All celebrities are not divas, just like all divas are not celebrities. Traveling with either is always entertaining for us mere mortals. Let me recount a few recent incidents I experienced while traveling with a non-diva celebrity, a published author to be exact, and more importantly, a SINGLE male.

• Married women will admit to “nerd crushes”. The “nerd” epithet is to convince everyone else that while they’re drooling about his brain, they’re actually quite happy with their own husbands.
• Single women shyly come up to start conversations. They will rarely admit their crushes -it’s really kinda cute to see their enthusiasm.
• Some women will admit to seeing him in their dreams and not knowing what to do when celebrity-crush-in-the-dream asks to do something not-quite-appropriate, like taking off his clothes…
• Many people assume that celebrity-status also implies diva-attitudes. At that point, as the non-celebrity co-traveler, your attitude towards the celebrity will impact what others assume about them. You have the option of correcting the record or not  
• Bookstore owners get this big grin on their faces when they realize the person in front of them has published a book that is on their bookshelves. At that point you need to forget about leaving the store anytime soon.
• Shahrukh Khan is a big name in Bollywood. Lots of women love the actor and being compared to him is a form of flattery “You look like Shahrukh Khan. Are you related? I lovveeeeee Shahrukh Khan” hint hint Mr Celebrity…
• Women are more likely to join you at dinner tables than men. They’re really not interested in talking to you.
• There are a lot of photographs. Learn to accept temporary blindness caused by camera flashes.
• If a celebrity expresses interest in doing something/eating something/wanting something there is a high likelihood a fan will help procure it. It works out quite well if you go along for the ride.
• Male fans want the celebrity to be impressed by them, female fans want the celebrity to notice them and “like” them. Which means that while male fans spend an awful lot of time talking about themselves, the women will preen and gush. For the outsider, observing the celebrity struggle to look interested during this human dynamic is a wonderful exercise in people-watching.
• Fans wants advice from celebrities, some nugget to hold on to. Fortunately, the same not-so-customized words of wisdom satisfy most. It is actually an amazing and wonderful thing to see how a few words can bring joy to others, and all because of the mouth that utters them. It helps if the celebrity actually gives good advice.

All jokes aside, celebrities are also human. When no fans are around they sometimes let down their guard and you actually get a chance to see the person behind the public personality. And so, next time you get the chance to travel with a celebrity, you should definitely take it- assuming he’s not a diva of course…

Cairo has changed a lot. Before Arab Spring, the streets were cacophonous but now it is common to witness energized youth populations as they find their collective voice. Early this morning, I looked down from the balcony of my hotel room to see a handful of young Egyptians carrying banners and chanting slogans as they walked past – not sure what they were yelling, though!

“Oh yes, the freedom that we now have was never experienced by our last two generations, and we don’t know what to do with it!” Delilah (let’s give her that name) said to me. Delilah is the Managing Partner of a consulting firm in Cairo. As her chauffeur slowly weaved through the heavy traffic (which has certainly worsened), Delilah and I discussed the transformations in Egypt during the last year as we comfortably sat in the back seat of her Prado.

“Now I am not against the revolution, believe me….but it has brought about a lot of problems….and it is only going to get worse before it gets better,” she sighed. “Any transition requires that, I guess! You see, whatever anyone says, at least there was a system before. People knew how to work around it and get work done. Now, though there is no more controlling force but people are not willing to provide results – whether at a public office or at a bank! Don’t they understand that I am the client when I walk into their office!?”

“Yes, the people are undergoing a lot of difficulties and the suffering of the poor will only increase.” I remarked, assuming she was sympathizing with the plight of the common man. She gave me a critical stare as if I had stated something incomprehensible. Then she clarified.

“In Egypt we have a strong informal support system. Other than the regular zakat, we have a network that is not accounted for. Whether it is someone we know, like our servants or their extended families or someone we just hear of – we make sure their needs are met. We even have a national food bank which distributes food in packs daily to anyone in need – no one dies of hunger in this country. Don’t you see?” she asked as she pointed out of the SUV’s window, “Life goes on as usual. The traders have their customers as always; any market you go to, even someone who seems poor is buying loads of grocery. God knows where the cash comes from but they do have it.”

“So you mean the informal sector of the economy is not impacted at all?” I asked.

“Heck, no! What do they have to lose?” she yelled. “You see, there are even more traders without permits on the streets. The police are not there to hassle them. The police force of one million are at home saying they are all depressed while they still receive their salaries – they miss their regular kickbacks for sure. The good thing about this country is that without any police on the street, the crime rate hasn’t shot up. There have been only two bank robberies in Cairo in the last year and those also very amateurish. Don’t you have bank robberies in the US all year round?”

“So if not the informal sector, is the formal sector of the economy impacted?” I was curious to hear her views.

Delilah was being fairly patient with me, even though she obviously thought that I had no understanding of the situation. “I’ll explain to you. You see, when my partner and I set up our firm, we had decades of experience in our fields. I had even spent time in a UN agency, NGO’s and in the private sector with tons of experience before switching to the consulting business. I realize I was a bit late in setting up my own practice but as soon as we started, we immediately received contracts that kept us busy – all was going well. Then the revolution came about – only God knows where the youth obtained their energy from.”

