Scapegoat’s the Name, Discrimination’s the Game
Yesterday, on April 12th, Tarek Mehanna was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
He was found guilty of “supporting Al-Qaeda by virtue of translating terrorists’ documents into English and expressing ‘sympathetic views’ to the group as well as conspiring to ‘murder’ U.S. soldiers in Iraq (i.e. waging war against an invading army perpetrating an an aggressive attack on a Muslim nation)”.
And I’m the next president of the United States of America.
Over the years, I’ve spoken out against the unjust and illegal detainment of Muslim Americans like Fahad Hashmi and Aafiya Siddiqui. Tarek Mehanna was just another name on the list and I must confess that although I had heard about his arrest, I wasn’t too familiar with his case like I was with Fahad’s.
Well I can tell you right now that today not only do I know who he is but much of the American public does as well.
On the subject of Tarek’s sentencing yesterday, Glenn Greenwald, a former Constitutional and civil rights litigator as well as author of two New York Times Bestselling books on the Bush administration’s executive power and foreign policy abuses, stated that Tarek’s conviction was “one of the most egregious violations of the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech seen in quite some time” and believes that Muslims all over are being prosecuted for “plainly protected political views”.
He also states: “At some point in the future, I believe history will be quite clear about who the actual criminals are in this case: not Mehanna, but rather the architects of the policies he felt compelled to battle and the entities that have conspired to consign him to a cage for two decades.”
Before being sentenced yesterday, Tarek was given the opportunity to make a statement. This statement has gone viral since yesterday since popular consensus likes to believe that Muslims are as dumb as logs and amongst the most stupid and illiterate. So, resultingly, they were quite shocked to see an incredibly eloquent and thoughtful statement coming out of the mouth of said Muslim log.
I implore you to read the entire statement. For every Muslim, out there, you will be truly proud to see he covers every single grievance had by the Muslim world. For every non-Muslim, here’s a chance for you to see what life is like for those on the “other side of the fence”.
Be warned if you’re a hater. Tarek’s opening statement will unfortunately NOT serve as the “terrorist ammo” you’re looking for. It’ll just make the terrorist argument look even stupider and those that support them even worse. So if it’s ammo you want, hit up FoxNews.com. They’re one of the many that are hell-bent on painting an innocent man as a “defiant and angry jihadist with no remorse.”
________________________
TAREK’S SENTENCING STATEMENT APRIL 12, 2012
Read to Judge O’Toole during his sentencing, April 12th 2012.
In the name of God the most gracious the most merciful.
Exactly four years ago this month I was finishing my work shift at a local hospital. As I was walking to my car I was approached by two federal agents. They said that I had a choice to make: I could do things the easy way, or I could do them the hard way. The “easy ” way, as they explained, was that I would become an informant for the government, and if I did so I would never see the inside of a courtroom or a prison cell. As for the hard way, this is it. Here I am, having spent the majority of the four years since then in a solitary cell the size of a small closet, in which I am locked down for 23 hours each day. The FBI and these prosecutors worked very hard-and the government spent millions of tax dollars – to put me in that cell, keep me there, put me on trial, and finally to have me stand here before you today to be sentenced to even more time in a cell.
In the weeks leading up to this moment, many people have offered suggestions as to what I should say to you. Some said I should plead for mercy in hopes of a light sentence, while others suggested I would be hit hard either way. But what I want to do is just talk about myself for a few minutes.
When I refused to become an informant, the government responded by charging me with the “crime” of supporting the mujahideen fighting the occupation of Muslim countries around the world. Or as they like to call them, “terrorists.” I wasn’t born in a Muslim country, though. I was born and raised right here in America and this angers many people: how is it that I can be an American and believe the things I believe, take the positions I take? Everything a man is exposed to in his environment becomes an ingredient that shapes his outlook, and I’m no different. So, in more ways than one, it’s because of America that I am who I am.
When I was six, I began putting together a massive collection of comic books. Batman implanted a concept in my mind, introduced me to a paradigm as to how the world is set up: that there are oppressors, there are the oppressed, and there are those who step up to defend the oppressed. This resonated with me so much that throughout the rest of my childhood, I gravitated towards any book that reflected that paradigm – Uncle Tom’s Cabin, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and I even saw an ehical dimension to The Catcher in the Rye.
