great that she has the haya, but that doesn't help me gauge anything. Especially if its a situation where its like 500 people and the Aunties are trolling. Some girls will give the "shy glances" which are great, but lack of conversation really just sends out mixed vibes, and worse because of the circumstances the situation doesn't really clear up, just gets more complicated.

In the "American" system, once I get my bearing with the first to indicators- conversation and sight- I would gauge the physical response: her body language. Is she standing or sitting in a manner that suggests shes not repulsed by being next to me (ie doesn't have her arms crossed, her back turned to me etc). Am I am able to brush up against her, accidentally ofcoarse, without having her run for the hills, or does she make the first physical contact? Again, I don't know if she likes me, but the signs are strong enough at this point to suggest that interest is there- for purposes of lust or relationship, that is yet to defined.

Muslim girls...man, they are radioactive. You just don't touch them. Even if they are not practicing, especially if they are wearing the niqab (I run the other direction). It's safe to not stare at them too. Straight up staring might scare them off, glances here and there- well only the first glance is permissible after that I got to lower my gaze or else. Just the set of interaction when it comes to genders is very specific in Islam and as an observant Muslim I try not to cross any boundaries and take the more conservative perspective on things because with Muslim sisters you just don't wan to take any chances.

When I am in an "American" setting I knew I should look for the unconscious signs that girls and guys do when they like someone- mimicking. When I like a girl I am talking to, she might raise her hand to brush her hair from her eyes- so she can take a better look at me, or to see where her friends are so they can rescue her- I would brush the not so long hair (incredibly short actually) from my forehead. I feel it's this unconscious thing that we do when we like others so as to show that our actions are similar and not just our idea's or interest.

Muslim girl. Well, I guess I would have to pretend to adjust my hijab...? I don't really know how to gauge this one. But the next one works for both an American situation and a Muslim one.

I let my sarcasm out. If the girl can take my ego, my sarcasm and my dry sense of humor, and still laugh and converse with me, obviously she isn't one to let go. This one probably is the only one where both "cultures" overlap and things make sense to me.

For girls that are interested in me, they should know I don't talk about girls I have had interest in frequently. But in a situation where I am trying to gauge if a girl is interested in me, I would throw that out there. I would, as we are talking go greet a friend- who is a girl- or would talk about the "girls" in my life without really explaining the relationship I have with them. If there is a knew jerk response of any sort where she becomes quite or expresses a sense of interest that is almost obsessive (huh? Yeh, hard to explain, its something I just sense), then I know the girl is into me. But just in case I tease her about things, tell her she's getting jealous. Jealousy doesn't suit her, but her dress does look mighty fine....okay, yeh that was lame, but you get the point!

Ah....Muslims are advised not to talk about their past lives unless it involves some sort of financial, medical or possibly criminal sort of behavior, if its one of those then you disclose, but with discretion. Sharing sins that you repent for isn't exactly promoted practice. I can't really pull the "oh, yes by the way a year ago my mom introduced me to your best friend, who I talked too but then met you and found more interesting" conversation.

Finally, at some point after all these darn games I would just come out and say that I like her. Love is too strong of a word, and I hardly use the word besides telling my family that I love them, so like is more suited for that sort of situation. But the funny thing is, upon reflection, after playing all these games in the American system, I come out with the reality of the situation, whereas for Muslims, the practice is to just get to the chase- you express interest- go to the dad, a mediator or directly; tell that girl that you like her and take it from there.

Why did I just go through this? Simple, lately, my family and friends are asking with greater frequency, and a bit of urgency I might add, about when I am getting married. If I am looking, and why I am not talking to someone. I fear that having been bombarded with this question, I have given up really providing an answer, which gives the impression that I am helpless or "incompetent" to find someone or know how to do so. (yeh, I might be, but I like to think I am not.)

Here's the thing, I am conflicted. I understand the Islamic way of doing things. My conflict is really from the fact that I don't think I can just like a person by seeing them and inquiring about them from sources, as the Islamic perspective lays out. For me, coming out and telling someone I like them is significant. I can't just do that without me personally interacting with them, to have that little banter, give them a chance to gauge me. I feel comfortable in a system that allows me to measure a person up, versus a system that is so direct and what I feel like to be limiting.

I haven't quite experienced "love at first sight"- I don't know if I even believe in that- what's worse is that if there is "love at first sight" what if its not reciprocal? I tend to just stick with what I know, and what I know is that I want to gauge a girl before I go off on a limb and say "I like her" lets talk about getting married.

So rest assured, I am not inept nor am I incompetent, and for all those people who think I am gay, no I am pretty straight. Metro at times, but significantly straight. I won't give myself a deadline, but just know that I am keeping all my options open when it comes to marriage (civil marriages, hint hint, laughing out loud)- they must be Pakistani, Urdu speaking, born in the United States, in college, around 24 years of age, wheatish skin, must be studying to become a pharmacist or some health related field, interested in hiking, possibly even go surfing, should be a hijabi, but won't hold that against you, come from a respectable family, and be on the same religious wave length, won't have a problem with me being a stay-at-home-dad.

PS- The way I treat Muslim sister's now, is the way that I treat all women. I don't give differential treatment to one person because they are Muslim, rather, as a Muslim my behavior toward everyone is something I try to keep consistent. Just in case people were getting the impression that I treat Muslims with "more respect" and not non-Muslims.

Have you seen Zain?

2010-05-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

This is troubling news:

CAIR-Chicago sent out a email to ask for help in locating Zain Naqi, a student at Roosevelt University and Chicago-area Muslim, who has not been seen since May 1, 2010. To all my family, friends and readers please assist, if you know of people in Chicago please get word to them to help. I can not imagine any family in this situation, and would not want to find myself in this sort of situation. But I would hope people would come and support me, so I can show my support, even if its as insignificant as letting you all know.

In light of Zain's disappearance, his friends, family and community members are organizing a mass flier distribution throughout the city to take place TOMORROW. The event is expected to run all day to cover as much ground as possible. Anyone who can help, for any portion of the day, is encouraged to attend. Details for the event are below:

WHAT: Mass Flier Distribution
WHEN: TOMORROW, Saturday, May 22nd, 1:00 PM - 8:00 PM
WHERE: DePaul University, Schmitt Academic Center (SAC), room 254, 2320 N. Kenmore Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

Attendees will be split into groups and given a certain area of the city to cover. They will receive fliers, tape, a map, water bottles and snacks, and will reconvene at 8:00pm at DePaul for evening prayers.

We also request that everyone please show up on time, as there may be media coverage of the event.

More information about Zain can be found here.

