Habibee

2006-01-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

You scored as Outgoing. You outgoing and you have a very friendly personality.

Outgoing

100%

Nice

75%

Fun

56%

Immature

38%

Dramatic

25%

Shy

19%

mean

what kind of person are you? (shy,outgoing,fun,mean,immature,dramatic or nice?)
created with QuizFarm.com

2006-01-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

You scored as Anarchism. <'Imunimaginative's Deviantart Page'>

Anarchism

83%

Democrat

75%

Green

67%

Communism

67%

Socialist

58%

Republican

Nazi

Fascism

What Political Party Do Your Beliefs Put You In?
created with QuizFarm.com

2005-11-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

This is in response to the comment that bayezid left me- THANK YOU SO MUCH- I do love this website and am looking forward to cruising around it. Alhumdullilah!!

salaam habibee. i think u need to check this website out...www.ahmedbaki.com...its a sufism nd science webpage. i believe ull love it.
check out the book there called Muhammad(pbuh)'s ALLAAH. its eye opening.
i just want everyone to know abt it u know.... since the crisis that presents itself today is the failure to grsp the concept of ALLAAH. ppl know not...and i mean..not... of what this word means. religion is hardly the issue...first ppl gotta understand ALLAAH. i mean....have a directio........inted of clinging to mythical stories of an 'old wise ruler' high in the heavens....u know.

2005-11-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

Salaam- sorry I haven't posted in a long time...you know how it is when I get busy with school and all...I will be posting regularly again around Christmas Break, inshallah....someone left me this funny little comment somewhere, and I wanted to share it, since I couldn't find it....

Anonymous says: "maybe you should abide by the laws of the land and you won't be presecuted. or maybe preaching faith onto others is not reconmmended. Quite using religion as a weapon"

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

I think it is very good advice, well noted...I think other religions should quite using religion as a weapon too....but I am not going to name names or point fingers....

2005-10-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

Salaam! Someone left this post on my blog, so I was going to address it accordingly~

as salaamu alaikum habibee. let me just say that your blogger is a favour done to all of us. thank you verrryyy much. not to mention how informative it is and the oodles of great sayings it contains. im writing to you because there is no other legitimate way i can reach the person called a blamed soul. i am sure that you are aware of the fact that there isnt anything called a niqaab. theres the hijab and the jilbab. plus, the niqaab is a persian word borrowed by muslims used to describe a dress that the muslims found favourable during the ummayad khaliphate due to the presence of certain powerful ppl who were abusing women. the muslims conquered persi at that time and they came across stuff like the burqaa, the niqaab and purdah. actually these terms are alien to arabs and the quranic sayings. so i coudnt fully understand what the blamed soul meant wen she said somehting abt a full niqaabi state. i mean come on, dressing decently and modestly is common sense and it is the duty of all civilised ppl. thats all ALLAH actually wants. as long as the job is done according to the quran isnt it ridiculous to blindly think that covering up like some mummy head to toe is a muslim thing? not to mention the bad pi ratings muslims are getting all over the place. if things go to extremes those things eventually turn out to be unfavourable. so i believe muslim women should dress smart and decent just as the al quran says it instead of blindly adhering to fossilised concepts of niqaab.

Hello!! Asalaam Alaikum! First off, I have to be honest with you~ I had no idea that there wasn't a term called Niqab. We (my girlfriends and I) have always referred to it as niqab (you know, the full covering with only the eyes showing) and I really had not idea about the history behind it. Thank you so much for your wonderful input into the history, and may Allah Ta'allah be pleased with you that you have shared it with me. I was aware that the Holy Qur'an does not mention the terms Burqa, Niqab or Purda~ and I sort of guessed that they were introduced at a later time. I do believe that on some level, covering is a woman's personal decision, and that no one can tell her what to cover or not cover. I also happen to know that the Qur'an does not mention hijab in the way that many Muslims have interpreted it. Hijab simply means
"curtain" and it implies that a woman should shield herself from strange men and others, and I believe that all passages in the Qur'an regarding hijab and women's seclusion and modesty are very vague, and thus require a certain level of interpretation, which often leads us to the trouble we are in now- too many people have too many interpretations and that leads to discourse and also splitting factions. Thus many people look to culture, rather than religion, when they choose to cover. You will notice that most often a woman covers in the popular style that her particular culture has adopted. Although I cover, I hold a rather radical view on the issue (at least, most ultra conservative Musims would call it radical)- I don't believe that it is required by the Qur'an and I believe that the Qur'an is simply telling us to not be flashy or draw attention to ourselves (men either, not just women) and that we should be humble- not just because of possible sexual connotations, but also because humbleness is a main character trait of a good Muslim- and when you are truly humble and put wordly things behind you, you can better focus on Allah and the true beauty of religion. As Sufi's would say, you would be drawing the veil of this world from you eyes to better behold the beloved (Allah). So, I think that is really what the Qur'an is trying to tell us- it's not just about covering the body- it's about a "hijab" state of mind, as I like to say. Be modest in action as well as dress. Now, by saying be modest in dress, I am not suggesting cover every inch of your body. I am suggesting that you cover whatever amount that YOU wish to cover-And women should look deep into their souls at the REAL reason that they choose to wear what they wear. If they are wearing something in order to look beautiful than why are they trying to look beautiful? Is it because of a need to draw the attention of the opposite sex or to draw attention by anyone?? If that is the case, than one must re-evaluate WHY they are doing what they are doing and decide- is the attention I am craving going to satisfy me or am I just going to want more...is it going to make me vain and fall in love with myself?? Because if you becomoe obsessed with your looks, it is like you are worshipping yourself, and you begin to lose focus on worshipping Allah. But if you are just dressing to look smart and successful and to give you confidence, and you can still keep your faith in Allah and you have no bad intentions in your heart, than I think a woman can dress as she likes. Only Allah knows what is in our HEARTS and what our TRUE intentions are- I have known MANY women that wear hijab and think they are better than those who do not, but I have seen many non-hijabi Muslimah's who are (in my opinion- but only Allah knows) better in character than some of the hijabi's I know- Maybe I am babbling and there isn't much structure to my response, but that is my opinion on everything-

2005-10-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

Salaam- I have some shocking news. I am getting a divorce. Yup. It's been a pretty rough semester for me, and I have been really emotional...so there you have it. I just wanted to give a little update...

2005-09-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

Salaam!! Someone left a comment on my blog as 'Anonymous' and although I cannot find it, I am going to respond to it here:

I am uncertain what the comment meant, but the way I took it (and I could be totally wrong) is that whoever left it assumed that I thought someone was 'sad' becuase she had to cover, which WAS NOT THE CASE!! Why would I think that, when I myself cover? That is totally crazy!!! So this is just to make whomever realize that I indeed did not mean whatever it was you thought I meant...or whatever. I am a hijabi...I do not think that hijabi's are oppressed!! Far, far, far from it, my friend. Ok, Khoda Hafez- Habibee

2005-09-08T22:58:00.000-07:00

Salaam Alaikum!!!

I had a little scare today. My laptop crashed and then I thought I had lost everything....and I called Dell and talked to the tech support and they said I would have to pay $100 just for them to WALK ME THROUGH FIXING IT MYSELF....so I called my husband at work crying (yeah, I am not too proud of that...so let's keep that on the down low) and then he had his friend take a look at it and ALL IS WELL, ALHUMDULLILAH!!! I could have kissed him- but I didn't because I am a good Muslim, hehehehehehe....anyways, I am disturbed that I am attached to such a peice of machinery. But it really pays to be a college student, because than you have easy access to people that are able to fix computers for a measly sum (hey, I'm not rich, ok!) I am so relieved, Alhumdullilah!!!!

Update: School is on going, and I am drowning in my studies/work....I don't even have time to think....

2005-08-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Salaam!!! I am watching a documentary about this Jewish family that returns to Poland to meet the family that hid their grandfather during WWII. Very interesting and touching. I was amazed when one of the women said, "We have a saying in Hebrew~ when you save one person, you save the whole world." WE HAVE THIS SAME SAYING!!!!!! I was so shocked when I heard her say it, because we have an exact saying (from the Qur'an) that says "When you save one person, you save all of mankind, and when you kill one person, you've killed all of mankind." Veeeeeerrrrry Interrrreesting.