By the time I began high school and took a real history class, I was learning just how real that paradigm is in the world. I learned about the Native Americans and what befell them at the hands of European settlers. I learned about how the descendents of those European settlers were in turn oppressed under the tyranny of King George III.
I read about Paul Revere, Tom Paine, and how Americans began an armed insurgency against British forces – an insurgency we now celebrate as the American revolutionary war. As a kid I even went on school field trips just blocks away from where we sit now. I learned about Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner, John Brown, and the fight against slavery in this country. I learned about Emma Goldman, Eugene Debs, and the struggles of the labor unions, working class, and poor. I learned about Anne Frank, the Nazis, and how they persecuted minorities and imprisoned dissidents. I learned about Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and the civil rights struggle.
I learned about Ho Chi Minh, and how the Vietnamese fought for decades to liberate themselves from one invader after another. I learned about Nelson Mandela and the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Everything I learned in those years confirmed what I was beginning to learn when I was six: that throughout history, there has been a constant struggle between the oppressed and their oppressors. With each struggle I learned about, I found myself consistently siding with the oppressed, and consistently respecting those who stepped up to defend them -regardless of nationality, regardless of religion. And I never threw my class notes away. As I stand here speaking, they are in a neat pile in my bedroom closet at home.
From all the historical figures I learned about, one stood out above the rest. I was impressed be many things about Malcolm X, but above all, I was fascinated by the idea of transformation, his transformation. I don’t know if you’ve seen the movie “X” by Spike Lee, it’s over three and a half hours long, and the Malcolm at the beginning is different from the Malcolm at the end. He starts off as an illiterate criminal, but ends up a husband, a father, a protective and eloquent leader for his people, a disciplined Muslim performing the Hajj in Makkah, and finally, a martyr. Malcolm’s life taught me that Islam is not something inherited; it’s not a culture or ethnicity. It’s a way of life, a state of mind anyone can choose no matter where they come from or how they were raised.
This led me to look deeper into Islam, and I was hooked. I was just a teenager, but Islam answered the question that the greatest scientific minds were clueless about, the question that drives the rich & famous to depression and suicide from being unable to answer: what is the purpose of life? Why do we exist in this Universe? But it also answered the question of how we’re supposed to exist. And since there’s no hierarchy or priesthood, I could directly and immediately begin digging into the texts of the Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, to begin the journey of understanding what this was all about, the implications of Islam for me as a human being, as an individual, for the people around me, for the world; and the more I learned, the more I valued Islam like a piece of gold. This was when I was a teen, but even today, despite the pressures of the last few years, I stand here before you, and everyone else in this courtroom, as a very proud Muslim.
With that, my attention turned to what was happening to other Muslims in different parts of the world. And everywhere I looked, I saw the powers that be trying to destroy what I loved. I learned what the Soviets had done to the Muslims of Afghanistan. I learned what the Serbs had done to the Muslims of Bosnia. I learned what the Russians were doing to the Muslims of Chechnya. I learned what Israel had done in Lebanon – and what it continues to do in Palestine – with the full backing of the United States. And I learned what America itself was doing to Muslims. I learned about the Gulf War, and the depleted uranium bombs that killed thousands and caused cancer rates to skyrocket across Iraq.
I learned about the American-led sanctions that prevented food, medicine, and medical equipment from entering Iraq, and how – according to the United Nations – over half a million children perished as a result. I remember a clip from a ’60 Minutes‘ interview of Madeline Albright where she expressed her view that these dead children were “worth it.” I watched on September 11th as a group of people felt driven to hijack airplanes and fly them into buildings from their outrage at the deaths of these children. I watched as America then attacked and invaded Iraq directly. I saw the effects of ’Shock & Awe’ in the opening day of the invasion – the children in hospital wards with shrapnel from American missiles sticking but of their foreheads (of course, none of this was shown on CNN).
