Time to Make That Change

One thing I have noticed as a recurring theme in my life is the desire to make a change. It may, or may not, come to fruition in my life at all, but I believe it is the idea of change which allows me to get up out of bed some mornings. This morning is not quite so different, except for the fact that lately, I have found it much easier to stand up to myself, and sometimes those around me and stick to my guns in doing what I wish (which is to change for the better).

Many people knock on Irshad Manji for her statements about Islam, and I am included in that group of people. I think her absurdities go beyond that of most individuals who try to somehow “attack” Islam. However, she has made me realize something important about my life and the lives of the Muslims around me. What we, as Muslims, are in need of most of all, is to have a reformation of our souls, as opposed to a reformation of our scriptures as Irshad Manji claims. It is our souls which are in turmoil, and we must begin this process of reforming ourselves to be on the same spiritual levels of those who came before us. This is where my hope lies. This is all that I can cling to when things look bleak. A reformation of our souls is not a new idea, for it is what Allah has called us to in the Holy Quran. Many places in the Quran, does Allah state that succesful are those who purify themselves. So, it lies with us first, from within, not outside.

In addition, our communities are in dire need of reformation. I am either blessed or cursed with the knowledge of what goes on in my local community. Either way, I am not going to dwell on the point, except for to say that our community locally, as well as the global Muslim communities are in great need of reformation when it comes to our understanding and application of Islam. This, combined with the individual spiritual reformation, is the time of Islamic Reformation that we as Muslims are in need of. Irshad Manji herself is also in need of such a thing, although she seems, from my observations, to full of herself to realize it, or maybe it is just that she is too lost to find her own way.

Regardless, I have made a decision in my life. Allah has shown me the signs, and I have no greater desire than to follow the signs from my creator in utter self surrender, which has no other result than pure happiness.

May Allah grant us all the wisdom to follow the right path.

* AM *

My World is Spinning

I rarely feel so confused about everything! I mean, yes, I am human, and I get confused about things, as we all do. But, this time, my entire world has seem to come crashing down around me. Something inside, deep inside me is whispering to me, telling me it will be ok. That is pale in comparison, however, to the screams around me convincing me that things will never be the same again.

How could he do that?! I am so confused… Why would she say such a thing?! I am even more confused. Why would they make that decision?! I am beyond confused. Why am I so upset?! I am truly hurt.

I don’t know who, or what to believe in at the moment. All praise is truly due to Allah, for without Islam, I would have nothing left.

*** Disclaimer: In the past, individuals have assumed I am referring to specific people in my posts. I would like to take the time out to say, that my posts are a combination of my life experiences (past and present), my emotions, and my attitudes. Any mention of individuals in my blog posting is left vague, and ambigious intentionally, as it is meant to represent a combination of different events in my life. ***

Who Am I? / The Room

Many times I sit alone in my room, and attempt to answer this question. I like my room. It is the one place, in my small world, where I can find peace, quiet, and time to think. My room is my sanctuary, my only solace in this crazy, hypocritical, and sometimes very cruel world. If there is nothing left for me to live for, there is always my room. Filled with books, and reminders of better things in life, that were, and still could be. It is this very room, where I overcame the many obstacles life has challenged me with. It this very room where I cried so much that blood poured from my eyes. It is in this room, that I learned to live life, and I will learn to accept death. From this room, I wish never to escape. From this room, I will never leave. This room, is my life, and my sustenance. For without it, my very reason for existance ceases to be. My hopes, dreams, and aspirations will all be cut off from the very beat of my heart. The consciousness that is now aware, will become unaware, and stale, as it decays in the rotting of another tomorrow. My room has become who I am, and I have become one with this room. There is no turning back now. I must accept the consequences of my actions, be they good or otherwise. My room has englufed my very being, and I cannot escape its grasp. I must submit to its confines, and accept who I have become. I am a room, I am in my room, I cannot live without the room, but Who Am I?

Private: No Trespassing

So, I have made a decision.

This blog, is my personal blog, and nothing more. Just my place to rant, say what I want, vent my emotions, or not. Heck, it is my party and I will cry if I want to, as the saying goes. Sometimes I need a place to write about all the difficulties life present us with, or to share the joy of something new learned.

At the current time, I feel like crying. I don’t feel like crying because I am sad, or upset, or mad, and I really don’t think it is emotional at all. I feel like crying just to let out all my inner feelings. I feel like crying my worries away. I feel like crying my fears away. I feel like crying the stress of life away. I feel like crying all the regrets away. I feel like crying the bad things in life away. I feel like crying my tears away.