For questions or concerns, please contact helpfindzain@gmail.com.

We hope to see you there, God willing.

It's Easy to Talk About Aliens

2010-05-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

I recently ran across Tim Wise. He's this fiery lecturer who was talking about "white privilege." I have not done enough research on him yet and hope too try to get a grasp of his agenda, but when I was listening to what he had to say about how landed elites in America created a "myth" about being "white" in order to maintain their "interests"- money, land, political power- I couldn't but think of the oft repeated arguments for border protection- "illegal aliens are keeping wages down" or its alternative "illegal aliens are keeping Americans from getting jobs." They represent this idea that "our" interests are hurt by migrant laborer's crossing the border, yet both of these statements are problematic on several levels.

First, people actually think that once the migrant flow stops, corporations will throw their hands in the air and yell "okay, okay, okay you guys got us! we will give you wage increases since we can't hire cheap labor anymore!"- that's a load of cow manure! Second, being day laborers, crop pickers, nannies, house maids, janitors and all the other jobs that go to migrants is where Americans want to work?! Really, if that were the case, a whole crap load of Americans would be gardening my parents yard right about now, but they aren't because most Americans don't want to actually do "hard work" and those that do, do so already and employ these migrants because most Americans don't go for those jobs.

My issue right now is how easy it is to throw around "illegal alien" as if the that made that person or group of people less "human." By using the term "illegal alien" I believe it makes it easier to cope with the issue of immigration and globalization, without ever having to concede that their is some responsibility on our part. I don't want to hash out the arguments on terminology, because their have been more qualified people out their who have laid out the issue. But I wanted to use the opportunity to introduce a video by Arabesque for a song titled "Understand" which relays the stories of immigrants arriving to the United States for different reasons, from different regions with different outcomes and with totally different set of circumstances. The video acutely humanizes the "immigration" issue beyond the rhetoric and the policy into how these very real people cope with being immigrants and the situations they face upon arrival. On a side note, not anyone of these stories represent the total reality of immigrant life in America, but the stories are real and they represent a host of real issues.

Show Forgiveness, Speak for Justice and Avoid the Ignorant

2010-05-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

"...Show Forgiveness, Speak for Justice and Avoid the Ignorant,"
That is the advice you can find in the in Surah Al-Araf, verse 99. (Chapter of the Quran-7:99)

Muslims should heed the advice because right now the behavior being expressed by Muslim around the world and even here in the United States amounts to stupidity, silly juvenile behavior that is motivated by this emotional knee-jerk reaction to protect the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). I want to be clear, there is a duty to speak up about the Prophet, to convey his message and keep it from being abused or maligned, so I do not want to question the intention of people, but rather the choice of actions they have pursued.

Right now we have a superficial manifestation the devotion we have to our religion, the UNDERSTANDING OF THE MESSAGE AND ITS APPLICATION TO OUR LIFE. What occurs because of such a knee-jerk emotional response is simple, it highlights Muslim insecurity about Islam and its place in the world today.

Its like an older sibling taking a candy from the younger child, waving it in their face, hiding it, then bringing it out later to slowly eat it while the younger child can't do anything. That younger childs response is to throw a fit, to act out, to find a means of empowering themselves when their capacity to overcome the older child is limited by their size, strength...wisdom?

Right now Muslims are acting out like that little child in response to this "Draw Muhammad Day" which is supposedly taking place tomorrow, May 20. You don't know about this...well let me fill you in:

In reaction to the recent controversy over a depiction of Islam's Prophet Muhammad in an episode of Comedy Central's "South Park," a Seattle cartoonist apparently declared May 20th to be "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day."
I say "apparently" because cartoonist Molly Norris -- the creator of the cartoon showing many objects claiming to be a likeness of the prophet -- now says she never intended to launch "Draw Muhammad Day."

On her web site, she has since posted a statement that reads in part: "I did NOT 'declare' May 20 to be 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.'...The cartoon-poster, with a fake 'group' behind it, went viral and was taken seriously...The vitriol this 'day' has brought out, of people who only want to draw obscene images, is offensive to the Muslims who did nothing to endanger our right to expression in the first place...I apologize to people of Muslim faith and ask that this 'day' be called off."

Norris even visited a mosque at the invitation of the local Muslim community.

The creator of a Facebook page dedicated to the day also repudiated the "inflammatory posts" it inspired. He said, "I am aghast that so many people are posting deeply offensive pictures of the Prophet...Y'all go ahead if that's your bag, but count me out."

Recall that the same sort of childish response erupted into violent actions after the Danish Cartoon publication with riots and boycotts and the like being called for by Muslims and Muslim regimes.

What precisely is being achieved, besides the further popularization of the "incident" and the affirmation that "yes Muslims want to censor, they are against freedom of speech" and that you can incite Muslims into a tizzy.

Repeating itself in new forms, this behavior can be seen with "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day" in the government of Pakistan restricting access to Facebook. Muslims on Facebook are calling for "banning Facebook on May 20" day one such group page saying:

An event called "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day" is going to take place. It is anti-Islam and anti-Prophet (SAWAW) as you can guess from the name. Whether you are a Muslim or not, if you love peace, please join the cause and make an anti-event for that anti-Islamic event. If you put down facebook for a day, it'll not harm you much. If you have any important work, finish it up before 11:59 p.m. on May 19. If you can leave facebook when you are out of city, why not for Islam? I believe that at least it'll not harm me to shut down facebook on May 20.

What precisely does this really do? Who is it really affecting? Does such "empowerment" really help with Muslim identity crisis? Why not, as CAIR's Executive Director Nihad Awad suggests think about being proactive, rather then come off as silly due to an emotional reaction, and do the following:

Have a mosque open house for the local interfaith community, show a documentary, have candid discussions of your connection to the Prophet;
A community service activity organized by Muslims and involving people of other faiths;
A newspaper commentary describing the life, legacy and personal character of the prophet, which is the opposite of the calumny some people fabricate about him;
Find ways to emphasize the Prophets characteristics that endeared him to Muslims for generations, he was closest to the poor and the weak, he was just and fair, he was stood for those who were oppressed and cast out, he was about communicating and loving people, even his enemies- this could be a hourly update on facebook status about one characteristic of the Prophet, blogs about him, a fast-breaking activity involving your non-Muslim friends, engaging in a discussion about freedom of speech and religion in America today.

There are so many proactive creative things that can be done, that will further convey the message of the one thing the Prophet himself held above all other things- this deen (faith) of Islam. Why miss this golden opportunity and think with our short-sighted emotional bruised ego's?

