Nuanced & Hyphenated For Your Inconvenience

Fail Streak

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:13:00 +0000

In case you missed today's speech by Pres. Obama on his budget proposal "official unveiling," you should be able to view the full speech free through the White House's outlet site:

No doubt pundits will be all over this for a few weeks, maybe even months, each using clips to underscore their own convictions--liberals and conservatives alike. While I continue to treasure the 2008 election in my heart every morning like some little girl who actually got her unicorn, because it was truly unprecedented for America to come together in the way it did, that doesn't necessarily mean I agree with everything our president has done or plans to do. And that's no big deal. It would be weird if I agreed with anyone 100%. What I do think matters is whether or not the Obama 2012 campaign assumes they already have my vote (although, seeing the current list of contenders, it actually may be the case).

This budget battle that has recently hogged the spotlight at every level of government is finally giving us the opportunity to see if our politicians are soundbyte-demagogues or public servants. Although I've never voted for any candidate of his party, ever, I'm actually secretly proud of my state congressman, (R) Paul Ryan, for putting forth a budget proposal. It doesn't have to be what I necessarily want passed, but it sure is a great way to start a real policy debate. And policy discussion--grown up ones that don't involve birth certificates or sexual orientation--is exactly what this country deserves. We need our elected officials to weigh their ideas against one another, to establish viable ideas they agree upon, and come up with what will best serve our nation moving forward. That's the soundbyte--it's time for the specs.

On specifics, I found myself quite disappointed with today's speech. I needed President Obama to tell me what I didn't already know about him. For instance, anyone who was around during his first run for the presidency has likely not forgotten that he a) is a Democrat, and therefore b) favors keeping entitlement programs around, c) wants to invest in renewable energy research, d) favors funding early education/student financial aid programs, e) believes that the private sector should have government oversight and even have to compete with public programs, etc. Already knew those things from three years ago...What exactly was unveiled today?

Republicans are more or less rallied around the Ryan proposal. Democrats in Congress, as expected, are M.I.A., except for NY (D) Anthony Weiner (e.g., "Deal With It"). It seems unrealistic to even imagine Harry Reid to actually lead Democrats and counter Ryan's proposal. So in fetal position, Dems are cowardly looking at the president to do it for them. I don't believe that's the president's job, because then all other Democrats elected to offices would have no jobs. But if Obama is going take on this task at all, he should do it better.

Disagreeing with cuts to Medicare and education is not enough; President Obama, if he is going to do the entire Democratic Party's job (since they apparently won't), should have gone into more detail and told us what tax loopholes and current rates he wants changed and what he wants them changed to. With all the changes he previously said he was going to make and repeated today, he should tell us why those changes haven't been made and how they will be now. Proposing independent commissions is not news worthy--it's another funny pet youtube video. If you're going to cut defense spending, we're gonna need more than to know that Bob Gates will figure it out. I mean, is that to say that Gates hasn't been doing so and will now take on this new responsibility? Seriously, it would be nice to get real solutions. And if it sounds like we're asking too much of one person, maybe it's time the Obama administration has a serious talk with Democratic congressmen revisiting job descriptions and responsibilities.

In light of my growing frustration with the Democratic Party, I'm beginning to hope that a 2012 Ron Paul/Paul Ryan ticket shows up if only to raise the bar in the policy debate forum. If Democrats sent to D.C. continue to sleep through this term, they don't deserve reelection. And yeah, people in financial distress, people struggling with medical bills, people with disabilities, veterans, children, students, minorities, will bear the consequences of the Democrats' fail streak. We may well be on our way to finding out what impacts the Ryan budget cuts will have on our lives if Dems continue this way.

Film Recommendation: Exit Through The Gift Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:43:00 +0000

Every review I've heard of this film has given me a different impression of what to expect it to be about. I'm glad I decided to give it a go for myself.

"Exit Through The Gift Shop" is one of the most entertaining films I've ever seen. It's loaded with a kind of bittersweet irony that only a documentary can deliver. I can't really sum up the plot, nor can I draw a comparison to anything else I've seen...It has to be told the way it was, and no other version will yield the same aftertaste.

Make sure you watch the movie in its entirety--or you'll miss the point.

*Shameless plug: Should be available for Watch Instantly on Netflix.

O.o

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:08:00 +0000

I'd say I rank amateur as a lucid dreamer, being able to recall about 3-5 dreams for each night. And usually, when I find myself in an undesirable or stressful situation in a dream, I tend to resolve the source of stress with the introduction of some kind of solution, or I "rewind" back to a point where I have the option of avoiding the situation altogether. I guess it's kinda like the last four seasons of Lost--convenient and poorly planned.

But this morning I woke up with the strangest recollection. I remember having some ordinary ailment, like a cold or even just sniffles, and being at a research hospital. I could see my mom on the other side of a glass window, seemingly having surrendered me to the medical staff. I looked at her desperately, wondering how she could let "them" do this--and I gazed up and saw glass incubators with brains inside them, hanging like baby mobiles from the ceiling of the examining room. John Krasinski ("Jim" from The Office), either the doctor or physician's assistant, was telling me that it wasn't going to hurt, as nurses surrounded me. I looked at the scalpel in his hand as he tried to stick it into the back of my neck, just below the cranium. I struggled to get away as I looked up again at the brains with some cerebral arteries still dangling off them. But the nurses had me.

At this point, as I explained at the beginning of this post, I actively made an effort to resolve the situation. I tried to argue with John Krasinski, telling him that it was going to hurt. He was convinced, however, that he was absolutely right and that I should just cooperate. Then I think I semi-woke up--not really sure: I "returned" to my dream, somehow having become completely aware that I was, in fact, dreaming. I suddenly looked at Dr. Krasinski and explained, "This is a dream." It was like he didn't even hear me. So I shouted it again, and again, until the dream somehow faded/ended.

As I thought about this weird experience all morning, I kept thinking about why I couldn't control the situation as I normally do--why couldn't I just get a "character" to do what I, the dreamer, wanted--why he didn't believe me and let me go once I explained that it was all just a dream. I feel like I just failed some standardized test, and I guess it took me by complete surprise since I was under the impression that I had a decent grip on how things were going to play out (I mean after all, I was making it all up as I went, right?). I might try to recreate the dream tonight, just as I begin to drift off. Maybe I can "resolve" things this time O.o

Singles Have Better Things To Do.

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:24:00 +0000

Nothing amazing to post guys--sorry.

With that out of the way...

I was driving home from the gym yesterday evening, when I suddenly realized that everyone else I worked out with for the past two hours was also single.

