My house part 2

My house part 2, originally uploaded by hammadin.

Another view of the house....The long driveway beyond the gate served as a good [playing ground for fiercely fought cricket matches.....

My house

My house, originally uploaded by hammadin.

Lke your street you childhood house is also special. WHile the form (which you can see in this picture) of the house is great ---its your family ( i.e. the SPirit of the house) who make it very special. This two storey house is of red brick construction....

Goats

Goats, originally uploaded by hammadin.

The Festival of Abraham (EId) is on Friday and while there are sellers who have major bazaars there are also sellers who venture into residential areas to sell goats. Four such goats are seen here. We have bought shares in a cow and my brother is sacraficing a goat.

My street

My street, originally uploaded by hammadin.

A view of my street. NO matter where I live-the meories of the sreets I grew up in is priceless. Walking through these streets is always a special experience.

Manhole hazard

Manhole hazard, originally uploaded by hammadin.

Right around the corner from my house there is a mahole ( about 6 feet deep) which lies open presenting itself as a dangerous proposition for those who are not careful walking at night. Dont worry I will be posting pictures of better things in Pakistan-there are many....

Gas heating in Pakistan

Gas heating in Pakistan, originally uploaded by hammadin.

I am here in Pakistan now. It being winter here means that we use natural gas heaters for heating. The picture shows one such heater. It perhaps not the safest thing in the world but given the concrete houses it is not too bad--as long as you dont sleep with a heater "on" since it can go off if there is load variation. Having said that, I do miss Central heating!

My thoughts: Muslim girl Death in Toronto

Some of you might have heard of this death in Toronto already:

Peel police said this morning that she died overnight.

Friends at the victim’s school said she feared her father and had argued over her desire to shun the hijab, a traditional shoulder-length head scarf worn by females in devout Muslim families.

This is very sad and may Allah SWT bless the soul of the deceased. There are two issues here: wearing of hijab and the other is raising/disciplining kids. There is a fat chance that these issues will be intermingled by the media . While some efforts have to be made to deal with the media , that should not be the main priority. The question the Muslim community should ask is "Why?" and see what long term measures can be taken to solve these issues. Of course it is unrealistic to expect a unified voice from the very diverse Muslim community but even at the level of every mosque questions need to be asked and answers should be sought out. How can we stop this from happening?


I remember being in a masjid sermon 3 years ago where the imam talked about how parents only start worrying about their kids practices once they it their teens. The problem is that lots of Muslim immigrants are used to large extended families-social networks and Muslim societies which facilitate the upbringing of the kids. So perhaps there is less onus on them on a day to day basis. The society takes responsibility. however if you import the same less intensive child rearing skills to a country like Canada where the social networks (specially for new immigrants) are not as extensive as their home countries-then there is a problem. If a new immigrant wants their kids to be the same way they would if they were growing up in their "home" country they are just setting themselves for disaster. They need to adjust-and they need to do it quick.

If a situation like this does arise where a daughter does not want to wear hijab and is being threatened by her parents into wearing it then she should have people she can go to who understand the family's cultural and religious context. This is where the problem of not enough "Muslim volunteers" in community support groups comes up. We need to have a presence in these groups. I remember talking to people who work at youth shelters who said that they usually dont know how to deal with muslim youth's families ( when Muslim kids walk into the shelter) and dont have any muslim volunteers who would be able to help them deal with cultural/religious issues at hand. Perhaps mosques should have a role in this as well and at least educate the people who come to the mosque on child rearing, rights of children, rights of parents, etc. At a recent local muslim event a a masjid volunteer uncle stood up and talked about the HUGE domestic abuse problems the muslim community is silent on.

Anyways-there is a lot to say but also a lot needs to be done. In the end we should not despair-this by the will of Allah and is a wake up call for us. Will we the muslim community rise up to the challenge? Or will we forget about it once this doesnt remain a media story? Or will we wait till we see these problems first hand? perhaps with our own kids?

Saying the good

Sh Faraz says that saying the good not only means saying what is good in itself but also saying that whose consequences are good.

Reflecting on this, I can recall times in my life where I have said the right thing at the wrong place and/or to the wrong person. The consequence of saying the good at the wrong place can be negligible or negative.

So in essence we should say the right thing at the right place to the right person. Saying the right thing requires knowledge. Knowing the right place requires wisdom. Knowing if it is the right person requires novice and insight as to who you are talking to.

The right person could be the right person to talk to in one venue and the wrong person to talk to in another venue. For example, if you criticize someone in public it is more likely that they will be come negitive and defensive then when you talk to them in person. Further, what you to say to a 15 year old is different from what you ay to a fifty year old so watch who you are talking to and word yourself accordingly. Sometimes if someone else says the same thing as we do to our target listener, he/she may be more effective. So we should really weigh what we say.

As the hadith goes:

"Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say [something] good, or he should keep silent." [Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]

Nawawi says, "This hadith is quite explicit that it is imperative to not talk unless the speech is good, which is that wherein there is some benefit. If a person is in doubt as to whether there will be any benefit, then he should remain silent."

Punjabi Wise Saying 4

aag nal ag naheen bujdhee
Fire is not put out by fire
(Anger is not put out by anger).

Recently, there was a fire down the street from me. Passing by the house while the firefighters were hard at work, , I wondered hat would have happened if the fire fighters had lit another fire to try to put out the original fire. Of course that would have been silly!

Similarly, in our daily lives we encounter many situations, where we might anger someone. It is easy to get angry in response but the better or the more sunnah way (i.e. "tmsw") is to remain calm and deal with the issue at hand (i.e. burn the fire out with proper chemicals).

Also having done a safety course where they asked us to put out simulated fires, I learnt that the proper ay to put out a fire is to aim the "fire extinguisher: at the root of the fire. So in real life you would aim your response to the root of the issue and if you cant do that at that point, then it is better to remain silent till you have the composure to analyze the issue at hand.

To get a better handle on the issue of anger, you can read my previous post on anger.

An Old classic: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.

Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Islamica: Is Marriage Sinful

Is Marriage Sinful? A great article by Sh Faraz which really is very thought provoking:

At a recent dinner invitation, I noticed that most of those present had business relationships with each other. I feared that if there wasn’t some radical intervention, the conversation would center on things like guerilla marketing and such—not my cup of tea. So I decided to say something radical, hoping to shift the flow of conversation to human relationships instead. I said, “You know, I think that it is haram for many people to marry.”

Heads turned very fast. Some asked me whether I’d lost my mind. Others simply asked me what I meant.