Send Me To Vegashi, Where I Belong

2010-05-17T23:40:00.001-07:00

Listen. I am planning this crazy trip to Las Vegas, Nevada this summer, last weekend of July to be precise.

Los(t) Wages, where the sun don't shine and when it does you're probably going to only see it rise and set, being asleep for the most part of the day. Vegashi (ashi, being URDU for having a significantly crazy time). It's the city I most deplore in the United States because of its "fakeness", but just this once, I think its going to be fun.

Not true, my amnesia's lifted, there are actually some really nice childhood memories as well as college trips that took me through Vegas. Okay, tangent- I am going to Vegas, and here is how you can help me get there!

Okay, I'm actually talking about the Netroots Nation convention, the biggest gathering of progressive activists and leaders in the country. It will include panels led by national and international experts, prominent political, issue and policy-oriented speakers, a progressive film screening series, and the most concentrated gathering of progressive activists and leaders to date. Netroots Nation is a great place to network, learn, and collaborate with some top-notch progressive thinkers and activists.

Here's the thing -- I want you to join me, literally or in spirit (through my blog!):

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKET NOW

But more importantly, here is the way you can get me to VEGAS, its the Democracy For America Netroots Nation Scholarship!

For the last three years Democracy for America has paid the full cost of tickets and lodging for scores of the best bloggers and activists. Each scholar gets an all-access pass to the convention, lodging, and tickets to all DFA events.

It's a pretty good deal, especially for a committed activist such as myself. It's also an important way to send a message that I have proven skills and a following that deserves to be represented at Netroots and heard from in progressive circles.

DFA can't send everyone, but they will send the best among the applicants and I happen to be one of them.

I need you too help me secure the scholarship by voting me into the top three! So far, in just a week of registering and posting on my twitter and facebook I got myself placed in the TOP 5!

Click here, and vote your support for me!

Its through your support and friendship (some just via this blog and facebook) that you got me this far. Please help me wrap this up and tie up all the loose ends, so I can enjoy my time at the beach surfing.

Manzanar- Between Beautiful and Ugly Lies Hope

2010-05-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

(picture credit to Father Wilfredo Benetiz, the current rector of St. Anselm of Canterbury Episcopal (Anglican) Church, in Garden Grove, California. 04/24/2010)

My friends ask me why I would want to visit Manzanar year after year, in fact stop by while driving in the area as well. All those trips combined now make up for six visits over the past four years. I never quite felt that I could totally verbalize the reason to incapsulate what I feel when I go to Manzanar. It was quite complex issue for me to put forth as a idea. There may be hints of reverence, thoughts of legacy, a sense of shared burden or responsibility, idea of remembering or memorializing. Nothing quite explains why Manzanar doesn't get old for me, why each year I feel a sense and degree of need to visit. I think I may have come to a way to explain Manzanar, thanks to Bill Moyer's final installment interview for the PBS show The Journal with Barry Lopez (check out the interview here), where Barry Lopez says this:

What you must do is build a system of civilization that is as aware of darkness as it is of beauty. I would feel on thin ice if the world were nothing but beauty. I need to remind myself by going to Auschwitz or by going to Afghanistan or by going to Northern Sumatra after the Boxing Day tsunami, and talking to people. And, you know, you used this word. And I use it all the time, too. Hope. How can we maintain our sense of hope when to go deep into the news is to encounter the kind of terror that can traumatize a person for the rest of their life?

That particular piece of the conversation got the cogs in my head turning around the essence of what exactly Manzanar meant for me and this is what I came up with:

If the world were filled with beauty then we would live on the precipice of fragility, that’s why you have to couple that which is “beautiful” and that which is “ugly” together with a sense of hope. That’s why you go out into nature, but then you must remember to connect that beauty with the dark truth. Manzanar exists on that link- as hope; the ugly truth of American democracy’s failure, surrounded by the desolate yet incredible natural landscape that is overwhelming, beyond human comprehension. At that point when I am placed in a position where all I have is hope, that’s where I discover faith- the type of faith that is not a particular religious tradition, rather faith that is a confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person or process or institution.”

To me Manzanar is then the symbol of democracy, the very thing I hold dear as an American.

Beware of Arizona, When Your Shoes Are Undocumented

2010-04-28T14:09:00.001-07:00

Redunkulous!

That's what Arizona's new bill which was enacted this past week brings to mind. SB 1070 is yet another failed stop gap attempt to address our countries broken immigration system. What SB 1070 really represents is the racist and bigoted practices that have been the underlying thread of American policies.

SB 1070 represents the new Chinese Exclusion Act, and its current "workers program" being discussed by the very same legislator who enacted SB 1070 represents the bracero program and the Gentlemen's agreement. The law makes it a state crime to be in Arizona illegally and requires police to check suspects for immigration paperwork. The legislation also bars people from soliciting work or hiring day laborers off the street.

Muslim will wonder, so what does this have to do with me? Ah, hello, you all are immigrants, and your brown skin and talk ain't all that white. You are naturally assumed to all be "terrorists" with your "Mohammed" and "Ahkmed" names. The law gives broad discretion to local law enforcement, and hello did you forget the Henderson Nevada case of Muslims praying at a gas station? (Watch the video on what law enforcement thinks of you) Also people have asked, "well if you have proper documentation then nothing should go wrong"- ah, WRONG, here is an example where an American trucker, who is a citizen, who showed all the proper identifications, and still was arrested and taken to USCIS until he had his birth certificate.

And don't think these "politicians" are smart- they suggest that your shoes and way of dressing are the true indicators of undocumented status- yes California Congressmen Brian Biilbray, he's a smart one!- because the law doesn't use "racial profiling" but rather "police's fashion."

CAIR Los Angeles, and several other CAIR chapters, spoke out against the law, as did MAS and MPAC. The fact that Karl Rove is speaking out against the law should tell you about how absurd the Arizona law is. Further, cities in California are considering an Arizona boycott- personally I dont know how legal or appropriate that is (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento).

(The boycott is sort of funny considering Californians, in 1994, banned health care services for undocumented workers- prop 187- which the Supreme Court later struck down as unconstitutional.)

I mean what do you expect from Arizona, its the state that refused to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and the NFL turned down the Superbowl in the early 1990's because of that. That whole thing resorted to a Black boycott of Arizona venues for entertainment and convention as called by Dr. King's widow, Coretta Scott King and Stevie Wonder in response to Governor Mechem rescinding the holiday. Two years after the loss of more then $350 million in major convention business and the 1993 Super Bowl, Arizona became the first and only state to popularly vote for and pass a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. state holiday.