Best Valentine's Day ever? :)

WordPress Not Impressive

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 04:57:00 +0000

I finally took this Saturday evening to address a long-overdue decision: WordPress or Blogger. After playing with the templates and settings, I just couldn't get what I wanted without editing script. If you're not familiar with WordPress, unlike Blogger, while you may change the CSS and preview your changes, you must purchase the upgrade to save them. Not cool. So Blogger it is. We go way back anyway :) Also still need to find my old Xanga blog and see if my account is still active. I've left such a mess online over the past decade. Anyone else feel like an online slob these days?

Updates to this blog: Yes, I know the new look is far more morbid than my old red and white, Audrey Hepburn wearing a scarf look. But Picaso's Guernica has been one of my recurring screen savers for nearly a decade now, and I think it represents the complexities I want to address but do not actually have the words for. The color scheme you are seeing was entirely tailored after the background image. I am aware Trebuchet or any sans serif font is more desirable on the web than Courier--deal with it. I want to try it out.

Goes without saying this blog is still very visibly under construction. If you notice a gaping hole in the left sidebar, I am still looking for the right widget. Turns out most widgets are useless. As of a few minutes ago, my attempt to upload a playlist widget of songs that I think capture the mood of the scheme through Grooveshark was an utter fail. Open to ideas here people. Another thing to look out for are pages (right now, you should only see Home and About Me). Back when I started, stand-alone pages were rare and difficult to create in Blogger. Now they're part of the package apparently! Have had some ideas long in the works that will hopefully materialize within the next few weeks and months.

As for upcoming posts...Can't say much, literally. I'm not sure what or when I'll have something to post, but I will admit I've been holding back for the past year because my blog was a bit of a mess anyway. Perhaps now I'll be more inclined to share...for better or worse :)

There Should Be A Pill

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 06:24:00 +0000

Note to Self (and to intellectualizing fiends of modern day)!:

I'm that idiot minority girl that started googling "muslim young" and just clicked whatever suggestion came up first in the search suggestions box. why.?!. I should have just typed what I was looking for, which if I can recall at this point, was going to be something like "muslim young women portrayal"...possibly even "film play skit novel." But instead, I ended up clicking (and to my chagrin, reading) some piece on muslim young brides. So foolish of me, I should have seen what was coming: 1) a few ludicrous paragraphs to be paraded as a serious, researched opinion (BUT WITH PICTURES!!); 2) hundreds of unclear (but loudly typed?) comments from people around the world who give too much time and effort to this crap; 3) my mind, reeling with capslock on.

So yes, I now have to write about it, to add to the list of people who should consider redirecting their well intended efforts towards something better--like volunteering or rescuing puppies.

I get it--what is trying to be said--because there it is, so clearly: All muslims are deluded [predicate nominative]s; They're ruining the world, have been teaming up to terrorize the innocent for centuries, and need to just stop it; Those islams need to shave and stop wearing sandals and learn how to dress better and stop telling women what they can or can't do.

Right?

For someone who has accepted the above claims as Truth, the millions of comments people (Muslim or otherwise) have posted to disprove the statements may be of little to no significance in terms of inspiring a change of mind or heart. I meet young high school and college students who are so eager to illustrate that such claims are fallacious through the utility of logic. And I recognize their sincere intentions. But what makes me cringe is that the fallacy lies in assuming that people, in person or online, speak (post/comment/mobile upload/whatever) rationally. Since when do any of us react rationally to emotional stimuli? When someone who knows nothing except hearsay (and yes, hearsay can be in print) about another faith or culture comes across an instance of injustice (usu. men with beards keeping women with lots of fabric from leaving their homes, men with beards beating men without beards or women without enough fabric, election fraud?), as in any other case where an emotional stimulus is introduced, an emotional response is produced. Where is there room for reason at all? We are all just humans dressing up as rational beings at the end of the day--myself and this silly post included.

I sympathize with individuals who believe that when you come across a wrong, you ought to right it. It isn't the effort or intention of such sincere people I'm criticizing, because it does take courage to right a wrong-every time. But intentions and effort are all too often in vain because of the fact that the perceiver gets sucked into the paradigm set by the initiator. And so long as neither step out of the box, the larger picture--the truth of the matter--is missed altogether. In such cases, there is no actual dialog--just waste.

As this entire post is proof, reading and reacting to garbage yields only another form of waste. It is important, when a real person (not some anonymous online blogger) states misinformation regarding Islam, Muslims, or any group, individual or idea, the reaction should include directing one's efforts and sincerity towards understanding the speaker's perspective. Yes, that's right--active listening. The vocabulary, vulgarity, preposterousness, accent, tone, or loudness of what is said should not be factored into the reaction. Taking a moment to hear a person out, learn where his/her frustration is originating, the personal experiences beneath the words and presentation, could generate real dialog. What could follow has the potential to facilitate growth for everyone involved. Human beings understanding human beings--imagine that.

But it is so much faster to react to preposterousness, to biases and stereotyping, than to a fellow human being. Why bother connecting to someone when all you want to do is right their wrong...right? Why take time to understand and share experiences when problems could just all have pills to fix them.

Not Unemployment

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:55:00 +0000

Otay. So I'm blogging again, caught in the not experienced enough to get experience job catch 22 with many of my peers. Time to commiserate.

Why is Rudy Guiliani still in the news? Who listens to this scumbag. Get off my news. Ew.

Other than that...I'm writing some overdue thank you cards to some really neat people.

Another development: As of last night, two of my recurring nightmares have hooked up in the lurking shadows of my subconscious mind and created a hybrid nightmare. If you recall, A) was Mr. T-Rex, himself, from Jurassic Park, coming after me while I suddenly would find myself frantically climbing a electric barbwire fence seconds away from being fried, all the while watching that red flashing bulb, in case I wasn't worried that the power was soon to come back on; B) was opening my eyes to meet the opening eye of a whale, as we both were at the bottom of a giant swimming pool...seeing my reflection in the whale's maniacal glare, starting to run but realizing I can only move in slow motion thanks to underwater physics...The result (AxB)=AB (I woke up in my nightmare to the opening eye of a T-Rex that I spent what seemed like a good week trying to escape...in slow motion under water).

Also, my current residence seems to rain--no, sprinkle--ladybugs around me. If someone could explain this, because at 9*F in Wisconsin, we're not exactly opening windows to let anything in...I just let the ladybugs hang out...fly noisily and hop...whatever it is they need to do as I type or study or apply for jobs. But it is a bit peculiar at times.

Finally, I think iLikes iPods. They're not as bad as I hoped they'd be...I mean, who doesn't love TapTap Revenge?

Safe

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:18:00 +0000

The ugliest thing in the world is hatred. Hatred is evil and only destroys. What happened today at the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. is one of many recent reminders of these facts. I hope people celebrate the heroism of the security guards who selflessly stood up for what is right and protected hundreds of innocent people rather than focus on learning about the life a racist man has led.