When I am done crying, the world may not be better. But, at least, I might, possibly feel better about the world. One never knows…

In other news, I am considering opening a dedicated blog to Muslim entertainment. It will require big time dedication, because I would need to post 2 – 3 items a day to make it all worth while. I think I can do it, and add it to the list of things I am including in my life reformation.

Speaking of reformation, I am working on that in the spiritual form. I am trying my best, at least I hope it is my best, to leave anything which is (a) unecessary for my everday living (i.e. myspace, television shows, etc.), (b) a huge time waster (i.e. video game obsessions, over-socialising, etc.), and (c) depremental to my end goal, which is ultimate spiritual development. It is not easy, but I feel better about life already, and I only hope things are brighter from here on out. It requires some very, very difficult decisions, and sometimes results in hard realitites, such as loss of friends, but when life presents you with a challenge, one must take it.

Lastly, and I will end with this, I am still trying to figure out this whole thing called life. Perhaps everyone is, but I have to figure out some things for myself, and it sure ain’t easy. I hope, inshAllah, that when I go to Iran, it will allow me to clear my mind, and inshAllah put some things in more perspective.

That’s the update for now… Till next time… Peace, and Keep the Faith.

Genie in a bottle?

Source: Al-Jazeera Talk of genies has been around every since I was a child, with television shows like “I dream of Genie”, cartoon movies such as “Aladdin” with a genie who practically steals the show, to movies like “The Mummy”, in which talk of supernatural becomes real, genies have had no lack of mainstay in American culture. And now… we get this news… After years of hopes and dreams that one day one of us would be lucky enough to have our own genie, it all gets crushed, especially if you are a Malysian Muslim, with the issuance of a Fatwa against it by Malysian clerics. (Disclaimer: If you haven’t already realized I am being a bit sarcastic in my post, then please stop reading now, and visit a less controversial site… Hehe, ok more sarcasm…). Check out the story below:

“A Malaysian museum has closed an exhibition on supernatural beings after Islamic religious authorities issued a fatwa, or decree, against it, state media have reported. The National Fatwa Council had ruled on Thursday that exhibitions on ghosts, ghouls and supernatural beings were forbidden, as they could undermine the faith of Muslims.”We don’t want to expose Muslims to supernatural and superstitious beliefs,” the Berita Harian newspaper quoted him as saying.

“Thousands of visitors had attended musuem in the western state of Negri Sembilan since it launched the ghost and genie exhibition on March 10, due to run until May 31.”

Its curator had previously resisted calls from Malaysia’s arts minister and a religious leader for it to be shut down amid criticism that encouraging a belief in ghosts was un-Islamic.

But Kamaruddin Siaraf, Negeri Sembilan’s state secretary and chair of the state museum board, said the exhibition was terminated after the National Fatwa Council ruled against such events.

He said the decision was made out of respect for the council’s views, the state Bernama news agency reported.

Malaysian government officials have already called for a ban another exhibition in a state museum that has put on display decaying objects described as the carcasses of a genie and a mythical phoenix bird.

Last year more than 200,000 people attended an exhibition of about 100 coffins, ghosts and genies that organisers claimed included relics of mermaids and vampires.”

The Death of Timothy Thomas

Source: Wikipedia

Timothy Thomas was a 19-year old African-American man who was fatally shot by a Cincinnati police officer in 2001. Thomas was the fifteenth African-American man killed by the Cincinnati Police Department in five years, and his death led to outrage in the black community that culminated with the 2001 Cincinnati Riots.

On April 8, 2001, Thomas was seen by Cincinnati police officers and recognized as being wanted on 19 outstanding warrants. When Thomas realized he knew one of the officers, he fled. In a subsequent chase involving a dozen additional officers, Thomas was eventually confronted by Officer Steven Roach, in a dark alley. Roach was running with his gun out (standard procedure) but with his finger on the trigger, something in direct opposition to the most basic gun handling procedure taught to police. Immediately after the incident, Roach said the gun had “just gone off” in his hand. Later, Roach claimed to have seen a gun, and later revised his story to claim that he only saw Thomas reaching for something at his waist, and Roach fired his gun once at Thomas. It was later revealed Thomas was unarmed, but may have been attempting to pull up his pants. After Thomas fell, Officer Roach called for an ambulance, and when Thomas arrived at University Hospital, he was declared dead. Thomas was the father of one child and son of Angela Leisure.

Outlandish – Kun Min

(Dreams and Future) just released a new video featuring Outlandish and the winner of a competition which invited young people between 12-19 to help the guys by writing a poem which they used as an inspiration in the new video.

Zaedo Musa Aka Shawty (the winner) and all his classmates were very lucky,they met and featured Outlandish in the new danish video “Kun min” (Only mine)