To understand the Arizona economy you must understand tourism and Latino demographics. The state, and local municipalities, profit from direct tourism taxation like room taxes at hotels, ticket taxes at events, transportation taxes for everything from rental cars to taxis, sales taxes, and gas taxes from tourists who drive in the state. In addition to direct taxation is the indirect taxation of businesses’ and their employees’ incomes who service the tourist trade. Beyond tourism, you must also understand that 1.65 million (27%) of Arizona’s population of 6.1 million are (legal) Hispanics. Demographics. The vast majority are gainfully employed, generating direct tax revenues to the state through income taxes and indirect state revenues through Arizona’s sales tax. There are another 500,000 “illegals” who spend money in the state.

In the end its like apartheid- money, public relations, and political pressure- will bring down this outrageous law. If anything this tells everyone that America is in need of comprehensive immigration reform, not just enforcement but also fixing a broken system that doesn't clearly and appropriately process immigrants.

I for one will not be driving through Arizona this summer on my road trip across this GREAT NATION, nor will I be camping out at the Grand Canyon with my cousins. Arizona will not get my business, here I come Utah, which I guess works since now I can drive on the Lincoln Highway.

Canadian Union of Postal Workers' letter to president of Canada Post

2010-04-28T10:31:00.001-07:00

April 9, 2010

Moya Greene
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canada Post Corporation
2701 Riverside Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0B1

Ms. Greene:

I am writing to you on the eve of Canada Post issuing a joint stamp with Israel.

A recent article in Canada Stamp Detail said “Canada Post will issue the stamp “to celebrate Canada’s strong bilateral relationship with Israel – a friendship that spans six decades and is marked by shared values, common interests and strong political, economic, cultural and social ties.”

While CUPW is glad to see Canada Post taking on new and innovative ways to sell stamps, we are somewhat concerned that Canada Post is launching a stamp with Israel on the basis of “shared values”.

CUPW recognizes that Israel is a democracy and has taken steps to end discrimination against lesbian and gay citizens. However, we are puzzled about the concept of shared values with a country that has consistently ignored United Nations and World Court decisions in regards to the ongoing Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

A fundamental value is that all human beings have equal rights without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, and other categories. Sadly, in Israel there are still over 20 laws that discriminate against the Palestinian national minority on such basic issues as education, jobs, land ownership and access to public resources.

Israel is still building a “separation wall” around the West Bank. A number of human rights groups have found that approximately 80% of this Wall is being built on West Bank land that has been illegally confiscated. On July 9, 2004 this Wall was declared contrary to international law by the International Court of Justice. This Court cited Israel’s obligation to dismantle the Wall, and to pay reparations for all the damage caused by its construction. To date, the Government of Israel has refused to abide by this ruling, thereby ignoring an important value of adhering to the principles of International law.

Israel is continuing to build settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The construction of some of these settlements has been criticized by Barack Obama, the President of the United States. These settlements are illegal under international law. In the same July 2004 decision, the International Court of Justice declared that “Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem are illegal and an obstacle to peace and to economic and social development. The continuing failure to live up to international law and respond to international pressure is a questionable value.

There are many United Nations resolutions which Israel is failing to live up to. One of the most important ones is UN resolution 242 which calls for Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied during the 1967 war, is based on the principle of “the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war”. Disregarding United Nations resolutions is hardly a value which we want to uphold and endorse.

In the winter of 2008/2009, Israel carried out Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. A number of eminent people have concluded that Israel’s use of white phosphorous was unacceptable. Others, including jurist Richard Goldstone condemned Israel’s apparent targeting of schools, ambulances, and UN Institutions in Gaza. More recently, Israel’s participation in the blockade of Gaza has resulted in a serious undermining of living conditions. There have been desperately sad reports of increased child and maternal mortality as a result of this siege. Taking actions which result in the death or pregnant women and children is not an acceptable value.

The conditions of the Palestinian citizens in the West Bank is troubling for any one who holds the value of treating people with fairness and respect. John Dugard, the UN special envoy to Palestine reported that the rules governing the granting or permits which allow Palestinians to travel through the West Bank are constantly changing and create great hardship. In addition, Mr. Dugard reported that within the Palestinian territory there are highways solely for the use of Israeli’s. Palestinians are banned from these roadways. In addition, these checkpoints put lives in jeopardy in the west Bank as they often restrict quick access to hospitals. These are not conditions where respect is fundamental.

In light of these facts, CUPW is concerned that Canada Post is celebrating “shared values, common interests and strong political, economic, cultural and social ties.” with a country, whose Government has repeatedly failed to act with courtesy and sensitivity towards Palestinians.

Yours truly,

Denis Lemelin

National President

Canadian Union of Postal Workers

Learning from History- Manzanar, Internment and the United States

2010-04-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

During World War II, hate and paranoia of Japanese Americans ran rampant across the United States. The feelings held by Americans toward this “other” minority led to the unjust internment of Japanese Americans in camps on the West Coast. Unfortunately such dark moments in our history were swept under the rug and forgotten by our nation’s leaders. Acts of hatred and ignorance were explained by our government as insignificant, exaggerated, or a rarity to avoid taking corrective measures.

Following the atrocious 9/11 attacks, Muslims have become victims of anti-Muslim sentiment in America. In a manner similar to the plight of the Japanese and other minorities, Muslims are now being treated as “the other”. They have become victims of misguided hatred, maligned in the media, and have been threatened, harassed, as well as assaulted in different parts of the nation.

Manzanar Pilgrimage exists to not only serve as a reminder of past injustices, but how hysteria can push Americans to forget the American values of equality and fair treatment. The Manzanar pilgrimage, furthermore, brings people of different backgrounds and faiths together to remember and learn from the past. It strengthens bonds of friendship between the Japanese and Muslim communities, focuses on the achievements and acts of kindness which make us all American, and encourages us to carry on the civil rights movement.

King Khan and the Shrines

2010-03-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

I know you all have really been missing out on my monthly music lists. The list where I pick out stanky new sounds and reach back to the nethers for old school funk. I know you have missed the one truly interesting thing that this blog has to offer, probably the only beneficial thing! But hey, I am getting things put together and hear a preview of some of the crazy sounds I have been listening to lately- King Khan and the Shrines!

and my favorite song that wants me to get out my bell bottoms and fropak (my Pakistani fro, or it could be frosi, my desi fro...LOL):

Captive Loyalties or Misguided Adventurism?

2010-03-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

My list of links to blogs is growing and some are dead. For example a project I started four years, or something like that, ago- Muslamics- has gone dead for several months.