School is up and going again, and I am SO BUSY that I don't have time for ANYTHING!!! I have to work eight hours a day, and then go to school for three hours at night, and then I have to catch up on reading (200 pages a week at least!!!) AND I am trying to catch up on my studies regarding Fiqh and Shar'ia Law as well as my knowledge of Bukhari Hadith- all the while studying my Bengali Grammar so that I can take a test and get credits for it in University. Also, I am in the Executive Committee at my Masjid and I have to go to weekly meetings...and I am in an Interfaith Youth Group. Hai Allah!! I am SOOO BUSY!!! I have never been so busy in my life. I don't even have time to think, let alone get 8 hours of sleep a night. So if it takes me a long time before I get to posting stuff...please forgive me.

2005-08-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

The eyes that regard God are also the eyes through which He regards the world~Sufi Saying...

2005-08-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

Salaam!!!

Have you heard the news in Bangladesh!!!!!! 459 bombs went off in 30 minutes the other day. I was too shocked to write about this sooner, so I am a bit late in my response....How could someone do this to amar shonar Bangladesh???? Esp. someone who calls themselves a BANGLADESHI!! Shame on them!! They are traitors to their own country!!! And now there is all this speculation....who did it, who did it?? Everyone is like, it was the Awami League, no it was the BNP, no it was Bangla Bhai....it's totally crazy. But it looks to me like it was Jama'atul (which seems to be the hypothesis now in Bangladesh...) But how could they have done such an incredibly organized attack?? This is so freaky. We are coming into a new age of terror, people, and it ain't kid stuff anymore. I am actually frightened...and hurt. How could someone DARE do this to Bangladesh??!!! And they are saying the reason they did it is becuase they want SHARIA LAW IN BANGLADESH!!!! HA! That's a laugh!! How can you claim to be a good muslim and then go around blowing up innocent people!!!!?????? A little boy died becuase of their zeal for Sharia Law...the irony here is that it is against Sharia Law to kill women and children...Does this seem odd to anyone else?? I am so disgusted right now. I cannot even say another word. I have been silenced.

2005-08-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

Sofyan cried out in Rabi'a's presence, "Oh God! that You might be content with me!" Rabi'a reproached him, saying, "Aren't you ashamed to ask God to be content with you when you are not content with God?" To this, Sofyan exclaimed, "God forgive me!"

2005-08-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

Ibn al-Masak went to the caliph, who at the time was drinking a cup of water. The caliph (king) requested al-Masak to instruct him. Al-Masak said, " If you were dying of thirst and a cup of water was offered to you in exchange for your kingdom, you would gladly accept the bargain, wouldn't you?" The caliph agreed. "Then why are you proud of a kingdom that is not worth more than a drink of water, and why aren't you grateful to the Lord for having supplied you with so much water for free?" -Al-Ghazzali

2005-07-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

Salaam....

Someone sent me this comment on my blog, but I couldn't find it, in order to respond, so I am responding to Mr. "Anonymous" here:

His comment:
u look beautiful in that clothes which covers ur face...e-mail ransom_on_life to contact me pretty..u r de most beautiful lady i ve seen...kisses

#1-I wasn't born yesterday and I am CERTAIN that my sister or one of my friends put you up to this as a joke...very funny *grim sarcasm*

#2-If it is not a joke, than it really should be because that is VERY forward to be writing to someone that you don't even know. Esp. since you have never seen my face, for goodness sake!! I could have some disfiguring desease (Allah Forbid!!) or something!!!

#3-I do NOT wear "clothes" over my FACE!

#4-Thanks for the compliment, mashallah...I am flattered (even though you've never seen me, hahhahahahah)

#5-I am married, and am certain that my husband would feel a little upset if I contacted you via email, so I apologise but I cannot take you up on your offer.

#6-I don't mean to show my OCD colors (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) but you have a couple of grammatical errors which need to be worked on...

Other than that, thanks for the comment and best wishes!! Jazak Allah Kher for calling me beautiful, regardless of whatever your intentions were....it has been duly noted~Habibee

2005-07-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

This is where the country is headed...*sigh* Canada, anyone??

Tom Tancredo Eyes White House Run

By STEVEN K. PAULSON
The Associated Press
Friday, July 22, 2005; 5:24 PM

DENVER -- Tom Tancredo has been called a one-trick pony of a politician, a man out of step with his party, a bigot. The Republican congressman vehemently opposes illegal immigration, and he created an uproar last week when he talked about nuking Muslim holy sites.

No matter, Tancredo is pressing on and even hinting at a long-shot presidential bid in 2008.

Tancredo has already visited New Hampshire and Iowa this year, and says he found a welcome audience among voters who are fed up with the nation's immigration policies, including proposals by President Bush.

"Unless I misread the political tea leaves, there is a great deal of support for what I say," Tancredo said.

Tancredo raised eyebrows last week by telling a radio talk show host that "you could take out" Islamic holy sites should terrorists ever launch a nuclear attack against the United States.

"You're talking about bombing Mecca," asked the host.

"Yeah," Tancredo responded, saying he was "just throwing out some ideas." He later said his comments were taken out of context and refused to apologize.

Few consider Tancredo a serious challenger for the GOP presidential nomination, but his stance resonates with some in a post-Sept. 11 era when volunteer groups like the Minutemen have been patrolling the border for illegal immigrants.

Such critics contend illegal immigrants are a security threat, take jobs from Americans, overburden the health care system and raise the crime rate.

Tancredo would like the United States to patrol its borders with the military. He said the U.S. also needs a guest worker program that requires employers to prove a need for short-term labor, without amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Esteban Flores, executive director of the Latino Research and Policy Center in Denver, calls Tancredo a bigot who is trying to use racial division to further his career. He compared Tancredo to George Wallace, the outspoken opponent of desegregation.

"He's preying on peoples' fears, which is the worst way to build public trust," Flores said.

Tancredo doesn't see it that way.

The 59-year-old grandson of an Italian immigrant is a former public school teacher. He said he began his campaign after becoming disgusted with bilingual education requirements that he says turned out students illiterate in two languages.

Tancredo said he received a warm reception when he traveled to New Hampshire to give an award to a police chief who arrests undocumented immigrants on charges of trespassing. It warmed him up for Iowa, the key caucus state he visited this month.

Unlike 2002, when the GOP tried to distance itself from Tancredo amid concern he could cost them Hispanic votes, the national party is backing the four-term congressman's re-election bid in the heavily Republican suburbs of southern Denver. So far, there is no Democratic challenger for the 2006 race.

The GOP is eager to point out it has a plank on immigration reform, though Bush and Tancredo disagree on the details.

Bush promoted a guest-worker program that would allow migrants to work in the United States for a limited time as long as they have a job lined up.

"The president sees immigration reform as a necessary component to protect our borders from traffickers and smugglers, and we have to deal with it in a humane way," said Aaron McLear, spokesman for the Republican National Committee.

Experts say Tancredo has no chance at the White House, but like Ross Perot's campaign on a balanced budget in 1992, he has found an issue that could force other Republicans to treat immigration as a major issue.

"If he gets lots of attention, if he moves in the polls, some candidate has to pick it up," said Floyd Ciruli, an independent Denver pollster.

2005-07-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

QUOTING THE QURAN - TOP
HUSSAM AYLOUSH, Press-Enterprise, 7/22/05
http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/editorials/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_D_op_22_quran.8a0801c.html

Editor's note: When a reader recently wrote to us with a provocative question about the nature of Islam, we sought a response from a Muslim leader from the Inland region. The query and answer are published here.

Peaceful precepts?

Parvez Ahmed's commentary ("Blame Islam game misguided pastime," July 15) states that the bombings in London were committed by "Islamic extremists" and were universally condemned by major Muslim groups throughout the world as being totally against the precepts of Islam.

I have a simple, straightforward question and I'd like a simple, straightforward answer. The Quran, sura 47:4, states, "When you meet the unbelievers, strike off their heads; then when you have made wide slaughter among them, carefully tie up the remaining captives."

How do Parvez Ahmed and the others reconcile their statements with the command of Allah as recorded in the inerrant word of Allah by Muhammad, His prophet?

WALTER MARTIN CLARK, Riverside

Imagine a letter to the editor asking Christians or Jews to reconcile Christianity or Judaism in light of an out-of-context verse from the Bible, such as: "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." (1 Samuel 15:3)

Or this verse: "The people of Samaria must bear their guilt because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open." (Hosea 13:16)

This is certainly not a fair or scientific way to understand the Bible nor the peaceful message of Christianity or Judaism. The Quran, like all other scriptures, cannot be understood except within its context. Taking a verse out of its theological or historical context can lead to misinterpretations, often the hallmark of extremists. Just as the Bible has been abused by fanatics to justify slavery and holocaust, so have Muslim fanatics abused the Quran to further their murderous agenda.

The verse that the writer referred to, verse 4 from chapter 47, specifically refers to Muslim armies involved in a battle encounter. Here is a more authentic -- and less sensational -- translation:

"So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks until when you have overcome them, then make (them) prisoners, and afterward either set them free as a favor or let them ransom (themselves) until the war terminates."

Islam forbids wars of aggression and, like Christianity, sets strict conditions for just warfare. Those conditions are limited to self-defense or removing injustice against other people, as stated in the following verses in the Quran.

"Fight in the way of God against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! God loves not aggressors." (2:190) (MORE)

Hussam Ayloush is the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Southern California (for more information, see www.cair.com). He is a resident of Corona.

---

2005-07-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

Muslims Call Comments by WMAL Host 'Hate-Filled'

By Paul Farhi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 26, 2005; Page C01

A local radio talk show host touched off complaints from an Islamic civil rights organization yesterday after repeatedly describing Islam on the air as "a terrorist organization" that is "at war with America."

The organization, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), asked the station to take disciplinary action against Michael Graham, who hosts WMAL-AM's late-morning call-in program.

A station executive, Randall Bloomquist, said yesterday that Graham's comments were "amped up" but justified within the context of the program. He said the station, which is owned by the Walt Disney Co., had no plans to reprimand Graham.

The show host touched off the flap during a discussion of the Muslim community's response to recent acts of terrorism. Graham suggested the fault lies with Muslims generally because religious leaders and followers haven't done enough to condemn and root out extreme elements. "The problem is not extremism," Graham said, according to both CAIR and the station. "The problem is Islam." He also said, "We are at war with a terrorist organization named Islam."

CAIR denounced the comments yesterday as "hate-filled" and "Islamophobic" and asked its members to contact the station's advertisers to express their dismay.

"It's amazing," said Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR's communications director. "I talked with Mr. Bloomquist and asked him if he would reprimand someone who used the n-word on the air. He said yes. I asked him if he would reprimand someone who read [approvingly] from the [anti-Semitic] 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion.' He said yes. So I asked him if he would do the same if someone had called Islam a terroristic organization. Well, he said, it's all about context, but he never quite explained it to me."

Added Hooper, "The First Amendment allows people to be idiots and bigots. All you can do is embarrass people and have them defend their reputation. If WMAL doesn't feel embarrassed and doesn't want to defend its reputation in the face of anti-Muslim bigotry, then there's not much we can do about it."

Graham, who broadcasts locally, is one of several conservative hosts heard on WMAL (630). The station's daily lineup includes the syndicated Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity programs.

After rising slightly during the months preceding the presidential election last year, WMAL's audience ratings have fallen precipitously. Exact ratings for Graham's 9-11:45 a.m. time slot are unavailable, but WMAL's morning programming, which includes part of Graham's program, are off 25 percent since last year. The station overall has lost 41 percent of its core 25-to-54-year-old audience in the past 12 months, dropping from 158,200 individual listeners per week to 116,600.

Graham declined to comment when contacted yesterday, saying, "I'm saving all my comments for my show. You'll just have to listen." But in his weekly column, which will appear on WMAL's Web site today, he repeats the statement that "Islam is a terror organization" and makes the following analogy:

"If the Boy Scouts of America had 1,000 Scout troops, and 10 of them practiced suicide bombings, then the BSA would be considered a terrorist organization. If the BSA refused to kick out those 10 troops, that would make the case even stronger. If people defending terror repeatedly turned to the Boy Scout handbook and found language that justified and defended murder --and the scoutmasters responded by saying 'Could be' -- the Boy Scouts would have been driven out of America long ago.

"Today, Islam has whole sects and huge mosques that preach terror. Its theology is openly used to give the murderers their motives. Millions of its members give these killers comfort. The question isn't how dare I call Islam a terrorist organization, but rather why more people do not."

Bloomquist said his station had received more than 100 e-mails protesting Graham's comments, many of them, he said, apparently generated by CAIR's e-mails to its members. He went on to defend Graham, saying, "Remember that this is talk radio. We don't do the dainty minuet of the newspaper editorial page. It's not 'Washington Week in Review.' It depends on pungent statements to drive it. Michael is rattling the cage. It's designed to start and further a conversation, and it has certainly done that."

Graham made waves earlier this year when he scuffled with Montgomery County police after he tried to attend an event for illegal immigrants while wearing a T-shirt that read "INS (I Need Border Security)." He also recently led a rally in front of The Washington Post's building in the District seeking the dismissal of Newsweek reporter Michael Isikoff, who wrote a story that inaccurately reported on alleged abuses of the Koran in the military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba (Newsweek is owned by The Washington Post Co.).

Graham has also clashed with CAIR in the past. The group last year cited him in a campaign called "Hate Hurts America" for what CAIR described as implicitly advocating violence against Muslims.

2005-07-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

Major wrestling show rubs terror wounds raw

Detroit character a villain to many
July 26, 2005

BY NIRAJ WARIKOO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

He is an Arab American born and raised in Detroit.

But after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Muhammad Hassan was treated like an outsider: profiled at airports, ethnically insulted and shunned by a cold America. And so he transformed into a raging fiend bent on revenge.

That story -- complete fiction -- is the basis of a controversial pro-wrestling character watched by millions across the country over the past several months. Scowling, he enters arenas with an Arab headdress to the thump of Middle Eastern music and cries of "Allah Akhbar," the Arabic phrase for "God is great." Despite the baying crowds, he usually wins.

But late Sunday night, Hassan was beaten bloody in a match that may be his last. After protests from viewers, TV stations and Arab-American groups, Hassan's character has been written out of the fantasy world of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

The writers of the script say it was a sensitive portrayal of how bigotry can lead Muslims down a radical path. Ok, so basically, if you don't play nice with the Muslims, they will kick your Democracy-loving @$%. Yeah, there's a realistic portrayal *sarcasm*

But to many local Arab Americans, it was a story line that stoked hatred for profit.
Thank you Captain Obvious!

"You're creating negative views of Arab Americans," said Bilal Dabaja, a 20-year-old college student of Arab descent from Dearborn who loved pro wrestling when he was younger. "We know he's performing an act, but for a lot of young kids, these stories could be seen as true."

They are stories that highlight tensions about the status of Arab Americans and Muslims living in the West after the London bombings earlier this month. But the show's provocative suggestion -- that some Western-raised Muslims may pose a threat -- is one many locally find absurd.

The character is played by Mark Copani, a tanned Italian-American from New York. The role came under intense criticism July 7, the day of the London terrorist attacks, when UPN aired a match that night featuring Hassan. He loped into the arena with five men in black ski masks and camouflage as the crowed chanted "U-S-A!" OMG...only in "White Trash USA" would people find this sort of show entertaining...I rest my case.

After Hassan's manager, an Iranian Muslim, was beaten senseless by an opponent, the five men carried the manager out on their shoulders in what appeared to be a funeral for a suicide bomber. Wow...that crosses the line, even for this kind of T.V. show...

Viewer protests followed, prompting UPN to lean on the WWE to dump the character, UPN spokeswoman Joanna Massey said Monday.

WWE officials agreed and said Monday that Hassan probably will not be back after Sunday night's match, which again featured the suicide-bomber story line. But the WWE insists the depiction was a positive one that tried to probe the bias Arab Americans have faced over the past few years. Wait a minute...how's that again?? A POSITIVE DEPICTION???!!!!!!

"The writers did a fairly good job of giving background and context to the character," said Gary Davis, a spokesman for WWE. "They were trying to get across a very serious issue that Arab Americans face."

Local Arab Americans don't buy that.

Imad Hamad's three kids, ages 7 to 11, enjoy watching professional wrestling at their home in Dearborn. But they were confused, and troubled, when they started to see Hassan on the show "SmackDown," watched by 5 million viewers every week.

"My kids were saying: This is not us, this is not right," said Hamad, regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, which took a lead role in trying to remove the character. "There's nothing entertaining when it comes to hatred and bigotry."

Hassan made his debut in November, when he started to appear in TV promos. In the world of professional wrestling, backstories are part of the fun, giving viewers colorful tales that add to the drama.

Hassan's story was this:

Born in the United States, he wanted to fit in. But after Sept. 11, 2001, the 20-something became the victim of bias and ethnic harassment. In one clip on www.wwe.com, he and his Iranian manager, Daivari, are in a rage, glaring at the screen in what appears to be an airport. Oh great...always linked with an Airport...when will it stop?? Enough already!

"Because we are of Arab descent, we are singled out, we are humiliated and often we are strip-searched because my name is Muhammad," growls Hassan, played by Copani. "We are Arab Americans," he adds, putting a strong emphasis on "Americans." "And we demand the same rights that any American has. And if you don't give us the respect that we demand, then I will beat it out of anyone who gets in my way!" Man, I been shouting that for years, and noone even pays attention to me *sarcastic grin*

Hassan played his first match in January. Weighing 245 pounds, he usually entered the arena with Arabic music and Islamic calls to prayer blaring over a loudspeaker. He was always angry.

"He was a loyal Arab American, but was treated differently because he happened to be Arab," explained Davis. "His anger caused him to take the course of embracing his roots and being defiant to his fellow Americans because of their reaction to him."
EMBRACING HIS ROOTS!! I am so freaking offended right now. So now it's in our ROOTS to be violent and defiant. Wow. That takes the cake. Can you believe this guy is a SPOKESMAN for a Television show??

In one of his first matches, Hassan declared to a booing crowd:

"If you don't open your eyes and see what you're doing to my Arab brothers, to me, to me," he proclaims in a clip on www.wwe.com, "then my New Year's resolution will be to personally beat some sense into America." Greeeeeeaaat Approach....*nervous twing* Yup, that's just like ALL MUSLIMS...if we can't win your respect, we'll beat it outta ya.

Such stereotypes during times of foreign conflict are not new in pro wrestling. During the 1980s, as the United States squared off against Iran and the Soviet Union in the Cold War, two of the most popular wrestlers were the Iron Sheikh and Nikolai Volkoff.

The Iron Sheikh, who was actually from Iran, defiantly waved an Iranian flag and sneered at the United States. He was world champion for about a month starting in December 1983, but lost his title to Hulk Hogan. In 1985, Iron Sheikh teamed up with Volkoff, a Russian, to win the tag-team championship.

Years later, the Iron Sheikh had a running feud with Sgt. Slaughter, a wrestler who was a proud member of the U.S. Army.

This year, as the Iraq war droned on, Hassan's loyalty was often called into question by other wrestlers.

It's all an act. But to many Arab Americans, a painful one.

2005-07-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

LAX TO LONDON PLANE DIVERTED - TOP
Kathy Vara, ABC 7, 7/25/05
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/072605_nw_plane_diverted.html

LOS ANGELES - Three Pakistani businessmen -- passengers on a flight from Los Angeles to London -- have been checked out and cleared to travel.

United Airlines Flight 934 made an unscheduled landing today in Boston, because other passengers complained the three men were acting suspiciously. The flight was diverted to Logan International Airport, where the men were questioned and then released. They said they were traveling for business.

An FBI spokeswoman says passengers were uneasy because the men were walking back and forth between first class and coach. It turns out their pacing was because they'd been seated in different sections.

Massachusetts State Police say the plane was also searched and nothing suspicious was found. It was cleared to continue on to Heathrow.

I know that people are all cautious and skittish about Terrorism right now, but I wish they could see how exhausting it is for us (Muslims) to have to live our lives like a watched animal~ Esp. since the majority of us are completely innocent, and yet we are considered guilty until proven likewise. On a logical level, I can see people's concerns and why they watched these men so thoroughly for suspicious behavior~ but let's come right out and say it: They only watched them because they were MUSLIM, and if some white non-Muslim guys had been doing the same, no one would have blinked an eye. It sucks that we (Muslims) have to be careful how we act, and watch what we say, and STILL we are regarded as Dangerous!!!!

2005-07-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

Currently listening to: "Take another little peice of my heart now baby..." Janis Joplin (Like, right this minute...)
Currently reading: Gandhi's Autobio (awesome!!!) and Salvation on Sand Mountain (for school...not electively!!! Next semester is creeping up on me, so I thought I would get a head start.)
Current Movie recommendation: A Very Long Engagement~Good movie, and it stars Audrey Tautou..how could you go wrong??

Ok, I am trying to have a "calm" day, I am not going to write any scathing reports on current events...no reading BBC online today, or checking out Bangladeshi newspapers...no watching television news...no political conversations with friends...NOTHING! Just happiness and sunshine today. I really need a break anyways.

But what is there to talk about besides politics and CURRENT EVENTS??!?!?!!?!?!?! This is going to be a really lame post, but since I am never good at remembering to post regularly (I am not a good "schedule" follower...)I better just post SOMETHING. My apologies for the lameness of this post...Ali Farka Toure is such an AWESOME guitar player. Man! It makes me want to learn to play the guitar. And I have no musical inclinations whatsoever. I just heard "Addicted to Love" and am now listening to the song "Ai Du"...he is giving me chills with his talent. Whoooo. Ok, that was dumb. This is becoming a stupid commentary post about nothingness...I am beginning to sound like my little sister's blog....I better just post this and forget about writing anything witty or extremely intelligent.

2005-07-21T22:03:00.000-07:00

For a bowl of water, give a goodly meal;
For a kindly greeting, bow thou down with zeal;
For a simple penny pay thou back in gold;
If thy life be rescued, life do not withhold.
Thus the words and actions of the wise regard;
Every little service tenfold they reward.
But the truly noble know all men are one,
And return with gladness good for evil done.

~~~~Gujarati Didactic Stanza

2005-07-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

What in the world is this all about?? My friend forwarded it to me and I have no idea what it is about and cannot find any info on it...Has anyone even heard about this situation???? I am shocked!!!!!

ELATION IN HARLEM AS GIRL HELD IN TERROR INQUIRY IS RELEASED - TOP
>NINA BERNSTEIN, New York Times, 5/7/05
>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/07/nyregion/07suicide.html
>
>It began with two 16-year-old immigrant girls arrested at dawn, detained
>far from home, and, in a chilling government assertion, called would-be
>suicide bombers who posed "an imminent threat to the security of the United
>States."
>
>But now, after holding the girls for six weeks in a Pennsylvania detention
>center, the government has quietly released one of the girls and is
>allowing the other to leave the country with her family.
>
>One girl, an immigrant from Guinea, was back in her East Harlem high school
>yesterday among the jubilant friends and teachers who have insisted all
>along that the accusation was absurd. The other girl, who grew up in
>Queens, was still in detention, but was granted an order from an
>immigration judge that will allow her and her parents to return to their
>native Bangladesh as soon as the trip can be arranged.
>
>Many questions remain unanswered in a case that has been marked from the
>start by secrecy, including closed hearings, sealed F.B.I. declarations,
>and orders barring the lawyers from disclosing government information.
>James Margolin, an F.B.I. spokesman, did not return calls seeking comment
>on the latest developments, and earlier had said he could not discuss the
>cases.
>
>But Natasha Pierre, the lawyer for the Guinean girl, Adama Bah, said the
>outcome spoke for itself. "She should never have been detained in the first
>place," Ms. Pierre said of her client, who was not yet 2 when she arrived
>in New York with her parents, Muslims who have a trinket shop near a subway
>stop in Bushwick, Brooklyn. "I'm still under a gag order and I have to be
>very careful not to cross the line. All I can say is she's innocent - she's
>more than innocent. The girl doesn't know anything."

2005-07-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

Salaam! I am reading Gandhi's autobiography right now and I am feeling SO inspired. Also, I am in an Interfaith Alliance group and I got to speak about Islam today, and I felt so happy afterwards. People seemed genuinely interested and understanding...there was no hateful commentary or anything even close. It made me realize that yes, maybe world peace is possible SOMETIME in the future, and that understanding and love amongst various groups is not a dream, but an actuality. Inshallah.

2005-07-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

The seeker of truth should be humbler than dust...~Gandhi

2005-07-14T00:14:00.000-07:00

Salaam Alaikum!!
Tonight I watched a very wonderful documentary called Promises and I am recommending it to EVERYONE!! Please, please, please go out and watch this documentary. Whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jew, or anything else. It will open up the eyes of the world to this situation...and make you understand BOTH sides of the coin. The main theme of this story runs along the lines of my favorite quote:

AN EYE FOR AN EYE ONLY MAKES THE WHOLE WORLD BLIND~GANDHI

Ma salaama~Habibee

2005-07-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry to write about such grim things today. I just feel like I need to speak out about it. It gets really frustrating sometimes to be seen as the "other" or the "enemy"....I feel sort of alienated in my own country sometimes, and it's hard to deal with. If I can't be accepted here, than where will I go? I have no "other" country to go to! This is my home! I was born here! I am an American! This is all I know!~ THis must be what it felt like for the German Jews during WWII- they were considered outsiders in their own country...I see so many parallels to what is happening right now in America and what happened in Germany in the beginning of the Holocaust (i.e. propaganda against Jews/Muslims, people referring to Jews/Muslims as a different "type" of people, people's generally discontent with Jews/Muslims and their use of Jews/Muslims as scapegoats for other internal issues within the country...etc.) I am not saying that America would ever go to the extreme of actually KILLING Muslims outright...but at least there HAS been talk (just after 9/11) of placing Muslims in "supervised holding units" similiar to concentration camps (like we did to the Japanese in WWII). So, some things aren't TOO OUTLANDISH for America to consider.....

2005-07-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

U.S. Marines Accused of Killing Iraq Man

Iraq Ambassador to U.N. Accuses U.S. Marines of Killing Unarmed Cousin, Calls for Investigation

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS Jul 2, 2005 — Iraq's U.N. ambassador accused U.S. Marines of killing his unarmed young cousin in what appeared to be "cold blood" and demanded an investigation and punishment for the perpetrators.

In an e-mail to friends obtained Friday by The Associated Press, Ambassador Samir Sumaidaie said the killing took place in his ancestral village in western Anbar province, where U.S.-led forces have been conducting a counterinsurgency sweep aimed at disrupting the flow of foreign militants into Iraq.

His cousin Mohammed Al-Sumaidaie, 21, a university student, was killed June 25 when he took Marines doing house-to-house searches to a bedroom to show them where a rifle which had no live ammuntion was kept, the ambassador said. When the Marines left, he was found in the bedroom with a bullet in his neck.

Richard Grenell, spokesman for the U.S. Mission, said acting U.S. ambassador Anne Patterson received a call from the Iraqi ambassador "and expressed her heartfelt condolences on this terrible situation, and contacted senior State Department and Pentagon officials to look into the matter immediately."

The U.S. military issued a statement in response late Friday.

"The events described in the allegations roughly correspond to an incident involving Coalition Forces on that day in that general location; therefore a military inquiry has been initiated," the statement said.

"We take these allegations seriously and will thoroughly investigate this incident to determine what happened," the statement quoted Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Johnson as saying. The investigation could take several weeks, the statement said.

Sumaidaie said the killing represents "a betrayal" of the values and aspirations of Iraqis and Americans to defeat the terrorists and build a country based on freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights and the rule of law.

"It is a betrayal of the American people who are making huge sacrifices to bring this about, and a betrayal of Iraq and all Iraqi patriots who have put their trust in the United States," he said.

In the letter, Sumaidaie gave a detailed account of the tragedy.

Mohammed, an engineering student at the University of Techology in Baghdad, was visiting his family in the village of Al-Shaikh Hadid when the Marines knocked on the door, the ambassador said.

The young man rushed to open the door and greeted the group of about 10 Marines and an interpreter who appeared to be Egyptian pleasantly, "happy to exercise some of his English," he said.

The Marines asked if there were any weapons, and Mohammed said there was a rifle, which only had blanks, the letter said. He then led some of the Marines into his father's bedroom where it was kept, Sumaidaie wrote. His father, the local headmaster, was at school.

A short time later, his mother, brothers and sisters who were kept in the living room heard a thud but they were generally relaxed because they had nothing to hide, and "they thought, nothing to fear," he said.

But later a younger brother, Ali, was dragged by the hair into the corridor by a Marine and was beaten. The mother started sobbing. A Marine then went out and returned with a camera and went into the bedroom. After a while, the family went outside and waited on the porch as they were ordered, the ambassador said.

More than an hour later, as the soldiers were leaving, the interpreter asked the mother in Arabic if that was her son inside. When she replied "yes," the interpreter said, "they killed him!," Sumaidaie said.

"The mother let off a deafening cry of anguish, but the Marines were smiling at each other as they were leaving," he said. "In the bedroom, Mohammed was found dead and laying in a clotted pool of his blood. A single bullet had penetrated his neck," the ambassador said.

The ambassador wrote that he believed "a serious crime has been commited a crime that may be repeated up and down Al-Anbar" and demanded an investigation into what he said appeared to be the "killing of an unarmed innocent civilian a cold blood murder."

2005-07-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

Arizona paper cleared over "kill Muslims" letter
02 Jul 2005 00:19:11 GMT

Source: Reuters

By David Schwartz

PHOENIX, July 1 (Reuters) - The Arizona state Supreme Court ruled on Friday a Tucson newspaper could not be held liable for publishing a letter that urged people to kill Muslims to retaliate for the death of American soldiers in Iraq.

In a 5-0 ruling, Arizona's highest court found unanimously the Tucson Citizen was protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and could not be sued for printing the letter in December 2003. The opinion reversed a lower court judge.

The court stated the letter to the editor "does not fall within one of the well-recognized exceptions to the general rule of First Amendment protection for political speech." It ordered the case be sent back to Pima County Superior Court and dismissed without the chance to be refiled.

Michael Chihak, the Citizen's editor and publisher, said the ruling vindicated the paper's decision and could have broader ramifications for others.

"It is obviously a favorable ruling for us, and not just for us, but for the First Amendment," he said. "If the ruling had been unfavorable, it may have led people to curb expressions of their thoughts, opinions and feelings rather than adding to the public dialogue."

Herb Beigel, a lawyer for the two Tucson men who filed the lawsuit said he was disappointed by the ruling and had not yet decided whether to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Beigel condemned the decision "as giving the press protection that is far broader than the U.S. Supreme Court" has ruled in the past, and said a deeper investigation into the facts of the case was needed before a decision was rendered.

The lawsuit, filed by Aly W. Elleithee and Wali Yudeen S. Abdul Rahim, stemmed from a three-paragraph letter in the Citizen that called for quick retaliation for soldiers' deaths.

"Whenever there is an assassination or another atrocity, we should proceed to the closest mosque and execute five of the first Muslims we encounter," the letter said. "After all, this is a 'Holy War" and although such a procedure is not fair or just, it might end the horror."

The letter caused an uproar in Tucson and prompted Chihak to issue an apology for printing it.

The Tucson men, who are Muslims, filed suit claiming that the letter constituted an assault and an intentional infliction of emotional distress. The assault claim was dismissed by the lower court, but the distress charge was allowed to continue.

Ok, now imagine that a Muslim had published a letter in the Newspaper stating that we should ASSASSINATE Pres. Bush in retribution for all the IRAQI deaths that have occured in this freaking "HOLY WAR" (as that idiot so named it)....you can be certain that that Muslim man would be investigated for
"Terrorism" in a heartbeat, and he would most likely be prosecuted for issuing a death threat...I am sure that's against the law somehow.....But NO! If it's published AGAINST Muslims, it's ok...that's how the Nazi's started with the Jews, people!!! Read your HISTORY!!!!

2005-07-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

MASHALLAH!!!!!

READING QURAN COULD HELP FOLKS UNDERSTAND MUSLIMS - TOP
Rosemary Blackburn-Smith, Columbus Dispatch, 7/2/05
http://www.dispatch.com/print_template.php?story=dispatch/2005/07/02/20050702-A7-04.html&chck=t

As a Christian, I was deeply offended by Kevin Montavon s June 18 letter to the editor. Montavon s words were a perfect example of the biases and prejudices that have perpetuated the misunderstandings between Islam and the greater American society. Montavon stated, incorrectly, that the Quran is not valuable to all human beings, and then went on to list the verses in the Quran that he thinks are bad.

I don t think most Christians need to be reminded of all the bad verses in the Bible, ones condoning violence and slavery and male superiority. The Quran is just like the Bible and any other holy text, both a revelation of God and a product of its times. Montavon derides the Quran s teaching that it is the only sacred text. Most religions believe that their way is the only right path; if the Quran taught that the Bible was correct, then Muslims would be Christians. Obviously the Quran teaches that it holds the supreme answers, just as Jesus said that he was the only way to God.

However, the question here is not whether Montavon agrees with the words of the Quran, but whether reading it would be a valuable experience for him and other non-Muslims. The answer is undoubtedly yes. Reading the Quran would be a wonderful way for Americans to learn more about the true basis of the Muslim faith. Since Sept. 11, Islam has been systematically misunderstood and disrespected, and the more Americans read Islam s sacred text, the more people will be truly informed about where Muslims are coming from.

Likewise, Muslims would benefit from reading the Bible to better understand where Christians are coming from. Mahmoud El-Yousseph (recent letter) is not asking people to agree with the Quran, as Montavon seems to think. He is asking Americans to become educated about the world and about the people who share the world with us.

Montavon s obvious disdain for the entire Muslim faith is frightening. It s hard to believe that The Dispatch even printed a letter that serves the sole purpose of propagating hatred and misunderstanding. Montavon even went so far as to call Muslims uncivilized because of their anger over having pages from their holy book flushed down the toilet. The Quran is a holy and sacred text, whether Montavon lives by it or not. I doubt that he would be writing the same letter if it were Christians demonstrating their unhappiness over similar disrespect to the Bible.

Americans are searching for peace and security. The first step to getting there is respect, and respect for Muslims will be hard to come by until Americans learn to understand them. Reading the Quran is a productive and rewarding way to start down the path of that understanding.

2005-07-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

This looks like it would be interesting....

ON A NEW SHOWTIME SERIES, AMERICA'S PROTECTOR IS A MUSLIM - TOP
Jacques Steinberg, New York Times, 7/4/05
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/04/arts/television/04cell.html

LOS ANGELES - The two members of the Islamic terrorist cell pulled up to the curb at the airport and quickly exited their Cadillac Escalade.

As one hustled a passenger - a biochemist from a local university - out of the backseat and into the terminal, his destination Vancouver but his intentions unknown, the other nervously picked up a pay phone. He was alerting his supervisor at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The scene, acted out before cameras at Los Angeles International Airport on a recent morning, was for a Showtime series called "Sleeper Cell," which is scheduled to have its premiere later this year and is, in many respects, unlike any other program that has been produced for American television.

The lead character is an undercover F.B.I. agent who has managed to infiltrate a Southern California sleeper cell largely because he is a practicing Muslim. The character, Darwyn, is the first major role created on an American series - whether before or after the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings - that depicts a Muslim as a hero seeking to check the intentions of terrorists.

That the production has such a high gloss of credibility - at least in terms of the prayers that Darwyn utters, the ways he interprets the Koran and his struggles to reconcile his religion with his daily life - is a function of the creative team supporting it: three of those playing prominent roles behind the scenes are themselves Muslims. And having been raised on a steady diet of Arab bad guys - whether on shows like "JAG" or "24," or movies like the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle "True Lies" - they say they welcomed the opportunity to put a character on television who looked like them, shared their values and sought to save the day.

What remains to be seen is whether a large number of Americans will be willing, four years after the Sept. 11 attacks, to be entertained by a 10-part dramatic series that strives to be bracingly and disturbingly realistic in its portrayal of some people's worst fears.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I find it hard to believe that American's WANT to watch a show that portrays Muslims as REAL and HONEST people...look at Kindom of Heaven...that movie ROCKED and it portrayed Muslims in an accurate light...as well as people sorta historically accurate (somewhat) and yet, the American public could only comment on it being "too nice" regarding Muslims...too "politically correct" like we don't deserve that sort of treatment...and implying that it painted a BETTER picture of Muslims than what we really are!!! How rude!!!

~THe only thing that I am worried about in regards to this show is that people will think that Terrorism is a normal everyday part of every Muslims lives...which is wrong! I have NEVER met a terrorist, I do not know a terrorist, I have not seen a terrorist...I have never heard anyone talk about terrorism....I mean really...come one America! Terrorism is the first thing people want to talk about with me when they meet me and find out I am a Muslim. Like it's some topic that I can relate to or something. Would terrorism be the first subject you think of to discuss with EVERY 22 year old American girl you meet??? It's always either Terrorism or Women's Rights in Islam (esp. in regards to dress)....can't people see me as a human being first and foremost and ask me normal questions like, what are you studying in college? or what are some of your hobbies? NOT "what's your opinion of the Middle East situation"..."How do you feel about Americans...do you support Bin Laden's statements?" "Why do your women feel like they should be invisible".....yadda yadda yadda. Yeah, HELLO, I am a normal 22 year old who likes to play sports, I ride my bike to work, I read alot, I am a History/Anthropology Major (double major), I like cooking, I don't CARE about Bin Laden and I quite frankly don't keep up with this whole "War on Terror" business...in fact, I think it's a comical name...like "War on Drugs"...was there ever really a "War on Drugs"? Are we winning or losing? How would you measure that? There are still drugs on the street, so I guess we aren't very successful at it...Anyways, I went off on a tangent...sorry. I support this show, but it bugs me that the ONLY time Muslims have EVER been portrayed by the American Media, it has SOMETHING to do with Terrorism. Why not just have a Muslim character on a show that doesn't freakin' get involved in Terrorism somehow (good or bad) and that just does NORMAL stuff...Like go to college and have friends and do grocery shopping and play basketball, etc. With no sprinkling of terrorism in the plot. Oh, and no bashing of Muslim women's modesty...and no portrayl of Muslim men as Patriarchal Assholes. That is ALL I ASK. Is it too much??

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2005-06-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

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

2005-06-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-06-24T22:06:00.001-07:00

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Some cool henna designs....

2005-06-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-06-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-06-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

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2005-06-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

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

2005-06-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-06-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-05-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

I just have to comment on this article. Unfortunately, I cannot put my sarcastic commentary in a different color like I used to...darn it. I will have to put it in brackets I guess....

SEND A CLEAR SIGNAL: TORTURE NOT TOLERATED - TOP
Miami Herald, 5/13/05
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/11635074.htm

U.S. military leadership is ultimately responsible for the failures that led to buses of wartime captives in places as far flung as Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo. {THANK YOU CAPTAIN OBVIOUS}

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said as much after the graphic Abu Ghraib photos surfaced.

''These events occurred on my watch,'' he said. ''I am responsible.''{UH, YEAH...}

As we await the release of an investigation into interrogation practices at the Guantanamo Bay prison, it's high time that Mr. Rumsfeld and others in the chain of command finally be held accountable for what went wrong. Low-level soldiers shouldn't be the only ones to face consequences.{*SNICKER* WE ALL KNOW THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN}

Too many soldiers abused captives in too many places {WHAT IS CONSIDERED "TOO MANY"?}to treat the cases as isolated instances, alone. The lessons learned, moreover, should ensure that the military doesn't repeat such mistakes.

Whether these were failures of policy or training or command,{UM, I GUESS YOU COULD CALL IT THAT!} there is much evidence that U.S. soldiers and interrogators mistreated detainees, to the extent of torture in some cases.

Intended or not, abuse of captives has seriously damaged U.S. credibility as it attempts to promote a human-rights agenda internationally.{WAIT A MINUTE. I THOUGHT WE WERE DOING IT TO IMPROVE OUR IMAGE!?}

Such practices have also put the United States at greater risk. Witness the violent anti-American protests this week in Afghanistan. The angry mob reportedly reacted to a recent Newsweek article that U.S. interrogators had flushed a Koran down a toilet at the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

Using religious desecration, sexual humiliation and torture on captives is more likely to make Muslims sympathize with those who hate the United States than to cooperate with U.S. efforts to deter terrorists. {WAIT, ARE THEY JUST NOW FIGURING THIS OUT? DID THEY THINK THAT THOSE TACTICS WOULD MAKE MUSLIMS CUDDLE BUDDIES WITH THE U.S.?}

The most recent accounts of prisoner abuse come in the new book Inside the Wire by former Army Sgt. Erik Saar, an interpreter who helped interrogate captives at Guantanamo. Mr. Saar describes the systematic use of sexual humiliation to break devout Muslims.

One female interrogator, for example, interviewed a Saudi detainee in a thong and bra. Another smeared fake menstrual blood on a detainee's face. Such practices debase interrogator and prisoner alike.

2005-05-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

It's articles like this that make me feel hopeful that we will one day see eye to eye in this country....

LEAPS OF FAITH - TOP
Gloria La Bounty, Sun Chronicle, 5/12/05
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2005/05/12/reports/special04.txt

FOXBORO -- It's time for girls' basketball at Mass. Premier Courts in Foxboro, and it's easy to tell one team from the other.

Players on one side are dressed in the traditional way -- wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts with their hair tied in pony tails. Players on the other side wear ankle-length sport pants and long-sleeved shirts, and cover their hair with scarves.

It's the Christians of New Testament School in Norton versus the Muslims of Al-Noor Academy in Mansfield, but on the court they're all just kids playing a game to win.

Friday was the first time the two schools played each other in an informal basketball league of boys' and girls' teams from private and mostly Christian schools.

Al-Noor, the only Muslim school of the group, moved from Quincy to Mansfield last March and is now in its first basketball season of 11 games against schools in various parts of the state.

The faith differences don't matter, said Al-Noor Athletic Director Aminah Muhammad.

`` We just want to play,'' she said, and the school therefore took advantage of the opportunity to be part of the league.

2005-05-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hello All. Salaam Alaikum!
Sorry I've been bad about my posting....I really will get on it...*slapping myself*...I just wanted to share with you all the COOLEST Muslim clothing site....here it is: www.cafepress.com/muslimgirlIt is totally awesome!!!!!! Buy stuff from it, or else they will go out of business and I will be saddened. :(

2005-05-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

Salaam!
Sorry it's been so terribly long, but I am finished with the semester now (alhumdullilah!) and I can post as much as I like, inshallah. So expect more posts from me in the coming months. I am not going to leave a long post right now, because I am all internet-ed out...I just spent 2 hours looking up Bollywood flicks on Netflicks.com to rent....I am EXHAUSTED!

2005-03-24T18:42:00.000-08:00

OMG. Kyrgyzstan's Government has fallen. I cannot believe it. At least there wasn't alot of bloodshed and killing. I don't know what to say. I am shocked.

2005-03-23T00:30:00.000-08:00

Salaam Alaikum!! Sorry it's been awhile since my last post....you know how it is with school and all. *SIGH* But now it's my spring break...so I have a little more time. Alhumdullilah. So. I can't really think of much to say, and as always, I fall back on proverbs and stories...I hate to be preachy, but I like to share. So here it is:

Once, Hasan al-Basri was partaking of the meager meal prepared by poor al-'Ajami when a beggar knocked at the door. Al-'Ajami took all the food he had prepared and gave it to the beggar. Surprised at this strange behavior, Hasan said, "You must know little of manners." Al-'Ajami remained silent. Then a lady appeared at the door bearing plates of delicious food. Both men sat and ate. Then al-'Ajami said, "Hasan, you are a good man. You should develop a little more faith in Allah and remember that anything given in Allah's name returns severalfold." ~Attar

It's getting a bit late (uh, it's 1:30 am..heheh) and so I better not make this long, but I will, inshallah, leave a post tomorrow or the next day...and it will be more interesting. I have to comment on a couple of news article I have read. But I am very sleepy right now...so ami ghumache...(I am sleeping.)

2005-03-17T19:03:00.000-08:00

On the day of Judgement, the Lord shall ask the learned men, "What did you do with the knowledge and the learning I conferred on you?" They will reply, "We spent it in Your way." Allah will say, "You are liars." And the angels shall also repeat the same charge. Allah shall further say, " You spent it in earning applause, in passing for learned men, and seeking praise in people." Then Allah shall ask the rich men, "I gave you wealth. What did you do with it?" They will say, "We gifted the riches in Your way." Then Allah and the angels will say, "You are liars. You spent it so that people may call you very charitable." Then Allah shall summon those in the Holy Wars. They will be asked, "How did you spend your life that I gave you?" They will reply, "We sacrificed it in Your Path." Allah and the angels will call them liars and say, "You gave away your lives that people might call you brave and style you martyrs." ~~~al-Ghazzali

Why did I put this story on my post? To remind us all that when we do something, we should do it with a pure heart, out of true, unadulterated LOVE for God~ Not to make ourselves look good, or anything to that effect. Because Allah knows the true intentions in people's hearts...and we should hope not to have a fate like the people spoken of above. Inshallah.

2005-03-15T16:14:00.000-08:00

And another....

People count with self-satisfaction the number of times they have recited the name of God on their prayer beads, but they keep no beads for reckoning the number of idle words they speak. Caliph Omar said, "Weigh well your words and deeds before they are weighed at the last judgement." ~~~al-Ghazzali.

2005-03-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

I read something very thought-inspiring today:

Charity for the sake of God is due from every single part of your body, even from every root of your hair. In fact, Charity is due for every instant of your life.

Charity of the eye means looking with consideration and averting your gaze from desires and things similiar to them.

Charity of the ear means listening to the best of sounds, such as wisdom, the Qur'an, and the benefits of faith contained in warnings and good counsel, and by avoiding lies, slander and similiar things.

Charity of the tongue means to give good advice, to awaken those who are heedless, and to give abundant glorification and rememberance and other similiar things.

Charity of the hand means spending money on others, to be generous with God's blessings to you, to use your hand to write down knowledge and information by means of which others will benefit in obedience to God, and to restrain your hand from evil.

Charity of the foot means to hasten to carry one's duty to God by visiting virtuous people, attending assemblies of rememberance, putting things right between people, maintaining ties of kinship, engaging in inner struggle, and doing things that will make your heart sound and your faith correct. ~~~~~~~~as-Sadiq

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2005-03-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

Today I am going to feature Filipino Muslim women, even though the Phillipines is not a Muslim country....they have a significant amount of Muslims. I don't have many pics, though, so this will be short. :)

2005-03-02T20:35:00.001-08:00

Here is a link to read more about the Yemeni Journalist...Jane's Blog

2005-03-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I just got this comment from Jane at Armies of Liberation
(to check out the comment, it is a couple of posts below) and I haven't had a chance to read into everything regarding this situation, but from what I've gathered, there is a Yemeni Journalist that is being held unfairly in Yemen...I have not had time to fully research this situation, but if you want to sign the petition, and know what this is regarding, please go to this link....

2005-03-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading a book about the Dreyfus Affair (yes, ok, it's a liiiiitttle nerdy that I like non-fiction books, and that I choose to read them electively (sp?) but who cares?) I cannot believe that I did not learn about any of this in school (ok, I guess I shouldn't over-estimate the American school system)...it is sooooo sad. But also I find alot of similarities with what is going on today. Dreyfus was a Jew in the French military at the turn of the century, and because of Anti-semitism, he was tried for treason (with BOGUS evidence) and a huge government cover up took place. (In France.) And a similiar case happened here regarding Captain James Yee (a Muslim) last year(I don't have time to explain because I have a test in 2 days and have to study...but check it out on the web)....

Anyways, one of my pretty good friends (ok, not so much a friend as an acqaintance) was saying some pretty bad remarks about Jews and when I corrected him and told him the way he was acting was un-Islamic, he acted like I was a traitor or something, so I am a little peaved off right now. The nerve!!! ME, A TRAITOR!? Ha! I have never NEVER heard of the Prophet (saw) saying trash about Jews or Christians...and if we are supposed to live Sunnah, than how can he say I am a traitor? Allah Forbid! It makes me just as upset to hear one of my own people saying something about Jews as it does to hear Americans say crap about us. So we should learn a lesson and not do the same thing that they do to us. Can't we learn to love each other? Isn't that the REAL path to God? On the Day of Judgement, I don't think Allah is going to be rewarding us for all the bad things we said about The People of the Book (i.e. Jews and Christians)...rather I think it would still be considered backbiting....and the punishment will be just as bad as if we said it about our own....

2005-03-01T17:26:00.000-08:00

Farewell, I did not know thy worth
But thou art gone, and now tis prized

So angels walked unknown on Earth,
but when they flew, were recognized.

2005-03-01T17:12:00.000-08:00

I found this funny post on someone's blog (www.voiceforislam.com) and I thought I would put a copy of it on here. I hope I don't offend anyone. Disclaimer: Not all the views on what I am about to post are my shared views (although I agree with alot of it...) Please let me know if I offend anyone, because it is totally not my intention. And I am pre-sorry.

Monday, February 28, 2005

Robin Willams Vs. Al Muslim

Administrator’s warning: This article may contain offensive and/or coarse language and is meant to be a joke and nothing more. As you all know, Robin Williams is a world-famous actor and comedian who uses political satire as an effective way of communicating his opinions about the world. In film, he has portrayed, among many others, a Jew, a homosexual, and an Italian. -- Yet I doubt very seriously that he has ever been dubbed an anti-Semite, a homophobe, or anti-Italian. It was all just for the sake of entertainment. This is exactly what this article is, entertainment. Please do not flood us with comments about how this is “hateful” and negative. This is only a JOKE! After Robin wrote his original message “The Robin Willams Peace Plan” (which spread widely throughout the world via the internet), a Muslim named “Al Muslim” decided to respond to his suggestions with his own take on things. So here now are the Robin and Al “10 step peace plans:”

ROBIN SAID:1. The US will apologize to the world for our “interference” in their affairs, past & present. You know, Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo, Noriega, Milosovich and the rest of those good ol’ boys: We will never “interfere” again.

AL SAID:1. The US will apologize to the world for aiding the TALIBAN with hundreds of million of dollars, training Al-Qaida operatives such as Osama bin Ladin, bombing and killing 100,000 (not an exaggeration) innocent men, women, and children in Japan, supporting the “butcher of Baghdad” Saddam in the 1980's, and helping to create the state of Israel, a “country” that has done nothing but kill and destroy since 1948.

ROBIN SAID:2. We will withdraw our troops from all over the world, starting with Germany, South Korea and the Philippines. They don’t want us there. We would station troops at our borders. No one sneaking through holes in the fence.

AL SAID:2. We will send the children of all the congressmen and senators who voted for the war to Iraq to fight alongside Miguel and Tyrone. ---Starting with the Bush daughters. Any congressman or senator who refuses to send his children will have to go himself and learn how to defecate in a hole in the ground.

ROBIN SAID:3. All illegal aliens have 90 days to get their affairs together and leave. We’ll give them a free trip home. After 90 days the remainder will be gathered up and deported immediately, regardless of who or where they are. France would welcome them.

AL SAID:3. All illegal aliens are more than welcome into the country. I seriously doubt “Curt” and “Brad” will be happy picking fruit and mowing our lawns. All white people who are descended from the Europeans who massacred the Native Americans must return to their European countries of origin where they will enjoy French fries with mayonnaise, tight jeans, and body odor.

ROBIN SAID:4. All future visitors will be thoroughly checked and limited to 90 days unless given a special permit. No one from a terrorist nation would be allowed in. If you don’t like it there, change it yourself and don’t hide here. Asylum would never be available to anyone. We don’t need any more cab drivers or 7-11 cashiers.

AL SAID:4. No diplomat, politician, or “aide worker” from America may travel abroad, as this is the cause of countries getting FUBARed (F#@&ed up beyond all recognition.) Christian missionaries need to grow some backbone and try to convert American Muslims...like me!

ROBIN SAID:5. No “students” over age 21. The older ones are the bombers. If they don't attend classes, they get a “D” (for “deport”) and it's back home baby.

AL SAID:5. Anyone involved in a corporate crime in which thousands of hard-working people get ripped off, should be made to relinquish his country club membership and be publicly beaten by cheated stockholders.

ROBIN SAID:6. The US will make a strong effort to become self-sufficient energy wise. This will include developing non-polluting sources of energy but will require a temporary drilling of oil in the Alaskan wilderness. The caribou will have to cope for a while.

AL SAID:6. The US will make a strong effort to get its citizens to get off of their fat, lazy, cheese-eating asses and stop draining the world of 60% of its resources, while the US makes up less than 1% of the world's population. Damn greedy bastards!---The caribou will be eaten by fat Americans.

ROBIN SAID:7. Offer Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries $10 a barrel for their oil. If they don't like it, we go some place else. They can go somewhere else to sell their production. (About a week of the wells filling up the storage sites would be enough.)

AL SAID:7. If Saudi Arabia doesn’t give us oil then the ENTIRE economy of the US will go straight to sh$%, and Jimmy won’t be able to buy that SUV he wanted with the Hemmy engine. Poor Jimmy. Saudi Arabia should get wise and cut off all oil to the US and sell it all to France and Germany to make them superpowers. Viva la France!

ROBIN SAID:8. If there is a famine or other natural catastrophe in the world, we will not “interfere.” They can pray to Allah or whomever for seeds, rain, cement or whatever they need. Besides, most of what we give them is stolen or given to the Army. The people who need it most get very little, if anything.

AL SAID:8. The US will put an end to the IMF and World Bank which goes around the Middle East and offers their governments money through loans that are taxed and paid back with 900% interest. Instead of offering help to their own citizens like people living in slums and ghettos right here in this country, the US will continue to give 4 BILLION dollars a year to Israel, so more innocent people can be displaced and killed. Hey, we need our oil!

ROBIN SAID:9. Ship the UN Headquarters to an isolated island some place. We don’t need the spies and fair weather friends here. Besides, the building would make a good homeless shelter or lockup for illegal aliens.

AL SAID:9. Hollywood needs to stop making these bullsh$%, historically inaccurate movies about Pearl Harbor, the US invasion of Somalia, the HOLOCAUST (please for the love of Jehovah), Vietnam, and Jesus Christ!

ROBIN SAID:10. All Americans must go to charm and beauty school. That way no one can call us “Ugly Americans” any longer. The language we speak is ENGLISH.....learn it...or LEAVE...

AL SAID:10. For once, we are in total agreement!

ROBIN CONCLUDED:Now, ain’t that a winner of a plan. The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying ‘Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses.” She's got a baseball bat and she’s yelling, “You want a piece of me?”

AL CONCLUDED:Now ain’t that a winner of a plan. The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying “Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses.” She’s got a black hood over her face with electrodes driven into her wrists while her brother is forced to get naked and bend over while an inbred, pig-smelling, soldier points and laughs. Nanu Nanu!

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