featured

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U

This is neat!

The MSNBC interview with these guys: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/25928755#25928755

This is just cool!

Years ago, when I became Muslim and began attending the madrasah, I met one of the sons of the Imam of the community, whose name was Khadir. He was a bright young man, whose aspirations seemed endless. Though we had few discussions, his kind and smiling demeanor impacted me positively. In one of our discussions I asked him what his major would be at Indiana University and he told me he intended to go into medicine. As he was attending, he got into a fight with some white students - so I was told - and later was sent to prison for I think a couple of years - I am uncertain.

When he was released, he was totally different man. I remember very clearly that his demeanor changed, he became ‘inward’. He would stay with his father in the masjid, but something wasn’t right. I tried several times to talk to him, only to be avoided. I was puzzled. What happened to the young man who was so kind, had great akhlaaq, and was part of a family that was very loving? I recall one day I had just missed the jama’ah in the masjid, as did khadir, and we made Salah together. After Salah I saw an opportunity to converse. ‘So how are you?’ I asked. ‘Ok’. Khadir says as if he doesn’t want to talk. Khadir, you remember those times we shot some hoops and so and so got schooled? *He smiles* - and without saying a word, walks off with salams. Just like that! Nothing more!

It wasn’t but a few months later he killed a security officer at a local university here.

You can read the story here: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/3758076/detail.html#

I admit that I go to that site sometimes just to look at his picture, just to see his face again. The picture does not do him justice however. He always smiled. This man was not close to me by any means. It is his story, however, that has penetrated my innermost. I simply can not move on from this incident. It has been four years, yet, at random moments I still see him sitting in the corner of the masjid, looking ‘out of place’, as if he were not even there at all. This was a young man who attended an Islamic school, started by his very own mother. His family upstanding, as was he. Yet, in only a wink into time, everything about him changed. Gone!

Some may be reading this and asking why did he do what he did…Well I know why! His mind and spirit were broken. He could no longer think rationally, for his mind felt betrayed, abandoned for so long as he stay in prison without the company he previously had. His mind felt out of place as it entered the “real” realm again.

Or maybe something happened to him in prison that he never told anyone about - which I think is the most possible reason. Maybe he had PTSD…

I’m not certain how to get the rest of my thoughts and feelings expressed in this post. There is so much I want to say, so many theories my mind has concocted over these years since it occured. Though there is a principle I draw from all of this: The mind is incredibly fragile. All of us think we are sane - even if we jokingly say we aren’t. What I saw, in a matter of months, was a man wanting to become a doctor, turning into a paranoid, out of place, traumitised man - a beaten Muslim - broken by the ’system’.

In truth, I am not certain his story will ever stop haunting my mind. In every attempt I make to rationalise this incident, I only find myself affirming the fact that Allah is truly the only one in control. It is His decision to do with us what he wants. You think you are rational, stable in mind and faith, yet in moments all that you work so hard for, all that you ‘are’ is stripped from you…

That’s it. Its over…Just like that!

A patient I was with today who has cancer was hallucinating. They took their hand and began reaching for the ceiling. I asked them what they were reaching for, they didn’t answer…Again I asked…then they said, ‘I am reaching for life’.

For life I am reaching

clinging, hoping

yet the more I reach for it

the more it keeps slipping away

Realizing its all not worth it

Realizing “life” is only worth living for The Eternal

Not Worth Living for the mundane!

Lately I have been reading Ibn Kathir’s Tabaqat. He mentions a cool story about Imam Ash-Shafi’i.

This dude comes up to Imam Ash-Shafi’i and says, ‘what do you say about a man who puts a date in his mouth and says to his wife, if you eat the date your divorced, and if you don’t eat the date your divorced. So Imam Ash-Shafi’i said, ‘Have her eat half of the date - that way she is neither divorced, or not divorced.’

Ya, that was such a stupid question, but a cool answer. I bet you wouldn’t have thought of it!

It so happens that I am an Obama supporter. Now that either warrants a boastful Takfeeri smile from the Khariji SJers or an attack by some wacko Muslim Clinton supporter. While I was in London, I had attached to my jacket an OBAMA ‘O8 button that apparently warranted very interesting conversations from londoners. Some brazilian immigrant argued with me for an hour that it is impossible for a black man to win the presidency. Others argued that the white south would never vote for a black man.

This is my prediction on the upcoming election, but if you really want to see how it is going to go down you will need some visual aid to assist you in understanding my theory. Click here, then read on.

Goal: 270 Electoral Votes

Obama will unite the democratic party by choosing either Clinton as VP, or someone like Jim Webb. This means that he has 172 e. votes in the bag. - marked in dark blue on the map. The swing states, though they won’t be are a total of 80 Oregon - 7 :  Washington - 11 : Minn. - 10 : Wis: 10 etc…

totalling 252…

The big question is where does the extra 18 come from?

Check this out: Notice the red-striped states in the map. If Obama just won Ohio, with all the other states that went democrat last time, it would be over and he would win. What if he loses?