I learned about the town of Haditha, where 24 Muslims – including a 76-year old man in a wheelchair, women, and even toddlers – were shot up and blown up in their bedclothes as the slept by US Marines. I learned about Abeer al-Janabi, a fourteen-year old Iraqi girl gang-raped by five American soldiers, who then shot her and her family in the head, then set fire to their corpses. I just want to point out, as you can see, Muslim women don’t even show their hair to unrelated men. So try to imagine this young girl from a conservative village with her dress torn off, being sexually assaulted by not one, not two, not three, not four, but five soldiers. Even today, as I sit in my jail cell, I read about the drone strikes which continue to kill Muslims daily in places like Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen. Just last month, we all heard about the seventeen Afghan Muslims – mostly mothers and their kids – shot to death by an American soldier, who also set fire to their corpses.
These are just the stories that make it to the headlines, but one of the first concepts I learned in Islam is that of loyalty, of brotherhood – that each Muslim woman is my sister, each man is my brother, and together, we are one large body who must protect each other. In other words, I couldn’t see these things beings done to my brothers & sisters – including by America – and remain neutral. My sympathy for the oppressed continued, but was now more personal, as was my respect for those defending them.
I mentioned Paul Revere – when he went on his midnight ride, it was for the purpose of warning the people that the British were marching to Lexington to arrest Sam Adams and John Hancock, then on to Concord to confiscate the weapons stored there by the Minuteman. By the time they got to Concord, they found the Minuteman waiting for them, weapons in hand. They fired at the British, fought them, and beat them. From that battle came the American Revolution. There’s an Arabic word to describe what those Minutemen did that day. That word is: JIHAD, and this is what my trial was about.
All those videos and translations and childish bickering over ‘Oh, he translated this paragraph’ and ‘Oh, he edited that sentence,’ and all those exhibits revolved around a single issue: Muslims who were defending themselves against American soldiers doing to them exactly what the British did to America. It was made crystal clear at trial that I never, ever plotted to “kill Americans” at shopping malls or whatever the story was. The government’s own witnesses contradicted this claim, and we put expert after expert up on that stand, who spent hours dissecting my every written word, who explained my beliefs. Further, when I was free, the government sent an undercover agent to prod me into one of their little “terror plots,” but I refused to participate. Mysteriously, however, the jury never heard this.
So, this trial was not about my position on Muslims killing American civilians. It was about my position on Americans killing Muslim civilians, which is that Muslims should defend their lands from foreign invaders – Soviets, Americans, or Martians. This is what I believe. It’s what I’ve always believed, and what I will always believe. This is not terrorism, and it’s not extremism. It’s what the arrows on that seal above your head represent: defense of the homeland. So, I disagree with my lawyers when they say that you don’t have to agree with my beliefs – no. Anyone with commonsense and humanity has no choice but to agree with me. If someone breaks into your home to rob you and harm your family, logic dictates that you do whatever it takes to expel that invader from your home.
But when that home is a Muslim land, and that invader is the US military, for some reason the standards suddenly change. Common sense is renamed ”terrorism” and the people defending themselves against those who come to kill them from across the ocean become “the terrorists” who are ”killing Americans.” The mentality that America was victimized with when British soldiers walked these streets 2 ½ centuries ago is the same mentality Muslims are victimized by as American soldiers walk their streets today. It’s the mentality of colonialism.
When Sgt. Bales shot those Afghans to death last month, all of the focus in the media was on him-his life, his stress, his PTSD, the mortgage on his home-as if he was the victim. Very little sympathy was expressed for the people he actually killed, as if they’re not real, they’re not humans. Unfortunately, this mentality trickles down to everyone in society, whether or not they realize it. Even with my lawyers, it took nearly two years of discussing, explaining, and clarifying before they were finally able to think outside the box and at least ostensibly accept the logic in what I was saying. Two years! If it took that long for people so intelligent, whose job it is to defend me, to de-program themselves, then to throw me in front of a randomly selected jury under the premise that they’re my “impartial peers,” I mean, come on. I wasn’t tried before a jury of my peers because with the mentality gripping America today, I have no peers. Counting on this fact, the government prosecuted me – not because they needed to, but simply because they could.
