Naeem's Blog

I wanted to clarify that my previous post was not intended to be simply an anti-Saudi-establishment rant. In fact, I’ve previously criticized the unfortunate expat pastime of whining and bashing against the Saudis.

Although I focused on the Mutawwa and their less-than-logical techniques, I truly believe their methodology typifies the ill-advised approach to reform employed by so many Muslims around the world.

We Muslims are all about window-dressing. Our idea of self-improvement is akin to putting make-up on a pig.

It's never about replacing the rotten core.

It's ‘religiously’ easier to grow a beard than to suppress your anger.
It's easier to don the scarf than to bite your tongue.
It's easier to memorize a host of ahadith than to crush your pride.
It's easier to use a miswak than to mend a broken relationship.
It's easier to lower your gaze and turn away from a sister than to help her with her groceries.
It's easier to regulary attend the local masjid than to turn away a bribe.
It's easier to correct others than to master the art of silence.

It’s so much easier to tackle the demons within by covering them with a thin coating of religiosity.

Whether it’s your self, your child, or your society, dealing with the outer forms of the sickness is quicker and less tasking than dealing with the inner essence of the problem.

Internal change (Islah) requires coming to terms with the repulsiveness of your true self, accepting scathing criticism by those more knowledgable, and adopting a long-term strategy to rectification.

Very painful, very difficult and very ugly.

Sadly, we are all the Mutawwa, in one form or another. We are all resistant to the pressures and pains of true internal reform, preferring the relative comforts of piety of the exterior.

The Saudi Religious Police (also known as Mutawwa) have been getting a bad rap for quite some time. In addition to all the negative energy directed towards them by the general public, they've come under greater media and governmental scrutiny for recent cases of extreme abuse.

I would normally not add fuel to this fire (as opinions are very emotionally charged from both sides), but I couldn't avoid chiming in on my dear friend Shariq's first blog entry over at Minjid.com.

The brother presents his case for supporting 'the Commission' as they provide an invaluable service to society.

I say hogwash.

My gripe is not with their abuses of power (which even their supporters condemn), but with the entire premise of enforcing Islamic principles. It makes no sense that propagation of (selected) virtue and removal of (selected) vice be forced down the throats of the masses.

And even if the Mutawwa were to succeed in covering every woman and forcing every man to pray, then what? Would that magically transform Saudi society into an Islamic utopia? All this obsession with the outer forms while ignoring the internal states is pure folly and doomed to failure.

The Prophet (saw) was sent with the primary mission to perfect akhlaq (moral character, etiquettes) - a lofty goal that can never be accomplished with superficial tactics of forcing people to pray and cover. The proper way is to focus on the hearts and attract people to the balanced teachings of our beloved Prophet (saw).

Honey. Vinegar. Flies. It's really not that complicated folks!

Why not teach people (dare I suggest *by example*, gasp!) to treat each other nicely, renounce bribery, avoid littering, give each other the benefit of the doubt, carry out fair financial transactions, treat maids and drivers with kindness, shun domestic abuse, embrace education, properly queue in lines, drive like humans, and so on?

These principles of justice, kindness, and civility are more important to society than ensuring that every strand of hair is covered or every man is praying in the masjid.

After all, what has decades of harassing unrelated couples and closing businesses at prayer times gotten them?

Internet pornography, Satellite dishes in over 90% of homes, and a flourishing underground homosexual society.

They've simply swept the problems off the streets and into the homes. How convenient.

Yay for a forced veneer of piety!

The Mutawwa consistently choose form over substance which has always proven to be a failed approach. Hearts remain unaffected by their brutish efforts.

They have disenfranchised the vast majority of Saudi youth with their shallow attempts at enforcing virtue and thwarting vice. They may have 'cleaned up' the streets of Saudi Arabia, but the hearts remain as polluted as ever.

Is that the type of Islamic society our dear Prophet (saw) struggled for?

Note: My rant is equally applicable to Iran, Afghanistan, or any other nation attempting to police piety.