Watching the coverage on cable news, I heard one thing that I wish received more attention: Chris Matthews ("Hardball" on MSNBC) pointed out that it is obscenely easy for anyone to own a gun in this country. Why is that? I've heard defense of Second Amendment Rights countless times growing up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where hunting is a strong tradition that runs in the region and culture. But when it also provides a means for innocent people to be murdered, a line must be drawn. I can't understand how we expect law enforcement to be effective when gun laws are so porous.

I bring this up because many pundits are viewing the killing of a doctor who performed abortions, an army recruiter going to speak at a local recruitment office, and this museum incident happening all within days of each other as indicators of alarmingly violent times. Some have even tied Obama's election--"the election of the first Black man to the office of the President of the United States"--as some kind of factor in the events. While the Department of Homeland Security's recent publication cautioning that extremists from the fringe-Right of the political spectrum may be more likely to act during these times (for which some have had to apologize?) and talking heads from both ends of the spectrum take advantage of ratings opportunities, I must admit that today I felt a bit shaken by what I'm seeing.

When the Virginia Tech shootings had taken place, I remember being really scared. As a college student living on campus and my family being in another state, like even those Virginia Tech students moments before the shooting, the last thing on my mind was "Am I safe?" You never think someone could actually want to hurt innocent people--that they would actually do it. But it happened, and it wasn't the first time nor the last, unfortunately.

Since then, I guess I readjusted to taking the security we enjoy in this country for granted. Yes, we all know there are rapists and serial killers "out there," but we figure we're avoiding them somehow by not walking alone or around dark alleys. As if having a cell phone on us makes our world invincible.

The talk of a growing atmosphere of volatility and increase in violent acts I heard today on the news was really disturbing. On multiple networks, references to the 1960's and the violence and struggles that generation survived were made. I hope I'm wrong in thinking along these lines, but does this mean that an Obama Presidency is now being diminished into a time that will be read about in middle school social studies books as years of social strife, racial tension and violence? I pray that this is not the case, for many reasons. We, as a country, have to get out of the "black president" box. Wasn't the whole point of electing a person based on ideas and character so that we show that we can value a person judging his/her ideas and characters only? The opportunities we have before us as a nation and as a world are incredible and unprecedented. We have so many challenges that have permeated our global culture--economic, social, political, environmental--and with each challenge we have the opportunity to make progress and heal.

I'm 23 years old now and embrace an optimistic outlook on what is to come for our world. Bad things have always been there, before any of today's nations existed. Malice, envy, ill-intent are not new to humanity. And neither is the goodness of the human soul. And I do believe that all humans are capable of good. I have to believe it, because not doing so is embracing the alternative, and I just don't care to harbor such a negative weight inside of my heart. Life is so short, and there are so many opportunities to explore the good things, to learn about people's strengths, to watch beauty happen everyday.

As I go to bed tonight, I know that there is little I can do to influence whether these next few years will turn out to be as chaotic and violent as the `60's. There is little I can do to stop someone willing to kill. But I take comfort in knowing that there are good people in the world who share my desire for a peaceful Earth, and who would give their lives in defending this belief.

May Allah Help those who seek to do what is good, what is just, and what is merciful, and may He Ease their journeys. Indeed we came by Him, and indeed to Him is our return (inna Lillahi wa inna Lillahi raji'oon). Amen.

Pointless vs. Necessary

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:40:00 +0000

"Letting go" is something human kind has dreamt, written, whispered, and ventured for centuries. Yet it is still the undefined, seemingly just out of reach.

The University of Minnesota Department of Psychology has ingrained into its undergraduate students the idea of operationalism--of systematic empiricism--as if another moment cannot be permitted for us to linger in archaic, Freudian essentialism. As I write my last undergraduate paper for a psych course, I find myself grasping in the dark to operationalize "letting go."

Perhaps it is best defined per individual--experiences, identity, self-concept, path, genes, up bringing, cohort, etc. After all, there is no doubt that "letting go" in my mind is quite differently understood than that in yours. But perhaps you, too, have been trying to let go of something--a tendency, an aspect of your personality, a set of rules you've judiciously abided by since you can remember.

Since January 20, 2009, so much seems possible. Change we can believe in became change, itself, did it not? In the spirit of change, this seems to be the year to "let go."

I'm one of those people who can go breakfast to dinner holding a crumpled napkin in one hand without being aware of it for hours. I guess the ambiguity in this post is a result of not really knowing what that crumpled napkin, beyond the metaphor, is right now. The possibilities are so many, mostly because I've grown comfortable with shades of gray over recent years, and I now am not too eager to "resolve" the shades into anything at all. But someone has pointed out to me that this is not a good way to live--that "letting go" can lead to a colorfulness I not only ought to seek but deserve.

A friend had told me once: "We were never promised that things would get easier, so long as we´re shooting for something wholly satisfying, not merely satisfactory." I'm turning 24 in a few months, and being content is turning out to be another form of utter laziness. Being fiscally responsible, academically responsible, emotionally responsible, nutritionally responsible?, while avoiding rays of daylight is no longer even "merely satisfactory." In the past year, my small rebellions have consisted of getting a bike to ride around the Hills, going to the theater in the middle of the workweek, buying earings I may even wear oneday, and learning to swim. The last of these has proved to be the perfect exercise--not as much physically as it has spiritually. It's amazing to physically experience the gravitous nature of thoughts; I realized that every thought in my mind, every worry in my heart, weighed me down deeper below the surface. If I wanted to breathe, I had no choice but to stop worrying, stop planning, stop analyzing, and to let go of everything and force myself to look upward. And there I would suddenly resurface, free to exhale the depths and take in the new.

(Palette knife painting by Leonid Afremov)

Rockferry Review

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:28:00 +0000

I'm taking an important break before continuing about the President-elect Obama events.

Anywhere in the world, by now, you've heard the song, "Mercy," tens of times a day on the air. The first time I heard it, my co-worker had her radio turned up as usual. I thought it was some kind of old, Motown song that I must not have heard or noticed before. But there it was again, after only an hour or two, playing on the radio...and again and again throughout the day...and the next day...I also happened to be channel surfing one afternoon and caught part of the music video. Who is this Duffy girl?

After some wikipeding and myspace surfing... Duffy, or Aimee Anne Duffy, is a Welsh 24 year old waitress-turned-singer. She released her first single, "Rockferry," at the end of last year, followed by her second single, "Mercy," this spring. I recently reviewed her entire album guided by her official website and imeem (yes, I cheated, but legally); the album is surprisingly rather impressive. In a weird way, she reminds me of a jazzier version of Natalie Imbruglia, perhaps closer to Norah Jones--authentic in her own way, but built on the brilliance of iconic music.