I learned one more thing in history class: America has historically supported the most unjust policies against its minorities – practices that were even protected by the law – only to look back later and ask: ’what were we thinking?’ Slavery, Jim Crow, the internment of the Japanese during World War II – each was widely accepted by American society, each was defended by the Supreme Court. But as time passed and America changed, both people and courts looked back and asked ’What were we thinking?’ Nelson Mandela was considered a terrorist by the South African government, and given a life sentence. But time passed, the world changed, they realized how oppressive their policies were, that it was not he who was the terrorist, and they released him from prison. He even became president. So, everything is subjective – even this whole business of “terrorism” and who is a “terrorist.” It all depends on the time and place and who the superpower happens to be at the moment.
In your eyes, I’m a terrorist, and it’s perfectly reasonable that I be standing here in an orange jumpsuit. But one day, America will change and people will recognize this day for what it is. They will look at how hundreds of thousands of Muslims were killed and maimed by the US military in foreign countries, yet somehow I’m the one going to prison for “conspiring to kill and maim” in those countries – because I support the Mujahidin defending those people. They will look back on how the government spent millions of dollars to imprison me as a ”terrorist,” yet if we were to somehow bring Abeer al-Janabi back to life in the moment she was being gang-raped by your soldiers, to put her on that witness stand and ask her who the “terrorists” are, she sure wouldn’t be pointing at me.
The government says that I was obsessed with violence, obsessed with ”killing Americans.” But, as a Muslim living in these times, I can think of a lie no more ironic.
-Tarek Mehanna 4/12/12
If Our Sins Could Pose….
“Honey, what you call a vice, I call a virtue.” ~Anonymous
Nowadays, sinning is sexy.
If not sexy, it’s cool. Either way, the bark has lost its bite and those of us that still insist on abiding by the rules are seen as ol’-fashioned prudes.
Well this prude has a proposition.
How would it feel if we could actually see what becomes of us when we sin? Like, say for example, if we had the chance to see just how one sin alters us. Clearly, we don’t see the physical manifestations of it, but what if we could?
Would that seriously be a freaky eye-opener or what?
Awhile ago, a friend and I were checking out a traveling gallery on Islamic Art at the Met (a future post) and we decided to wander and check out the rest of the museum. Coming across the Gallery of American Art, I wasn’t really expecting to be dazzled. Neither would you if you had just spent two hours checking out the decor in the Sultan’s court and the jewelry the Muslim courtesans used to rock back in the day (good stuff 
)
Anyways, we came across an exhibit on Paul Cadmus, a gay American artist who became famous in 1934. He coined his own art style titled “magic realism”, a combination of eroticism and social critique. Based on the description of his personal art style, I doubt I would have batted an eyelash since it doesn’t really sound like my thing.
But his work preceded him and I’m glad I came across it.
Known as “The Seven Deadly Sins” series, Cadmus’ paintings are based on the seven venal sins in Catholicism. They’re basically his mental depictions of the transgressions that send an individual’s soul to purgatory according to Catholic beliefs.
Of course, as Muslims we don’t believe in the Catholic doctrine or purgatory, but the idea behind these images is that they depict sins that are also forbidden in Islam. As Muslims, we believe that the impact of committing sins is so profound it leaves an impression on the heart (figuratively, soul), no matter how big or small the sin is. Such a “mark” can only be removed through repentance and asking God for forgiveness. It is said that continutation of committing sins without repenting leads to a buildup of these impressions until the individual’s heart turns black.
Now I’m sure that if x-rays could reveal such blackness on our hearts, we would all suddenly see the light of God and aim for sainthood cannonization.
Alas, no such thing.
Here’s my psycho-analysis on said sins as well as a glimpse as to what can literally become of our souls when we continue to turn a blind eye to our transgressions:
First up:
PRIDE
The turned up nose, arrogant/careless sneer, and peacock feathers are reminiscent of classical notions of pride. While the turned up nose, arrogant sneer, and hand on her breast are indicative of looking down on others and considering them to be less than one’s self, the peacock feathers are most likely references to the age-old symbol of the peacock as representative of vanity and pride. Additionally, according to many religious traditions, the peacock was the downfall of Adam and Eve’s reign in Heaven. Pride is also considered a sin that leads to the downfall of individuals and is deserving of Hell.