Florida? 27 e. votes! Probably not though.

I have another possible scenario! I think he will win New Mexico =5 votes. The last margin was by less than 1 percent. I think he could win Iowa as well. Why? This state put him in! Not only that, the youth have come out strong for him in the state. Iowans are anti NAFTA as well; a plus for Obama. It is very possible - and likely - he will win Iowa! That is 7 more = 12 … 6 more? Where does he get it?

Colorado! It went for him big in the democratic caucus. Not only that but Colorado is much more open minded and democratic friendly than Florida. They have a Democratic governor! They also are hosting the Democratic National Convention, which brings a huge boost to the morale of the party as well as the independent vote there in Colorado. Not to mention that they hate bush, and we all know MCcain is another bush.

So there it is! He wins by taking New Mexico, Colorado, and Iowa. Or he could just win Florida or Ohio, that simple!

There is, however, a snake in the grass. What if McCain wins the popular vote? What then? See, the following states have enacted a new voting platform:

Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland have enacted the National Popular vote bill, wherein the one who wins the popular vote, wins their electoral delegates. All of the states are Democratic states. So if such occurs, its over. Vermont and Maine have been added to that list. Remember that Bush/Cheney won the popular vote in the last election: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922901.html

Now. I have my doubts that the maps will be shaped like last time. I have a strong feeling that Louisiana will go democrat as they really hate the republicans right now. They even gave up a congressional seat to a democrat for the first time in a Loooong while.

Another state that could go Democrat is North Carolina. I have heard Obama supporters argue that their turnout rate was higher than expected and if they could win some more independent votes they could beat mc cain in North Carolina. In such a scenario, North Carolina would give up 15 votes. Needing only 3 more according to the plans above which could be a New Mexico or a Colorado or just one state to switch!

The Obama campaign has to get the vote out though. If they don’t they will lose hands down because of the states who have signed on to the popular vote bill.

That is my political theory.

Salamu ‘Alaykum to all…

Yes, my dear readers, Keni - my African Grey - has grown to full-size. The only thing left is for his eyes to change color. Here are some pictures at approximately 4 months of age:

Continued

Bismillah, and Salamu ‘Alaykum

Let me first state that the flight to London sucked! Delta cancelled my flight from Indianapolis to Charlotte so we had to wait longer to get a flight, which in turn made us LITERALLY run in the charlotte airport just to catch our London flight. So after all of the running etc, we get seated on Delta’s international flight to London. The seats were so close I was choking. Upon arriving at Gatwick airport we entered the UK with absolutely no troubles. It was smooth, almost tooooo smooth! It then took us a few minutes to figure out how to use the rail. Once that issue was solved I boarded the train. I sat next to an elderly gentleman. Being the curious American Muslim that I am, and a bit politically savy, I begun by asking this man all sorts of questions. “Sir”, I said in a question-like voice, “Don’t you feel that ‘big brother’ is watching every move you make?” Cameras are everywhere, I stated. The gentleman responds with, “I have nothing to worry about! I didn’t do anything, so I don’t mind my government recording my moves. Besides - he states - they just recently caught some drug traffickers by using these cameras. Its making my country safe, he exclaims!

 Then I asked, “Do you trust your government?” To which he replied without hesitation, “Absolutely!” I was shocked! I had heard that other “western” nations trusted their governments, but never actually met someone who did. I questioned him further regarding the the tories and the labor parties. It shocked me that the tories, a party considered “conservative”, were actually so much like the democrats of America. So after harassing him some more concerning the costs of england, my questions ended, for the train arrived! I thanked him politely and off we went, directly into London.

Again, the first thing I noticed were police and security cameras everywhere. A ubiquitous symbol of a police state. We decided to take a cab to the Hotel room, Best Western downtown. The hotel was planted perfectly in London. Right next to the “arab-Muslim” street, Edgeware road, and close to all of the sights to see.

Continued

Yesterday I went to visit the baby Grey. It was a bit scared at first. He bit my wife (she acted like it was hard *rolls eyes*) due to being a bit scared. However, after about an hour of loving and caring time spent with it, he warmed up and even begun walking! Such a beautiful creature he is, masha’Allah . His feet are huge for his body mass, so he trips over them and has difficulty walking, but he did well. We sat him out on the table and he had a blast. Now comes the good news! We have learned the gender. Its a boy! So now, I have to come up with a name. If you have any suggestions, go ahead and post them. My wife suggested “Jundi”. So here are some of the latest pics with our little fella:

Continued

So after reading a few books and visiting a specific African Grey breeder several times, I decided to buy a newly hatched African Grey. Obviously it [Notice I use "it" in reference to the little fella. The gender is not certain yet. It will be sent out for sex testing in a few weeks insha'Allah /God Willing. I will call it "him" on occassion because that is what I will do, get over it] has to be weaned, so we can’t have it in our home yet. Here are some pics:

This is “it” in its tote, with a warm blanket around it because it has no feathers! It is so tiny!

Continued