I wasn’t joking, I said. No, I was very serious.

READ ALL

Please Donate: Oshawa Masjid!!!

My local masjid needs your support because:

• The current masjid is in an extremely dire condition. The structure is deteriorating by the day and is beginning to fall apart both inside and out.

• The current masjid has been officially categorized as a "Heritage B" property by the City of Oshawa. This means that it is on the City's list of properties which could potentially be designated a full-fledged HISTORICAL SITE. If declared a HISTORICAL SITE, we would be prohibited from undertaking any new masjid projects.
• The current facility is not adequate enough to meet the needs of the masjid attendees. With limitations in both space and layout, the current masjid has no accommodations for sisters. Furthermore, many brothers are forced to offer their Jumma and Eidain prayers in the basement as space in the main prayer hall is limited. Finally, there are no dedicated classrooms for children's evening Qur'an and Fiqh classes.
• Their are no accommodations for persons with physical disabilities and impairments.
• A new, beautiful masjid is needed to reflect our beautiful Deen of Islam.

"We rely on your financial support to successfully complete this project and requesting you to donate generously toward this worthy cause. We are greatly thankful to you for your generous donation and continued support.

You can make a secure donation through CanadaHelps.org or Paypal . You may also download the pledge form and mail to the Islamic Centre of Oshawa.

For more information on this project (HD: and to donate), please click here."

Protests in Pakistan and more....

Read this news story about a protest in Islamabad, Pakistan which took place yesterday:

Samad continued: ìLater students were asked to go back and they complied. It was while they were returning that 600-700 policemen, female police officers, anti-terrorist squad commandoes and plain clothed officers came saying they would arrest them as protest rally was not allowed. The police then started charging the students with batons and manhandled them. They pushed and dragged, abused and shoved students into police vans. Most of those arrested were class 9-12 students, while one of them was only a 12-year- old.

That is very sad. I guess what is interesting is that all th calls for such protests are happening through the internet as Spiegel Online Reports:

Indeed, the LUMS protest sparked one in Boston at the same time, thanks to Facebook. News of a protest by opposition leader Benazir Bhutto sparked one in London, led by Jemima Khan, the former wife of another opposition leader, Imran Khan, who is under house arrest. Since the weekend, students have been holding "flash" protests in Karachi, the country's commercial capital. Through cell-phone text messages, students have been gathering, 10 at a time, across the city, shouting protest slogans, and disappearing quickly before the police arrive. If it sounds like a youth gimmick, consider the dangers involved. A student flash mob could find itself in hostile territory, liable to arrest.

The whole scenario is quite depressing for most Pakistanis I have talked to ( in canada). Some even the change the topic when you mention this. If we believe Mr. Musharaf who thinks the imposition of emergency will improve the security situation then my question is what happens after? This is a short term measure. What is he doing to ensure long term security of the country? The roots of terrorism and extremism ( believed in by a minority in Pakistan), is generally a result of dis empowerment and disenfranchisement of people on the fringes of society making them more susceptible to extremist propaganda. Remove the causes of this dis empowerment and disenfranchisement and you are removing extremism.

Market trends for Mergers ( i.e. marriages)

A merger (i.e. marriage) is being planned by my board ( i.e. mom and dad) in Pakistan. They will inshahallah look at several potential merger opportunities. The market experts ( i.e. Auntees, other auntees and more auntees) are saying that the market is bullish right now. I did alert the board on a couple of opportunities that I wanted explored but they were vetoed. They also like to look into related companies first but the related companies did not have any merging potentials ( thank god..)

While I wanted the board to be open to international opportunities, the board wants to look locally (i.e. Pakistan) to start with and then perhaps go international. Knowing the ups and downs of the markets internally does help the board to decide. However, given that after the merger the company will go international, adjustment factors for different international environments would need to be considered.

Merger rumors among my close friends and associates ( my personal investments) are usually high whenever I visit Pakistan because they know whenever the board gets together for a physical meeting there may be something brewing. Previous rumors were proven false to the disappointment of many and to the joy of a few.

The board might short list potential "companies" for talks about merging before my trip to Pakistan. The board will undertake intense due diligence during the talks. The due diligence can be financial, behavioral and so on. I have a strong veto on the board too. The other "companies" have their own boards too, however the power of the principal on these boards can be too limited which we as a board need to watch out for.

Once a candidate is selected, terms and conditions for the merger are ironed out. The contract isthen signed and the two parties merge..and there is a potential for spin offs as well,...

Web MD: Fasting May Cut Heart Risks

Fasting May Cut Heart Risks- Fasting on a regular basis may protect against heart disease, researchers report. In a study of more than 4,500 men and women, people who fasted were 39% less likely to be diagnosed with coronary artery disease than those who didn't fast. Coronary artery disease was defined as having at least 70% narrowing or blockage in at least one coronary artery.

Memory techniques...

A cool memory technique......

The mnemonic device, known as the loci method, involves placing mental pictures of items in specific locations inside a room, in a specific order. A person can then "walk" through the room and see all the objects that must be recalled. Each person must develop his or her own locational system. Teachers in antiquity recommended using public places such as temples or meeting houses as sites for spatial memory training; an individual would stand inside a temple and memorize the position of each column and statue, from the main entrance, along the right wall, across the front, back down the left wall, and so on. Each item from a list would then be assigned to a column, statue or other feature, in a given order. Later, the memorizer would READ MORE

Web MD: Get married-Gain weight

Web MD says get married and you will gain weight. I guess that explains the uncles who have a big tummy. Maybe I should look for Wife who doesnt cook well so I dont get fat?

After marriage, weight gain becomes more likely and exercise takes a nose dive, a new study shows......

Daily Telepgraph: Benazir Bhutto, a kleptocrat in a Hermes scarf

Imran KHan's x-wife gives her 2 cents on Miss Bhutto.

This is no Aung San Suu Kyi, despite her repeated insistence that she's "fighting for democracy", or even more incredibly, "fighting for Pakistan's poor".

This is the woman who was twice dismissed on corruption charges. She went into self-imposed exile while investigations continued into millions she had allegedly stashed away into Swiss bank accounts ($1.5 billion by the reckoning of Musharraf's own "National Accountability Bureau").

Third World Groundwater pollution

Groundwater pollution is the movement of contaminants through the subsurface soil and groundwater. Everywhere we go we have water flowing beneath our feet at a variety of depths and i a variety of strata.