The Prophet 
said: “He who has in his heart the weight of an atom of pride shall not enter Paradise.” [Muslim]
SLOTH
Also translated as laziness. People don’t really think too much of being lazy and definitely don’t corrolate it with being sinful. However, this is also considered a detrimental and immoral quality in many religions including Islam. Sloth is seen as the foundation of many other sins and in Islam, is seen as a characteristic of a hypocrite, one of the worst types of individuals. Note the droopiness and griminess of the individual, how he seems to be simply wasting away to the point of no return. That’s pretty much what happens when procrastination becomes our end-all excuse to avoid carrying out acts that benefit us, including prayer.
“And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little.” [An-Nisaa 4:142]
ANGER
Not exactly your typical burst of sunshine.
The bright red, the flames of fire, the fangs, the blood, the thorns piercing out of this Hulk of a man are all indicative of just how crazy we get when we let our anger overpower us. We lose all sense of control and let the fire within us take over and consume us, at times to a point where we are capable of destruction of ourselves and maybe those around us. I also think the raised fist testifies to this very fact, the need that we have to always get our way and to somehow throw tantrums when we don’t. The thorns and gushing blood are clearly depictors of how our own rage can turn inwards and destroy us in the end or at least harm us more than those we aim to hurt in our blind and senseless rage. Some Muslims also believe that in addition to earth and water, fire is one of the elements that make up the human being and that this fire is the anger within us that needs to be controlled.
The Prophet described it as a “disease” and recommended various ways of controlling it. “The strongest man is the one who, when he gets angry and his face reddens and his hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger.” [ Ahmad, 5/367]
GLUTTONY
There’s clearly a more blatant meaning behind the phrase being “a glutton for punishment”. I mean you’re literally punishing yourself with your masochistic overeating as the depiction shows. This constant overeating leads to the larger than life stomach which is literally bursting at the seams, with food coming out from all sorts of crevices. It also highlights the lack of control that a gluttonous individual acquires after letting go for so long and giving into their inhibitions. Coupled with sloth, gluttony distorts the human form to a point where the individual is inhibited from productivity and carrying out acts of worship. Also known as excess, it disturbs the balance that human beings are supposed to maintain and is considered a form of an extreme. In Islam, moderation is key. Leaning towards an extreme on either end of the spectrum is unhealthy and detrimental to the self.
“And eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.” [Al-A'raf 7:31]
AVARICE
Also known as greediness or miserliness. This one was a bit difficult to analyze. As I see it, since avarice is the insatiable greed for riches and the miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth, the individual is clearly a manifestation of his own greed and is literally carrying his “hoard of wealth” on his back. However, it is now seen as a burden to him as it has become the source of his destruction and unfortunately, a part of him at the same time. The two are no longer separate. The body is twisted and contorted because the insatiable greed has overpowered the individual and is now the center of his life. You can see worldly possessions in the burden (i.e. a goblet, clothing) but it’s swallowed up and no longer seems significant. It’s all an insignificant burden but he’s too greedy to let it go. Our own greed and stinginess can turn on us and become a burden for us when they take such a toll on us that it’s all we’re known for as it becomes an indistinguishable part of us.
“The avarice of plenitude keeps you occupied till you reach the grave.” [At-Takathur 102:1-2]
ENVY
I’m sure she was once a beautiful woman. Before she went “green with envy”.
For all the lovely ladies reading this, you know this hits close to home. This is one vice that females are infamous for. To start off, this woman is not only a nasty shade of reptilian green due to all her envying, but once again, her own sin is turning on her. Poisonous snakes, indicative of the Devil and his desire to induce envy, seep out of her and cover her in their venom. Just like the poisonous glances we can’t help but shoot others while we envy, this is the perfect depiction of it all coming back full circle in the end and hitting us where it hurts most. She’s also contorted and wasting away as her own envy consumes her and she seems to be trying to escape it but alas, it’s too late. Islamically, envy is also known as the evil eye and is one of the worst sins that a person could commit. It’s such a detrimental sin, not only to one’s self, but to others and actually has Quranic verses allocated just for protection from its harms. The idea here is that the forces behind envy are so despicably hateful and malicious that they are believed to have the capacity to phyiscally harm a person. As stated in one narration, if it weren’t for Allah’s angels guarding us, the envy from others would have the ability to even kill us.