Besides that I think its good to give an idea to all my readers where precisely my brain waves are shorting out from. Since the "label" of "disciple" is being loosely thrown around I might as well take ownership to my Marx-ist ("ist" being derived from "Islamist" as has so frequently been thrown around) Ayn Rand libertarian ideologies.

I will continue to update these as the list does not incorporate everything.

All that Glitters in the Day(nite)- design, fashion, food, culture, identity and the arts

Los Angeles Times Home and Garden- I love the architectural history pieces they have in here.
Apartment Therapy- is a site that allows people with apartments to maximize their decorative abilities. The sections on the site include home design, technology, children, green, and cooking. There are sub sections which the site also specializes in. Cities that the site specializes in catering for are New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Boston.
Nicekicks.com
nylon (Guy's) magazine its whats hot, like hot this instant/moment and everything thats overpriced and totally glamorus if you had a trust fund to live off of.
Juxtapose Magazine- is a celebration of late-20th Century underground art movement with the mission of connecting seminal modern genres like psychedelic and hot rod art, graffiti, street art, and illustration, to the context of broader more historically recognized genres of art like Pop, assemblage, old master painting, and conceptual art. Although based in San Francisco, Juxtapoz was founded upon the belief in the virtues of Southern California Pop Culture and the freedom from the conventions of the "established" New York art world that governed the industry
imdb.com -is an online database of information related to movies, actors, television shows.
Rolling Stone Magazine- is the "unrepentant rockist fogey" magazine that got high with a generation and became the voice of counterculture as they grew up and sold out...whatever your criticism, they got some amazing stories on bands, music and culture.
Sepia Mutiny - Sepia Mutiny discusses issues facing first and second generation immigrants from South Asia. The goal of the site, according to Sepia'ist "is to in effect capture the position of the South Asian American diaspora as it emigrates to foreign nations and primarily North America." The title is a pun on the Sepoy Mutiny, or First War of Indian Independence (jai hind?) in 1857, a violent widespread movement by sepoys British Raj during the latter's imperialist rule in India. Sepia, a shade of brown, was intended as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the tone of South Asian skin. against the
Elan- its your guide to global Muslim culture, arts and society; I was introduced to it by my globetrotting friends and have ever since been hooked!
Finishing School
LA Time- brandX
Kanye West - George Bush dont care about black people! but I definetly get a kick out of this black man's blog- from style, fashion, art, pictures, music, its the world of Kanye.
Base Notes- if you love to smell fancy, then its a good idea to understand the smells you spray on, base notes is great at breaking down the science of cologne making
Yelp.com- can't go wrong when you got citizen democratic criticism.
Notorius Ph.D- this man is the Doctor of notorious things pertaining to Africana, fun to read his commentary on social issues.
KROQ.com

Moach Shalit al Halev- politics, news and current affairs

The Economist
Los Angeles Times
New York Times
The Guardian
KCRW.org-
BBC News
Foreign Policy Magazine
Time Magazine
Slate.com
Loon Watch
Salon.com
Market Watch
Youth Radio
Christian Science Monitor
Politicker
Rebel Reports- News, analysis and reporting from independent journalist Jeremy Scahill.

Man's Best Friend is His Body- masculinity, the body and, yes, its a man's world

Men's Health
GQ Magazine
Esquire
Surfer
Why You Are Fat
askmen.com- is the leader in the men's lifestyle online...they also have three published books on basics of men's dress wear.
Gilt.com

Athmanication - when my soul needs a vacation

National Geographic
Aramco World Magazine
Stuck In Customs
Surfing Blog-

Digimatized- digital, hardwired and tech specific

cnet.com
unplggd.com

ilm-ination- getting basic info on Islamic basics, happenings and Moslems

MuslimMatters- because Muslims matter...
Suhaib Webb

Emotionally Responsive

2010-03-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

I am an emotional person. In some ways, we are all emotional; we feel joy, anger, sadness and fear; some of us more powerfully than others - and I feel emotions more powerfully than most. My emotions are closer to the surface, and my feelings more obvious to people than is the case with other people.

I've got my life in a good place, my dominant mood is laid-back, and unless life has been particularly trying for me, I greatly enjoy the richness and intensity of life that being so open with my emotions brings to me.

Sure there are times when my feelings come very close to the surface, and life becomes more complicated. At these times I may grow self-conscious, or feel a bit anxious. But for the most part I like to be true to my emotions and allow others to feel and get a sense of where I stand. My feelings are conveyed to prevent passive aggressive behavior, or overly moody erratic behavior- I've been there and done that, it does not work for me. I need to be open, honest and comfortable with my emotions, and those around me tend to appreciate that.

This allows me to breath in all that life offers, rather than shutting down any part of my emotional experience. Granted, there may be times when these emotions are hard but I realize that is part of life. And more often than not I feel enriched by my emotions, by my ability to be open to all that life brings me. I know that even when I have those times that get me down, there will be even more times when I see life in ways that others just can't.

Yet don't be alarmed when you read this- I tend to fake emotions too. When trying to fit in or just trying to get by, I can fake emotions fairly well. Having the ability to experience emotions only makes this act easier. I tend to fake emotions also when I am not comfortable with the situations I might find myself in. Not to worry this won't be an awkward moment- I actually thrive on creating awkward moments- no, I will go along with those emotions I sense most and make the most out of the situation.

When you read my admission of my open, healthy and sometimes manufactured emotional state, you might get scared off. In fact, there are some people who will not feel comfortable with my personality in terms of emotions. I don't think there is anything to fear. In fact, just like my great ability to fake emotions, I am fairly well equipped to be introverted, reserved and unseen; in fact, that is my natural state of being. Most of the time you might look in my direction and dismiss me, or be intimidated by me. Either way, you wouldn't experience the real me unless you spent some length of time with me.

My close friends cherish me, those that can handle emotions well. They appreciate the candor with which I express even difficult feelings like anger and fear- and even my sarcasm, no-limits, politically incorrect sense of humor. My openness makes for intimate conversations to be more intimate, and make the connections with friends deeper and stronger. Some people who have trouble expressing their feelings might see me as a good example of how to be more vulnerable and more open but often times they get scarred away before they can even get to know the real me.

Sometimes Curious, Sometimes Content

2010-03-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

A General Description of How I Approach New Info and Experiences

Like someone who can sleep comfortably on either side of the bed, I am equally at home with ideas and beliefs that I have held for a long time and with new ways of thinking and believing that grow out of my intellectual curiosity. My sense of who I am and what my place is in the world around me rests on values and principles that are the solid ground I walk upon- my Muslim faith and my American experience.