“Now, no one is willing to invest in Egypt any more, no bilateral long term projects are coming about, even the multilateral organizations stop at short term contracts for market analysis and are not willing to talk beyond. We had also been at close terms with the CEO’s of several large firms and were selling them our services to help increase their businesses. Our proposals are stranded now that they are all gone.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned.

“Well, the top management of the major enterprises evacuated the country as the revolution started and are now reluctant to return. They fear that they will be tried in court or will not be allowed to leave again. So there are no decision makers. Doesn’t THAT put the economy at risk!?” Delilah concluded as we reached our destination.

I held back my smile thinking that from her perspective the true victims of the revolution are the people of the rich upper class who have lost their special privileges, while Delilah’s chauffer opened the Prado’s door for us to enter the Nile City North Tower.

So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.

-The Art of War by Sun Tzu

In the world of countering violent extremism (CVE), recognizing the actual enemy is as important as not mislabeling people you do not like or agree with.

In the current status quo, mixing theology with political identities, assuming religiosity is the same as radicalization and targeting social conservatives instead of extremists happens frequently.

Let’s consider an analogy below.

Suppose one end of the spectrum is vegans and the other end is cannibals. Everyone is in agreement that the cannibals must be stopped- the “War On Cannibals” must be won. Obvious, right?

Well, the reality is that most people are neither vegan or cannibal. Some eat chicken but not beef, some love hot dogs and peas, others hate carrots. And of course no matter how much someone might love steak or hate salad, they are not tempted to nibble on human flesh.

Let’s face it, all meat-eaters are not on the highway to cannibalism with Hannibal Lecter as their guide.

No one wins when the “War on Cannibals” becomes the “Battle on All Meat-Eaters.” Resources are wasted and potential allies are alienated. We need to recruit the cheeseburger-lovers, not exclude them under the pretext that they are budding Jeffrey Dahmers.

Large conference crowds are the perfect place to be alone. They’re also the best place for hijab-spotting, a relatively unknown activity that involves watching hijab styles and trying to figure out how they were created (and stay in place).

For those of you who don’t know, hijab tying and pinning ranges from being functional to an art form. There are seasonal fashions and trends, and let’s not forget the pins, clips, flowers and brooch accessories.

The basic Plain Jane pinned style scarf is timeless because of it’s simplicity, convenience. Using safety pins to stay in place, it requires no adjustment over the course of a long work day.

There is also the wrapped shawl which is easy enough for anyone; unless the shape of your head prevents it from staying on in which case you use the undercap solution. But let’s face it, who likes to have their ears squished? The real danger of this style is actually the straight pins used to secure it- those things are painful when accidently encountered during a greeting hug.

Caps, babushkas and dupattas are not going away anytime soon either.

If you notice, there is no mention of the Amira one-piecer. If you’re older than 10, not playing a sport and still wearing an Amira you need a hijab intervention. And no, the Kuwaiti Amira is not better.

So what are some of the newer hijab trends? The summer favorite Turkish style is mostly over, except by the Turks of course! The new style in the Americas seems to be the Khaleeji multi-layer, looser wraparound that in extreme cases looks like a blanket attacking your head. Great for Canadian winters no doubt (for warm and toasty ears),  but definitely not a good option in DC in the summer with humidity and 100+F days (your head might melt off your shoulders).

Flowers, brooches and chandelier-earring style pins- dangling anywhere between the ear and the chin- are mostly cute and functional, except when you see them as decoration on niqabs. Don’t do it my niqabi sisters, it’s like hanging a Christmas ornament on a palm tree. Your crazy bright patterned scarves under your niqabs are distracting enough, bling just makes it worse. Why attract attention to yourself when you are trying to avoid it?

The African turbans are beautiful as always and their ability to defy gravity during sajdah and ruku is marvelous.

The worst trend so far is the camel hump hairstyle under the hijab. High pony-tails and buns do not naturally achieve such heights. It is entirely possible however that those larger-than-their-head-bumps are hiding dreadlocks and that unbeknown to all, dreads have suddenly become very fashionable for the young muhajjibah.

No matter what style you choose for your cover, go forth sisters and may the force be with your hijabbing!

In recognition of the upcoming turkey day, I am re-posting this blog post from last year.

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Thanksgiving is that wonderful yearly holiday when American families bond over food and enjoy the typical dysfunction and drama that invariably happens when people related by blood come together.

For immigrants, Thanksgiving is the day when everything is shut down except for Chinese takeout and all their non-immigrant friends are hanging out with family to eat a big bird that they had never seen before they came to these shores. Often coming from cultures where holidays are either celebrations (religious or otherwise) or days of remembrance (e.g. birth or death anniversaries of national heroes) shared with everyone around them, they’ve mostly never come across a national holiday dedicated solely to staying home with family, eating and watching TV.

Over the past few decades American Muslims have evolved their own unique Thanksgiving culture, replete with tandoori turkey, pumpkin pie, baklava, friends, open houses and Thanksgiving-hopping.