Well, sort of:

Under the picture of the woman driving is text saying 'Say YES to women driving'.

Sorry for the poor quality of the pic, but I had to quickly snap it while driving. I was extremely shocked to see a sticker as brazen as this one, especially in Riyadh (this sort of stuff is more expected from the more liberal Jeddah).

Of course, not everyone shares the above driver's sentiments. Abu Ilyas has an interesting picture from the other side.

When I first arrived to Riyadh, I thought it peculiar how shops were arranged. You'll find shops selling a certain commodity all grouped together. For example, there's a cellphone souk (Arabic for market) with dozens of stores, all selling the same models of phones. Same for the computer souk, gold souk, car souk, and so on.

I found it very odd at first because back in the US, retailers don't open their shops right next to the competition. That simply doesn't make business sense.

American entrepreneurs scout out a location to ensure they are one of the few selling their wares in the vicinity. After all, if I'm selling cellphones, my business would obviously do better if I'm the only seller in the area.

And so, when I first saw stores lined up, one after the other, all selling the same items, I was seriously confused. How do they ever make money? Why not relocate to another place, away from the competition?

And then after settling down, I realized how convenient these souks are for the consumer. Instead of driving all over Riyadh looking for the store that sells what I want, I simply go to the souk and shop around. No hassle of driving from one end of town to the other. Everything is available within walking distance.

I now am perplexed how shoppers in the West survive, having to drive long distances, going from store to store to find what they need.

The convenience here is amazing. And the vendor of item X realizes that his chances of making a sale are increased when he's located in the X souk as opposed to a location where he is the only one selling item X.

Some of you may be thinking, 'Big deal, we have shopping malls in the West', but the two are actually quite different.

The souks I'm referring to are more analogous to a strip plaza with twenty clothing stores, all selling the very similar, if not the exact, style of clothing, from the same manufacturer or supplier, with differences in sizes and colors available in each store's stock.

If you want your car fixed, there's a designated area with dozens of mechanics and auto-repair shops. You want to buy a satellite dish, you'll find a strip of 15 shops, all selling the same variety of dishes. If you want plants for your garden, there are flower markets consisting of large stalls, all attached to each other, all selling the same flowers with slight differences in the variety offered.

And this mentality has even spilled onto the streets. When a Saudi parks on the side of the road to sell watermelon or dates out the back of his truck, it's only a matter of time before five others do the same.

If the same thing were to occur in the US, the original vendor would bark at the others to go find their own turf.

I would like to think that these Muslim sellers embody the divine principle of tawakul (trust in Allah) and acknowledge that their rizq (sustenance) is pre-determined by Allah, so no matter if they were the only one in the area or one of several hundreds, their lot is fixed.

But I'm too cynical to think so positively of these folks.

Truth is, these rascals probably collude with each other to set the prices. And being so close only facilitates their conspiring.

Oh well, at least it beats having to drive around town.

My youngest brother has recently started his residency training somewhere near Chicago and shared with me this very funny story:

I was sitting in the physicians lounge in front of my computer looking up the history of a new patient we got called for, and I could overhear the conversation of few second-year residents. There were two internal medicine residents talking over with a radiology resident (who just finished his preliminary year in internal medicine) about radiology and how laid back a lifestyle it is.

Right behind me, with his back to me, was a Pakistani, and across the room were the other two residents, one Ethiopian and the other Indian - the radiologist. Here's how the conversation went:

"So how many hours do radiologists work?", asked the Ethiopian guy.

"8-5 - normal office hours. On call once a week for the second and third year and never again for the rest of my life". He was so proud of himself, that cocky Indian.

"And how much do they make?"

In comes the Pakistani brother, with the thickest possible desi accent he could conjure, "They make a loadshed of money."

Huh?! What does a loadshed of money mean? How does this Paki FOB know of a word to describe 'huge' or 'enormous' that I don't?! I've realized for a while now that my vocabulary is pretty bad, but now this was just putting me to shame.