Gdoundwater pollution is more dangerous because as wiki puts it well:

Groundwater pollution is much more difficult to abate than surface pollution because groundwater can move great distances through unseen aquifers. Non-porous aquifers such as clays partially purify water of bacteria by simple filtration (adsorption and absorption), dilution, and, in some cases, chemical reactions and biological activity: however, in some cases, the pollutants merely transform to soil contaminants. Groundwater that moves through cracks and caverns is not filtered and can be transported as easily as surface water. In fact, this can be aggravated by the human tendency to use natural sinkholes as dumps in areas of Karst topography.

Developed nations generally have good controls on controlling and investigating sources of groundwater pollution. However, for developing countries, these issues are not of top priority. For them, the top priority is typically economy. Some third world places with groundwater pollution do not realize they have groundwater pollution or if they do then they don't have the capicity or means to stop it at the source.

As a case study take a look at the sources of drinking water pollution in Pakistan ( all of them explained on the WWF website):

• Muncicpal wastewater
• Industrial
• Agricultural
• Landfill leechate

So as mentioned before the issues are the lack of will, means or sources for third world countries to provide clean drinking water to their population. One way to clean water is to provide clean water downstream by purifying contaminated water but depending on the level of contamination, that may not be possible specially given that the third world lacks techniques to purify water on a large scale and sometimes even on a small scale. However there is good work being done and some charities from the developed world provide downstream solutions. For example:

• Bottle filteration
• Biosand
• A handful of clay, yesterday’s coffee grounds and some cow manure
• and many more

However preventing the pollution at it;s source remains a challenge and sometimes multi national companies are responsible for huge catastrophic disasters in the third world. For example;

Oil companies in Nigeria
Chemical companies in India
and many more ...

Listed below are the 10 most polluted cities in the world in alphabetic order ( surprise surprise-most of these are in the third world):
Chernobyl (Ukraine) | Dzerzinsk (Russia) | Haina (Dominican Republic) | Kabwe (Zambia) | La Oroya (Peru) | Linfen (China) | Mailuu-Suu (Kyrgyzstan) | Norilsk (Russia) | Ranipet (India) | Rudnaya Pristan (Russia)

Lot of work and awareness needs to be spread in the third world about groundwater pollution. however as with other issues political will, resources, technical skills, etc are issues that need to be tackled as well.

You can help by spreading awareness, donating money and writing letters to your local leaders to help reduce pollution in the third world.

LIsted on this page are some useful charities.

BBC on American Election fundraising

Interesting thoughts on the Hilary fundraising from the BBC:

During a brief and rather strained meeting a few days ago, I asked Annie what she was hoping for by way of reward when President Hillary Clinton takes over in January 2009. Ambassador to Togo, I suggested?

The atmosphere froze. I think Annie has her eye on Rome.

And she may make it or, if not Rome, then a White House pass and a job as "head of outreach" to this, that or the other segment of the community.

A job that allows you to say, "I work at the White House, I am in the Administration."

A job that is the desire of almost all Washingtonians. A job that is both very short term - you burn out fast and you are anyway limited to eight years because your president is - and, at the same time, very long term because of course they cannot take it away from you, this fact, that you were in the White House. REaD MORE

All Things Pakistani: Ramadan in Pakistan

A well written article of how Ramadan was in Pakistan. I can relate to many things in this article. Nothing like eating amee key Parathas for breakfast and then pakoras in the evening in those Ramadans. As with other things, its only when the moment passes you realize how precious the moment was.

"The dining table would be all set before the crack of dawn, as though it was just another meal in the middle of the day. How did my mom ever get up so early to have everything prepared in advance? Us siblings preferred fried eggs and malai with paratha, while my father preferred a savory dinner-like meal. We would all eat together, drink our tea, and watch the TV playing in the background. READ MORE"

The one state solution?

The one state solution to Israel_palestine issue?.

Ali Abunimah debates Avika Eldar on Canadian radio
Debate, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Oct 2, 2007

On 24 September 2007, EI's Ali Abunimah appeared on the Canadian Brodcasting Corporation program, The Current with host Anna Maria Tremonti. Abunimah was invited to take part in a debate with Israeli journalist and political columnist for the Israeli daily Haaretz, Akiva Eldar.

"It's a situation few could have predicted could actually get worse. But Israel's declaration last week that Gaza is now an "enemy entity" has left many fearing the potential for all out war.

Already, Israel has shut down supplies to Gaza in response to rocket attacks on the south of the country. Humanitarian agencies are now calling the region a disaster zone. In the West Bank, prospects for peace look little better. Despite Israel's repeated promises to reduce the number of roadblocks, the tally is up over 50 percent in the past two years with a total of 572 roadblocks around the area.

All this has many -- once again -- questioning the viability of a two-state solution and whether the controversial one-state proposal is even worth talking about.

The Current hosted Abunimah and Eldar to discuss the feasibility, desirability and seeming impossibility of a one-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


Akiva Eldar is an Israeli journalist and political columnist for Haaretz. He is also the author of Lords of the Land: The War for Israel's Settlements in the Occupied Territories, 1967-2007.

And Ali Abunimah is a Palestinian-American journalist and the author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse."

• Listen Now [Streaming Real Audio]

Can you read my body langauge?

Body Language: This was a term I heard growing up when I was watching cricket. A lot of times this commentator Ravi Shastri would comment on teams' body languages depending on how they were doing in the game. And at most times it would be reflective of their performance.

However body language (in my view) goes beyond cricket or sports in general. I think our whole lives are littered with body language. For example, if you talk to people in "Human Resources or Development", they will tell you that one of the things they observe during interviews is body language used by the interviewee which (in most cases according to them) indicates the interest a person has in the job, or if he/she actually is saying the truth and so on.

Changingminds.org has some interesting thoughts on body language. It describes non verbal commmunication as:

The communication without words. The face is used a great deal. Hand signals, shrugs, head movements, etc. also are used. It is often subconscious. It can be used for:

• Expressing emotion (e.g. smiling to show happiness)
• Conveying attitudes (e.g. staring to show aggression)
• Demonstrating personality traits (e.g. open palms to show accepting qualities)
• Supporting verbal communication

• 
  

It also says that different cultures have different body languages:

Non-verbal behavior also varies across cultures (such as the ‘ok’ finger O), although the six major emotions (anger, fear, disgust, sadness, happiness and surprise) are common across the world.

