CENSORSHIP: Setting Limits in a Media-Based Society

I have a confession to make: I LOVE BEYONCE. That’s right, I said it. What do I like about her, let’s see… everything! It’s her sexy dance moves, the upbeat rhythms and witty lyrics to her songs, and her captivating performances that put her on another level of divadom.  I even love the sexy outfits (even though I think they’d much rather be fit for a private bedroom setting). Oh yeah, if I hear a Beyoncé song off in the distance, inside my head I’m shaking and gyrating!

But if you know me even slightly, right now you have the confused look on your face. I often use her specifically as an example of everything us as women should not be. Especially black women. Especially Muslim women. I loathe the Youtube videos of little black girls wearing blonde wigs shaking their little booties to the Beyoncé beat. I detest the notion that it’s okay for parents to let their children idolize these performers who have nothing to offer young girls except self-loathing and premature sexuality.

We have to be careful. While I confess to liking a little Beyoncé while I’m at the gym or cleaning the house, I also have to realize she is not a suitable role model for me or my impressionable two little girls. Ever heard the saying, “garbage in, garbage out.” It’s so true! Playing grotesque music as well as showing inappropriate television programming is detrimental to say the least.

This post is not about bashing Beyoncé, but it is about taking control of the media in our lives. Media is everywhere. Even if you have no television, most likely you have a computer or a smartphone. Youtube.com is one of the most influential media sources in our lives today. For instance, how easy it is to go from watching a religious lecture to a risqué belly dancing contest? Only a couple clicks….

Imagine having a wonderful family who is God-conscience, values education, and practices good morals. Who could ask for anything more? But then one day for dinner you invite over a guest who is extremely attractive and charming, but they are dressed half-naked and cuss and are disrespectful; then they seductively whisper in your children’s ears that everything you have taught them is complete hogwash. Can you imagine a houseguest saying this at your dining-room table, “All I want for my birthday is a BIG BOOTY HO!” sigh… yes those are actual lyrics in a very popular song. How is this different than playing it on the radio or television?

Nowadays, you don’t even need cable to be subjected to sex, drugs, and foul language. There are advertisements for alcohol on the sides of city buses! Bottom line - We have to be proactive. We are in a war against commercialism, consumerism and an over-sexed culture: a culture that tells us being free means getting drunk and being sexually promiscuous: demeaning ourselves though scandalous dress and behavior. We are in a war to save our families and the stakes are high!

Saving ourselves and our families from the negativity will be no easy task. And guess what? No matter what we do – short of building a shack in the woods – we can’t dodge all of it. So what do we do? We medicate. What’s our medication? Spending quality time with our children and spouses, you know, an old fashioned walk around the block or board game. We gotta put good stuff in to get good stuff out. Read a book. Read one that will nourish your mind and your spirit, like these: TheHoly Qur’an, The Autobiography of Malcolm X,  The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergenceof Science and Spirituality by the Dalai Lama.

And one more thing: Don’t underestimate children, they comprehend and are far more aware than we think, even from infancy.

The Hijab Obsession Part 2: Social Media- Pulling Us Together or Tearing Us Apart?

It’s been a while since Hijab Obsession Part 1, but what can I say? I only write when I am inspired. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF SISTERS TEARING EACH OTHER UP ON FACEBOOK. Ok? Got me? It’s sickening. I usually friend any sister who sends me a request. Since I never post anything super-personal, I don’t mind building up my sister-to-sister connection. However, I am now rethinking the whole social media thing.

I logged on last night to see what people were saying about the election, and of course a lot of the Muslims were arguing about whether or not to vote. I expected that. However, as I scrolled down I see a sister’s post, “I am sick of seeing these sisters walking around with their niqab flipped up!” Then the comments poured on about the sisters who “know they ain’t right” wearing turbans or colors or this or that or blah blah blah.

My first thought was, Uh… America just voted in a new President and this is the best you have to post? Then I really felt disgusted that these sisters took time out their day to bash other sisters for what they looked like on the OUTSIDE. And it made me think, dang, I give ALL Muslim sisters salaams, are they thinking these things when they see me on the street? Do they think that “I know I ain’t right?”

Ok, so every judgment should eventually bring on some self-assessment and reflection: Am I this judgmental? Yes, I love all my sisters and want the best for them, but there was that sister wearing a hijab with a lime green short set over the summer. And I sure did call up one of my sisters and have a good laugh. SHAKE MY HEAD! This is not appropriate behavior of a believing woman- period.