I was on imeem last night listening to The Supremes (don't you love "Upside Down?") and thought of the peculiar yet intended similarity between the two generations of sound. The common factor, at least the clearest of them, is arguably talent. Duffy's talent is no joke. Although her band members have changed throughout the past few years in the compilation of her first album, "Rockferry," Duffy's voice steals the spotlight. In fact, as far as vocals go, I don't think "Mercy" showcases her as well as tracks like "Stepping Stone" and "Warwick Avenue."

And unlike Ms. Winehouse, this one seems to have a pretty good head on her shoulders, as Ms. Duffy has handled her rise to fame with maturity thus far. It will be interesting to see future tracks and collaborations from her as she explores the rich sound she seems to have tapped into.

Remember: Obama Knows Strategy vs. Tactic

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:18:00 +0000

The "Cerebral Candidate" may be of an elite group of individuals in this world who know how to function intellectually. DESPITE this worrisome possibility, a young Illinois senator is the leader of arguably the most successful campaign in United States history--even if he doesn't win on Tuesday. No one, not Dick Durbin, nor any cable news pundit, could have forseen the support the Obama Campaign has seemingly "discovered" in this nation over the past year. I wish I was Cerebral enough to explain how this came to be, but wishful thinking only goes so far :)

Instead, I wanted to run a hypothesis by you:

Why is the Democratic Strategist on the panel so quiet after the Republican Strategist asserts that they're close in the polls or even that they are winning?

Is it because McCain is really winning?

Personally, after going into emotional anaphalactic shock when I woke up and saw that Hilary Clinton won in the New Hampshire primary, I feel like a total vegetable when I see percentages. Sorry Chuck Todd--if it makes you feel any better, I'm avoiding RealClearPolitics.com as well.

So I don't know who's winning or losing, to be perfectly honest.

But I do think it is wiser for Obama-Biden supporters to use comments that fill the average voter with the kind of motivation that might get him or her to vote this year. To question voters if they can sit this election out as usual isn't new, but the near Nov-4 uncertainty of polls and their accuracies and whether or not you should just go vote (just in case) is a brilliant tactic at this stage, with only a day remaining. After all, who would vote in an election that lacked the elements of competition, uncertainty and anxiety? Yes, I am appalled that after so many gaffs by the Palin-McCain duo, there could still be competition...but that aside...I do think it's a brilliantly crafted way to get out the vote.

Speaking of which, have you voted yet? Many states have already closed Early Voting, so the best thing to do now if you still need to vote is to plan for Tuesday, November 4th. To find your polling place, visit this polling place finder to verify where you need to vote on November 4th; I would trust its accuracy in giving you correct information because it is in the campaign's own interest...and I'm scared McCain staff are still trying to figure out how to use the internets or just discovering e-mail. Also, feel free to google (or wikipedia?) your state's webpages if you haven't before--your Secretary of State's site is usually a good place to begin :)

Un-FIN?

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 04:05:00 +0000

I'm taking back The End of this blog. It's this existential "I blog Therefore I am" thing. You may laugh quietly if necessary.

Anyway...

Earlier this week, a classmate of mine turned around during our 10-minute break and began a rant of why he's going to vote for Obama because he also believes in socialism and thinks it's great to associate with awesome people like Bill Ayers. I blankly stared at him (he was clearly talking to me). Honestly, I could have sworn he was voting Republican--what was I supposed to say? So I didn't say anything at all and tried my best to remain expressionless. I didn't want to seem condescending either, after all, since he does sit in front of me for the rest of the semester.

After about 5 good seconds of complete silence, he burst out, as if it was supposed to be obvious, that he was just being sarcastic. I barely managed to respond, "Oh."

The sad fact remains that I'm still uncertain about how truthfully he had spoken. I hate to conclude anything from such odd interaction, but I'm rather certain that he will be voting down the Republican party line this year. And I really am trying to resist wasting time wondering what he meant by saying any of it to me at all...but it's as if all he wanted to see was a reaction. Was I supposed to react? Was I supposed to correct him? Is it very terrible that I just didn't care?

If I am ever to become a psychologist, perhaps I ought to work on this people apathy I've found to be of such wonderful convenience.

-FIN-

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:17:00 +0000

I find it ironic that the last post was titled with the artist to follow in mind. Forshadowing anyone?

The greatest disappointment, personally, for me over the past decade, believe it or not, came from a People Magazine article this summer. We all eventually learn to accept that dunya is all about change, that everything you know, everyone you know, can, and likely will, change. We change, too, sometimes, and hopefully it's for the better (in the long run?).

Remember those rumors about Lauryn Hill at the turn of the millenium that suggested she was some raving racist? Most kids in my high school, at least that I thought were okay to discuss this with, accepted the rumors. But it's South Dakota, small town, and was just a small defect I learned to forgive of my neighbors and classmates. They didn't know better, and seeing where they were raised, geographically and socially, I never bothered to try to convince them otherwise. My disagreement was another issue that could be attributed to me being "different/diverse" I think to them.

So this summer article had a special on Lauryn, who I've written about many times before on this blog; I grew up listening to the sound of her amazing voice, and her lyrics have always seemed so matured, the way she turned raw heartbreak, be it from love of people or love of justice and social consciousness, into beat and flow. As far as the racism rumors went, I checked out some of her interviews (I think I have youtube links posted somewhere in these archives), and I confirmed I was correct; They were rumors--she was not afraid to address them and anyone who listened to her music would know better than to believe those rumors. But this article quoted Wyclef and Pras, both artists I deeply respect, testifying to some of Lauryn's other developments since Miseducation.

Obviously, this is a sore point for me, so I'll make it short...but the woman has lost the humility I had always assumed she possessed because of the wisdom of her lyrics. It really doesn't make much sense to me, but I guess no one is perfect, and though I never thought she was some kind of superhero, she was still somewhat of a hero to young women, and keeping her on a pedestal was something familiar to me, something I was comfortable doing.

It's strange, that so much changes in our lives, and when we finally realize that we've been growing throughout it all, we can be wiser in redefining the matrices we exist in, whether it is to protect ourselves from the world or to expose ourselves to it. We learn to take all the moments of our pasts, the ones that seemed overwhelming and the ones that seemed so insignificant at the time, and put them to use in carving every moment towards that future we've spent so much time speculating about. To be able to stand, and even function on a good day, at the converging point of past and future, to be present, and know what you want and how far you're willing to go to understand, to experience, all of these things I've learned to explore during the course of this blog-life, if you will. And I've learned to laugh at my mistakes, not just cringe at the fact and stress to learn from them, and I've learned when I'm willing to make a mistake, when something is worth living out, even if it requires us to rebuild all that we've know. And most of all, I've learned to look forward to those uncertain moments, to move forward despite being a bit of a stickler about everything.