A simple fact in life is that if you don’t have family around you, you simply create your own “family” through networks of friends. They help you, take care of you, join you at moments of joy and sorrow, and come over for turkey in November. Since everyone wants to play host it means there are LOTS of invitations and as you cannot offend anyone, you accept them all. And thus is borne the tradition of Thanksgiving-hopping.

Similar to the way Eid is celebrated where families spend the day visiting elders and friends and eating dessert at every home, Thanksgiving is when you go to several homes sampling turkey and pie before you depart to your next destination.

At the end of the day you have eaten more food than you thought it was humanly possible to consume, spent time with people whom you love even though they irritate the heck out of you and you fall asleep clutching your bottle of Tums. Only to wake up early the next morning for prayers, and because at least one woman in your life wants to make it for the early-bird sales special at the mall.

My last post was at the beginning of the Bahraini protests. Much has transpired since then, namely the conversion of the protests from reform to demanding the removal of the rulers, and the subsequent suppression of the protests through the violent use of force. Saudi troops/tanks/humvees have rolled into Manama and “taken care of matters.” People have been killed (protestors and expats who got caught in the cross-hairs of rage); the Pearl Monument (where the protestors collected) is reported to have been destroyed; a state of emergency has been declared for the next three months.

The truth of the oppression of the Shia population can no longer be denied or ignored by those who want to unequivocally support the Sunni rulers. What makes for even more messy global politics is that Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is not considered a lunatic, unlike the Libyan Gaddafi!  2011 will be the year when the State Department’s Human Rights Report will need major rewrites and careful editing!

For those of you who never saw it, and for those of you who support the protestors, a photo of the monument is attached. This picture was taken in 2008.

While the protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Algeria, Libya and Iran are not a surprise, the ones in Bahrain definitely are. Not because the population is not unhappy, (the majority shia are extremely oppressed by the minority sunni ruling class), but because in this constitutional monarchy bordering Saudi Arabia, it is rare that they were not squashed on Day 1. When the current ruler came to power some years ago, he introduced some reforms; however the old guard (his uncles etc) have been extremely resistant to change. As in most cases, it is unfortunately only a matter of time before the new guard becomes the old guard, and reform for the oppressed masses is forgotten.

What distinguishes protests in Bahrain from protests in countries like Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen is the legitimacy of the ruler. In the latter countries, the people are/were demanding that their rightful constitution be restored, and the rulers who had usurped power for decades be removed. In Bahrain, the legality of the form of governance (constitutional monarchy) is not in dispute, the issue is reform for the people. One other wrinkle in this mess is that neighboring salafi/wahabi Saudi Arabia will not be “open” to having a strong Shia influence in Bahraini politics.

The army is already rolling into Pearl Square on day 3 of protests- let’s see which way the wind will blow for this small island country.

In support of the Egyptian people who achieved their calls for change, I will post photos of Egypt for each of their 18 days of protest, for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

To end this 18 picture series, I leave you with photos of the loudly chirping sparrows, (called asfoor because of the “seeo seeo” sounds they make), that greet you every morning in Cairo. There are not as many pigeons around probably because pigeons are eaten as a Cairene delicacy. But sparrows are everywhere, managing to survive with very little, and always cheerful the next morning; similar to the people of this ancient land.

And yes, the trees they live on are covered with some really BIG thorns!

In support of the Egyptian people who achieved their calls for change, I will post photos of Egypt for each of their 18 days of protest, for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

In Cairo, the City of 1000 Minarets,  every old street seems to have not one but two or three mosques, many times just opposite each other. The story goes that everyone rich wanted to build a mosque, and prove themselves by outdoing their neighbors mosque! Needless to say, there are HUNDREDS of mosques in Cairo that are meant for seeing, but they are unfortunately not very well utilized or maintained. It is tempting to follow the UN 1000 Minaret Heritage trail but there is really not enough time to cover it all unless you are in inhabitant of the city!

Ibn Tulun Mosque is a 9th century mosque in Cairo, known for it’s spiral minaret that features an external staircase (rather than inside the column). The view from the top of the minaret is wonderful, and you notice what Cairo is really like, not just the shiny, glossy version that is visible in travel brochures!

In support of the Egyptian people who achieved their calls for change, I will post photos of Egypt for each of their 18 days of protest, for viewers to see what their lovely country is really like. Photos are from a 5-6 week stay in Egypt in the summer of 2008.

Alexandria is a city on the Mediterranean coast for tourists and middle class Egyptians (the richer ones go to other resort towns!). Famous for its library (the new one is rather high tech), extremely busy (and littered!) beaches, picturesque Corniche, Roman ruins, the beautiful al-Mursi Mosque, citadel and palaces, the pace of the city is definitely slower than Cairo. You have no choice but to stop at cafés along the boardwalk to nibble on fatir (local stuffed “pizza” ), sip drinks and watch people go by. Transportation options include trains, microbuses, streetcars, taxis, buses and horse drawn buggies. The photo is of the Citadel seen from across the Corniche.