I am back and I am smoking…

I am happy, "Ya Rabi" I am, I really am happy…This is what I am talking about, being happy for no reason just be!

Here: cheers! http://kni.prz.rzeszow.pl/~peu/likeu.swf

Why is it so hard…

Am I asking too much or too little? What is it? Why is it not happening?

I just want peace; I want to look at the sky and be happy just for being able to see it. I want to appreciate getting up …lifting up my arm…setting at a table after a day of fasting…I want be happy for every minute I live, for every stupidity in my life.

I want to know what Fulfillment feels like, what we call in Moroccan dialect "Al qanaa".

I thought that I would acquire it, and that I just have to ask …didn't god tell me to ask and he will give. Well, then I am so ready for it…I want to be happy for being happy, happy for just the fact that I am alive. Why is it so hard?

God, am I offending just by asking all this, I know you are listening …so don't I deserve an answer? No, don't…don't let me down!

Plea of a Moroccan slave

As a woman in Morocco, I have always had problems adhering to the normality (or rather what is believed to be so) of my family and my society. I have always found it very appalling how women are treated. Just like second class specie, women's need in Morocco pass second after their men's; should that be the father, the brother or the husband. They just have to wait for leftovers.

No, no…this is regardless of the social class you are from. The discrimination differs from one another, true, but it still exists in all and every family. Some may have been very good in fooling themselves and think that they are emancipated and do not fit in this oppressed group anymore. Let me tell you I was one of them, until I got a visit from my father.

Well, I tell you what…I am stupid and the greatest fool of all time, yes I said it yes I did. I thought I won the battle and that I was a free gal, and that I, no longer, was the oppressed Moroccan slave (l'khdidima d' Sidi).

I have always refused to conform; I fought hard to make myself heard, unfortunately I just realized that my battle has not even begun.

So I was saying, my father is visiting these days and he is staying with me.

You know what the liberated women I am, is forced in doing everyday? Cook, clean and cater to three healthy sound men.

My battle is worth but hard to win, as the first people I would have to battle against are my family. Men in my family, heck…my family likes to think of itself as being a liberated family, not true.

I still have a long way to go.

Human nature

I hate dealing with people…you do not know what hurts them and what pleases them.
I do not know myself that well, so how am I supposed to know the other.

What don't they just hand you an instruction guide? I meet someone or even your relatives and friends and they tell you…here, this is a guide to my personality, the dos and don'ts. Won't it be easier?

I just hate it, you end up having to deal with a misunderstanding while you do not have time.

Is it really over?

I do not know why I am still hesitant in writing something about the ceasefire between Hezbollah and the Israeli's…maybe it is because I do not believe in it. I will wait few more days!

Jouer a l'Autruche.

Avant de faire le tour des blogs ce matin je ne vous cacherais pas que mon morale était a moins zéro a cause de ce qui se passé au Liban mais surtout a cause de mon incapacité, ma lâcheté…maintenant ça va mieux, non..non, pas mieux par apport au Liban mais plutôt par apport a moi-même, et ma lâcheté.

Quelques posts qui m'ont touche:

SI J ETAIS......du citoyen Hmida

To Lebanon With Love de Foulla.

Et j'ai aussi aimé la sincérité de la Marocaine au caire

One more day, does it still matter?

Is it the 20th day? Or does it really matter, people are dying, and that is what should matter.
Some wrote saying that they feel useless. Well, at least we have the right to say such things as being useless, but how about The UN…yes the great UN that is suppose to bring the peace back to the regions that are in need of it. How about this organization that is watching with a great Indignation (so they say) Lebanon being decimated, children killed…

And we are still watching, do we still care?

Mon incapacité me tue

J'ai les larmes aux yeux je ne sais quoi dire…c'est horrible!
Selon quelle logique opèrent ces gens, ces ogres devrais-je dire, parce que seul un monstre dépourvu de cœur et de conscience peut commettre de telles atrocités.
Ahhh! Que c'est douloureux quand on est incapable de changer les choses, de corriger l'injustice.
Dieu que ça fait mal de voire des enfants souffrir pour des conneries, pour l'égoïsme des grands.