There is no conclusion to this blog, and I figure conclusions are bound to change, and if I was ever to wrap up these past few years here, this would be a meaningful post to those who know me.

Have a nice day, and enjoy your meals? :) Oh, and smile.

You Can't Run Away From These Styles

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:12:00 +0000

By now, we can all expect The Clinton Machine to continue campaigning for the rest of our lives...and our children's lives...and their children's...etc.

Anyway, I really don't want to talk about Chris Matthews' drooling ego problem or how much the American people are paying to fund Bill Clinton's political excursions regardless of our political beliefs. Because that would be depressing, wouldn't it.

I was, however, on this snowy April day, listening to a streaming radio station online at muslimhiphop.com. It's a relief to find life on Earth, isn't it? Some of us live under rocks, whether by choice or despite ourselves, and hearing strangers make sense is like lifting up your sunglasses after wearing it so long that you forgot you were wearing them. And even if you never see these people in concert, in real life, and they remain faceless, nameless strangers, a sense of nafs empowerment--some revivification of a previously whithering conscience, of knowing that you're traveling not just in the direction in which you're stepping but towards a place you cannot get to fast enough--a deeper reality for yourself is what you're able to take away, be it faceless, nameless, and even strange.

I think becoming too familiar with your news anchors can really go wrong if you forget your real role in life, in this dunya and beyond it. It's weird that some brothers rhymes had to bring me back to remembering that life is beyond the next paycheck, the next semester, the next degree, and certainly the next election. Inshaa'Allah, I will vote for who I believe is better suited for the position, but we have to be wise before we invest our hearts into causes. Some causes are worldly, even if only slightly, and they are not on equal footing with the causes Allah has mentioned for us in the Qur'an, like providing for the poor, taking care of the orphaned, of the sick, of the weak. Small deeds, right? Inshaa'Allah.

Hope: Just The Start

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:18:00 +0000

Yes, that's Obama alright--even after he won only 1 of 4 primaries held this [third] "Super Tuesday" in RI, VT, OH, and TX. I just visited http://www.rollingstone.com/ and read their online version of the coverstory. After reading about how exactly Obama supporters have changed the ways of politics--beyond showing up to "megarallies"--the notion that this young, calm, charming community organizer-turned-senator is only a sensation is nothing but a projection of a sensationalist media.

A closer look at this bottom-to-top movement reveals, at the cellular level, the everyday American--working, paying taxes, managing insurance payments for everything from cars to their children's healthcare. Trapped under a bureaucracy whose salaries we pay, who we employ, so they don't have to worry about their monthly payments, retirement funds, and children's education, individuals like Obama supporters have decided to re-evaluate the position of “elected official.”

I encourage you to check out the Rollingstone piece and compare it to the picture painted by other mainstream media. Contrary to the idea that Barack Obama’s speeches have led to some glass castle, individuals like those who inspired Obama to turn to community organizing are taking matters into their own hands.

Howard Dean’s infamous internet-campaign had failed to translate into real people leaving their laptops and PCs to go canvassing, caucusing, and voting. In this campaign, we see that the internet is only a tool—however useful—and the activists of all voting ages who’ve dedicated themselves beyond the role of “volunteer” and continue to work with each other to help bring the change they want to see in their communities by being forces of change, this is the Obama Campaign. It’s brainstormed, financed, and run by next-door neighbors and classmates.

Whereas the Clinton Machine has dismissed the importance of states like Idaho, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, Maine, Washington, and many others that have made their choice clear, it’s suddenly decided that California, New York, Texas and Ohio is all you need for an election. It’s just a darn coincidence that the Clintons took those states. Right.

There’s so much I’ve found myself grappling with as this campaign season continues. The reaction to some like Barack Obama as a candidate for the highest leadership position in the nation has shown the real face, the real soul, of America. And for me, I guess seeing reactions on Youtube and comments to all sorts of articles is only bittersweet. I will need another post and another day for this subject.

Bama's Train

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:44:00 +0000

O'Bams is running the most spectacular campaign seen in the United States by post-Baby Boomer generations. It asks the inevitable question to all Americans: Are you willing to change your country? It seems to have happened overnight--suddenly we are voting either to venture into a new future or reaffirm the ways of our bureaucratic past.

The political map below is from politicalmaps.org (click the map to visit their site).

Muslims Complain About Media Accuracy?

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:22:00 +0000

I believe in Islam and look as Muslim as it gets. Barack Obama, however, is not Muslim. And from this post, the point I would like you to take home is that...Barack Obama is not Muslim. Seriously, just ask him.

Recent reports of an email circulating about Obama and fabricated claims of his "Muslimness" made me ask, how out of touch do people have to be to have been fooled for even a second by this? Worse, after visiting Obama's official campaign website, http://www.barackobama.com/, I found that The Muslim Observer had issued a retraction to address this critical error.

So wait a minute. The Muslim Observer didn't realize Obama's not Muslim? Oh my God, someone hide me. I'm so embarrassed that a people so quick to judge the media (and usually with reason) failed to keep up to date with current events and presidential candidates' bios. I remember sitting in front of our tv in a state of shock when Alan Keys had taken on the responsibility (as a loyal Republican) to run against Obama for the Senate seat in Illinois. The first thing I did was google "Barack Obama" to see what the heck an Illinois Senator was doing with an Arabic name. I'm no genius by any means, but I was able to figure out that the words "religion" and "Obama" would lead to some results. Oh yeah, I also had the sense to make sure the link was to a reliable resource that could be contacted if I needed more information. And that's all it took. Two years ago. The Muslim Observer didn't figure it out until January of 2008?

The thing about this election is that choosing a candidate to support for the presidency is as exciting as it has gotten during my generation. For those of us who are in our twenties and have no idea how to deal with college loans (and all the other loans we're going to learn about as circumstances dictate), this "Election of Ideas" as so many have described is the first time something can be.

It is unfortunate that so much focus has been placed upon "race" and "gender," when this is the first opportunity not to "vote for an African American" or to "vote for a woman," but to have the choice of voting for ideas. Before these elections, race was a limiting factor, and now, because it is the first time that there is "diversity," we are finally able to look at ideas, platforms, abilities. Not as a member of any subgroup and, rather, as an individual, I can't remember a time when being able to scrutinize a presidential candidate meant something. Although racism, sexism, and all the isms that have existed before continue to exist, this election process should not be marred by the isms when we can bring the discussion of policies and change to the forum.

