.....

...

...

...

...

...

....

...

...

...

...

....

....

....

....

Today I am choosing women from the Thai Muslim population for my pictures.....

Today I was overwhelmed with a feeling of desperation. This world is becoming a farse, a joke...a circus show. We have a ridiculous president...I am STILL trying to wrap my brain about the fact that the American people elected him the first time, let alone the SECOND time. "Once bitten, twice shy" doesn't seem to apply to this country, does it? Not only that, but this has really become a dog eat dog, every man for himself type of world. Noone cares for anyone else anymore. It's always "what am I going to get out of this?" Or "How does this help ME?" It's sad. We are in a desperate situation. Monday night, I went to volunteer to teach English to some Somali Bantu refugees. It was the first session, so we were getting to know each other (we, as in the teachers). I was disheartened to see that out of a room of 20 people, there were 2 Muslims...myself and a Brother from my masjid.The Brother was only there to "see what it was all about" in his own words...meaning he probably won't come back for another session.

Even though we had told EVERYONE we knew at the Masjid, no one showed up. What happened to our Muslim brotherhood?? The Somali Bantu are Muslims, and imagine the irony...a group of Church goers are extending their time and energy to come into these people's lives, and we cannot even spare an evening to help one of our own. This isn't the first time this has happened. There are a couple thousand refugees that have come to this town in the past couple years, and we have NEVER extended ourselves to them...we have NEVER invited them into our homes, or got to know them. We once invited some Afghans to the Masjid who did not ever attend, and when they did not come, we were so angry that we swore off invitations ever again. Who are we to do that??? Maybe if we got to know them as people, got into their hearts...maybe then they would come. No, no...we always make them come to us. We are the worse kind of Muslims. The Ansari (may Allah bless them) opened up their homes and their hearts to the Muslims who fled Makka for Medina...and we do not follow their example, nor do we follow the example of the Prophet (saw)...What kind of world has this become. It makes me sad to think that someday I may bring children into this wretched world...I am ashamed that I have done nothing to make it better for them.

The second thing that discouraged me was that the group of Christians that are volunteering with me do not have a very large knowledge of Islam. To hear the tone of voice that they asked me questions, or referred to our "beliefs" made me feel helpless, and surrounded. But I cannot really blame them. Well, I can blame them for not actively seeking knowledge about the rest of the world around them...but besides for that, I cannot blame them...I mean, it is not exactly like we Muslims are out there being visible examples of our religion. No, instead the crazies are out there preaching our "religion", manipulating it and twisting it to fit their political visions...and we TRUE Muslims are just sitting back and sucking our thumbs. I was a little upset during the evening, when one woman suggested that the Somali Bantu were never exposed to any other religion besides Islam...she said it as if that was a bad thing. Although I disagree with her implications, I have to agree that it is wrong on our part (as Muslims) to shelter our people from knowledge of the rest of the world, just as it is wrong for Americans to do it here.

As a Muslim, I am not ashamed of or afraid to study other religions. I am strong enough in my own faith to know that I will not sway from it, but I believe that knowledge of others is important to build acceptance and understanding in this world. Ignorance leads to Xenophobia, and we Muslims are just as guilty of that as are the other peoples of this world.

.....

.....

Some cool henna designs....

I began to feel a bit guilty about that last, uh, post I just posted. You know, the scathing review of my husband's cleanliness, or lack there of. I really don't think SO BADLY of my husband. He is a wonderful person, mashallah. He is just a little bit messy really. But he has other fine qualities. Just none (*NONE*)in the tidy department.

Looking back in bitter sweet reverie, I wish I had payed closer attention to friends urgings to wait before marrying. Seeing dirty socks crumpled up on the living room floor DAY AFTER DAY starts to get on your nerves eventually. I am beginning to feel like Sisyphus of Greek mythological fame (he was condemned to an eternity of rolling a heavy boulder up a huge hill, only to have it roll down again when the task was completed, at which point he had to start all over again...forever.) I pick them up and put them in the hamper (um, is it THAT hard to put them there in the first place, I ask you?) only to find a different pair on a different day in the SAME PLACE!!!! I am going to club him in the head. He is the worse kind of slob. He's the kind that THINKS he's tidy (oh, he believes it deep in his HEART) but he is NO SUCH THING. Maybe if I didn't have to work also (hey, it's hard enough to pay the bills!) AND try and finish my degree....than MAYBE I wouldn't mind having ALL DAY to pick up after someone and make square and nutritious meals along with it. But alas *deep sigh* a woman's work is NEVER DONE. Whoever made that uncanny observation should have won some sort of Nobel Prize. I feel like I am performing a root canal on him is I even SUGGEST cleaning the bathroom or vaccuuming the floor. Last week, in a mad heat of exhaustion, I TOLD him he was GOING TO put away the laundry. He seemed a little nervous by the tone in my voice, and so actually attempted it, but within seconds I heard his muffled voice in the back of the house, urgently calling for me. When I got into our bedroom, he looked at me like a frightened mouse in a maze, searching for the exit. He didn't know where to put ANYTHING!!! 5 seconds later, I found myself jerking the basket out of his grip, putting it away myself, while he quickly slunk off to the living room, jumping into the recliner and watching T.V. in comfort and ease. Then he asked me to get him a CHA! (Tea) HUMPH! I have now made the resolve to create a chart with a diagram demonstrating what each drawer contains in the dresser and how the closet is organized. You would think that having eyesight would be enough to figure that out, but you know what they say: Common sense ain't so common. I was just listening to the song "King of the Road" by Dean Martin and the thought occured to me that the life of a wandering Hobo doesn't sound like a life I would be entirely averse to anymore.