If you have watched the football world cup, I am sure you have seen the Italians use hands to talk as this article confirm:

Walk down the street of any Italian town today and you might think you've wandered onto the set of a Fellini movie. People everywhere seem to be mumbling to themselves while gesticulating wildly. If you get closer to them, though, you'll notice that they're punctuating a conversation on their telefonini with hand gestures. Mobile telephones are ubiquitous in Italy today, and all those animated discussions are proof positive that Italians express themselves with their hands even while speaking on the phone.

further one of the best football refrees of all times Pierluigi Collina says:

Whilst renowned for his ability to stare down even the games most aggressive exponents, Collina explained that his ability to deflate tense situations with a smile was equally important:

"I only ever had a few seconds to resolve a situation and therefore using the right body language was essential. You just have to use the appropriate behaviour for the moment – it could be a smile, or I could be much firmer, depending on the situation."

Back to changingminds.org which states:

Try the difference between listening to someone with your eyes closed and listening/watching with your eyes open. It is much easier to understand when you are watching them.

This is why I think emails/MSN/social networking sites are handicapped when it comes to communications. While emitcons are great, they are still very limited in how much they indicate. it is much harder to fake a smile in person then it is to type "colon" and a "bracket" .

: ) ( typing that was so easy!)

Having said that, I think emails/msn/social networking sites can be a secondary tool to facilitate relationships depending on who the user/s are. I must say some people are better at it then others.

Phones are slightly better given that you can actually judge more from the tone of a voice but it is still nothing like a face to face meeting. I actually think women are much better at "phone communication" then men are which is probably why most of my friends tell me that they have longer conversations with their moms then dads on the phone ( mind you dads may be quieter in person as well but this phenomena magnifies on the phone).

As a Muslim, I look for guidance towards the Prophet Muhammad ( Peace be Upon Him) and lo behold I find this:

Abu Hurayra said, "When he faced someone, he faced him completely. When he turned away, he turned away completely. I have never seen anyone like him and I will never see anyone like them."

The last thing you want to do is to be looking the other way from the person you are talking to.

and again from the sunnah:

Jarir said, "Since the time I became Muslim, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, never saw me without smiling at me." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A man from the best of Dhu Yaman will enter by this door whose face has been touched by an angel." Then Jarir came in.

I personally find people who smile at me more approachable then those who are stern faced. I also find smiling at people makes me more approachable for other people.

The masters of body language whom I know generally tend to follow both of the above prophetic practices Also the best body languagers know how to indicate that they are in a rush (i.e. looking at a watch) or turning their legs away from you when they are sitting). Other examples would be people walking fast and talking in a rush when they are in a hurry.

Then you get people who are terrible at reading body language. No matter how much you indicate to them ( non verbally) that you are out of time or in a rush, they will keep talking. Thats when you use verbal communication to indicate your feelings.

I find women are better then men at using and reading body language which makes sense given their more observant nature. I know when I am in the process of getting married and am interviewing my potential spouse, I will actually be as vigilant about non verbal communication asI will be about verbal communication. Having said that, I also know that some people are good at hiding their body language but if you spend a significant amount of time ( one hour?)with them you will eventually start seeing some non verbal signs. Further, each person has their own way of usi ng body language which may be dependent of where they grew up, how their parents were and so on.

In conclusion, I think it is a skill to use and read body language and as with other skills, there are some who are better at it than others and then there are those who are naturals. (Din says that as he turns his body away from his laptop!)

A small Booklist on this topic:
Body Language: How to Read Others' Thoughts by Their Gestures (Overcoming Common Problems) (Paperback)
The Definitive Book of Body Language: The Secret Meaning Behind People's Gestures (Hardcover)

Canada and mexicans

FunnY!

Book review: A long way gone

There are books whose contents leave unforgettable imprints in your mind. Ishmael Beah's book "A long way gone" is one of those books. The memoir, a true story reconuts the life of a child soldier who grew up during the Seire Leone civil War.

Ishmael writes with a lot of flow, which along with the interesting contents of the book, makes it very hard to stop reading the book, once you start . First hand accounts of death, seperation from family, rehabilitation and other effects of wars in the book leaves the reader shell shocked. News that one reads , hears and watches about wars can never do justice to the tragedy that war causes to millions on the ground. A must read for sure.


( Watch/read an interview of the writer here)

Seagul Thief

"A seagull in Scotland has developed the habit of stealing chips from a neighborhood shop.

The seagull waits until the shopkeeper isn't looking, and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos.

Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds.

The seagull's shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the store in Aberdeen, Scotland, and helped himself to a bag of chips. Since then, he's become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips.

Customers have begun paying for the seagull's stolen bags of chips because they think it's so funny."

News report:

Web MD: Food that curb hunger

Pehraps these foods are good while fasting as well...

Anyone who has ever been on a diet is familiar with the gnawing feeling of hunger that occurs when you cut way back on calories. And after a few days of feeling deprived, most dieters throw in the towel. But what if you could cut calories, yet still eat plenty of food, and not be plagued with constant hunger? Experts say that if you choose foods that help curb hunger, as well as become more mindful of your eating behaviors, you can actually eat more and still lose weight.READ ON

The suttle and effective prayer time reminder: fazmi

Looking for prayer time reminders?

A great tool for firefox users. You can install this extension. Go to it's options once you have installed it, to set your location and calculation method. It permanently shows you the prayer times in your firefox window and a pop up appears before prayer times finishes in case you have been delaying the prayer.

I have been using it for over 6 months now and just love it!

A prophetic saying

The Prophet( peace be upon him) said:

"Discreetness safeguards secrets, charity safeguards wealth, sincerity safeguards good deeds, truthfulnesses safeguards speech and consultation safeguards opinion"

( taken from Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani's "preparing for the day of judgement" published by Awakening, UK)

Nigeria: Impact of Electronic Pollution

This is very Sad:

Africa is recognised as a dumping ground for toxic, chemical and electronic waste from the developed nations of the world.

As much as 80% of the world's high-tech trash ends up in Asia and Africa. Out of this proportion of detritus called e-waste, about 65% flows to China and 35% comes to Nigeria.

TVs, computers and monitors, GSM handsets and wireless devices form the chunk of e-waste in Nigeria today. The computers, with monitors and keyboards, sitting on desks, television sets in houses and offices, GSM handsets etc., are all laced with toxins and deadly chemicals. They are all classified as post-consumer hazardous waste which makes un-suspected users vulnerable to health risks.

This free trade in hazardous waste will end up leaving the indigent peoples of the world with untenable choice between poverty and poison; but while other security-minded developing countries stoutly legislated against the trend, it has the rule rather than exception in Nigeria. READ ON

Pakistan and the return of Nawaz Sharif /Benazir

I am sure most of you have heard of the return of former prime ministers of Pakistan: Benazir and Nawaz Sharif. I grew up as a kid following the politics of both these "democratic" leaders and to be honest their return or thier intent to return does not excite me. IN fact their claim that their presence or absence will determine if Pakistan has democracy or not is ludicrous.