I have tested them, they work for me, and much of the time I am content to trust them, that is, until some provocative new idea slips in from a conversation, book or some flight of my active imagination. "Hmmmm. What's this. Never thought of it before." And off I go, exploring.

With these new idea's I look for gems that help me shed new perspective on my values and principles, that enlighten me to new challenges that will move me toward further enlightenment. I don't want conformity nor do I want simple continuity. While stability is important, as is security- I enjoy allowing myself toward further knowledge.

Since I love to learn, I've always been teachable; I absorb new information, which means I am well-educated and well rounded in things that matter to me. Sometimes my intellectual exploring will lead me back to where I started; the "next new thing" proves too shallow or impractical for me. But once in a while a new idea or belief will dislodge me from the ground I've stood upon; it is so compelling and persuasive that I step away from the tried-and-true and embrace this notion that allows me to be a brand new me. Because I hold both solid beliefs and am open to new ideas, I am accepting of other people and other ways of thinking and believing. I am flexible enough to listen to something new and different, or something outside of my comfort zone; if it works for me, I'll take it in, and if not, I'll let it go. In this sense, I know who I am: I am neither closed-minded nor wildly open-minded, but walk somewhere near the middle of the intellectual road.

Taking Care of Others, and Taking Care of Myself

2010-03-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

A General Description of How I Interact with Others

I am important. So are other people, especially if they are in trouble. I have a tender heart, but I know how to establish and keep personal boundaries. I am empathetic and compassionate, but I also believe that it's best if people solve their own problems and learn to take care of themselves, if they are able.

I am deeply moved by the needs of others, but I know that if I don't take good care of myself, I'll wind up being of no use to anyone. So mine is a thoughtful compassion. I strive to be fair and sensible, taking care of others while also taking care of myself.

When someone really is in trouble, I like to collaborate with them toward a solution; they do their part, I do mine, we work together to help address their issues. I consider things carefully, and respond in a sensible way; they do their part, and together I work to move through the difficulty. I seldom act impulsively; rather, when a problem arises, I take my time to think through the situation. This contemplative quality usually means that I'll arrive at a diplomatic solution, one that's fair for the other person and also fair for me. It's frequently a win/win situation.

But when there is an urgency and a clear principle cause at the heart of a situation, then I move swiftly and with a passion. I take all means to address fully the concerns I have, however, its done within a framework that is dynamic and responsive to the circumstances.

The Bane of South Asian Diaspora- Arranged Marriages?

2010-03-12T19:33:00.000-08:00

The Desi crew know how arranged marriages work- your parents through the social networks, either familial, tribal, village, ethnic or diaspora based, find suitable partners that are then interviewed, vetted and introduced to the potential husband/wife-to-be's. I just got this song by Wilbur and how one person described it to others, the anthem for our desi generation, enjoy!

All Art Is Derivative

2010-03-09T01:14:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been exploring copywrite laws. Its fascinating how much money there is to be made in protecting and ensuring the production of work that is protected from being copied or used in a way that falls outside the authors control.

I have discovered the story of "Sita Sings the Blues" which is a lovely personnel retelling of the forlorn-ed love story of Sita and Ram in the Ramayana. Nina Paley, the creator of Sita, says makes her work "copywrite free" saying that "there is the question of how I'll get money from all this. My personal experience confirms audiences are generous and want to support artists. Surely there's a way for this to happen without centrally controlling every transaction. The old business model of coercion and extortion is failing. New models are emerging, and I'm happy to be part of that."

Here is Nina Paley on a Saudi TV show talking about Copy-write Laws

Finally here is something I have always felt about art- that its derivative- art comes from and is based off of something that came before it and to continue to develop and reproduce the art. Enjoy "Art is Derivative" however, know that it has some images and depictions that would violate Muslim sensibilities.

The State of the Internet- Staggering!

2010-03-08T12:32:00.001-08:00

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from JESS3 on Vimeo.

Congrats to La Palma- California's Most Affordable Suburb

2010-03-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

BusinessWeek names La Palma, California's most affordable suburb. Very proud to hear the great new for the city of La Palma, literally, a city I didn't even know existed up until this point, and the sadder truth is that I live/work right next to the city. Some fun facts about La Palma:

It was originally incorporated as Dairyland, and was one of three dairy cities in the region (the other two being Dairy Valley in Cerritos and Dairy City in Cypress)
La Palma was listed in 2007 as the 16th best place to live among small cities (50,000 or less) in the United States by Money Magazine.

Nearest major city: Los Angeles
Population: 14,837
Median family income: $95,853
Median home price: $495,000
Unemployment rate: 9.1
Violent crime index: 31

La Palma, once primarily dairy farm territory, has grown into a bedroom community in Orange County with three parks and public facilities for tennis, soccer, and softball. It is also one of the most ethically diverse suburbs on this year's list: According to the U.S. Census, the area is about 36% white but also has a large Asian population and a significant Hispanic population. Events such as holiday ceremonies, outdoor concerts, and an awards program for outstanding homes help to preserve the small-town feel.

I am Majid Tavakoli: Being Green With Iran

2010-02-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

Most of our news outlets have dropped coverage of Iran, and we are once again captivated by Israel and its fear of a nuclear Iran. On December 7, 2009, Majid Tavakoli, a student activist, was arrested. He was amongst many who were arrested, yet his story stands out. Iranian authorities claim Mr. Tavakoli was dressed as a woman trying to escape after delivering a speech in Tehran on Student Day.

However, human rights activists in Iran have published a report from an eyewitness saying: “All the pictures published by the state media are false and a clear use of immoral means against student and civil activists in Iran.”

I have been contemplating how precisely I would be able to support the people of Iran as they rise up in this moment of historic drama.

So when I saw the online campaign where men donned the "chador" and proclaimed solidarity with Majid Tavakoli I felt that that was precisely how I could support not only the Green movement but also Mr. Tavakoli.

I also had other reasons that made me feel so moved to participate in the online campaign- far too long the hijab has been politicized. Especially in the current Tavakoli campaign there has been this suggestion that the women of Iran have been suppressed and in solidarity with Mr. Tavakoli and women of Iran men should wear the hijab.

In my participation with the campaign, in no way am I suggesting that the Hijab is suppressive to women. Actually, by wearing the hijab I have found a new found, heightened, level of respect for women who wear the hijab. But I still stand by my previously stated comment, that the hijab- while compulsory for women- should not be forced upon them, its a individual decision (again, I now respect that decision even more so then before.)