So there I sat, trying to come up with a meaning for the word - loadshed, like from the word loadshedding. But that means power failures - what does that have to do with 'alot'? I don't know, maybe if you take off the '-ing' it becomes a totally different word.

Or maybe he was saying loadshed as in 'a shed loaded with money'. That could make sense. Or maybe...

And then came a voice, seemingly to correct my thoughts so I could get back to work.

"Shitload, I mean," he mumbled, but loud enough for me to hear.

"Shit...load, yaar get it straight, shitload." he repeated under his breath, berating himself so as not to make the mistake again.

Mystery solved.

For your surfing pleasure:

Time magazine has a nice photo gallery of what 16 families from across the world eat in one week.

Is it me or does the family from Ecuador seem amazingly happy? Especially in comparison to that German family. They really seemed pissed at something. (h/t to Aaminah)

JD over at Dunner's Blog put together a series of amazing posts (here and here as well) inspired by Hugh Kennedy's book, Great Arab Conquests. In fact, his posts piqued my interest so much so that I actually ponied up $10 for a used copy. JD bro, it better be worth it! :-)


Finally, here's a funny video:

I was asking a Saudi co-worker about his nation's obsession with Kabsa, a traditional Saudi dish consisting of a mound of rice with either chicken or lamb thrown on top. He himself admitted to eating it everyday for lunch. And he mentioned that many Saudis eat the same dish for lunch AND dinner.

I remember another co-worker proudly declaring that during Ramadan, he has to have Kabsa for Suhoor, every single morning!

Their simplicity is mind-boggling. No Saudi appetizers, no Saudi side-dishes, and no Saudi desserts.

Just Kabsa.

I'll admit that it took me a while to warm up to Kabsa – I'm used to some curry on top of my rice. But now that I've gotten used to it, I actually like it. But not so much to accept it every single day.

I just don't understand that.

He explained that the mindset, especially with the older generation, is to view food for its utility. The meal is not an experience to be savored or a source of entertainment. The meal is simply a source of energy for the body. The entertainment, if needed, comes from the conversation during the meal, not the meal itself.

I find such an unsophisticated approach to eating commendable. Food ceases to be the goal and returns to its original role of serving as a means to the goal (of sustenance). One relishes the quality of one's company as opposed to the quality of the food.

But maybe the Saudi style of eating has nothing with such higher aspirations. Maybe they're simply too culturally lazy to innovate new dishes. After all, the Saudi men all wear the same dress. ;-)

Finally, it's worth noting that the newer generation does not share the same culinary ideals of their forefathers. Indian and Chinese food are very trendy with the younger families, in addition to the unfortunate habit of fast-food.

So much for higher aspirations.

I know how so many of you are looking to step out of the shadows of your male counterparts. We all know how traditional Muslim societies don't have such a great track record when it comes to treating women with justice and respect.

I know how many of you have dabbled with the countless strands of feminism and have found them lacking. Many of you believe that Islam provides the best of both worlds, a balanced approach where you can forward your position in a male-dominated society without sacrificing your prized femininity, all under an umbrella of deep spirituality.

However, I wanted to ask you about one issue, namely the newfound assertiveness found in many modern women.

Submissive is out, aggressive is in. The free ride that men have had where they make uncontested decisions, bark out their demands, and expect everything their way is over.

And you know what? I say g'd on ya, mate! (that's Australian)

But with a caveat.

If you are going to insist on not only voicing your opinion, but having it your way, you must be prepared to present it in a rational, logical manner.

And you must also be prepared to intellectually defend your stance against others who may not necessarily see it your way.

And all this must be done without resorting to tears and emotional outbursts.

Can you handle that?

The way I see it, traditional roles are not simply based on physical strength (although that is an undeniable factor), but on the male vs. female approach to problem-solving and decision-making.

Men are more calculating. Women are more passionate. Together, they form a harmoniously complimentary dynamic. But when it comes to making a decision or leading a people, the former (calculating) is preferable to the latter (passionate).