As the Gurdian states about Benazir:

Few would argue with the proposition that democracy is almost always preferable to dictatorship; but it is often forgotten the degree to which Bhutto is the person who has done more than anything to bring Pakistan's strange variety of democracy - really a form of elective feudalism - into disrepute. During her first 20-month long premiership, astonishingly, she failed to pass a single piece of major legislation. Her reign was marked by massive human rights abuse: Amnesty International accused her government of having one of the world's worst records of custodial deaths, extrajudicial killings and torture. Bhutto's premiership was also distinguished by epic levels of corruption. In 1995 Transparency International named Pakistan one of the three most corrupt countries in the world. Bhutto and her husband, Asif Zardari - widely known as "Mr 10%" - faced allegations of plundering the country.

As for Mr. Sharif, he never fared any better either as BBC writes:

He controversially reversed a constitutional amendment which took away the president's powers to dismiss the prime minister.

A power struggle with the judiciary also gripped the country after Mr Sharif fell out with the then Chief Justice, Sajjad Ali Shah.

Mr Sharif faced possible disqualification from office after charges of contempt of court were brought against him, but these were eventually dismissed.

In 1998, he was confronted by another stand-off after a former army head said the army should formally have a say in the running of the government.

I dont think that any individual can claim to bring back democracy . I think the two most important aspects of any democratic fair system is justice at every level of society and the education of the masses. The problem with the education system is perfectly explained in this week's Crossing Continents ( BBC):

Pakistan's Government of President Pervez Musharraf likes to describe itself as being on the frontline of the "war on terror". But there is another related war going on, a struggle for the heart and soul of Pakistan's education system.

It is a war the government is losing. Sixty years after independence, more than six million children are not attending school. And that's a conservative estimate. Of those that are in school, something like a third drop out when they are just five or six years old.

These are uncertain times for Pakistanis politically ( both global and local politics) . Please make dua for Pakistan.

reportonbusiness.com: It's cricket for Microsoft, as it woos Indian employees

reportonbusiness.com: It's cricket for Microsoft, as it woos Indian employees

SEATTLE — On a cloudless summer day, Manish Prabhu stares out at a converted soccer field thousands of miles from his native India and watches a cricket ball skip past some fielders dressed in white.
It is an unlikely place for a game of cricket, but Mr. Prabhu has spent hundreds of afternoons playing with the Microsoft Cricket Club on this bumpy turf near the company's campus in Redmond, Washington.

What about other minorities or the majority?

Quote from an immigrant friend

"I did not have an accent till I came here"
said by a friend in 2004 who had immigrated to Canada.

Time-Wasting

There are always excuses we can find on why we cant, wont or dont do something...But if there is a will there is a way and you really should start NOW!:

"If you are harmed by the heat of the summer
And the dryness of autumn and the cold of the winter
And you are ditracted by the beuty of Springtime
Then tell me, when will you seek knowledge"

Imam Ahmad Ibn Faris al Razi ( taken from the Value of Time by Shaykh Abd- Al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah).

For God's sake

or in Urdu its called..Khuda key liay...Thats the name of the new Pakistani movie which has done rathar well in the Pakistani theatres. Thanks to Haseeb bhai for directing me to the movie which is now available on Google videos. I thought the movie had a good theme and touched upon many pertinent themes which are relevant globally. ( though I do think that the movie should have been slower and split into two to three episodes because in some parts, the movie went so fast that it skipped over details, which the viewer had to make assumptions about...). Plus I think the movie focussed too much on the blacks and whites rathar then the spectrum of colours which exist on both sides of the so called global conflict ( or misunderstanding?).

regardless I wont spoil the movie for you. Do watch it yourself if you know urdu. All Things Pakistani has a good review of the movie as well... I will quote Haseeb bhai on the good questions the movie raises:

"How do we respond to Muslim girls’ relationships with non-Muslim guys? (Obviously we know its haraam, but it is a reality).

Is Music haraam? (NOTE: I know there is a legitimate difference of opinion on this issue and I by no means suggest that those who view music as impermissible are extremists!!!)

How do we help our young sincere Muslim brothers and sisters who get caught up with extremist ideologies? (The same issues holds true in Europe and America as well)

How do the real wise ulema of our times stand up and overcome the extremist preachers who so effectively target our youth?

How do we react to racial profiling and the tragedies of Guantanamo Bay and other secret prisons that even today still hold innocent Muslims?

How can we continue to explain to our outraged Muslim brethren across the world that America and the west in general isn’t inherently evil and anti-Islam?"

Who will answer these good questions? I think the answer lies beyond blogs and words and really comes down to taking well thought out actions at your local level whatever form they may take. (the content of these "actions' is subjective rather then objective in my opinion and dependent on your local circumstances and resources) and the purpose would be to educate people across the spectrum ( both muslims and non muslims) through action and word.

NEW ALBUM Badr-ud-Dujaa Shams-ud-Duhaa - by Junaid Jamshed

Badr-ud-Dujaa Shams-ud-Duhaa - by Junaid Jamshed (Audio CD)

Listen to these links in Wndows Media player for preview of his nasheeds. To buy these in North america click here. For a purchase from England click here.

Badr-ud-Dujaa
Bold And Brave
Hijrat
Kamli Wale
Madinah Ko Jaiye
Mere Allah. Tu Kareem Hai!
Nasab Mubarak Janab Muhammad Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam (Maulana Tariq Jameel)
O Merciful!
Habibi, Rasooli (English)
Habibi, Rasooli (Urdu)
Du'a-e-Taariq

Battle at Kruger

This video has been making it's rounds ( and you might have seen it already). Buffalos vs Crocs vs Lions....16 million views already...a must watch!

Punjabi Dubbing

On a lighter note watch this video which has funny punjabee dubbing to a Bush debate...

Quizing about Shabay Baraat...

Interesting video via GeoPakistani which interviews people in an urban area in pakistan about Shabay-Baraat ( in urdu). A big majority do not know what it is . (Of course these interviews were taken in one market in one city within the middle class areas so it cant claim to be truly representative but still it is sad viewing for it does represent a significant number of Pakistanis...)