The hijab, like Saudi Arabia, is compulsory for Iranian women. The state forces them to wear the hijab and I for one do not believe that states should do so, rather I strongly feel that even in an Islamic nation, the state should maintain a religious presence, however, it should be well short of compulsion. How does one do that, I have no clue, I am not a political scientist nor a Islamic jurists. However, in dealing with post-modernity and Islam, that is a critical question that desires our attention and this is precisely why I stand by the Iranian people.

Iran represents an ongoing experiment in Islamic political development. Unfortunately the reins of such a government were subjugated too the short sighted religiously narrow minded theologians early on in its revoluation. What we have in Iran is a possibility to see a development of a nation that is unlike Turkey and unlike any other majority Muslim population nation- balanced with its religious identity and its secular responsibilities, socially and geographically intact, with a strong economic horizon and an indigenous manufacturing and educational system.

So here I am sitting back and watching in the comfort of my home, what more can I do but support Majid Tavakoli. Of note is that on February 22, 2010, according to STREET JOURNALISM:

Majid Tavakoli was taken back to the Revolutionary Court in Tehran in prison uniform and with laceration marks above his right eyebrow. Tavakoli was not given any reason for his appearance before the court. He was detained in solitary confinement for 3 weeks before today’s court appearance.According to Bamdad Khabar, prior to today’s closed door court hearing, the student activist had previously been tried and sentenced to 8 and a half years in prison and a 5 year ban from political activities and foreign travel.

On March 9, 2010 Czech NGO People in Need made the Iranian regimes shame tactic into a badge of honor by awarding Mr. Tavakoli along with Abdolleh Momeni with the Homo Homini Award. Surprisingly Mr. Momeni was a student leader from the 1999 Iranian uprising who was released a few days before he got the award after spending more than six months in jail, including reportedly some 100 days in solitary confinement. As a former leader of the student movement and an outspoken critic of the Iranian establishment, he campaigned for reformist cleric Mehdi Karrubi ahead of last year's disputed presidential vote. He was arrested in late June and sentenced to eight years in prison.

This year at SXSW there is a screening of "No One Knows About Persian Cats" a movie that follows a young boy and a young girl as they plan to launch a music group shortly after being released from prison. Both characters travel to Tehran where they meet other underground rock musicians and attempt to convince them to leave Iran. However, their dreams to flee to Europe in order to play music freely seem improbable without money or a passport. I wish I could be in Austin for SXSW this year because this pick has me all excited, check out the trailer:

The Kiffiyah Wars

2010-02-23T21:16:00.000-08:00

The Kiffeyah- Malkin's (terror cloth) keffiyeh kerfuffle- is this wonderful square cloth. I got my first kiffeyah when a friend of mine brought it back for me. I really enjoyed wearing it because it was convienent in many ways- it served as a great prayer cloth, it served to keep me warm, it served me well when I went for hikes, as a broke college student it also was great throw cloth for my computer desk. Yes, I also wore it during the protests against the Iraq war.

The kiffeyah was in many ways a political cloth as well. I guess it is like the Scottish kilt, something that took on a romanticized reinterpretation during the modern era to represent the political and social aspirations of the Palestinians. Wikipedia has this to say about the kiffeyah:

The keffiyeh (Arabic: كوفية‎, kūfiyyah, plural كوفيات, kūfiyyāt), also known as a (ya)shmagh (from Turkish: yaşmak "tied thing"), ghutrah (غترة), ḥaṭṭah (حطّة), mashadah (مشدة) or shemagh is a traditional headdress typically worn by Arab men made of a square of cloth (“scarf”), usually cotton, folded and wrapped in various styles around the head. It is commonly found in arid climate areas to provide protection from direct sun exposure, as well as for occasional use in protecting the mouth and eyes from blown dust and sand. Its distinctive woven check pattern originated in an ancient Mesopotamian representation of either fishing nets or ears of grain.

What I find funny is that Malkin went after poor little Racheal Ray for wearing the Keffiyah in the Dunkin' Donuts advertisement, but God only knows if she actually did her research what she would have done to the US and Australian Armed forces:

Australian Army forces have also used the shemagh since the Vietnam War, and extensively during Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly by Australian Special Forces units. Since the beginning of the War on Terror, these keffiyeh, usually cotton and in military olive drab or khaki with black stitching, have been adopted by US troops as well. Their practicality in an arid environment, as in Iraq, explains their enduring
popularity with soldiers.

Malkin, ever so the Patriot states "It’s just a scarf, the clueless keffiyeh-wearers scoff. Would they say the same of fashion designers who marketed modified Klan-style hoods in Burberry plaid as the next big thing? Fashion statements may seem insignificant, but when they lead to the mainstreaming of violence—unintentionally or not–they matter. Ignorance is no longer an excuse. In post-9/11 America, vigilance must never go out of style."

So back to the story about the Jew. This kid named Dveykus released what has been dubbed the "Israeli Keffiyeh" in parntership with Shemspeed. The picture above, on the right, is what it looks like.

What I find particulary interesting is the arguement "They took our land, then our humus and grape leaves, now they take our keffiyeh."

Here is my thoughts on the "Israeli Kiffiyeh." I find it peculiar how identity works. On the one hand Racheal Ray wears the kiffiyeh and Malkin calls it the kerfuffle, while American Jewry for the most part going up in arms about the "terror cloth." Then there is this move to reappropriate the cloth and make it "Israeli" to remove that "terror" attribution, and all of a sudden there is this "embrace" for Jewish "Arab" roots.

Talk about deflection. I can hear Malkin now sactioning the holy sacrement known as the "Israeli Kiffiyeh" for all those "fashionistas."

I am happy that there is a recognition of the Arabness found within Jewish culture. I am happy there is a interpretation of that Arab cultural identity. I love the idea of cultural exchanges and developments. I would in fact probably sport the "Israeli Kiffiyeh" if I got it as a gift.

At the end of the day, the kiffeyah serves much more of a utilitarian purpose for me. I find that the cloth holds significant cultural and social value, and I apprieciate that value, as a American and Pakistani who has nothing to do with the Kiffiyeh besides that it has Arab roots that through its roots intersects Islamic/Arab cultural roots. For me the white cotten cloth or the black turban, the Afghan coarse cap and the Kashmiri tribal scarf have more cultural significance. However, I believe in a world that is fast globalizing I can appriciate the Israeli kiffeyah as well as its counterpart the "normal" kiffeyah.

I Found My Calling

2010-02-23T20:28:00.000-08:00

From the sea to the expansive sky...I have found my new addiction. I want to learn how to parasail. Surfing is all fun, but this, this looks like a perfect addiction. Watch it and live vicariously...