So now we come to modern times where women are sick and tired of being passive recipients of pronouncement made by their men. They're demanding that room be made for them at the decision-making table.

And room we shall make for you.

But is too much to ask that you articulate your thoughts and desires in a way conducive to making rational decisions?

Can you weigh the pros and cons of a matter without resorting to emotional justifications that, admittedly, are important to you, but may not translate the same to others?

If so, I'm convinced that your relationships with husbands, fathers, brothers, and friends will be the better for it.

Otherwise, I fear that you will continue to be relegated to the realm of child-bearers and home-keepers.

As if I needed any more proof that political Islam will never succeed without a deeper, more substantial spiritual reform, news comes from Turkey that two retired general were arrested in over an alleged plot to overthrow the Islamically-inclined AK Party.

And if that isn’t enough in the tough-times department for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his party is currently fighting for its life in the judicial courts against charges that they are undermining secularism in Turkey.

I said it in my last post on Anwar Ibrahim and I’ll say it again when the AK Party goes down (either via the court ruling or through an inevitable military coup), Muslims need to stop putting the proverbial horse before the cart by focusing on political solutions.

We need to get our hearts and minds in order, reconnect with Allah (swt), and place our trust in Him.

He will take care of the rest.

I'm continuously surprised by the number of Muslims who are unaware of the tragic plight of Anwar Ibrahim. Most don't know that he was an up-and-coming internationally-renowned Muslim leader in the 90's (reaching as high as deputy-PM of Malaysia), whose star was suddenly shot down by his mentor, a jealous Mahathir Mohammad (then-PM of Malaysia).

The outlandish charges back in 1998 against Ibrahim were of engaging in sodomy with his driver as well as corruption. That eventually landed him in jail, resulting in the infamous picture where he sported a black eye after only a few days under police custody. (charges were eventually dropped, but only after 6 years in jail)

History surely repeats itself.

The charge of sodomy has once again reared its ugly head in an attempt to again slander Ibrahim.

On the heels of a major upset against the ruling National Front in the March elections, opposition parties were looking to make serious waves in Malaysia, with Ibrahim as a strong candidate for the next Prime Minister.

Until now.

"Not again" was the reply by Ibrahim when he spoke from the Turkish Embassy, where has taken refuge for his safety from the Malaysian government.

But I must admit, that after my initial shock and disappointment upon reading this news, I'm beginning to get a better sense of Allah's Wisdom.

I fear that Muslims would have gotten a false sense of hope that the submarine of the Ummah, having sunken to unbelievable depths over the past few centuries, is finally making its long-awaited resurfacing.

With a charismatic leader at the helm of a pluralistic Muslim nation, enjoying financial success as well as political stability, many Muslims would have rejoiced at our collective turn of fortune.

But that would have caused us to overlook the fundamental sickness plaguing the Ummah – our broken relationship with our Lord.

I'm convinced that the Muslim world simply isn't ready for a strong, upright leader (as Anwar Ibrahim seems to be). The problem has never been about electing or appointing a worthy leader. The problem has never been about locating the next Salahuddin.

The problem has always been about us, not our leadership. We just aren't worthy of any mantle of authority.

No matter how politically active Muslims become, their efforts will keep getting thwarted. Musharraf has done it. Mubarak has done it. And now, the Malaysian establishment is doing it.

This latest turn of events is a clear sign to Muslims that we must realign ourselves with the concepts of true Islamic reform. Reform will not come about by political activism. Reform will not be found in assimilating into the global socio-economic infrastructure. Reform will never be grounded on modern concepts of 'advancement' or 'civilization' or 'enlightened moderation'.

The reform taught by the Prophet (saw) was to struggle to establish the Islamic state within while struggling to establish the Islamic state without. Too many have neglected the former while focusing solely on the latter.

The balance has been lost.

And therefore, as a blessing to us (as well as the rest of world), Allah (swt) has placed a political straitjacket on the Ummah – preventing it from tasting any political power so as to prevent it from causing any harm unto others or to itself.