Food that traves well

Food That Travels Well - New York Times

It all depends on how you wield the carbon calculator. Instead of measuring a product’s carbon footprint through food miles alone, the Lincoln University scientists expanded their equations to include other energy-consuming aspects of production — what economists call “factor inputs and externalities” — like water use, harvesting techniques, fertilizer outlays, renewable energy applications, means of transportation (and the kind of fuel used), the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed during photosynthesis, disposal of packaging, storage procedures and dozens of other cultivation inputs.

Incorporating these measurements into their assessments, scientists reached surprising conclusions. Most notably, they found that lamb raised on New Zealand’s clover-choked pastures and shipped 11,000 miles by boat to Britain produced 1,520 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per ton while British lamb produced 6,280 pounds of carbon dioxide per ton, in part because poorer British pastures force farmers to use feed. In other words, it is four times more energy-efficient for Londoners to buy lamb imported from the other side of the world than to buy it from a producer in their backyard. Similar figures were found for dairy products and fruit

. READ ON

Reuters: Sleepy? Cut out late-night Internet and TV

Reuters Health Information (2007-08-23): Sleepy? Cut out late-night Internet and TV

NEW YORK (Reuters
Health) - People who spend more pre-bedtime hours using the Internet or watching television are more likely to report that they don't get enough sleep, even though they sleep almost as long as people who spend fewer pre-bedtime hours in front of a computer or television screen,survey findings show.
"While many people use electronic media, such as the Internet, it should be noted that the longer media use before sleep can trigger (self-perceived) insufficient sleep," lead
researcher Dr. Nakamori Suganuma, of Osaka University, Japan, told Reuters Health.
He and colleagues obtained data on self-perceived sleep problems and the use of electronic media prior to bedtime from a total of 5,875 Japanese respondents to two separate Internet-based surveys. Their findings are published in the journal Sleep and Biological Rhythms. Nearly half of the respondents associated their lack of sleep with electronic media use beforebedtime. Those reporting longer electronic media use were also more likely to report insufficient sleep. Overall, 29 percent of light users
(less than 1.5 hours) listed electronic media use as a possible cause of their insufficient sleep. By comparison, 40 percent of medium users (1.5 to 3 hours) and 54 percent of heavy users (more than 3 hours) said the same. READ ON

CSM: Islamic Spain history's Refrain

From Christian Science Monitor:

Washington - The past sometimes provides examples of glory and success that serve as models. Other times, as the philosopher George Santayana said, it warns of impending calamity for those who do not learn from it.

For the past several years, I've been immersed in a history that does both. As one of the producers for an upcoming PBS documentary on the rise and fall of Islamic Spain, I've witnessed its amazing ascent and tragic fall countless times in the editing room, only to go home and watch some of the same themes playing out on the nightly news.

Islamic Spain lasted longer than the Roman Empire. It marked a period and a place where for hundreds of years a relative religious tolerance prevailed in medieval Europe.

READ ON

Masjids and Halal Restaraunts

If you travel a lot for work like myself you need to know where the local halal restaraunts are and the mosques/masjids:

For masjids my favourite site is:

www.salatomatic.com

For halal restaraunts:

www.zabihah.com

Emotional Attachments in our lives...

Emotional Attachment. Thats a word not to uncommonly used in romantic relationships. However, I have been thinking (!) and I actually think this term has a wider application. In fact a little bit of research on the web and you find tat some advertisers to want to create an emotional attachment to their brands and some websites create emotional attachments with their readers.

How do you define emotional attachment? I personally define emotional attachment as attaching one self to someone or something based on emotion in such a way that your emotions have a big impact on how you might make your decision regarding that "Something" or "someone".

I think if you look around, there are many examples of emotional attachment. The following are a series of examples ( to my mind) of emotional attachment or the power of emotional attachment:

1. Client Service: Client service in the retail market is the service you get through the cashier or through the helpers who might help you decide on a product. In essence, the quality of the product is what might matter in the end, but when the products are the same at two different locations, you would probably go to the place where you had a more freindly and pleasant encounter with the employees.
   
2. Romance: the most obvious and common example of emotional attachment. To like someone people do have to have an emotional attachment with that certain person. A lot of books on marriage elude to the loss of emotional attachment between spouses as a big factor in the failure of marriages. The emotional attachment between spouses could be through their common interests ( like kids, hobbies, etc), could just be the constant emotional expression of love between them, could be the common experiences ( good or bad) they have been through together. In other words there has to be something that helps the couple connect emotionally. This is where the interesting concept of Emotional infidelity might come in as well where an emotional attachment to a third person by one of the spouses could dangerously lead to trouble. The emotional infidelity with the third person would basically result in emotional attachment outside the marriage eventually risking the whole marriage itself through extra martial affairs.
3. Brands: As already mentioned, emotional attachment to a brand is a common marketing ploy. Something to trigger this attachment could be the fact that a super star you admire actually promotes this brand during ads.
   
4. Other relationships: Relationships with friends and family have emotion as a major basis for them. The basis of emotional attachment with siblings is the fact that you have seen their 'personal history' and know what they went though in their earlier lives. Better emotional attachment between children and their parents could be through the bonding that they have created through time spent over their lives. The less effective parents maybe the ones who invested minimum time when raising their kids hence making kids forming bonds with "others". A good way to increase emotional attachment may be through giving someone a gift which would help make them feel that they are emotionally important to you.
5. Power: The emotional attachment to the luxuries and influence you had as a result of your power.
   
6. Money and materials; Attachment to money and glittery things may be a result of the fact that you think your elevation in the eyes of people is a result of what you have or how much money you have. The attachment may be a result of the emotional images implanted in your mind when you were younger by those around you who made you think that your importance is only a result of money and what you have.
   
7. Work: Emotional attachment to your work or a project at work maybe a result of the passion you have for your work or maybe the money that motivates you or maybe the attachment you have to your boss or to the power that might come at work as a result of your work. I guess here is where a showdown between emotional attachment for the family vs the emotional attachment for work would take place.
   
8. Religion: Emotional attachment to religion in Islam could be to a religious group who treated you well, a group of people you tend to agree with, a mosque where people treat you well and so on. The height of emotional attachment in Islam would be to be attached to Allah and Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him). This emotional attachment may be true in different ways for different religions.
   

You have therefore seen the importance of emotional attachment in our lives.

Of course there may be other categories which you could be attached with as well.

Regardless--the point has been made.--emotional attachments are important!

Hunger, disease stalk children hit by South Asia floods

Very sad...

