Ok, I know I wasn’t really going to get into bin Laden yet, but I have a general issue with this book. I’ve been having a harder time reading this than other assignments because he hits a lot closer to home than say, Ghazali. My issue is that his statements are not always overly radical, and it makes me uncomfortable to sometimes catch myself thinking he’s making sense. He speaks of the ignorance and tyrannical oppression of America, and at first I could only think of how much of a hypocrite he is. I doubt he’s over there reading up on Christian prose or considering the benefits of America, so he really isn’t one to talk about unfair perceptions of entire populations of people (though he does call some people of the West “polite and good”).  But I’ve also known people who hate Muslims based on media coverage he’s talking about, and know there is some validity to Americans who wish to remain in ignorance. What I’m struggling with right now is how much of an open mind to have when going into a book like this, considering what he has done. Is it ignorant to be set on disagreeing with everything he says, or is it  naive to read with an open mind, knowing the context?

I won’t get completely into the content of bin Laden yet, but I wanted to talk about some powerfully negative reactions i’ve been getting while reading this book in public. I read on the el a lot, and i’ve gotten more hostile stares the last several days than in my entire four years in this city. This morning an old woman actually threw peanut shells at me as I was getting off the train (why she had a bag of peanut shells is probably a different story). Automatically when people are being this rude, my hackles are up. But then I think about all the horrible connotations associated with bin Laden, and it was almost legitimate that his name would illicit things being thrown at me. But then I really thought about it, and was pissed again. I guess when it comes down to it, I’m surprised by how opposed people are to hearing the other side of the story, and how easily they judged  a stranger for doing so. There’s a pretty good chance we won’t read this book and think, hey, that bin Laden really does have a solid point, but there is an importance to this book never the less that puts 9-11 in a different context. After the tragedies Americans have seen by his hands, is it unfair or justified to receive this reaction when I am openly reading his words?

While reading one of Ali Shariati’s past lectures, he made a lot of references to loneliness and the alienation that results from loneliness. He said that loneliness is the result of people not being satisfied with what they have in front of them. It led me to think about myself and how appreciative I am for what I have in my life. I realized I wasn’t the most appreciative person and complained more than anything else. At one point, I used to not pray to be  rebellious toward God. I felt like he wasn’t worth giving time to since he didn’t solve my problems.  It’s funny how our greed takes over us very quickly and makes us forget about everything we have. It’s even more funny how we’re ready to make religion a scapegoat the second something doesn’t go right. It’s important for us to make the most of our time and learn self-restraint. It’s only through self restraint and patience that we’ll be able to survive in life.

From my Grandfather’s perspective, partition was a necessity because Muslims and Hindus reached a point where they can no longer coexist with one another on a political front. Both sides didn’t trust each other and were no longer willing to work with one another to attain independence. Political mistrust started as early as 1906 with the establishment of the All India Muslim League. This party was formed because Muslim members of the Congress Party felt they did not have the same rights as Hindu members. Another significant event was the rejection of the Fourteen Points (reform plan proposed by Jinnah to safeguard the political rights of Muslims in India) . As a result, Muhammad Iqbal calls for an autonomous state in India for Indian Muslims. Basically, the partition took place to avoid sectarian violence and give Muslims and Hindus their own political structure to work with. Unfortunately, it didn’t serve its purpose since more bloodshed took place as a result of the partition. To this day, Muslims are not safer in the region with the establishment of Pakistan. Muslims suffer in Pakistan while they suffer in India. To conclude, the partition made no difference whatsoever. Instead, its divided Muslims on the subcontinent via Pakistani nationalism, Indian nationalism, and Bengali nationalism.

 What needs to be remembered is that anger is an emotion and the idea is to manage anger, not control it. So, anger is not an enemy but rather a reminder to you that you take action to calm yourself. According to Islamic teachings, outbursts of anger are supposed to never occur. Our role model is the best of creation and the beloved of Allah the Almighty, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Prophet Muhammad says, “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger. (Sahih Bukhari) ”  Throughout his life, the Prophet encouraged his followers to control their anger and say greetings of peace. He constantly warned his companions not to be angry. One companion asked him, Give me some short advice by virtue of which I hope for prosperity both in this life and in the Hereafter, and he said, “Don’t be angry.” Another person asked, what will save me from the Wrath of Allah, and he said, “Do not express your anger.” A third person asked three times, O Prophet of Allah, give me an order to do a short good deed, and he said, “Don’t be angry.”  Sure, his face became red and he became upset. Nevertheless, he never let his anger get the best of him to the point that he did something bad because of it. It’s sad that these days many Muslims, including myself, fail to control their anger. One of the ways  we are told to control our anger is to recite “I seek in Allah from Satan.” It’s only through self-restraint and Allah’s help that one can control their anger.

I wanted to share my experience from Sunday School as well.