Oren- On the Flipside

2010-02-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

Talk about rushing to judgment. I posted up a quick blurb on my gchat status and facebook reading "shame on the kids...shame". I admit this was in immediate response to the OC Register's post on "Ambassador" Oren- of Israel- speaking at UC Irvine last night, where 11 individuals got arrested for causing a public disturbance (sounds bad, but it is not).

All of sudden I got messages asking if I "condemn" or "condone" the situation. Interesting. Who exactly am I to condone or condemn anything? Why would people take such peculiar interest in what I have to say about the happenings? Also, people were quick to assume that the "kids" implied the students that got arrested, I actually think they were the adults in the situation.

I realize this, silence is a form of acceptance, yet ignorant comments are a form of condemnation. So here is the deal- I do not condemn the actions of individuals at the Oren event. If I were to be at the event I would not have participated in the actions carried out by individuals there.

Yet, this situation strikes as being fairly similar to the University of Chicago speaking engagement by Ehud Olmert last Fall. Very similar tactics by students, possibly actually endorsed by a student organization, who carried out the tactical interruption and mass exodus thus rendering the entire event a complete waste of time on part of Olmert and those who were present.

If anything it further galvanized pro-Israeli/Zionist factions into this "paranoia" state of frenzy, that the whole world is out to get them and this world cabal is lead by Iran's Ahmedinajad.

Even then I found the Olmert action to be disappointing. Here was my reasoning- as a representative of any state (don't argue about the legitimacy of Israel, there is no sympathy here for that line of debate that suggests Israel isn't a state) there are certain diplomatic privileges and accepted behavior.

What is of concern to me is the idea of reciprocity- no matter how horrible Iran's Ahmedinajad is, he must and should be accorded a certain level of respect, even if he believes Iran doesn't have any gay people (silly Ahmedinajad, Ecstasy is for kids?).

The same is true of any diplomatic figure. I tend to think that its a matter of being above "street behavior"- diplomacy has always had this finesse, when you want to pummel your enemy, you do with a velvet glove over your iron knuckles. To that extent, I cheered and hung my head in shame when the Iraqi journalist tossed his shoe at President Bush (and was AMAZED at Bush's ability to quickly duck out of the way of the shoe, it would make for such great entertainment had he not....no it would not. wrong way to think, unthink, unthink it Affad.)

But then who am I to think so highly of these individuals? I mean I yell at my Congressional representative for being spineless, who is this diplomat from some other country to escape from that criticism and practicing of American ideals?

I had to think back to all those health care town-halls last summer (here's one with Arlen Specter):

Seems to me that the booing, interrupting and "co-opting" of events is part of the whole FREEDOM OF SPEECH spiel found in the our tradition of public speeches.

It would be sad to think that booing and heckling at an Obama health care rally or Ahmedinajads speech would be permissible, yet doing such things at a speech or event with a Israeli representative would be reprehensible- double standards?

And please lets not kid ourselves to think that Pro-Palestinians are the only one's implementing this tactic- well documented at UC Irvine is the heckling and interrupting of Pro-Palestinian events along. Furthermore, the stifling of student views that are anti-Zionist with unwarranted and unfounded complaints placed with the DOJ. Furthermore, here is the Daily Show with Anna Baltazar and Mustafa Barghouti, where we got our own JOE WILSON

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Anna Baltzer & Mustafa Barghouti

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What is evident and extremely shameful is the behavior of elderly PRO-ZIONIST community members doing the following:

and calling Muslims- "sand niggers" and "sand coons" and lets not forget this gentlemen saying "I hope you drop out of school, because YOU will fail your finals"-here- really sir, REALLY Gary Dalin, was this behavior in response to the interruptions by these students or your own lack of civility?

I think people confuse this idea of "freedom of speech" suggesting that individuals are entitled to be listened too. The fact of the matter is, you are not entitled to be heard, you can be heckled and the hecklers removed and duly cited. You can't be denied your ability to speak, unless you clearly are a white supremacist or something deplorable (would a war criminal qualify as deplorable?).

Finally, Muslims should not kid ourselves into thinking that this one instance of "Muslim gone wild" as someone described it, is going to further destroy the "image of Islam." Islam is not beholden to individuals actions, the principles of the individual and their intentions and application of the religion are there's alone to be judged by God. If I as an individual believe that I can go to this Oren event and sit down to listen to him talk on about the Foreign Minister giving him a "hard job" and stand in front of God and say I did speak out against injustice, that I stood up against injustice, that I lifted my mind above my self interest and stood up against the oppressor in whatever fashion that was feasible and viable and legal within the laws that I live my life out under- then I have no room too pass judgment on others.

And there is reason to believe that the Muslim Student Associations do not engage in support of activities deemed "objectionable", from the UCSD MSA (UCSD, where Oren is slated to speak tonight) I got an email that read:

As most of you are aware of, Micheal Oren, the Israeli Ambassador to Washington DC will be arriving to give a lecture tomorrow. As your elected board officials, we are asking that you do not engage in any activity that may reflect negatively upon all Muslims on campus. While we do not support his arrival here on campus nor his views and actions, we understand that as representatives of the Muslim Community here on campus, we will choose the route that allows us to convey best our message of voicing our opinions in a calm, respectful, tolerant and dignified manner. Alhamdulilah, as representatives of Islam, we need to take into account the fact that each and every action we take will affect all Muslims as a whole, not just you as an individual.

Also, just as we do not wish individuals with opposing ideals to disrupt our events, especially during Justice in Palestine Week, we hope that you do not disrupt theirs. Think about how the Prophet (SAWS) would have dealt with this situation. Control your actions, control your emotions and most of all control your temper and know that Allah (SWT) is on the side of those who are patient, but yet speak the truth in the best manner.

I do want you all to know and understand who Oren is. Oren is, in my eyes a war criminal. He was a central player in orchestrating the Gaza war, killing civilians- women and children and elderly, indiscriminately- using mass destruction and slaughter tactics to subdue and destroy the will of Gazans and to further their suffering by imposing inhumane blockade and imprisoning Gaza in the worlds largest prison since World War II. Oren is a through and through right wing, pro-war, Zionist that has honed in on his tactics through the first Lebanon-Israel war and the second invasion of Lebanon by Israel. He denounces anyone whose interests do not align with right wing pro-war Zionist political views, most recently maligning J-Street, a Jewish lobby seeking to break away from American Jewry's blind support of Israel.

Please feel free to invite him to speak at any event, but don't expect people to come and just sit down to listen to him.