And yes, I do support Sen. Barack Obama for the next president of the United States. I happen to be Muslim. I happen to be a minority. My experiences, without a doubt, do inform my choices. And as a 22 year old who is trying to get a decent job that will allow me to pay my bills, have a reasonable healthcare plan, save towards my first car purchase (by when hybrids better be more affordable), and maybe, just maybe, let me be able to support a family of my own, someday, I feel Senator Obama will work with people like me in attaining these goals. I'm not asking for a two-car garage or white picket fencing around a prairie house, not a million dollars or even a penny. But someone who can ease the path that lies before me, someone who can lend a hand in moving obstacles out of the way, or, at the least, someone who can lend their voice and abilities to help a people relearn how to look forward, that someone is worth my vote.

Post-Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:40:00 +0000

Ummm... I haven't really had much to share with you these past few months, and I can't say this post is going to change that.

Let's see... Barack Obama is still awesome. Writers' Guild of America is still on strike. John McCain is still running for president of the United States. Inner city kids are still out of luck. We are still "winning" the war in Iraq and disapproving of the Cuban and Venezuelan governments. Men with beards are still being detained and not "tortured." Oil prices are still rising, oil companies are still making profits. College tuitions are still being increased. Scrubs re-runs still take priority over everything else on tv...Did I miss anything?

I think I'll save the Clinton-v.-Obama-v.-Clinton discussion for another day. Also, I think Bill Maher is a bad host. Why would you invite spiritually sound guests to your show if you're atheist and outspokenly so despite the beliefs of your guests? If Maher needs a platform to preach atheism, sure he should have one. But slamming monotheistic faiths, disrespecting theism as a whole, while your guests do not share your beliefs and were not invited to the show to discuss religion, is just bad form. In contrast, there is Jon Stewart and even Stephen Colbert who, despite some crass humor and satirical orientation, are willing to let their guests state their opinions. They let their guests have the spotlight of the show, for at least some time, whereas Maher seems to think he's on his own atheism channel that his "guests" are lucky to appear on. Some of Maher's political opinions are awesome--I do give him credit for that. But the dude seriously needs to work on his hospitality/guest hosting skills. He needs to make up his mind on whether or not he wants to have guests on his show at all.

I decided Tyra Banks is okay--she's totally strange in a very human way during her show, which makes me feel like a less awkward member of the human race, and I hope she continues her quest to dominate the world. Ellen Degeneres is so much funnier than I had imagined all these years--I think I love her show. Tila Tequila should have picked Dani instead of Bobby--I totally had a girl crush on her...still probably do. Dani was too good for her anyway. Doctor Phil is not really a doctor, he does not have a license to practice as either a psychologist or psychiatrist in case you didn't notice, and I quite frankly would like Oprah to pull the plug on this guy. Frank TV, however, has been brilliant to capitalize on idiotic characters who, unfortunately, are not fictional. Project Runway is still amazing, though I can't wait for Ricky (the lingerie guy who can't seem to fit clothes on female bodies) to get the auf wiedersehen from Heidi Klum.

How long do we have to wait for Heroes to return? I just had a dream this morning that I was one of their new characters--it was pretty awesome. I could fly and give powers of flight and invisibility to these children who were in my care. And I think at some point I saw the Haitian smile at me and it was thus established that I was "with him." How strange--I never thought of the Haitian in that way before, at least not while I've been fully conscious. As for Mohinder Suresh...we'll save that for another day.

Sorry if this post sucked--like I said, I don't really have much to share at this time.

auf wiedersehen for now :)

Stranger Than Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 19:17:00 +0000

If you haven't read The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini), read it before you finish this post. You will not regret it :)

Dreamworks SKG and Paramount Pictures are scheduled to release the novel-based film November 2nd, 2007. Most people I've spoken with about this seem to share a common sentiment: A fear that this will become just another work of art destroyed by the clumsiness of Hollywood. Regardless, millions await the film's release with much excitement.

Despite how much I personally look foward to watching the film, I came upon some information that made me cringe and nearly sick to my stomach. The cast of young characters for the film was selected from schools and orphanages in Kabul, and upon learning this, I was happy that these children were given such an unusual opportunity; however, The Time (UK) published an article earlier this year that revealed details of the contracts the children were given.

"THEY should be the happiest boys in Afghanistan. Zekeria, Ahmad and Ali have been plucked from their home in war-ravaged Kabul to star in The Kite Runner, the long-awaited Hollywood film of Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling novel.

It is tipped to be one of the year’s biggest box office hits, but the boys will not be joining the ranks of Hollywood’s child-star millionaires. Two were paid £9,000 each while the other got £7,000, their parents lost their jobs and they now fear they will be kidnapped or hounded out of Afghanistan because of a rape scene in the film, which is released later this year."
-The Time (See second link below)

After reading the full article, I had no doubt left that the film was just another profitable business transaction, and, in line with our capitalistic culture, the labor of the poor is exploited to reinforce the wealth of the wealthy. The irony of a film based on a book that explores exploitation of the less fortunate, the guilt of one boy priviledged to comfort at the expense of another who simply lacked the birth-right to the same, is appauling. The injustice of what Dreamworks and Paramount are quietly enfranchising upon is abhorrently worse than the injustices depicted by the fictional plot of the novel. wth? this needs to be publicized--the studios will be making millions of dollars while child-actors of a war-torn nation are just put back to where they were found with lives altered worse than they were before "such an opportunity."

If you hear any updates regarding this situation, please leave it in the comments area. Thanks.

Where To Shoot An Epic About Afghanistan? China, Where Else?

Kabul Kite boys feel Hollywood Backlash

Finals Week, Spring '07

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Wed, 02 May 2007 18:29:00 +0000

Waiting for a bus after another all nighter

...this is what campus looks like at 7am.

This dude--always watching me!
(The Knoll Area, en route to the psych building)

So I think I'm running out of words, mostly because I don't know that many. I had all sorts of plans for this summer, but I've decided to indulge my Seeking System by using the next four months to photograph ants, leaves, and rocks while being with my family in the Black Hills. I think I'll get a bike...to find those rocks. Also, the upcoming photos should be much better (in theory) than the above, since I'll actually have a digital camera not compressed into my cellphone :)

For those interested in climate insanity, compare these pictures to the ones I had taken from my apartment almost exactly two months ago.

Finding "Horizon"

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Wed, 02 May 2007 17:14:00 +0000

I recently came into contact with someone who may possibly have found the lightest of all freedoms I've watched a soul pursue. Is being able to seek--no, rather, the actual act of seeking--the most fulfilling experience in this life?