We are not supposed to backbite ANYONE. But when it comes to our sisters and brothers, we are actually supposed to look the other way and make an excuse for them. Yes, we are supposed to educate them, but not in a way to embarrass to make them feel lesser. And guess what, you may not be the one who is qualified to educate them. Ever think about that? Here’s some suggestions of what you could do next time you get your abayas in bunch and are about to call up every sister you know to blast a brother or sister who, “know they ain’t right.” That’s right put down your devices, and think before you post!

Example: You see a brother walk into a bar: Say to yourself, “I bet that brother is going in there looking for someone.” Then forget you ever saw him.

Example: You see a sister who wears niqab at the masjid in some hot pink tight booty shorts: “As Salaamu Alaikum Sister! How are you these days? Want to come to my house for some jasmine tea? We can read Qur’an or just talk.” And this is the hard part: don’t tell anyone, whether she accepts your invite or not!  Then pray for her and for yourself.

Example: Someone on facebook says something you really can’t stand, instead of getting in a heating argument you either: 1- hide/delete them or, 2- Say, “Alhamdulillah, Allah knows best my sister. I love you for the sake of Allah. Masjid ____ holds classes on this subject every Sunday after taleem. Salaam!”

We are all striving together! Don’t forget that. We must ask ourselves: What would the Sahaba do?

"He who relieves a hardship of this Dunya (this earthly life) or a believer, Allah will relieve a hardship of the Day of Resurrection for him; he who makes it easy for an indebted person, Allah will make it easy for him in the Dunya and the Hereafter; he who covers a Muslim (his mistakes and shortcomings), Allah will cover him in the Dunya and the Hereafter; Allah will be in the slave 's need, as long as the slave is in his (believing) brother's need…"

 [Saheeh Muslim]

And Allah SWT says:

And when they hear AlLaghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk), they withdraw from it and say: “To us our deeds, and to you your deeds. Peace be to you. We seek not the ignorant.”

(Surah Al-Qasas: Verse 55)

Islam: Where Would We Be Without It?

·      Question: Does The Koran* come off as tolerant of foreign peoples and religions Or do you detect seeds of intolerance within it? Obviously, various Islamic extremist groups have used the book to justify their repeated violence, from 1998 onwards.
* Koran is the spelling used in the textbook, The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. It should be noted the correct English transliteration accepted and used by English-speaking Muslims is Qur'an.

In an initial review of "The Koran," one might find it as sexist or intolerant of other religions. However, upon further research, it is clear that The Qur'an is a book that brought guidance and structure to many societies and people across the globe. If the book were intolerant or oppressive, Islam would not be the fastest growing religion in the world, practiced by over two billion Muslims worldwide.

The Koran came at a time in Arabian history where there were many idol worshipers. In Chapter 1, The Exordium, the scripture sets out the first and most important rule of Islam: There is no God, except for the One true God, proclaiming: “You alone we worship and You alone do we ask for help." A common misconception in Western society is that “Allah” is the “Muslim God” and Muhammad is the “Muslim Jesus.” But nothing could be farther from the truth. Allah is the same God of the Christians and the Jews, and Muhammad and Jesus are both considered prophets in Islam. If you ask a Muslim what religion the prophets Abraham or Moses or Noah were, they would say Muslim because a Muslim is a person who believes in the one true God, the God of All Mankind.

The next except from The Koran is Chapter 4: The Women. There are lots of rules and regulations laid out in this chapter. For instance, “Let not the rich guardian touch the property of his orphan ward; and let not him who is poor use more than a fair portion of it for its own advantage.” When Westerners talk about “Shari’a Law” the misconception is that it is some rule book the Muslims made up to oppress women and restrict society. Shari’a is no more than the rules and regulations that were laid out in the Qur’an to justly run society. This except is a perfect example of a small section of Shari’a law. This is a clear sign that the Koran is a protection for those who are oppressed and vulnerable.

Perhaps the most debated over ayat (verse) in the entire of The Koran is this one also from Chapter 4, The Women,

Men have the authority over women because God had made one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those who fear their disobedience, admonish them and forsake them beds apart, and beat them. Then if they obey you, take no further action against them. Surely God is high, supreme.

At first read, this verse takes one aback. The words seem straight forward: Women are weaker than men, therefore they should be obedient, and if they disobey, punish them, even beat them if necessary! Whenever such strong statements are written, further research must be done. Upon researching many Islamic websites it is clear that Arabic is a very rich language and it is very hard to translate many words into other languages. “Beat” to English-speakers sounds very harsh, but just like the King James Version of the Bible, perhaps it should be considered that many things get lost in translation. This one small verse is used to label an entire population of Muslim men as misogynistic woman beaters, but sometimes one has to give leeway for misunderstandings.

The PBS documentary, Islam: an Empireof Faith: The Awakening and The Messenger were particularly eye-opening because they detailed the history and contribution the Islamic civilization made to the world:

“For the West, much of the history of Islam has been obscured behind a veil of fear and misunderstanding. Yet Islam’s history is deeply and surprisingly interwoven with Western civilization. It was Muslim scholars who reclaimed much of the ancient wisdom of the Greeks while much of Europe languished in the Dark Ages." (Empire of Faith)

Islamic scholars contributed math, science, and astrology to the world, when Europe was in their Dark Ages. Modern civilization owes much architecture, medicine, and literature to beginning in Islamic culture and society. Hospitals, the arches in churches, and mass recording of literature were all inventions of the Muslims around 1000 A.D. If this religion was full of terrorists, heretics, and fundamentalist, how could these advances been possible? It is obvious these people encompassed open minds and open hearts. After all, it was the Christian Crusaders sent by the Pope in Europe who acted as barbarians, burning towns to the ground, raping women and creating mayhem. And later, it was the fierce Mongols from Asia, who came to the East to conquer and destroy, but were overtaken by Islam and ended up spreading the religion to all of Asia. There is evidence of this today, being that there are more Muslims in Asia than any other continent in the world.

Islam is not a cult and it is not intolerant. Furthermore, anyone who might claim that it transformed into a violent religion as of latter times is misguided. The terrorists and fundamentalist make up a minute portion of the Muslims of the world. And even the misguided Muslims did not just become that way overnight: it could be argued that oppression and extreme poverty in the Middle East (and other countries around the world where there is drought and poverty like parts of Africa and Asia) became a breeding ground for anger and violence.

Whatever the reasons may be, it is important to clear up misconceptions so that Islamaphobia and hate towards Muslims does not continue to grow in the West. History can be used to teach the modern peoples about the contributions the Muslims made to the world and also to explain their rituals and beliefs, so that it is not considered to be strange or foreign. The Empire of Faith began its presentation with these words: “Islamic civilization has been one of humanities grandest achievements.” The people in the west need to know this and embrace it, so that further tensions can be quelled.

Preparing for Ramadan 2012: Learning to Forgive, Forget and Smile!

turn your frown upside down!

“It is He Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons evil acts and knows what they do.” (Surat Ash-Shura, 25)

“The repayment of a bad action is one equivalent to it. But if someone pardons and puts things right, his reward is with Allah. Certainly He does not love wrongdoers.” (Surat Ash-Shura, 40)

Is it not true that Allah has the capacity to forgive murderers, slanderers, and disbelievers if they find the right way and repent? Then why is it that we can hold grudges for weeks, years, and lifetimes? Why is it that we feel like we have the right to pass judgement on others with authority? Surely, this cannot be good for the heart.The burden of anger and resentment is so heavy on us! Oh Allah, Help us! We need to do better.

The Holy month of Ramadan is approaching. It will be a time for new beginnings: a time for worship, a time for gratitude and a time for reflection. How do we live our lives? Sometimes we are our own worst enemy... trudging around with pessimism and arrogance weighing heavy on our shoulders and our souls.

3 Tips to help you lighten your emotional burden before entering into Ramadan:

1. Let it slide- The sister who rolled her eyes when you gave her salaams... the maniac who cut you off in traffic... your mother when she way oversteps her bounds... the spouse who seems to dwell on the negative things... the brother who just don’t have his facts straight... the children (yes, I said it, sometimes we got to let it slide with them too) who are getting on your last nerve! Take a deep breath and let it go.

2. Make excuses for people- You make excuses for your own ill actions so you need to start pardoning other people you encounter as well. It is not good to judge every single thing someone says or does. Maybe they had a bad day. Maybe they are feeling hurt or ignored or unloved. Maybe they are ailing mentally or physically in secret, and here we go just assuming we know them up down and all around. A lot of people are in pain!

3. SMILE- Just smile.

“Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish.” (Qur’an, 7:199)

The War: Enough is Enough!