Les mots m'échappent, j'étouffe…Ya rabi loutfak.

A race to rule the world

It is definitely true that: if a burgler breaks in and threatens my life and my family's lives I would not hesitate to save my life and theirs at any cost. (Behrooz)

I would do whatever it takes to protect my people; however it is not a burglar we are dealing with here. A burglar I would either get arrested or else, but I will find a way of getting a rid of him. But we are not dealing with a human being, it is a campaign to set the new order.

The Muslim and Arabs are dealing with a campaign aiming at tarnishing their reputation and their integrity…they want us gone dead. And I tell you what- I won't give them this satisfaction…if they attack me to provoke me and show the world that I am the bad guy , then no, I won't do it.

I want to prove to the world that Islam is a civilized religion. They need to know that it is not the religion but rather some of the followers who did not grasp the real meaning of this beautiful, peaceful belief.

I am not fond of Hezbollah or any other radical group for that matter…but one thing I liked about their reaction to the Israeli retaliation, is how they have avoided as much as they could (and until the world saw the atrocities and the Israeli barbaric attacks—BBC world has reported this morning that Hezbollah has killed 20 people while Israel killed 200 most them Civilians…and that alone proves that the world is now realizing that something is not quite right) committing the atrocities Israel has committed.

Hezbollah acknowledges, as it should have, the fact that their target and enemy is the system and not the civilians. By doing what they did, Hezbollah proved to the world that Muslims and Arabs are not barbaric as they were lead to believe.

And when I blame Iran, or rather the Iranian president, I blame a person who should have known better than throwing words that he knew would hurt his people. In diplomacy things work differently, we live in 21 century and states and head of states are bound in dealing with things, problems and enemies with some tact.

And as for Palestinian cause, I think that the world in its entirety should give a bit of its own peace and wealth to solve that issue and not one country or another.

Syria on the other hand is another problem…I will just say that it is unfair to let others pay the price for you.

Jews or Christians are not any different it is just people who talk on our behalf who sometimes make us look different.

And the end we are all human, and we all want to live in peace see our kids grow. Our leaders are pulling us towards goals that are not ours, and for a change we should do our best to turn the game around and have them serve our own goals.

Let Lebanon heal

Why?

I have been away from my blog for a while now; not that nothing was happening, but rather because nothing has moved me as much as the bombing of Lebanon did.
I am lacking words to describe how I feel. Pictures of children lying dead on the streets, civilians running around trying to save what is left (if any is…).

But what angers me the most is that the country has not recovered yet from the years of war it went through. Lebanese people are still coping with memories from the civil war.


Yes Hezbollah provoked Israel. But Hezbollah is not the children not the innocent. Get Hezbollah, nobody wants them around anyway.

The world has been silent for a long time and it needs to stand up now and resolve the issues that are burning the Middle Eastern region down.

It is not fair for a country (Lebanon) to pay the price for Hezbollah arrogance, Iran's stubbornness and Palestinians cause.

maybe i do not know what i am talking about, maybe i am unaware of the reality of things. Everything is possibel, but one is however true no matter what: Peace is not an exclusive right but a universal right, Israel deserves it as much as the rest of the world. Reciprocity is the key.

Strangly true

Strangly true!

I am usually very skeptical, but sometimes things are so clear that you have to believe.

This is not the first time it happened to me. It is dawn and I am not really asleep but not completely up either and then ...I saw something or someone.

for a moment there, I really taught I was talking to him until I heard his voice asking whom I was talking to.

So as I said, I am not really up and I feel pushed down by some weird and strange force and then I see my husband. It was just his head, you know like a projection and I could see through it, and he started telling me something. He was telling me something but unfortunately my fear would not let me discern.

I t was scary my husband was next to me asking me whom I was talking while his own head was trying to tell me something. Maybe he has something to tell me, but he is afraid I might not take very well.