....

....

.....

....

.....

......

....

.....

....

....

.....

....

....

.....

I haven't posted pictures in a long time...sorry about that!! Today I am featuring Iranian women....

GIVE ME A BREAK, PEOPLE!! As always, my commentary is sprinkled throughout the article in brackets....

Text pulled after uproar over Islam
By Andrea Falkenhagen, Tribune
April 6, 2005
A world history textbook used by seventh-graders at Scottsdale’s Mohave Middle School was pulled from classrooms mid-semester amid growing criticism of the book’s portrayal of Islam.

The removal came on the heels of a slew of angry emails to Scottsdale Unified School District officials and entries on conservative Internet Web logs.

Janie White is a Scottsdale parent who complained about the "History Alive! The Medieval World and Beyond" textbook, which was being used on a trial basis at her daughter’s school. In a Jan. 25 email to Superintendent John Baracy, she objected to what she believed was "religious bias, dogma, my th and proselytizing."

{Yes, because Muslims are starting to proselytize just like Mormons...which by the way, doesn't cause such a fuss with people...}

"I received a significant number of e-mails saying (the book) was Islamic propaganda and we shouldn’t use it," said district governing board member Christine Schild.

Before the board could take action, the book’s publisher requested an end to its trial license with the district in March, and the district quit using the materials.

{How convenient?}

Nancy Bredin, national sales manager at TCI, insists the publishing company did not pull the license due to the controversy. Instead, she said, the newly-released state standards do not match the textbook’s focus.

{That's funny...school's in America generally aren't so concerned about not "meeting standards"...when I was in High School, our textbooks were so old that they didn't even cover the Gulf War...that was 2000.)

"We pulled out because it became very clear we did not match the standards," Bredin said. The book is still being tried in schools in other states, she added.

The textbook covers history from the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century to the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century. It devotes 33 pages to Christianity and 42 pages to Islam. Bredin explained the book is meant to serve as the second in a twopart series.

The previous book in the series does not mention Islam, which was founded in the seventh century. Yet it devotes 19 pages to Judaism, 13 pages to Christianity and more than 20 pages to Buddhism and Hinduism.

The lessons about Islam are what concern parents such as White. In her complaint to Baracy, she referred to the American Textbook Council, a group that objects to TCI’s explanation of concepts such as jihad.

{Heaven forbid we should have textbooks that actually teach kids something. We really should be leaving out any mention of a religion followed by 1/5th the world's population. Maybe if we don't mention it, our kids will grow up to be sheltered, xenophobic morons...just what this country needs}

The book defines jihad as "a struggle within each individual to please God, but that may also be a physical struggle for protection against enemies."

David Damrel, a professor at the Arizona State University’s Department of Religious Studies, reviewed several chapters of the book at the Tribune’s request. He said the passages generally did a good job of describing Muslim attitudes toward jihad in an accurate way.

Complaints about the book started early this year, when White sent a series of e-mails to Baracy demanding the textbook be removed from her daughter’s classroom.

"I do not want my children trying out Islam, or thinking about becoming a Muslim now, or in the future," she wrote to Baracy on Jan. 25. She did say, however, that she approves of including some information about world religions in history lessons, so long as it is presented factually and briefly.

{Factually and briefly? Isn't that how it's BEING PRESENTED ALREADY? And what is this crap about "trying out Islam"...is it some sort of street drug?}

She also objected to a classroom activity that led students to rank the most influential people in history, which she said pit Jesus against Muhammad.

{This proves how little she knows about Islam. We place Jesus and Muhammad in the same category...not "pitted against each other."}

White could not be reached for comment for this story.

The issue drew national attention when a man claiming to be a Scottsdale father posted an entry on conservative writer Daniel Pipes’ Web site on Feb. 27.

{Oh great! Let's get Pipes involved. That will solve the issue. Always a good idea. *sarcastic grin*}

The man lambasted what he stated was "fake history along with Islamic religious proselytizing and indoctrination techniques" at his child’s school.

{HAHAHAHAHAHHA Fake history??? Hhahahahahahhahahahahhahahha....oh my sides hurt.}

The posting found its way to at least five other Internet log sites, most of which claim to be politically conservative. One Jewish Web site also encouraged readers to contact the Scottsdale district, saying the textbook denigrates Judaism.

{How? By mentioning Islam?}

At least one Web site, which doesn’t claim any religious affiliation, criticizes Schild and Baracy, saying Arizona public schools are being turned into madrassas, or Islamic religious schools. The site claims it is run by former Cave Creek public school teacher Catherine King and her husband, Jerome du Bois.

{Madrassas? Hhahahahahahhahahaha. Ok, so now instead of teaching our kids about EVERYTHING, we need to teach them bits and peices here and there, leaving out the rest. Otherwise, they might know the TRUTH about the world. This is ridiculous! It's like saying that teaching kids that the holocaust really happened is going to revive Nazi Germany on our playgrounds.}

Schild said she received between 50 and 100 e-mails concerning the text, many of which came from out of state.

Salaam strangers! Sorry that I haven't been posting lately...It's been along time...I really don't have much to say because nothing interesting has been happening. All my friends left for their home countries after school got out...so I have no one to hang out with. *Waaaaahhhhh* I am watching the movie "In America"...one of my faves. I wish I lived in New York...in Jackson Heights. That would be so cool...ok, I know I am weird. Well, this post is going nowhere fast, so I will just post it. Gotta go. Peace out.