In a course I've been taking this semester, we explored various motivational systems (according to Dr. Cuthbert, the most accurate and efficient way to describe emotion without forcing it to diverge from cognition is to see the "two" as a set of motivational systems where cognition may, in fact, be emotion--i.e. affect--or one may conflict with another, motivate another, etc.,...however, I'm certain this integrated theory goes back at least a few decades and ought to be accredited to individuals in the field whom I am too lazy to identify right at this moment, but should for legal purposes). There was once a popularized idea of a "Rewards System," and this is commonly thought of today as "the Seeking System."

To watch someone travel to the ends of the world seeking horizons is worth my deepest envy. Insanity, crisis, and self-incapacitation are not linear (often not even on a chartable continuum of time), nor can "horizon" be imagined in their midst. Yet psychology isn't anymore dark and dismal than any other health-related profession. Do doctors see patients coming to them without illness? Or do botanists attend to plants that are not weak? Of course they do; however, psychologists, doctors, botanists, and the like, all have the opportunity to watch struggle and recovery--to see health happen. Is that not beauty worth seeking?

Perhaps, for some, a horizon may never come to sight, or even to imagination. It seems, though, that as long as we find beauty worth seeing--worth seeking with all our senses and efforts--the journeys upon which we embark define the best in us along the way.

I Don't Get It

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:31:00 +0000

Are these people serious?

I just watched NBC correspondent Richard Engel putting in his two cents from Baghdad for this tragic incident. Apparently, the shooter, Cho Seung-Hui, referred to himself as "Ismail Ax." When I saw this earlier, it just looked like another component in the psychopathology of this kid. Some kind of severely deluded superhero complex. But Richard Engel tells me that it comes from my religion--tying it in with the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his submission to Allah's Will when asked to sacrifice his son, the Prophet Ismail (Ishmael), peace and blessings upon them. How can this tragedy that was indiscriminate, absolutely premeditated by an evidently disturbed individual, suddenly be tied to Islam? American Muslims were as affected by this event as any other Americans, and we sympathize for those the victims leave behind. There is no line of reasoning at all here, and this is being nationally broadcast. This guy didn't even mention anything about Islam or any Muslims--he was indiscriminate. If anything, he bashed Christianity and the Prophet Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (peace and blessings be upon them) in his manifesto. Clearly that has nothing to do with his actions. So how did we get inserted into this? And it's not some outlier individual far from the mainstream talking because he found a mic; It's a respected reporter on air for the National Broadcasting Company. Unbelievable.

People must be hell bent on tying Islam to anything evil in this world to attempt putting this on our plate. But no one ever asked us before when 19 people none of us ever met became people we are still apparently responsible for, when someone we didn't know until our media outlets shoved his name down our throats became the man brainwashing us all into joining his ideology, so I guess it may not matter that this is unwarranted, unjust, malicious, and absolutely unacceptable.

Anyway.

Here is a Newsweek article by Howard Fineman, who seems to have been able to capture some truth about the moot concept of "gun-control" in our culture. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18161645/site/newsweek/

This article is a collection of some notable comments from around the world in reaction to what happened at VT. I found this quotation most interesting:

"[T]he response of many who wish America ill will have been gratuitous schadenfreude. They see a people who live by the gun also dying by it, be they Marines in Anbar province or students in Virginia…. How can American soldiers disarm Iraqi families of their weapons in Baghdad yet claim the right to arm themselves to the teeth back home?" —The Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18181477/site/newsweek/

Monday Morning, April 16th

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 21:24:00 +0000

This post is mostly for myself, a reminder when I look back of what I was really trying to capture on this blog. I'm certain that all of you have either heard about, if not seen, the news about the Virginia Tech campus shootings earlier this week. Inna Lillahe wa inna Ilayhe raaji`oon (Indeed we are from Allah and indeed to Him is our return).

As a college student, this event has a kind of reality that I can't really describe. It was one thing after September 11th to be a Muslim girl wearing some kind of sign that says "Blame The Men That Make Me Dress This Way" or "Ask About Our Terrorists" that just became more complicated as the years, the wars, the incidents, and the legislations pass. But fear is something strange. As of last fall, there are over 50,000 students here on the Twin-Cities campus. I live in Dinkytown, which isn't really known for it's safe and warm afterhours. Despite hearing about someone getting shot while sitting in their car on campus a few months ago, watching a group of guys smashing another guy into the side wall of Duffy's Pizza around 3am a few weeks ago from my bedroom window, and learning to sleep with police and fire truck sirens going off throughout the night, I've never really felt scared living out in Minneapolis.

Around noon on Monday, as I turned on CNN to accompany my Froot Loops, wAllahi, I was so shocked. The ticker wasn't really clear about what they were covering..Just "Breaking News: Gunmen on Virginia Tech campus" and a rising toll of casualties...Two deaths and 23 injuries...And as the day went on, somehow, we were at 32 deaths and nearly as many wounded, the gunman also "deceased." What the heck. Where did this come from? Who goes to college to kill people?

College students have crazy stressors going through their minds every day. We worry about deadlines, missed discussions, our friends, our almost friends, our not friends anymore's, our parents, bank balances, ways to defer our loans, going to part-time jobs that don't pay us enough, a stagnant democracy that writes us off as uninterested anyway, global warming, marriage, world hunger, and sanity itself. Why is a crazy person with a gun on any campus?

The victims of the VT tragedy are no different than ourselves, and they lived uptil those moments just like we continue to live out here today. The tsunami was on the other side of the world, terrorists are bearded men, wars are in the Middle East, hurricanes are in the South, and earthquakes are in California social studies books. I think that's the impression under which many of us subconsciously operate, at least to some extent. But an incident like this is just surreal, because there is no apparent reason why it had to be their campus and not mine. The mere thought is chilling. I guess the underlying assumption is that tsunamis will always hit the other shores of the Pacific, terrorists will always (in our lifetimes) be bearded men, wars will always be in the Middle East, hurricanes will continue to destroy the South in alphabetical order, and earthquakes will only happen in California in the 90's. Of course all of this blatantly exudes ignorance, but many people live their lives with these beliefs. And all of a sudden, we have something that scares millions of students, faculty, and families in every part of the nation. A sudden thought occurs to us now, "It could happen to me."

I walked home with a classmate from my Monday nightclass. We talked about what was going on. She looked at me while we stopped for traffic at an intersection. She's an international student...I'm not sure which Korea she's from, but we had just discovered last week that we were both the same year, major, minor, lived in the same building, and in two of the same classes this semester. Waiting for the walk sign, she said in the saddest tone, "They're saying that the gunman is Asian."

It was a strange moment for me, personally, because it was like she looked at me as having some kind of insight or experience with "these sorts of things" that I could draw upon to advise her. I said that it would be sad if people did go about all of this seeing it any way other than that it was a strange, tragic incident. But an incident--not the beginning or end of something else.

A couple more things I want to document for this post...

I called my parents after I had gotten home. My dad and I were mostly relieved to remember that my cousin just left VT this past fall. Subhan Allah--the kid was finishing his Masters in some area of engineering, and I guess things weren't going in the direction he needed so he went back to Bangladesh. Al Hamdulillah. Abbu also brought up concerns regarding the exponentially growing financial burdens college students get tangled in every year, and that this incident is a reflection not of some psychotic kid's anger or insanity but rather of the state of our nation and society. I then talked to my mom, who was very firm in telling me to not watch the coverage of this tragedy as details surface because it's things like this that can crawl under our skins and can become traumatic. In middle-of-nowhere Rapid City, my family and I had turned to each other when it came to understanding and reacting to the World Trade Center bombings, the international, national, and local reactions to them, the launch of the "War on Terrorism" in Afghanistan, ethnically profiled detainments and unwarranted imprisonment at Guantanamo, the escalation to the War on Iraq, etc. We watched everyone around us understand how exactly "unconstitutional" was "justified." Watching tv killed us everyday, in our sleep and in our waking, because we had no coping mechanism for a stimulus that we couldn't believe was making itself a part of our reality over and over. And it wasn't that we had to watch reality, but that reality watched us, closer than we are yet to become comfortable with, embodied by eyes, words, opinions, and articles by neighbors, classmates, fellow shoppers at our grocery stores. Ours is one of few non-WASP families in West-River South Dakota. As much as I appreciate the quietude of life in the Black Hills, going back to be with my family over breaks or summers still has this inescapable feeling of suffocation to me. But I guess that's just part of "being home."

As details about the lives that were led by the victims and the killer come to light, I wonder what other people are thinking. On YouTube, the most upsetting clip I found was this ignorant guy who had the audacity to say that if students and teachers were allowed to carry weapons, this sort of incident could have been prevented. How dumb do you have to be to argue that we need more weapons on campus after someone just shot all these innocent people with guns? If anything, we should be looking at the ridiculously obvious fact that wherever someone has been shot, a gun was involved. I suppose 2nd Amendment supporters would point out that in such cases, a "gunman" was also involved, and that we therefore need to educate people or something like that. Sadly, this argument could go on indefinitely. The solution, however, can certainly not be that we selectively don't sell weapons to 20-year-old Asians, African Americans, Latinos, and beardy turban men...God I hope humanity evolves, mutates, or just wakes up to the fact that our desires, our lusts for power, have irreversible consequences.

"Love Poems"

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 22:25:00 +0000

1) Maa Shaa' Allah.

2) If you haven't heard of this artist, let me introduce you to Amir Sulaiman. Quite possibly one of the most powerful Muslim orators I've ever encountered. Definitely worth paying close attention to. In high school, my most time-consuming extracurricular activity was oral-interp. From the humble perspective of someone who had to have three years of trying to get a ten-minute piece just perfect with the help of three coaches, I can say that this man has mad skilz. He's a professional in every sense.

3) Maa Shaa' Allah. Dude.

**Because this video may be longer than you have time to spend on it, I would recommend going to http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=25954906 and clicking "Danger" on the tracks list in the player at the right (the fourth track down on the list?). It's not long, and I think it conveys best what I find remarkable about this man.

Here are Parts 2 & 3 of the above "Upon the Ashes of Babylon":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue5ZUk5BiMk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9_Y8ctB48Q

If you like his work and want to support his endeavors, visit his myspace (OMG I just visited it and the pieces he has playing on the page are *un*believable* WOW.) http://myspace.com/amirsulaiman and hook yourself up. He has a few albums out already (Cornerstore Folklore, Dead Man Walking, Like A Thief In The Night), including tracks featuring Mos Def (another amazing brother whose work I respect a lot). Dude has a BA in English and is also a high school teacher. That's so tight. Anyway, if you like Spoken Word type stuff, or old-school hip-hop , such as The Fugees who used more than onomatopoeia and physical decriptions of women, you'll be hooked on this man's art. Did I say maa shaa' Allah? :)

Islam As A Verb

noreply@blogger.com (Samira) — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:12:00 +0000

Not to be a lemming in weighing in on breast cancer research put under the spotlight today by Elizabeth Edwards' announcement, but this post needs to occur.

The Muslim masses' general ignorance on health-related issues, such as cancers, communicable diseases, mental illnesses, and the like, is a frightening reality to wake up to every day. For instance, there is this delusion that we're exempt from some of these health issues because we supposedly don't smoke, aren't promiscuous, or don't have drug/alcohol addictions. The saturation of blindness--misinformation, at best--these perceptions reflect can only lead one to try to imagine the severity of the actual problems that exist within our communities. More importantly, it leads us to the very real possibility that diseases that can be cured or better treated are left to "the non-Muslims" because these are supposedly "non-Muslim issues."

What a scary way to live Islam.

Last year, my younger brother asked my dad if he could go to a New Year's party at a friend's house. My dad denied him permission, but gave an alternative, "Let's watch a Hindi movie together guys!"

As it turned out, this movie, "My Brother Nikhail," was about a happy family in which a young man contracted HIV and found himself a pariah in an otherwise post-modern Indian society. I would highly recommend this movie, to everyone. I had no idea that our societies are still so closed minded that we would not only refuse to attempt to treat HIV/AIDS patients, but that we would treat them worse than criminals. (Btw, no one went to any parties that night.)

It saddens me to see that almost all of today's Muslim communities, regardless of how enlightened or politically organized they are, continue to be blinded by a sense of self-righteousness. Where is our humility? Forget humility--where is the humanity and compassion we attribute to our beloved Islam?

So much of our religion is treated as theory, not because Islam fails in anyway to adapt to an ever-changing world, but because Muslims fail to understand it and put it to practice.

How many Muslims subconsciously--or even overtly--walk around thinking that just because they personally don't drink, smoke, or live a certain lifestyle that they don't have to care about fellow human beings (Muslims or otherwise) who do find themselves facing adversity, irrespective of how the situation arose? How many Muslims donate to research foundations, let alone actively partake in furthering these kinds of causes? Subhan Allah, not nearly enough.

Hardship happens--indiscriminantly, despite what we want to believe. Allah tests all people by the dunya, so this sense of self-righteousness is founded in nothing other than pride and ignorance. All the good we could be doing, we quite stupidly don't, because we're somehow above it. Believe it or not, millions of Muslims are waking up to reality when they realize that either they, themselves, or someone close to them is affected by cancer, mental illness, and, yes, even a communicable disease.

We, "ze Mus-lims," need to revisit how we Islam.