I don't know, it is just weird! Last time I had this experience it was my grandma who came to visit, She sat next to me on my bed and we talked. Her voice was very appeasing, could be my weird brain?

Another blogger detained--Free Alaa!

Ashamed and embarrassed

Ashamed and embarrassed, by what Morocco has recently done, I tried not to talk about it, but I guess after the lengthy report on Al-Jazeera and other Arabic News sources there is no way I can hide it any longer.
When I first heard about the Visa denial decision in response to the Hams group request to enter Morocco for the Islamic Pan-Arab Summit, I did not know what to think.
It is not like the Moroccan government to do such undiplomatic move, yet it was its decision. What is it? Is it a sound decision, made because the government has very serious concerns about Hamas entering the country and influencing the Islamist groups we have in Morocco? Or is it a bow to the lord of the “New World”, M. Bush.
What is going on? People are dying there!
As I have said many times before, I am pro-nothing and certainly not HAMAS or any other entity; my only concern here is the humanitarian aspects of the issue.
Hamas or other, look at the people the civilians who have nothing to do in all this (well yes they have voted for the group) they just wanted a better lives for them and for their children.

My head hurts, i really do not get it anymore. You know i can't even watch TV anymore, especially the news. I feel bad whenever i see pictures of kids dying or suffering while i am on the sofa making all these speeches and doing nothing. I want to chnage things but how...?

Oh lord! If I only had magical powers. I would turn M.Bush into a frog and let's see, Ben Laden into a ...i do not know something that we can kick without being blamed...Ahhh! A ball. Who else can you think of someone else that the world does not need?

What does the Moroccan government want?

Accused of defamation, Le Journal hebdomadaire an « independent » Moroccan newspaper has been condemned into paying almost $340.000. This is not the first time a newspaper is prosecuted like this, just last week three others endured the same treatment and they could thus close, according to this article on Liberation.fr
What is the message here, I really don’t get it. Do they or do they not want us Moroccan to evolve?

According to Al-Tourabi, there is nothing in Islam that explicitly forbids Muslim women from marying non-Muslims

According to an interview given by Al-Tourabi to Al-Sharq Alawsat, Muslim women can marry if they wishe a non-Muslim men. Well! I am very pleased to see that imminent scholars like him are opening this door. We need to reestablish the connection with our religion and the only way would be opening discussion like what follows: Alsharq Alawsat

الخرطوم: اتهام الترابي بالردة عن الاسلام بسبب فتوي تجيز زواج المسلمة من غير المسلم

اقام الشيخ محمد عبد الكريم عضو هيئة علماء السودان دعوي قضائية صباح امس الثلاثاء تحت المادة (125 ) من القانون الجنائي السوداني ـ حد الردة ـ في مواجهة المفكر الاسلامي السوداني الدكتور حسن الترابي، وكان الترابي قد افتي بزواج المرأة المسلمة من الرجل الكتابي مسيحيا كان او يهوديا ، ووصف القول بحرمة ذلك بانه مجرد اقاويل وتخرصات واوهام وتضليل، الهدف منها جر المراة الي الوراء.

واعتبر الترابي الحجاب للنساء، يعني الستار وهو الخمار لتغطية الصدر وجزء من محاسن المراة، ولا يعني تكميم النساء ، بناء علي الفهم الخاطئ لمقاصد الدين والآيات التي نزلت بخصوص الحجاب والخمار ان منع زواج المراة المسلمة من غير المسلم، ليس من الشرع في شيء والاسلام لم يحرمه ولا توجد آية او حديث يحرم زواج المسلمة من الكتابي مطلقا الا ان الترابي نوه الي ان الحرمة التي كانت موجودة، كانت مرتبطة بالحرب والقتال بين المسلمين وغيرهم وتزول بزوال السبب.
واضاف الترابي في ندوة بعنوان دور المراة في تأسيس الحكم الراشد اقيمت بدار حزب الامة جناح مبارك الفاضل انه يقدم الاسانيد لما افتي به، وقال ان التخرصات والاباطيل التي تمنع زواج المراة المسلمة من الكتابي، لا اساس لها من الدين، ولا تقوم علي ساق من الشرع الحنيف ، واضاف وما تلك الا مجرد اوهام وتضليل وخداع للعقول، الاسلام منها براء .

وعضد الترابي اقواله السابقة التي جوزت امامة المراة للرجل في الصلاة، وقال ان من حق المراة المسلمة، ان تؤم الرجال وتتقدم الصفوف للصلاة، اذا كانت اكثر علما وفقها في الدين من الرجال وابان انه من حقها ذلك.

ومضي الترابي الي القول ان شهادة المراة تساوي شهادة الرجل تماما وتوازيه بناء علي هذا الامر، بل احيانا تكون افضل منه واعلم واقوي منه.

الخرطوم ـ القدس العربي

Tehran offers £30m for Palestinian crisis

I am not a fun of Hammas, but Tehran's pffer is a very noble gesture towards the palestinians; because that is what it is, by giving money it is not Hammas you're helping but you are giving a life to those poor children of palestine--Article.

- "When will Muslims become ‘humanitarian’?"

Ahmad Baghdadi, a journalist and academic on the subject of political Islam at Kuwait university, wrote in Al Ittihad, an Emirates government daily newspaper, on April 4: “When will Muslims become like the rest of God’s creation and leave creation to the Creator [God]? When will they become aware that they do not have the right to judge people’s faith? When will they wake up from their delusion of thinking they are the best of people when it comes to faith? When will Muslims wizen up and learn that our creator sees more than those who he created and that [our creator] did not delegate the issue of people’s faith to the Muslims? Why do we find only Muslims in the world that kill a human just because they do not want to be Muslims and want to change their religion?

Baghdadi continued: “Everyday, hundreds of Christians and others ‘apostatize’ their religion and convert to Islam and their nations do not confront them badly, but leave them the freedom of choice. A few days ago, the newspapers read that Abdul Rahman, who lives in Afghanistan-that the Americans librated from the Taliban movement-wanted to change his religion from Islam to Christianity because of his own private convictions, what happened? The world rose up on this poor man, as if life is not miserable enough for him living in Afghanistan. The Afghani regime-that America produced which is a matter that is forbidden if we want to go into the details on a religious level- sought to take him to court and issue a judgement of execution!

"But the West, who are freedom owners and are ensuring security in Afghanistan, stood by him and supported his right in believing in his God how he wants and by any religion. The Afghani regime stepped back for fear of wasting millions of dollars that the Western world promised the Afghani regime for its construction. In other words, this regime that calls for religiousness sold his religion for an offer from the world. The regime declared Abdul Rahman insane to get rid of the religious responsibility meanwhile Abdul Rahman stood hard by his stance to convert and did not care about the consequences of his decision which could have resulted in his death. Thank God someone was there to stand by him otherwise his body would have been dangling on the rope of the scaffold!”

Baghdadi added: “Those who do not understand religion must read Mahmoud Shaltout’s book ‘Islam - A Dogma and A Law (Sharia)’. Without going into the details, Shaltout expressed a fear of terrorism arising on behalf of some religious clerics. He also said that the death punishment to those who covert to another religion is not in the Quran and that the Hadith ‘who changes his religion, kill him’ is a Hadith of one that cannot be taken in the courts. Unfortunately, no one listens to him and his opinion is lost in the ignorance and small insight on religious matters. However, we find that Muslims deserve the award of abusing the Muslim religion and with competence too by their stiff and unjustified stands on those who want to convert. Then, after all that, the wonder: why does the West stand against us? And on top of this and that, they rant about Muslim forgiveness and human rights. As if people are stupid and do not understand!

“Please, explain to me, because I do not know how to deal with the Muslim mentality, how can a country where millions live on the sale of drugs forbidden in Sharia, the intellectual mind and even atheists, judge a person because of his convictions? Why do Muslims, amongst all people, seek to kill those who change their religion? And the rest of the world, with no exceptions, allows its citizens to embrace any religion they want without threats on their lives...separation from the parents and the ripping apart of the family? Why do Muslims not learn to respect the humanity of the human and his right to choose? The Muslim world is the only one that insults the humanity of the human by killing him if he changes his religion, and if the woman chooses a life partner without the approval of her guardians. With this, we wonder: when will Muslims ‘become human beings’? When will they become like the rest of humans, living naturally with the rest of God’s creations without harming th! em?” - Al Ittihad, Morocco

Anti-proselytism law passed in Algeria.

Yep! In Algeria this week, the law was passed by the nations counsel. The later law stipulats that every incitement into converting to other religions but Islam will be punishable by a 2 to 5 years and a fine of 5.000 to 10.000 Euros will be the result.
Read the article (French).

I am not saying that this is a bad or a good thing, right or wrong; but I think that it should have been handled differently. Formulated this way some people might see it as an incitement to be an anti-anything but Islam.

I really don’t know, I am starting to think that the world is going nuts!

What is hell?

A friend of mine is studying and gathering information to find out if Islam is a religion for her. She is really serious about converting, so she has all these questions about this and that; Very interesting questions!

Last week she asked me what my intake on wearing Al-hijab was. And just like I always say, I told her that as long as you purify your heart and deeds your appearance remains a plus and not an absolute necessity. Islam is a tolerant religion, in other words as long as you respect its 5 pillars, the others and yourself the complementing details are between God and you.

This is not the first time I am put in such position, where a dear person come to me with such questions or asking for clarifications about ‘MY’ religion. But is it really my religion? Now ask because, I have the feeling that it is not and that though I love it so much and I love everything about it, I am just perpetuating a tradition. Unlike my friend I haven’t studied Islam but inherited it and no matter what I do, I won’t have the same spiritual strength people who study it will gain.

I am Muslim myself I don't have answers to some of her questions. I just now put my finger on one of the things that are behind the issues and contradictions we suffer from in the Muslim world. It is not Islam we practice, we haven't--at least I know--I haven't studied the religion as deeply as my friend is now doing. I have inherited the religion but I have never taken time to build my own understanding of it is principles.

Here is a question for you, she asked me: What is hell?

Mixed feelings

When i read the title “How I Learned to Love the Wall” of Irshad Manji’s contributions to New York Times, I said to myself oh! My god so there is a positive explanation to the separating wall in Palestine after all…I really wanted to believe that there was something good in it after all.
Irshad’s article did not appease my trust for positivism but it did deepen my humiliation, because to me there is nothing more humiliating than the image of an old person hopping (as young soldiers are standing watching and refusing to help) over the wall to go about their business.
I have learned as a child that your age earns you respect and special treatment no matter where you go, unfortunately that is no longer true…
Irshad, well written article but it lacks balance.

May you find your way back!

I do not personally know Jill Caroll but according to those who have known her, she is a young woman full of life and curiosity; all she wanted was to make the world a better place for her and for those she loves.
Jill did not think twice about going to Iraq, because she did not want to take packaged news but rather experience it herself. She refused to believe that Muslims and Arabs are as barbaric as portrayed in the media, and chose to give us a chance to make our case. Unfortunately, some of us have not learnt how to show gratitude.
To Jill, I say thank you! For giving us a chance and I am sorry that my community did not give you the treatment you deserve. In fact that everybody deserves and especially, guests.

Bloggers Campaign for Jill Carroll

What would you do?

What do you do when a friend needs your help? How do you respond to a desperate call?
I wish I could do something to make her feel better, and cheer her up but I don’t know what/how. I don’t know if I should tell jokes or just listen to her and affirm what she feels.
What do you do? When a friend is down, do you put his or her feelings aside and try to help her/him think about something else or do you listen and nod?

How would you handle it? H

Today is our day,Girls!

Today is my day, your day. Today is The Day.

Happy Women’s day to all women and men in the world!

May god give us more strength to continue and get our throne back.

No abortions in the State of Dakota!

L'Etat américain du Dakota du Sud interdit l'avortement

Le gouverneur du Dakota du Sud a signé, lundi 6 mars, l'avant-veille de la Journée internationale de la femme, une loi rendant illégale l'interruption volontaire de grossesse dans tous les cas, sauf quand la vie de la mère est en danger. This article published by Le Monde.FR in 07.03.06, adds that the state has actually forbidden the recourse to abortion even in rape cases and/or incest.

Ok! I don’t know if these people know what they are doing; I am a woman and I have the firm believe that it should be me and only ‘I’ who should be making this kind of decisions.

What right do they have to force me in keeping a child of someone who raped me? Who are they being fair to, here? Not to me obviously but not to the poor child either. Would you be capable of loving a being that will only remind you of the most degrading experience that a woman can go through?

And what? I don’t even have the right to emergency contraception?

Do they know how it feels looking at a hungry child, when you as a parent do not have the means to provide? Have they ever lived such experience? I don’t think so. Because if they did they would have understood that it is much easier to accept abortion than watch your child die before your eyes while you can’t do anything about it.

They have to realize that most of the homeless people on the streets of the United States today, are in fact the unfortunate result of the human beings lack of common sense; exactly what is happening in the state of Dakota.

I cherish life but not any life; I want my child to have a decent life. I and only I can make the decision of how and when I want to be a mother, for I am the only one who knows how capable I am to take care of another being. And unless the government is willing to provide for my unborn child, I think that they should leave it to our consideration. And In case they are afraid that they could be punished for not stopping such non-religious act (so they say), I assure them that God almighty can and will punish the sinners.

    

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....!!!

That is exactly what i hear in my head right now. I do not why but i can not think of anything constructive, i think that is the effect of all the negativeness in the world today.
Anywhere you face, all you haear all you see are wars, battles and destruction. No i am not trying to convey anything. I am just sharing with you in a hope that it will help purge and get better.
What is it with us? I just came back from lunch with two of my colleagues. And it went very well, i did not feel treatened by any of them; though none of the two is Muslim. It was avery nice 1/2 hour, i enjoyed talking them.

And as one of them said while we were eating, look at us we so different, yet we are here together. I respect your belief and backgroung and you the same and we don't have to force any of our ideas on each other, this very nice! She added.

Well; wouldn't be nice for a change we do the same. Forcing Islam on others is not the solution but rather our destruction and the end of our beautiful peacful religion.

You know! You; yes you! If you are really trying to convince people that Islam is the right path, just give the right example: be nice to your neighbor (no matter where she/he is from), smile and don't judge people.

I am no better than you, but i am trying to give the best i can of my self and thus of my beautiful religion.

She left...Foulla left!

Well, I just wanted to dedicate this post to Foulla my E-Friend.

All the best to you and to your family, and I am sure we’ll see you on the blogsphere very soon.

Good luck!

Check this out

This is a free and open source of TV channels on the internet. It has been launched two days ago and it is amazing how many channels you can watch.
I hope you like it!

I don't know...?

I have been up since 3:25 AM this morning, i don't know exactly why but i feel very sad. I have all this things runing across my head about people dying everywhere accross the globe, about the cheap comments which have been posted about the e-debat that Foulla and i have tried to conduct.

I have all the respect for everybody's opinion when it is a constructive opinion, but it sadens me to see that we still enjoy putting each other down. I don't know if you disagree with what i say state your point of you but don't judge me, don't hurt me!

Why is this the way it is? i really i am sad and i am afraid there not much we can do to change this world, if people instead of giving you a positive feedback to help you understand they try to discourage.

But i tell you what i am who i am and i am convinced that what i do is the right thing, and i am also convinced that what you think is right is inevitably right, so why do you care what i say. God is your only judge, refer to him and as long as you are not hurting others (All faiths included) with your doings, go on keep on moving.

Danish Cartoons...what is up with that?

Well, where do I start?

The Muslim community is talking about cheap provocation, while the rest of the world along with the Danish cartoonist is calling it democracy.

Do you really want me to tell you what I think? Well I am ashamed from being a human being. I don’t nor do I disagree with any fraction here. Because none of the two has done what it is supposed to do in times like these. The west for having ‘deux poids deux mesures’ in applying the freedom of speech flag. Because while they’re blaming the Muslim world for their reaction over the hurtful insult towards the only true and holly emblem that is left to them to aspire to, they forbid themselves from talking about other controversial subjects such as the holocaust.

And I am so sorry for what ‘MY COMMUNITY’ has done, what a shame? Burning flags and threatening people, oh my god! Haven’t you just confirmed this image they want to depict of us, you are just putting the nice touches.

Oh! I don’t know if any of you sees what I am seeing, they draw the lines and we blind as we are, we do the work for them. They say we are fanatics and we deliver, by cutting people throats on air.

I won’t go any further, but I will say Mashaallah!!

Is Islam The issue?

To answer Foulla's question: What if laicity is the solution?

Foulla wants to know if Laicity will help women get the decent men that will respect women as a being. however some of the commentators like Behrooz see the issue differently, and here what i think:

Behrooz has a point Foulla, we do as Muslims tend to use Islam right and left and forget sometimes to differentiate between what is religion and what is traditions and culture.

That being said, I have also to agree with what some say about the religion not being the real issue. I want to point out to something that may be the reason why Islam was accused more then any other religion, ever before, of mistreating women.

Before I try my luck sharing what I have with the rest of you, we all should keep in mind that on his last address, the prophet Mohamed (may god bless his soul!) said that Islam as a religion was sent to the world as whole and that it is meant to be flexible. Islam is suppose to follow the evolution of societies and what worked for them back then might not be applicable to us today.

So since Islam is meant to be interpreted and adjusted to the needs and demands to the new world, mistakes and manipulation can and have taken place. We do not pay attention or even question what we are told about this or that by our Cheikh—Correct?-- for the simple reason that all regimes are manipulating us and had us believe hard as a rock that we can’t question what our clerics say. It is a no! To even ask question about any point in the religion. I will give the example of Morocco; where a Ceikh is highly regarded in our societies and you can’t argue with what he say even if you have the certainty that it is incorrect. So let’s say if he says that Islam wants women to stay at home and be the object of the society, you will have an estimable portion of Moroccans doing as they were told without questioning any of it.

And as you all certainly know, most of clerics in the Islamic world are Men and because some of them are ‘Biased’ and ‘Macho’ theologians’ misinterpretation and misleading definitions are existent. But the worst is that most of those come to us from a society that is viewed by several Muslims around the world as higher Islamic authority.

Another point to add to that is that politics is now part of religion, or influences the practice of the religion. Have you ever asked yourself why does certain countries though very close to each other and belonging to same time zone don’t fast the same day, well don’t be surprised I heard that for example some countries won’t fast the same day as Saudi Arabia because it stopped given them aids.

More will come but i prefer to wait for your honest feedback...