As a blessing to us (and the rest of world), we will continue to see failed political/military efforts for establishing Muslim states or electing Muslim leaders (Algeria, Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Hamas, Anwar Ibrahim).

Allah (swt) will either send the Americans or a military junta or the Ethiopians or the Israelis or even a 23-year-old political aide, but the results will be the same – no power for the Muslims.

We simply are not ready for the immensely grave responsibility of being representatives of the Most High (khalifat-Allah).

As I see it, I refuse to place a gun in my child's hands. Similarly, Allah (swt) has refused to place power in the Ummah's hands.

In both cases, the results would be tragic.

One of the greatest sources of frustrations for many expats living in Saudi Arabia is the closing of stores during prayer times. You may end up waiting almost 45 minutes before the store re-opens. So around the prayer times, it’s not uncommon to see mad dashes to grocery stores and shopping centers, to make that final purchase right before the Adhan is called and the doors are closed. Countless number of times, my family and I made that same dash only to be thwarted by store employees eager to start their prayer break a few minutes early.

At first, I really let these frustrations fluster me. I would get very upset and angry, at having to make my family wait for almost an hour for an errand that could have been completed in 10 minutes.

And this ‘unprofessional’ concept of time is not only witnessed in the malls, it is widespread throughout the Saudi bureaucracy. Paperwork is NEVER accomplished in one day. It’s normal for a 30-minute process to take over a week. Patience is not a virtue over here, it’s a requirement!

So as these tests of my patience continued to occur, I began to internalize these turn of events and discovered a much deeper benefit. I began to loosen my tight grip on controlling my time. I began to realize that I am a slave of time, not the other way around.

As much as we would like, life does not occur at our pace. We occur at its pace. And this realization, that time is out of our control, is a foundational difference between traditional Eastern societies and modern Western society.

Time as defined by modern society is extremely precise. The beginning of their day is at 12am sharp, otherwise known as midnight. Their months are exact. They know which months are 30 days and which ones are 29 (I think February was adopted). Based on this precision, meetings are made, appointments are arranged, schedules are set, and life is controlled.

And then we have the traditional Muslim society who has trademarked and patented imprecision. The Muslim calendar day begins after sunset, whenever that may be. Really, when does that occur? Here in Riyadh, the Adhan for Maghrib is called right when the sun begins to set – with light still overcoming the darkness. On the other hand, back in the states, I always prayed Maghrib when the darkness had taken over and one was certain that the sun had set.

This got me thinking – if the beginning/ending of the Muslim day is so indistinguishable, when would the deadline for taxes be? Would it be Maghrib 'sharp' on the night before April 15th? How does one define that? Also, how would they celebrate the countdown to the New Year with the whole apple-dropping ceremony in Times Square? Wait, that wouldn’t happen in a traditional society.

Similarly, with no concept of midnight, how would Cinderella’s fairy tale have turned out? She would have had a legitimate gripe with the fairy godmother about the exact timing of sunset. I know I would have.

And then there are the issues with the lunar months. The annual moon-sighting problems of Ramadan and Dhul-Hijjah bring to light the inexact science behind the determination of our Islamic months. That we've celebrated Eid on three separate days in a single community demonstrates the absurdity of the situation. However, my purpose is not to pick on deep-rooted scabs of our Muslim societies. I have higher aspirations. (stop snickering)

Upon more reflection, I noticed a profound foundational difference between the two disparate concepts of time. The traditional system has a deliberate connection with nature that requires for man to remain cognizant of his universal surroundings. In remaining dutiful to his Lord, he has no other choice. He is always mindful of the sun and its daily cycle. He is aware of the differences in the prayer times during the various seasons. He is constantly keeping an eye on the moon so as to measure the months. For those interested in fasting the three middle days of the lunar month, they’re looking out for the full moon. The faces of Muslims are always turning towards the sky, turning towards Allah. This constant reliance on their surroundings imbeds respect and reverence for the universe.