BOCHAHA, India (Reuters) - Millions of malnourished Indian children are vulnerable to disease after South Asia's worst floods in years, officials and aid groups said on Wednesday, calling for urgent assistance.Hundreds of UNICEF workers rushed to immunize and supply rehydration fluid sachets to children in the impoverished eastern state of Bihar, where millions are stranded on embankments or living in primitive shelters on highways.They are exposed to sweltering temperatures, sudden downpours and filthy conditions, making them sitting ducks for infections. Hundreds of children have already caught diarrhea, reports say. READ
MORE

You can help by donating:

https://secure.unicef.ca/portal/SmartDefault.aspx?at=1209

https://www.oxfam.org.uk/donate/cat_fund.html?amount=&image.x=102&image.y=20

http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=009755&tid=032

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/41_2663.htm

Tips on dealing with heat ( and is Gatorade good for you?)

Web MD has some good tips here...

Dos and Don'ts for Extreme Heat

Do:
Drink a lot of fluids, even if you aren't thirsty.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, or sugared sodas because they can make fluid leave your body faster.
Stay indoors if at all possible.
Go to a mall, movie, or friend's or relative's home if your air-conditioning goes
out. See if there are heat-relief shelters nearby for the night.
Buy a fan to move air around, even if it's air-conditioned air. But remember, air-conditioning is best above 90 degrees.
Wear light-colored, loose clothing. Don't overwrap babies; put a shade over them instead.
If you go out, do it early or after dark.
Cut down on exercise. Bonanno has shortened his workouts considerably. "It's not even really cool enough in the morning," he says.
Stay in the shade.
Move slowly.
Wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Check on elderly neighbors or relatives. ......READ MORE

Also I learnt that Gatorade is a poor substituie fro water in most cases..

"There are three words to take note of here: intense, duration and hot. If you are doing light exercise or doing nothing at all (couch-warming) - then Gatorade is a big waste of money. In this situation (and arguably in any typical workout) water is perfectly adequate. Gatorade provides sodium and potassium. If you are sweating heavily you will lose these two minerals in your sweat. However - I believe you would need to be doing a serious amount of exercise (hours) before loss of these minerals will become a problem (this is a different story if diarrhea and vomiting are involved). If you drink a whole bottle of Gatorade you are consuming about 56 grams of sugar -- this is not required in a normal sedentary lifestyle -- and in this situation it could be considered "bad" for you." READ MORE

Jonathan Cook: Israel's Jewish problem in Tehran

The article raises some good questions in regards to the Iranian Jews living in Tehran..

......But Netanyahu has been far from alone in making extravagant claims about a looming genocide from Iran. Israel's new president, Shimon Peres, has compared an Iranian nuclear bomb to a "flying concentration camp." And the prime minister, Ehud Olmert, told a German newspaper last year: "[Ahmadinejad] speaks as Hitler did in his time of the extermination of the entire Jewish nation."

There is an interesting problem with selling the "Iran as Nazi Germany" line. If Ahmadinejad really is Hitler, ready to commit genocide against Israel's Jews as soon as he can get his hands on a nuclear weapon, why are some 25,000 Jews living peacefully in Iran and more than reluctant to leave despite repeated enticements from Israel and American Jews?....READ ON

Punjabe wise saying 3

Annha anhee noon raah peyaa dassey
Dovyen toey wich ja phassey

A blind man lead a blind man, both end up in a ditch

Explanation: The blind man didnt know where he was going so how would he be able to guide another blind man. Hence with both people being blind, they came across a ditch and not seeing it they fell into it.

This saying emphasizes the importance of knowing whom we follow in our daily lives. If the person or trends we follow is/are not grounded in solidness then we might sink when they sink...
For example...This can be true for our teachers whom we gain our knowledge from.

Are you thankful?

I sometimes feel that we are oblivious to our surroundings and refrain from observing and reflecting on things we should be pondering about. If you look around there are many things that you should be thankful for.

The eyes through which you see are something to be thankful for. There are many blind people in this world.

The intellect with which you think and process what you see through your eyes is something to be thankful for. For there are many people devoid of sound thinking due to being mentally handicapped.

The legs which helped you walk and sit infront of your computer are something to be thankful for--there are many people in this world who cannot walk.

The computer and internet connection with which you can access so much information is something to be thankful for. There are many people in this world who do not have this kind of access.

The hands with which you type are something to be thankful for. For there are many people in this world who cannot use their hands.

The ears and the mouth with which you communicate with rest of the world are something to be thankful for. There are many people in the world that cannot hear or speak.

The peace and security in which most of you are living is something to be thankful for. There are many people who are in the middle of wars and leave homes not knowing when and if they will return.

This thought of being thankful is something to be thankful for itself.

Look around. There is a lot more to be thankful about. How do you express your thanks?
Abdul Qadir Jilani explains (taken from Sunnipath):

Moreover, thankfulness [shukr] can be subdivided into several categories,
namely:

1. Thankfulness expressed by the tongue [shukr bi'l-lisan]. This constitutes the acknowledgment of the benefaction [ni'ma] with an attitude of humble acceptance [istikana].

2. Thankfulness expressed by the body and the limbs [shukr bi'l-badan wa 'l - rkan]. This is the characteristic indication of loyalty and readiness toserve [al-wafa' wa 'l-khidma].

3. Thankfulness expressed by the inner feeling [shukr bi'l-qalb]. This requires a careful balance between the visible display of appreciation and the constant preservation of a sense of reverence.

It has also been said that thankfulness of the eyes [shukr al-'ainain] means that you overlook any fault you notice in your companion, while thankfulness of the ears [shukr al-udhunain] means that you ignore any fault you hear him accused of possessing.

Alhamdulillah!

Rumi: the water of life

From Jahane Rumi...

Though your life has almost passed, this present moment is its root:if it
lacks moisture, water it with repentance.Give the Living Water to the root of
your life,so that the tree of your life may flourish.By this Water past mistakes
are redeemed.By this Water last year’s poison is made sweet.
Rumi
(Version
by Camille and Kabir Helminski)

The south asian cooking book......

This website is great....

Please refer to this whenever you ( the reader) invites me over...:D...just make sure yor serve it with roti!

Okay I will refer to it too if I invite you! ( the reader)....

http://www.punjabian.com/cooking_book/default.php

More detailed exposition of Lal masjid incident by Mufti Rafi Usmani on Red Mosque/Lal Masjid

More on Lal Masjid/Red Mosque by Mufti Rafi Usmani in Urdu (43 minutes):

http://www.deeneislam.com/ur/horiz/sotiyat/misc/Jamia%20Hafsa%20ke%20khun%20e%20na%20haq%20kis%20ke%20gardan%20par%20hai.mp3%20_.wma

He says:

• The actions of the Lal Masjid people were wrong.
• However their actions in all cases were a result of complaints of local residents--- who were frustrated at the lack of action or even willingness to hear the residents' complaints by the authorities.
  