While I was forced to attend from grades k-12, and hated it the older I got– I truly think Sunday School helped me keep my faith. Unlike many of my Muslim friends here, I didn’t have the luxury of attending a school full of other Muslim kids who could all sit together when they fasted.  Granted, there were a few other Muslim students– but we  were the select minority, and we usually just shied away from talking about our religion.. or at least, I know I did.

So what did Sunday school do for me?  Well from kindergarten through the fifth grade, I actually learned many Surahs and Seerah of the Prophet (PBUH) through those handy dandy workbooks that they sell at bookstores on Devon. We used to have competitions as well– but to be honest– I don’t see the harm in using competition as a means to foster interest in something. It’s kind of like capitalism– no one cares to work hard unless they know they’ll make a profit. While when we’re kids — we might just want that Turbo Blaster or that Furby prize, we’ll also be learning something greater (even though we may not acknowledge it). Nonetheless, yes, it is ridiculous whne parents only want their kids to win–but honestly there are worse things for them to be pushy about.

After fifth grade up until I graduated high school, I used to loathe getting up on Sunday mornings because I thought it was a waste of time. Everyone knows those rebellious years — and I used to hate listening to people talk at me. Finally though, my senior year of high school I was engaged in a conversation with one of my Sunday School teachers (God Bless his heart), and I told him that I honestly hadn’t learned much material wise that year, but on Sunday I kind of felt a renewal of my faith just because I was being forced to think about my spirituality.

I mean I”d go all week without worrying about the strength of my Iman (faith), and instead worrying about school and my social life. I’d pray and listen to my parents, but beyond that , I didn’t do much. On Sundays, I would have to question myself and prioritize according to my faith, even if I argued with ___ ____ about rules that girls should follow or clothing or etc. That is what Sunday school did for me– so ha. my kids will have to attend one day as well.

I have to admit that when I first heard about the issue of the kaaba in the movie 2012, I was a bit perturbed. One reason being that the director’s main motivation for not destroying it was to avoid a fatwa. However, I was also unsettled because the idea of the kaaba being destroyed would make any Muslim squirm. I started to think about how in terms of Islamic eschatology, the movie 2012 is essentially about the day of judgment, where everything on earth will be destroyed. I’m assuming that the kaaba will be destroyed as well. As Muslims, it is always good to be mindful that this life will come to an end. I wonder if such a scene ended up being included in the movie, if it wouldn’t do us good to recognize this idea in a bruising and visceral way. It was probably best to leave it out of the movie to keep the fatwa fanatics at bay, but I don’t think to include it would have been the end of the world. Ha.

As a Christian I do not find images of the Vatican or Christ the Redeemer being destroyed offensive in the slightest. In light of this, and the fact that I believe freedom of expression is the single greatest right we possess, I believe the director was wrong in choosing not to show the Kaaba being destroyed in a movie about “the end of the world.” I would imagine that the vast majority of Muslims around the world would be able to differentiate between an extremely distasteful and offensive depiction of Muhammad with a bomb on his head, and a fictional movie that depicts the end of days(?).

While religion is certainly a topic that calls for greater care in its discussion/depiction out of respect for the individual believer, at the same time, we must also respect the individual right to freedom of expression. As my roommate said, “Was I angry when racist images of Muhammad were depicted in a Dutch newspaper? Yes I was angry. But that doesn’t mean that I wished that he would suffer personal injury or be killed.”

ok so i just watched 2012 and i personally thought it was amazing. i wont ruin it for the rest but i think from the previews of the film that we all know it is about the predictions the mayans had about the world coming to an end on dec. 21st 2012. I was reading some reviews about the film and came across a pretty interesting yet controversial one where the director of the film, Roland Emmerich was considering to destruct the Kaaba, which is a religious site for Muslims in Mecca, but decided not to in fear of having a fatwa on his head. He instead decided to destruct the Rio’s Christ the Redeemer Statue and St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican along with the white house and other landmarks. But due to the fear of being “attacked” by fundamentalist he did not destruct the holy site in Mecca.

What do you guys think??

http://www.kaskus.us/showthread.php?t=2704403

Whenever there is a crossover movie with Indian people, I always feel somewhat obligated to see it, even if it looks terrible. This movie did not look that great, but I saw it at the recommendation of a friend. It is definitely worth watching. The movie East is East is about a conservative Pakistani man and his British wife living in London in the 1970s. The father tries his best to hold on to the traditions of Islam and those of his homeland. He tries to raise his kids having these ideas instilled in their heads, but to no avail. Each one of them rebels from these ideas in a different way, probably most obviously with the example of their homosexual son who runs away to be a fashion designer. The father has a horrible temper and beats his children and wife in fits of rage. Unfortunately, this kind of situation is not too far-fetched. The father struggles to scare his children into submission, to God or to himself is probably an debatable issue. Meanwhile, his children are left with a tainted conception of what Islam stands for. This is perhaps why they have run away from the faith. The mother struggles find courage to stand up to the father and show how he gives Muslims a bad name. The film is ultimately hopeful and funny at times. It serves to expose the tyranny of some people in how they treat their families, with the guise of Islam as a defense for their ways. I would recommend it to anyone.