On the other hand, many of us have noticed how modern man has lost touch with nature. The environment has ceased to be a sign of Allah. It has become a tool to be raped for the benefit of man and his insatiable greed. The sun and the moon and their orbits are mere discoveries of science, having been relegated to science textbooks. Modern man rarely turns upwards to the sky – his gaze firmly planted on the earth, symbolic of his outlook on life versus the hereafter.

Time has ceased to be measured by the romanticized cycles of the sun and the moon. Time is now measured by the more precise, yet infinitely more impersonal measurement of radiation from the caesium-133 atom. This divorce from his surroundings has eventually led to man becoming estranged from his Creator.

Modern Muslims need to realign themselves with the natural concept of time, not the wristwatch concept of time. We must stop becoming so consumed with time and start concentrating on life. Time is measured in minutes and hours, while life is measured by knowledge and deeds. Time is void of blood relations and social acquaintances whereas life is built upon them.

Having spent time in Pakistan, I noticed a pleasant social trend that would be impossible in a modern society so infatuated with time. Relatives, near and distant, as well as close friends would feel comfortable in dropping by at any time. There was no feeling of intrusion, only of joyful reception. Without the concerns of being at a certain place at a certain time, people are free to enjoy each others company.

Critics would say that it is this exact attitude that has prevented Muslim societies from joining the developed world. Their laissez faire outlook is an obstacle in increasing the productivity of that nation's manpower. I say, if the cost of joining modern society is losing its humanity, its connection to the universe, then traditional society has made the correct choice.

So the next time you're seething in some overseas ministry office or governmental department, having wasted an entire day, running from one place to another, in an attempt to process your driver's license - sit back, align yourself with the universal concept of time, and take in a deep, rejuvenating breath of life.

Just be careful of all that second hand smoke in the air.

I just learned about the one-day Palestinian Security Summit, where 41 countries have convened in Berlin to discuss the need to establish rule of law in Palestine.

“The conference is aimed at improving the Palestinians' police force, judges, courts and prisons.”

So the best and brightest of the world have decided that the most effective way to curtail and control armed militias (comprised of the local disenfranchised population) in the occupied territories of Palestine, is not by increasing employment (unemployment currently at 80%), investing in the economy, improving the educational system, allowing medical supplies into Palestine, or basically any other possible action vaguely representing hope.

But they’ve decided that a stronger police force, more judges, more efficient criminal justice system, and best of all - more prisons are the best solution to the woes of the Palestinians.

Yaay for Western ‘civilization’ coming to the rescue!!

As I was contemplating on the beauty of Sura Fatiha, it struck me how powerful the essential dua'a in the sura is:

"Guide us to the straight path"

We're asking Allah (swt) to guide us to the path of righteousness. But which path is that? Thus Allah (swt) answers in the following verse:

"The path of those upon whom You (Allah) have bestowed Your blessings."

So it’s a path characterized not by ideals or principles, but by the people who embody those very ideals and principles.

It's not the path of the Quran. It's not the path of the Hadith. It's not the path of detailed Fiqh or correct Aqeedah. It's not the path of dry texts and lifeless manuscripts.

It’s the path of living, breathing individuals. It’s the path traversed by our noble elders, who are able to pass along the experiences and life-long lessons of this journey. It’s the path of beacons of light who we are blessed to sit with and learn from. It’s the path of following the good examples and shunning the bad ones.

It’s the path of interacting with society, not the path of isolating oneself.

It’s the path of sitting at the feet of a teacher, not the path of Do-It-Yourself.

It’s the path of discovering and emulating these vibrant gems of society, not the path of mechanically memorizing drab data from bloodless books.

It’s the path of debasing oneself before another (for the purpose of learning), not the path of anointing oneself over another (for the purpose of teaching).

It’s the path navigated by our spiritual forefathers.

Let us all embark on our journey down this path.

By now, you’ve all heard of Obama’s hijab-gate 'scandal' and the apology he personally offered to the two Muslim women. This has really been blown out of proportion. He wasn't the one who pushed aside the Muslim hijabis (it was campaign volunteers). But even if the mistake were to have been made directly by him, he would have made the same apology and life would go on.