On pins and needles

January 22, 2006

It's true, the deadline has passed with no word on Jill's fate, but I remain very hopeful, as efforts to secure her release continue non-stop.
As the clock keeps ticking, I'm on pins and needles. The wait is really wearing me down both physically and emotionally. I can't imagine how hard it must be on her family. I'm unable to sleep through the night, waking up every few hours to check my phone for new text messages or missed calls. Jill has become an integral part of my dream life. Fortunately, most of the dreams are positive, with me talking to her face-to-face and discussing her ordeal.
I was glad to see over the weekend that the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) had sent a delegation all the way to Baghdad as part of their efforts to free Jill. I believe this could have a huge impact. CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
We are the only people who have come from outside of Iraq to call for Jill's release, and we are very hopeful they will hear our message on behalf of American Muslims ... Harming her will do no good at all. The only way is to release her.
I'm also encouraged by the sheer volume of good wishes and prayers being put out there for my dear friend. Some of those prayers are coming from Amman, Jordan, where my mom and all her friends are praying for Jill's release. Everyone that Jill touched remembers her sweetness and open, honest character. Such a mobilization of prayer and good will can only bring positive things. God, please bring her home safely.
UPDATE: The CSM has done a bit of a round-up on things with two items particularly catching my eye. First, the director of London's Islamic Observation Center, Yasser al-Sirri, called on the group that it appears has Jill, the so-called Brigades of Vengeance, to release her rather than tarnish the image of Islam. Second, Iraq's Justice Ministry continues to say that it expects the release of six of the nine Iraqi women prisoners this week, despite Coalition comments to the contrary, saying: "The Iraqi detainees will be released within a week from today." All that said, the article closes with Reuters disturbing report of U.S. forces blowing off the front door of an Iraqi family and dragging one family member off for questioning.

For the better and the worst...

My encounter with North African bloggers has started with Maghreb blog.net. That is where I have virtually met Adib, Oumelkhir, Manal and lately Thysdrus. I have never chatted with Thysdrus or Hannibal as it says on his blog but I was very interested by his postings and one in particular. Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Maghreb Blog Review XIII , the article asks a question about whether or not we Muslims should reconsider the way we live our faith.

First of all, who is this writer who gave himself the right to analyse for us what we need to do ourselves and two why aren’t we taking charge here?

I am not what is agreed upon as a good Muslim, I do my best to pray and fast but I would not categorise myself as “bonne musulmane”. But there is one thing for sure, I love my religion and I certainly love god.

But that being said, I do think that we need to reconsider some of the things we do vis-à-vis ourselves or our societies under the umbrella of Islam. When I posted that article “Conference of European Women Theologians”, I was not, gods forbid, complaining or other disgracing my faith; I was just looking for answers and I still am.

I believe that as a Muslim i ought to try harder to find answers to give those who either try to know more about our religion or to shut the mouths of those who would not leave a slight chance to throw insults at my face. Being a Muslim now is not as it used to be, we are ambassadors and representatives of our faith. If we call ourselves Muslims we have to defend it, and the only way for us in doing that is to be provided with the right and complete answers.

As a Muslim women and knowing all the stereotype that have made the front pages of the western news media, I need answers when asked to verify or deny things such 'Islam considers women as objects and not as an equal to the men'. I know that it is not true, and i certainly can give some answers but not complete ones. I am neither a theologian nor have I read and grasped the meaning of the holy book. That is just to say that it is time to call upon our Oulama to do their jobs and adapt their answers to the time and societies we live in. And to all the Oulama i say, please stop being biased, women are not your enemies but rather your halves, your daughters, mothers and …so a little fairness please!!

If I tell you how many people now have made it their favorite pass time to humiliate Muslims like me who try their best to stay unbiased; I need answers to protect myself and my state of mind. Because I have to admit that sometimes they come with rather very convincing arguments that could lead you to madness.

I can not blame them (all those who say this or that about Islam) though. Some of our “brothers” are just a disgrace not only to Muslim community but to the human being as well.

N.B: Please don’t let me wonder here alone join me or just tell me that my questions are not going to be answered.

Mabrouk L'Aid

Bonne fête a tous, que ce sacrifice nous apporte paix et prospérité!!!

Conference of European Women Theologians

I came across this article about women taking a role in what is commonly called al-Ijtihad. Though I kind of understand why we women are not allowed to lead the prayer and i also understand why we get less than men while inheriting, I have never understood why we are not allowed or at least given the chance to play a role in interpreting certain things in our religion not only because they concern us but mostly because they require n effective knowledge of women nature as well as way of thinking. If our religion is suppose to adapt to societies and time it should adapt to human nature and give women a chance to do more than only discuss daily rituals.