• For example he talks about the alleged brothel owner whom the lal masjid people ( wrongfully) kidnapped. Apparently a local girl ( who complained to the people at lal masjid)had been forced to go to this brothel and had been raped and photographed and blackmailed thereafter and threatened that the photographs would be made public if she tells anyone about the rape. She had been then forced to come back and preform at the brothel repeatedly.
• Despite all that, he says 2 wrongs don't make it right and the lal masjid people should have used legitimate means to voice their concerns.
• He thinks that there is a contradiction in the government's actions as a result of lawlessness in Islamabad which was not as bad as the May 12 incidents in Karachi and wonders why nothing was done about the curplits of May 12 who killed 40 people.
  
• He then mentions his talks with the government ministers which leads to a resolution between Abdul Rashid Ghazi and the government only to be overturned at the last minute by the president resulting in the deaths of at least a 102 people.
  

Listen to the full speech if you want more details.

4 cute cat stories from the BBC

Unusual car purr was stuck kitten
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/6912036.stm

Tabby cat terror for black bear
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5067912.stm

'Stowaway' cat travels 500 miles
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4782010.stm

US cat 'predicts patient deaths'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6917113.stm

International sign of marriage?

Hey...Married people...Is this true?

Choosing a Watermelon!

Some of you might remember my Water Melon story posted last year.

Web MD has some useful information on Water Melons ("WM") that all WM lovers might find useful...The advice on how to pick is quoted below...I wish picking a spouse was as simple! ( maybe it is?):

Choose firm, symmetrical, fruit free of cracks, bruises, soft spots or mold. Ripe watermelon will have a healthy sheen, a dull rind, dried stem, and a buttery yellow underside where it touched the ground. There should be a melon like smell or fragrance. Thump if you must, sound should be dull and hollow. Lift them, weight should be heavy for size.

READ ON

CSM:No More Saviors

I recall in my last few years at varsity the "save Africa" movement really picked up. While I was happy at the fact that Africa as something that people were concrened about...however there were other contradictions. A lot of times it seemed like some of the people involved were there because it was "the thing" to do and were there because of because. nevertheless there were some genuine people interested as well who had lots of insight...

Anyways this CSM article focuses on the negitives of the "African Movement" in the West:

Last fall, shortly after I returned from Nigeria, I was accosted by a perky blond college student whose blue eyes seemed to match the "African" beads around her wrists.

"Save Darfur!" she shouted from behind a table covered with pamphlets urging students to TAKE ACTION NOW! STOP GENOCIDE IN DARFUR!

My aversion to college kids jumping onto fashionable social causes nearly caused me to walk on, but her next shout stopped me.

"Don't you want to help us save Africa?" she yelled.

It seems that these days, wracked by guilt at the humanitarian crisis it has created in the Middle East, the West has turned to Africa for redemption. READ ON

Lal Masjid....my opinion or something like it

I had earlier promised that I would comment on the Lal Masjid issue in detail.Luckily however I came across this article through bajee Koonj. Its a case of couldn't have said it better myself:

My trip to Pakistan had been set months in advance; my presence there during this crisis was coincidence. Throughout my stay, as I listened to the discussion about the conflict, I realized how much less I could have understood the events if I had been in the United States, even though I would have been reading the international press on the web. The complexity of such stories so rarely makes it into print, and the humanity of the people demonized drops out all too easily.

As we drove in silence, I thought of how easy it is from positions of safety and comfort to denounce fundamentalism, how often I have done just that. But who are we targeting when we make such statements? I have no trouble denouncing the bin Ladens and al-Zawahiris, or the Bushs and Robertsons, and critiquing their twisted worldview. But what of the ordinary people struggling against the elites who ignore the cries of the suffering? When those people take up a fundamentalist theology that we Western left/progressives reject, must we not highlight the inequality we also say we oppose?

Esack said some have asked him what he hoped to gain by going to Lal Masjid and talking with someone like Ghazi, but he has no doubts about the value and appropriateness of his visits there.

"When we abandon engagement and dialogue with those who hold these beliefs, we are abandoning hope. My goal is not to wall myself off from other Muslims, but to search for authentic connections, even across these gaps. Is that not how we can heal the world, and ourselves?" he said. "It is precisely when we start to think of some of us as 'chosen' and others as 'frozen' that we happily become willing to defrost them with our bombs."

READ ON

Sh Suhaib translation:--Shared values: Dr. Abdullah Bin Bayyah

Great scholarly perspective on shared global values by Sh Bin Bayah:

The study of values comes under the broader field of ethics, which is the field of enquiry that looks into what is good and correct with respect to standards which may be personal or cultural, and which can be used as a normative standard for behavior.

Values can be defined as ethical principles that determine honorable and praiseworthy conduct, where acting contrarily is shameful and worthy of condemnation.

Philosophers have debated since time immemorial about whether there are such things as universal values. There is agreement that shared values exist on a cultural level. Specific societies all have norms and values that are derived from custom, tradition, or religious belief. The dispute is whether there are any values that transcend the confines of a particular society or culture and are shared by all of humanity.

READ ON

Web MD: Curry Spice May Counter Alzheimer's

Another benefit of eating curry/salan....(I like to have it with rotee...)

A chemical in the curry spice turmeric might inspire new Alzheimer's disease treatments, a new study shows.

In preliminary lab tests, the chemical helped rid the blood of a key ingredient in Alzheimer's brain plaque.

READ MORE

Living the light: Understanding the 42 Nawawi Hadith

click here for information updates...

Tariq Ramadan on "the minority mindset"

Very insightful speech by Tariq Ramadan.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN (MP3).

Some good quotes

Great quotes:

“No one is listening until you make a mistake.” Anon

"Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work." Mark Twain

"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." Howard W. Newton

"Instinct is the nose of the mind." Delphine de Giradin

“If you’re in the penalty area and don’t know what to do with the ball, put it in the net and we’ll discuss the options later.” Bob Paisley, British Football Manager

“If you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain.” Dolly Parton

“If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?” Mawlana Rumi

“Champions are not made in the gym, they’re made in the heart.” Mohammed Ali

“What does love mean? Zero in tennis. Everything in life.” Anon

"Instead of using the words ‘if only’ try substituting the words ‘next time'" H Jackson Brown Jr