“Say: “I seek refuge in the Lord of Daybreak from the evil of that which He created; from the evil of the darkness when it is intense, and from the evil of malignant witchcraft, and from the evil of the envier when he envies.” [Al-Falaq]
LUST
So I’m not putting up the picture of lust because it IS a bit lewd and pornographic-ish. Nonetheless, it’s here.
The female form is electrified and she’s clearly outlining the part she believes is her greatest weapon of all. Nonetheless, while she’s too busy mustering up a seductive sneer, she has no idea that the very weapon she yields is surrounding and overpowering her completely. This is a form of lust clearly indicative of how men see it: as a female uses her powers of persuasion via seduction to lead to the downfall of man. If you also notice, she’s got some pretty bold Moulin Rouge-ish makeup too and I believe that it’s similar to the look that English prostitutes used to have back in the day. Clearly looking to score, she has no idea that it’s melting off of her, as her power of making others lust after her is too much for even her to handle. The fiery tones behind her indicate that this is quite a power she’s got, but it’s got self-destructive potential. So the sin of lust is basically shown as an overpowering female temptation that even the female herself can’t turn off.
Additionally, there is some truth to this. Women have indeed been blessed with beauty and the ability to bring kingdoms to the brink of war. As such, it’s true that we wield power through the blessings that God has given us. At the same time, Islamically, Muslim women believe that part of our test is to “wield our weapons” within permissable parameters (a.k.a. marriage). It is also said that such a woman (the one in the painting, not the Muslim type I just mentioned) are weapons of Satan and frankly, that’s not the most difficult thing to believe as many woman do use their “powers” for selfish purposes (*hint* go back to the bringing down kingdoms part).
“Nay, but those who do wrong follow their own lusts without knowledge. Who is able to guide him whom Allah hath sent astray? For such there are no helpers.” [Ar-Rum 30:29]
And there you have it. I’m usally not the artsy type but this exhibit really hit me as I suddenly put a face to all the nasty emotions I tend to feel through this complex labyrinth known as life. For me, I take every negative face associated with such negative emotions as a reminder of how nasty they truly are and why they’re considered sins. Looking at these pictures, how could they not be? Additionally, what’s truly eye-opening is the fact that all of these sins are turning in on the individual itself. There’s no way you can avoid the fallout of your own negativity, especially if it involves hurting others.
And clearly, the end result ain’t pretty.
I mean we really do end up looking like that don’t we?
Just something to think about before I decide to hate on the next girl that looks better than me .
Fostering the Female Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow
On Saturday, February 25th, I led a workshop for Turning Point’s Mecca To Manhattan: Muslim Women Moving Mountains leadership workshop series for Muslim girls ages 13-20.
The workshops feature dynamic Muslim women, who are emerging leaders in the field of arts, activism, community service, business, and academics. The goal of the program is to demonstrate that young Muslim women are inheritors of a tradition that has historically witnessed females as agents of change as well as provide a platform that takes a critical look at how gender, ethnicity, history, faith, etc. impact their lives. Each workshop is led by a different facilitator who creates a connection between a particular field to an individual’s Islamic growth.
My workshop was on body image, self-esteem, and self-confidence. It focused on helping participants recognize their strengths and their best attributes, handle peer pressure, think critically about the influence of media, develop healthy habits to take care of the body and mind, and identify personal interests and core values.
So basically, my goal was to get these girls to question everything they knew about body image, self-esteem, etc. based on what society taught them. I believe it’s important to have today’s young women who come in different shapes, sizes, colors and beliefs to realize that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder and that society’s idea of beauty is based on one that is artificial and purely subjective. Therefore, they should question social standards of beauty and creat their own minus the Photoshop.
The simple idea that young women all over the world are starving themselves and slowly setting course on the path to lifelong torture and masochism is one that sickens me and I aimed to empower young Muslim women to battle and eliminate this one demon so that they can focus on how to handle themselves in face of all the others.
Like Islamophobia and social isolation.
Muslim girls already have so much to deal with, what with society calling them outsiders and terrorists as well as internal factors, such as ridiculous cultural influences to pressures to conform to certain ideological standards. They should face the world with confidence and pride in who they are so as to better be able to confront social demands and stand steadfast in the face of hatred and bigotry.
Here are some visual highlights from the workshop:
Here’s to the future female Muslim leaders of tomorrow!
Remember to question everything around you. Information is only precious if you seek it out 
Paradise Lies At Her Feet
Bahz ibn Hakim’s grandfather said:
“I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, to whom should I be dutiful?’ ‘Your mother,’ he replied. I asked, ‘Then whom?’ ‘Your mother,’ he replied. I asked, ‘Then whom?’ ‘Your mother,’ he replied. I asked, ‘Then whom?’ ‘Your mother,’ he replied. I asked, ‘Then to whom should I be dutiful?’ ‘Your father,’ he replied, ‘and then the next closest relative and then the next.’” (Adab Al-Mufrad)
Abdullah Ibn Umar saw a man carrying his mother and going around the Ka’bah in tawwaf, and the man asked: “Have I fulfilled my duty towards her?” Ibn Umar replied, “Not even for one contraction!” (Adab Al-Mufrad)
Will It Ever End?
I initially started out thinking this post would be full of my creative French. However, by the end of it, I realized I literally had no energy left to rant all over again. This pretty much seems to have been the pattern of my posts for the last few weeks now.
The hate/Islamophobic crimes are once again gaining momentum towards Muslims as yet another innocent Muslim civilian was murdered in cold blood at the hands of such heartless jackasses.
Shaima Alawadi, a 32 year-old Iraqi mother of five, living in El Cajon, California was found drowning in a pool of her own blood on her dining room floor after being beaten to death with a tire iron. Next to her, was a sickening note saying, “Go back to your country, you terrorist.”
Her distraught 17 year-old daughter Fatima gave a statement to reporters, looking into the camera, addressing the murderer, and simply begging to be told WHY her mother had to die.
Her powerful words continued to resonate with me and in my opinon, managed to sum up all the emotions experienced by Muslims in regards to being targeted as objects of hatred.
“We’re not the terrorists, you are. Whoever did it. We don’t know what color you are. But we do know one thing. You are not Christian, you are not Muslim and you are not Jewish. You’re someone without a religion. Because if you know God, you would know that God would not accept that. You’re an animal, whoever you are. You’re not even an animal….and if you were a man, you would come to her face. You wouldn’t go behind her back.”
The perpetrators have not been caught. I’m seriously curious about people like this.
If one of you sickos is reading this, do explain the following to me:
How can you be human and do something like this? How can you have a heart, a soul, a conscience and still do something like this? Does such perverseness actually give you some sick pleasure? Do you believe in a God that actually promotes such violence? Are all your creepy fellow psycho shithead empathizers cheering you on as well? “Kudos for killing the Muslim housewife bitch?” Slogan go something like that?
Either we have a society full of raging closet sociopaths or this is becoming such a full-blown phenomenon that people are becoming sensitized to its horrendous nature through some serious brainwashing.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun. May Allah grant this woman and her family Paradise for the suffering they’ve had to deal with in this life.
After ranting and raving for so long, you simply reach a point where you’ve exhausted up all your energy.
You no longer know what to say or how to act.
You start to feel like a lifeless corpse who just continues to see the same disturbing patterns in society and feel completely powerless because you know there’s nothing you can do.
If anyone out there has any idea as to how to end such senseless and vicious crimes against innocent human beings, I implore you to tell me your secret.
As for the rest of you, please keep this family in your prayers as well as the hope that there will still be some humanity left by the time these crimes stop.
If they ever do.
Inspiration Board I
If you look at the inside of my closet, you’ll see that I pretty much have a smorgasbord of images or something I like to call an “inspiration board”. They consist of various images that inspire me, including fashion, hijab styles, accessories, etc. I’m going to be incorporating this aspect of my life onto my lovely blog as well. So every now and then, I’ll be adding a new image to my blog smorgasbord. Hopefully they’ll inspire you as well .
To start out:
Inspired yet?
