Prolific Immigrant

From my brilliant editor at rabble. (Derrick! Please forgive that it took me so long to post this. I am lame; this you know, but now it is public. I hope your sense of justice is served re my tardiness! xo)

From Derrick: This is what I’ve been co-writing for the past year… so I’m really excited it’s done! (webMe’s note: Me too! Me too!) [...]It’s only the UK and Australian version that are out now, North American in October under the title of ‘A Woman Among Warlords’.[...]
D.

The UK version of Malalai Joya’s book, Raising My Voice: The Extraordinary Story of the Afghan Women who Dares to Speak Out, will be in stores as of early July.

Malalai Joya is the youngest and most famous female MP in Afghanistan, whose bravery and vision have won her an international following. She made world headlines with her very first speech, in which she courageously denounced the presence of warlords in the new Afghan government. She has spoken out for justice ever since, and for the rights of women in the country she loves. Raising My Voiceshare her extraordinary story.

Raising My Voiceis available now for pre-order at either Amazon or from the publisher.

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Note: this is an objective entry and that means this may or may not be my perspective (a perspective that is none of your business). By posting this particular perspective, I am not extending your way the right to speak about either my state of iman or my personal perspective.

This is meant as merely food for thought and contemplation, and to help us all become aware of the different sides of the argument, so that we may then accept the conclusions most rational to us. It was sent to me by an Al-Azhar University graduate who frequents this blog and who read the ass-hatery re hijab in the comments of the post titled Tell me about Ramadan.

It is in Arabic and so only accessible to those of you who can read and understand Arabic (sorry!).

To you non Muslims who live here – Although you can not read the Arabic, I would like for you to take the following away from this entry: As Muslims, we are required to read / investigate / consider / and then choose (that which is most logical to us) of the varying scholarly opionions presented on issues such as this one. We are never to follow blindly – and the choices we make to bring things in to / expel them from our lives is in fact one based on the idea of open discussion and questioning and dissent. It is a thought process epitomizing the idea of democratic free thinking.

Additional info, sent to me by the same Al-Azhar University graduate: This was published in Rosa El Yousef – one of the most credible periodicals in Egypt – by Dr. Mostafa Mohammad Rashed about the Hijab. One of the attached files is a copy of the PhD certificate that Dr. Rashed had obtained from Al-Azhar University with an “Excellent” grade. (Read: Dr. Rashed’s credentials.)

[...]it is identical to my understanding of the subject from my studies at Al-Azhar University, and from my own private readings. The writer’s approach is logical, rational, and is rooted in Quranic and historic evidence. Dr. Rashed states his conclusion very clearly that the Hijab is not an Islamic “Fareeddah;” i.e. it is not a requirement from any Muslim woman.

You may wish to read it and get the benefit from this scholar’s research on one of the most controversial subjects of our time. Feel free to circulate to others, if you believe that they would benefit.

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Hi!

How are you?

My father and uncle received the letter (photographed here) from Rogers Cable Inc., detailing your special offers specific to the Muslim celebration of Eid.

I don’t have cable and I currently use Bell for both my mobile as well as internet services. But guess what, Phil? Because your company is amongst the first to respectfully acknowledge that there is a demographic of creatures called Muslims – who celebrate rather than explode – you have just gained a new customer (that’s me, Phil).

Also, it is exceptionally cool of your communications team for having properly included both “Eid Mubarak” as well as the crescent moon (which is – to those who do not know – the symbol of Islam).

With thanks, and looking forward to eventually buying a rogers product,
Maha
P.S. To those of you interested, please find Rogers’ official press release here.
P.S. to the P.S. Here is the Rogers site.

Read and share, please.

A core group of largely Toronto-based Jewish filmmakers is accusing the festival of playing into “the Israeli propaganda machine” with its inaugural “City to City” program, which it says excludes Palestinian voices from the 10-film program.

The group is circulating a letter of protest and has drawn support from more than 50 artists around the world including American writer Alice Walker, Canadian writer and activist Naomi Klein, U.K. filmmaker Ken Loach and American actor Danny Glover.

“Looking at modern, sophisticated Tel Aviv without also considering the city’s past and the realities of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza strip would be like rhapsodizing about the beauty and elegant lifestyles in white-only Cape Town or Johannesburg during apartheid without acknowledging the corresponding black townships of Khayelitsha and Soweto,” the letter states.

The letter goes on to accuse the festival of being unduly influenced by the Israeli government’s year-long Brand Israel campaign, which it says is geared towards sanitizing Israel’s controversial political and military history.

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I went back to CrackBook well over a year ago. Since that time, they’ve changed their fkn layout like they’re piecing together a god damn jigsaw puzzle.

Watch the bastards render my account inactive.

Usually, Ramadan is a more-heightened-than-normal-life experience. Last year was the first year I had an exceptional Ramadan. I woke up every morning before sunrise and had a small bite to eat, prayed subuh (the 1st of 5 daily prayers) and then fell back asleep before waking up to begin my day.

Last year was also the first ever year I was completely entrenched within Ramadan. I was focused on, living and breathing the character that – failing to carry it throughout the year – was supposed to be representative of Islam. When I stood to pray, I imagined myself inside of and protected by a teardrop that was being looked after by God. It was a wonderful, amazing and – admittedly – exhausting experience; focused and clear and simple.

This year, I can’t seem to find my way to any of the above.

I was, and remain humbled that I am experiencing another Ramadan with a near 1.5 billion sisters and brothers in this, my faith tradition of Islam.

I am grateful for every blessing I find in every nook and cranny of my everyday life (& everything is indeed the cherry on the cake that is an already blessed life; I am not complaining and I am not taking for granted anything).

I am equal parts excited and scared that this is the month during which I get to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly of last year, in order to focus on all that I hope to change, accomplish, dismiss, refine and deepen this coming year.

With that still, this is not my month – not this year, anyway.

This, I do not mean physically, as even though the fasting day is at nearly 14 hours per day, I am not at all hungry. In fact, I feel healthy and energized all day long.

It is, unfortunately, a spiritual malaise and fatigue that has overwhelmed me. I am going through the motions without a sense of connection to anything horizontal or vertical, and this saddens me in a way I can not express as I don’t fully understand it. This year, and with all of the laughter and excitement that rises with the pretty sun, I am feeling a little bit out at sea without focus during the one month where I should be firmly anchored.

There are 19 days left; I don’t believe we live in the age of miracles – or perhaps we no longer recognize them – and so I don’t expect much to change over the coming three weeks. All I can hope is that next year, inshallah, I will be capable of experiencing Ramadan at center, once more.