In the darkness of the Afghan night, an American solider went on a shooting massacre, killing 16 civilians for no apparent reason; most of them were children. In February, President Obama was apologizing for the “accidental” burning of Qur’ans and other religious material by American military troops. How can we forget the gruesome torture and abuse that occurred at Abu Ghraib? Or the U.S. Marines who urinated on dead Afghan bodies? Is this war?

When is enough enough? Afghan students are staging demonstrations against the United States military occupation of their land. They don’t want us there and for good reason. After watching LinkTV’s “Iraq’s Secret War Files” (based on the biggest wikileaks release ever), I am ashamed as an American. Civilians-many of them children- are being killed all the time in Iraq and Afghanistan. The official count is over 60,000, but I would not be surprised if the actual count was much higher.

But it would be silly to blame the troops, because they are victims as well. Our troops are hyped up with propaganda and lured with huge bonuses is they go on a military tour. Then they are sent to a far-away dessert land with no training about the culture or traditions. They see their comrades killed and maimed. Many of them sustain injuries not only to their bodies, but to their minds, suffering of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). In 2010, thesuicide rate among soldiers was higher than the rate of those who had met their fate in combat.

The war in Afghanistan was started and continues on the premise of eradicating “terror” but have we become the terrorists?

**Please follow the links I provided. I don't make this stuff up, it's real!

LOVE: A four letter word

Okay, I just realized it is Valentine’s Day. I don’t celebrate it or acknowledge it as a holiday but one can’t help having love on the mind when it’s on every channel, even my rebellious LinkTV. There are cheesy red hearts and chocolate sales in every grocery store.

So this is NOT a Valentine’s Day bashing blog like you might expect from me.

This is a blog about love and how it can change your life. When we think of love we tend to think of romantic love, and then after that, love for our parents and children. But there is another love, a broader love that can shift the earth:

Love for humanity.

There is so much hate nowadays. It’s spouting from the mouths of politicians and warlords and terrorists. It’s emitting from the thoughts and actions of everyday citizens. We shouldn’t do good because we feel sorry for others: that is not only insulting, but it does not inspire growth. We shouldn’t do it out of sympathy or guilt. We should do good deeds out of LOVE. Love for humanity. Love for our Creator. Love for ourselves.

So whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, there is one four letter word that should stay on your tongue and in your heart: LOVE

Global Citizenship: Whether You Like It or Not!

Child Labor in India. Dangerous pesticides in Brazil. Civil War in Somalia. Starvation in the Congo. Nuclear disaster in Japan. We pretend to care because we don’t want to sound ignorant or insensitive. We don’t want to be politically incorrect, but do we really care? Why should we?

As long as we eat blueberries grown in Peru and drink orange juice from Brazil… As long as we drive cars manufactured in Japan and pump oil into them from the Middle East… As long as we watch televisions and talk on phones made in South Korea … As long as we show off gold and diamonds dug up from the earth of West Africa… As long as our children play with toys and wear clothes labels “Made in China”… WE HAVE TO CARE.

There are over 1000 U.S. military bases in 38 countries around the world. Schools and hospitals in Afghanistan and Palestine are being bombed with ammunition marked “U.S.A.” Despite the media exposure, children and adults in West Africa are still losing lives and limbs working in mines for minimal wages so we can support our fetish for diamonds and gold.

How long will we continue to live life with our blinders on? You may not think you have a voice, but you do because one voice can inspire another voice and another until there are millions of voices demanding justice, transparency, and morality.

Do you want to know how your voice can be heard the loudest? With your dollars! Every U.S. dollar we spend will undoubtedly affect someone else in another part of the world. We are global citizens, whether we like it or not! And it’s about time we realize we have an obligation to our neighbors- whether they live in Mexico, Uganda, or Syria- to take responsibility for our words, our actions, and our economic power.

The next time you are watching the news and the biggest story is about celebrity so-and-so’s baby bump, or engagement, know that you are being numbed and distracted from what is really going on in the world. Certain powers would love it if we remained in our ignorant bliss. They would love you to think they know what they’re doing with YOUR TAX DOLLARS. They got it handled, right? Because us peasants are too dumb to really understand what’s going on at home and abroad anyway, right? WRONG!

I’m not telling you to jump in the nearest protest or picket line (although, it wouldn’t be such a horrible idea). I’m just saying: WAKE UP!