An Apology

Please forgive my long hiatus from blogging. After exams, summer started and laziness kicked in. Also, I was contemplating whether or not to continue this blog and I have decided that I will. However, with break speedily coming to an end and college starting, I am not sure how often this blogging will be - bear with me! Also, I believe that my blog posts will now be more personal and less informational because this blog is no longer being used to fulfill a school requirement. So to sum it up, you can look forward to more posts filled with change. I hope this will be a positive, enjoyable change! If you have any ideas about what you want to read about, leave a comment below and I will try to incorporate it into my posts.

Oh, and (a belated) Ramadan Mubarak! Insha Allah, may it be filled with peace, mercy, growth, and happiness.

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

Khuda Hafiz [May God Keep You Under His Protection].

Kill Them!.....With LOVE.

This is a great TED Talk by the spoken word artist, Boonaa Mohammed. It speaks for itself, so I won't elaborate. Enjoy!



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

Six Misconceptions About Islam

Taking seven minutes out of your life to watch this video will probably clear up lifelong misconceptions you may have about Islam. Please do yourself and me a favor and watch it!

Salam [Peace].   

A Land Called Paradise

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to post a video made to break stereotypes about Islam and Muslims. It is really well worth your time. Enjoy!



Khuda Hafiz [May God Keep You Under His Protection].

Why Do You Wear That Thing on Your Head?

I get this question often, and I am glad I do, because it gives me an opportunity to explain the reasoning behind a piece of cloth that covers hair, also known as a hijab. There is no "right" way to wear one; many times, people of different cultures cover their hair in different fashions. Furthermore, the word hijab does not specifically refer to a scarf; a better synonym for the word would be modesty. Wearing a hijab means being modest, which includes both the inside and the outside. Intentions are what matter the most. Also, contrary to popular belief, in Islam, men also have to wear a "hijab," but with different requirements because men and women are equal, but obviously not the same.

I decided to wear a hijab when I started high school as a token of acknowledgement for my religion, but I quickly realized the reasons behind why my religion encourages wearing a hijab and I now know that it is one of the best decisions I ever made. I find it to be empowering and liberating. I feel like when people talk to me, they talk to me for the thoughts and ideas inside my brain instead of the the physical and visible outside of my being, which makes me feel more respected. I don't become subjected to degrading and objectifying gazes like the half naked models on billboard ads or magazines do. The other reason I wear a hijab is because it gives me an identity. The best example I can relate this idea to is my skin. I am brown which is something I cannot change; I was born that way. It is not something that I can rip off or paint over. It is what it is and I am proud of it! That is also how I feel about my religion. It is something I do not want to change and I am proud of the fact that I am a Muslim; wearing a hijab lets the world know that too.

I would like to end with a quote by Tawakkul Karman, the first Arab woman winner and the youngest winner of Nobel Peace Prize. The quote is in context to a question she was asked about her hijab:

“Man in early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I’m wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It’s the removal of clothes again that is regressive back to ancient times."

Salam [Peace]. 

I Need Your Help!

Please help me out. Please take a few seconds out of your busy lives to read this post. That would be great.

Referring back to Islam & the Role of Education, while Islam promotes education for all, this idea is not implemented in Muslim countries like it should. In fact, many areas use Islam as a basis to discriminate against women in attaining an education. Ironic, isn't it?

One of these places is Afghanistan. For quite a while, education for girls was banned in many areas of Afghanistan. I don't think I need to explain the consequences of such a large portion of a population being uneducated.

This is where the help comes in. I am currently working with a great teacher at Fort Defiance High School, Ms. Bruce Hemp, to play a role in ending this inequality. Ms. Hemp is using her connections to send school items overseas to a small girls' school in the northern Helmand province of Afghanistan. Here are some of the pictures of the school and the children that will be benefiting from this cause that she shared with me.

As you can see, the school has no benches or boards or any of the items that we would find to be a given in a classroom. Anyone out there that wants to directly contribute, you can sponsor a chalk board for $45 or a bench for $50. Just think about how many people you would be helping with just a few dollars, and this includes the shipping estimate for these items! Also, I would love for people who want to write letters to these children to contact me. Just comment below if you are interested in either of these options and I will get back with you.

Allah kay Hawale [Leaving you to God].

Eid Mubarak

Happy Eid-ul-Adha to everyone in the world! If you don't know what Eid is, please click on the word "Eid-ul-Adha" to go to the Wikipedia page that explains it to you. Eid-ul-Adha is to Muslims as Christmas is to Christians. Here are some pictures of how Eid is celebrated in Pakistan.

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

Allah kay Hawale [Leaving you to God].

My Fellow Americans

I beg you to please watch this video so that you can get a tiny glimpse into my world. Please. I stumbled on it on YouTube, and at first I thought the voices used in the back were recorded and put in, but they are actual excerpts from YouTube videos of public figures. Also, if this video moves you to do so, please visit this website and check out some of the background; you can even take a pledge if you would like. Make of it what you will. I hope it allows you to see from a different point of view.

Salam [Peace].

Islam & the Role of Education

The first word of the Quran to be revealed after Bismillah to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was:
                                
                                 ''Read''


Many verses of the Holy Quran also discuss the equality of men and women, such as Surah an-Nisa 4:1, which talks about how men and women are created from the same soul to mutually benefit each other instead of saying one was created for the other.

I know that many of you are just about ready to stop reading this post because you are not Muslim and do not believe in the Holy Quran. I implore you to keep reading, because I am not trying to impose my religious views on anyone, but, rather, I am trying to logically deduce a conclusion to clear up misunderstandings.

I could give many more examples from the Quran to back up my argument, but I think these will suffice. Islam  promotes education very much; it is thought that the Prophet said for one to seek knowledge, even if he had to go to China. In the context of the 600s AD, going to China from Arabia was a huge endeavor. Furthermore, Islam treats men and women equally and there is no verse that says women are not allowed to obtain an education. Therefore, it can be concluded that Islam promotes education for women.

To the West, I have this to say. Do not blame a religion for acts committed by its followers. Such judgement can never be correct. Islam does not want women to remain uneducated. In fact, it values education as a fruit of enlightenment and understanding. In early Islamic history, there are various accounts of women obtaining an education. There are also many accounts of women leadership and activism, with the Prophet Muhammad's own wife, Aysha, as a prime example. Furthermore, recent examples of women leadership in Muslim countries, such as the late Ms. Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, further enforce the importance of the inclusion of women in various fields. Keep in mind: the USA, renowned for its freedom and equality, has yet to have a female president. So, think before you criticize.

To the East, I have this to say. Stop using Islam to support your unequal and backward thinking about women. Where does it say that women are supposed to remain uneducated? In fact, didn't Islam stop such treatment of women that occurred in Arabia in the pre-Islamic era? Uneducated mullahs need to stop enforcing a religion that they do not understand themselves. Please master your understanding on your beliefs before thinking you have any authority to tell others about your religion. Don't sour the reputation of Islam. Muslims are already misunderstood enough as it is. Help, don't hurt; prevent, don't cause.

Allah Hafiz [May God Keep You Under His Protection].