Obama is like every other politician and he must pander to public opinion. He is a slave who must serve his master - his media image. And as long as that is the case, he must continue to tippy-toe around the issue of treating Muslims with respect.

But lets say we entertain the fantasy that Obama is some agent for (positive) change. The issue then really becomes holding him to a consistent standard which must include eliminating islamophobia.

The real scandal is America's widespread acceptance of bashing, mocking, and deriding anything Muslim. And since I’m lazy, I’m simply going to link to Jinnzaman’s astute post on the issue.

Enjoy the read!

I need to get this off my chest.

Most of us have gotten the memo that we must take back the lofty ideals of Jihad from the misguided terrorists...yeah, yeah, they've hijacked Islam, they don't speak for us peace-loving Muslims, they are using Islam for their political agenda, and so on. Jihad is not suicide bombing, airplane hijacking, contractor beheading, killing the infidels, crushing the Jews, blah, blah.

Fine, we get that.

But it seems that the only other alternative is itself another extreme. The concept of Jihad now being peddled seems disconnected from the traditional, balanced view. This modernized version has been sculpted to be more palatable to the western world than to the Muslim world.

Jihad is now the struggle of the nafs.
Jihad is the daily struggle to remain Muslim in the west.
Jihad is a purely historical phenomenon.
Jihad has no place in a pluralistic society.
Islam is about Mercy and Forgiveness, not Jihad.

Sure, the overriding message must be one of mercy (didn't Allah (swt) Himself declare that His Mercy overcomes His Wrath?), but has our Islam become so emasculated and emaciated that any talk of Jihad, regardless of the context, is immediately dismissed as terrorism or Islamism?

The choice thus presented to us is either the extremists' version of Jihad or the 21st century version of Jihad.

'You're either with us or with the terrorists' (sound familiar?)

It's gotten so bad that any mention of the word Jihad sends people to instant denunciation mode. Jihad has become taboo. We don't even have the courage to openly declare the legitimacy of the Jihad being waged against American occupation forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

We need to take Jihad back from those intent on watering it down, stripping it from any confrontational aspect, relegating it to the passive realms of inner purification.

Jihad is about justice.
Jihad is about sacrifice.
Jihad is about talking to the tyrant and giving help to the homeless.
Jihad is about fighting oppression, be it economic, political, or religious.
Jihad is about taking back your land, your rights, your humanity from the one who has no right to them.
Jihad is about taking the wallet out of your back pocket, the pen out of your pocket protector, and the sword out of its sheath.
Jihad is about the political as much as it is the spiritual.
Jihad is about the society AND the self.
Jihad is about confronting the forces that are intent on sabotaging Islam.

And its that last statement that makes many Muslims uncomfortable. In this day and age, it’s a bit discomforting to think in such a militant manner, no?

Talk of the ongoing battles between Haqq and Baatil, the forces of Truth and the forces of Shaytaan come off as a bit too 'Lord of the Rings'-ish, no?

But the reality is that never has a time passed when the flag-bearers of righteousness and justice were not confronted and challenged and rejected and fought and oppressed by the forces of greed and injustice.

Is this epic struggle not the way (sunnah) of Allah (swt)?

So what concept of Jihad are we advocating?

Are we remaining faithful to our beliefs when in the process of rejecting terrorism, we end up promoting a submissive Jihad?

In trying to placate the fears of western society, that Muslims are no fifth column, have we convinced ourselves that there is no room for a military aspect to Jihad?

Is military Jihad to be relegated to the outdated backwaters of Islam, with the likes of the slaves, dhimmis, and concubines?

I need to know, is that what Muslims in the West are now promoting?

I've been lazy in updating my site. So I've added a few more noteworthy blogs and websites while removing some dormant ones.

MuslimMusings – written by a female, Muslim lawyer. Talk about three strikes...

Susie's big adventure – an American sister who recently moved to Jeddah.

Muslim Kid – Young brother sharing his struggles growing up Muslim in America

Tabsir – a site with very insightful articles on Islam, but don't get too excited. (see what I just did? I'm so cool)

Alltop - here's a nice site listing a bunch of Muslim blogs, including yours truly.

Here's a special post for the Muslimahs Speaking Up carnival. Yeah, that's all we need...more Muslim women sharing their thoughts. I kid.

Tabsir reprinted an article from the Engage Minnesota which documented the efforts by Rep. Keith Ellison to shed some light on the estranged US-Iran relationship. The piece continued by presenting the various arguments countering the immense disinformation campaign being waged against Iran.

Its really a worthwhile read.

I just wanted to highlight one sentence, which really struck me as noteworthy:

"On August 9, 2005, it was announced that the highest authority in Iran (above President Ahmadinejad) the Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a fatwa (religious edict based on primary sources of Islam and scholarly thinking) which stated that The production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons are forbidden under Islam and that the Republic of Iran shall never acquire such weapons."

Seeing that Iran is a theocracy, which means the final say goes to the Ulema (scholars); and

Seeing that Ahmedinajad is a devout Muslim, which means he considers it a sin to act in direct opposition to a fatwa (declared by one of the highest ranking scholars),

Isn't it safe to conclude that in both the political sphere as well as the religious one, his hands are tied??

The media as well as the blogosphere constantly decry and condemn questionable fatwas ranging from those calling for suicide bombings to making a woman a mahrem by drinking her breastmilk to the infamous Salman Rushdie fatwa, but how many have heard of this fatwa, which can arguably be considered the most politically relevant fatwa of our times?

My guess is not many.

Hate is a powerful emotion. It stirs up images of rage and violence. It reeks of loss of control. It places one in a position of arrogance and certainty, distancing one from humility and modesty.

Its one thing to hate on issues of black/white, but really, how many of those are there?

I'm talking about hate when it comes to the gray areas. I'm very cautious in opening my jar of hate on any debatable issue. I reserve my feelings of hate for the truly evil abominations, such as rapists, pedophiles, capitalists, MSM, and the sort.

So when it comes to my relationship with America, I don't consider it love-hate. Its more a like-dislike thingie.

And so, to prove that my recent post on why I can't love America wasn't rooted in any irrational hatred against the US, I decided to counter with a list of reasons why I don't hate America:

Because it's essentially a meritocracy. You work hard, you do well. You slack off, you pump gas.

Because rule of law not only exists but is the societal norm. The exception occurs when the law is broken, as opposed to the other way around. Yes, I realize I’m working with pretty low standards here (read Muslim world).

Because of American higher education. Eventhough their primary and secondary schools suck bigtime, the universities are the best in the world.

Because cleanliness is contagious. Americans have pride in keeping their communities and surroundings clean.

Because Americans are polite. 'Thank you', 'please', 'nice to meet you', holding the door open, letting you merge in, waving as you pass by – all small acts of kindness and politeness which reveal a desire to be nice to their fellow human.

Because the underprivileged and the outcast and the neglected of society are given due attention. Whether it’s the handicapped or the divorced mother of three or the ex-con trying to get his life back, America gives them the opportunity to be more than just a burden on society.

Because their anti-immigrant xenophobia is nowhere close to the levels seen in many European countries. Immigrants aren't cordoned off into ghettos, but are actually given the opportunity to integrate into greater society.

Because Muslims are more free to practice their religion in America than most anywhere else in the world. Sad but undeniably true.

Tried to add more to this list, but struggled to come up with anything else.

Suggestions?

Recently a commenter on this blog was questioned on her choice of screen name (hijabisoverrated) and I wanted to chime in on the matter. I can't speak to the motivations of the sister, but I must say that I agree with the sentiment expressed in the name.

Muslims have for too long missed the forest for the trees. We've become so preoccupied with the minutiae of fiqh, aqeedah, hadith, tafseer that we've missed the greater purpose, living a life to please Allah (swt).

Of course aqeedah and fiqh are important, but they are means to a goal, not the goal itself! