"First Amendment Rights!" or "First Amendment Rights?"

These were some of the comments on this video:

"ALL MUSLIMS MUST DIE!!!!!!" 

"Hm. I don't see a problem." 

"Dont like it go somewhere you belong. You can thank your good American Muslim brothers who trained as pilots before 9/11. I dont feel sorry for you at all. Good job to the police."

I don't know how that makes me feel. Sadly enough, it does not bother me as much as it should just because I am so used to reading such comments. I find it necessary to point out, however, that the first comment is rather illogical in that presumably the writer has a problem with Muslims since he/she thinks they are all terrorists, but he finds it okay to start up a holocaust in return. That is not a terrorist act at all, or anything. Well, at least he had the decency to capitalize Muslim, right? Always look on the bright side, after all.


These were some other comments from the same video:

"So because someone prays 4 times a day and talks about religion means they're a terrorist? Lol..." 

"Use terror to fight terror.. good idea.. oh wait O_o" 

"drones in the sky, everyone is being watched. take the country back. take our rights back"

Life is never black and white; there are always shades of gray.

Allah kay Hawale [Leaving you to God].

What is Your Interpretation?

This is one of my more abstract pieces of artwork. What do you guys think it means? Ponder over it. Let it challenge you for a few minutes. Remember, art only means what you make of it, so there are no wrong answers. But, to get you on the direction that I had hoped it would, it does deal with some of the topics I discuss on my blog. Have fun analyzing! Hopefully it will allow you to view a different perspective for a little bit.

Asalaam-O-Alaikum [May the peace and blessings of God be upon you].

Celebrating Diversity

Sometimes I don't understand how it is possible for people to be so close-minded. How can people bar themselves from understanding cultures and religions that are different from their own? The world is full of people who are different from you. When one is close minded, he cages himself up into a small space with only the same things to experience again and again. Diversity is so beautiful and refreshing!

I also do not understand how anyone in the world can possibly find himself as superior to another, specifically regarding race. One could just as easily have been born black as white. Then his lifestyle would be completely different from what it is now. This truth rationally explains why we should treat each other equally. We are all humans! Instead of thinking of people in group form, look at the individual and you will see how close we are to each other.

This is why I don't like it when people say they "are tolerating of others." It makes it seem as if diversity is something to be tolerated . We should celebrate our differences; they allow us to gain perspective and knowledge, even if we personally do not agree with them.

While I understand that this may all be wishful thinking, I believe that living in a diverse environment is an effective way to overcome prejudice. Because actions are more effective than words, watching people of different races, genders, and religions live their day to day lives helps us understand one another better and break internal biases we have due to our backgrounds. Eventually, there comes a point where differences combine to form a beautiful mosaic, in which all the different pieces fit each other perfectly. Gaps are bridged by common factors which increase understanding, leading to the overall advancement of humanity. So I am not exactly dreaming, am I? It seems like "the perfect world" may not be so hard to reach. 

(Note about images: Not all of the images in my blog are mine, and credit goes to those who own the pictures.)

Salam [Peace]. 

Coke Studio

So there is this show in Pakistan. and it produces the best music. in the ENTIRE world. Think I am kidding? I'm not. This is what the Coke Studio Facebook page has in its information section:

"Coke Studio embodies a musical fusion of exciting elements and diverse influences, ranging from traditional eastern, modern western and regionally inspired music. Bringing alive the magic of live recordings and performances, Coke Studio prides itself on providing a musical platform which bridges barriers, celebrates diversity, encourages unity and instils a sense of Pakistani pride. Coke Studio is an inspired step by Coca-Cola for having created a platform where renowned as well as upcoming and less mainstream musicians from various genres can collaborate musically."

It truly is an extreme fusion between Western modern music and Eastern classical music. I find every song worthwhile, but here are some of them. Many of them have the [cc] button, which will translate the lyrics underneath the video when clicked. Please do check them out.

These are just the tip of the iceberg. I will probably do a more serious post with some of my favorites, but that is all for now.

Asalaam-O-Alaikum [May the peace and blessings of God be upon you].

Forgotten Promises

Dear All,

Sorry for the break in posting! I have been busy and just haven't been able to fit blogging into my schedule lately. Anyway, I promise I will try to get better at posting again. Today I actually wanted to share a music video with you all by one of my many favorite artists, Sami Yusuf. He recently came out with a video that promotes the connections we all have to one another as a part of humanity, and due to this connection, we are all responsible for caring for each other. He specifically targets the issue of ... actually, I'll let you guys watch it and understand it for yourselves.

Allah kay Hawale [Leaving you to God].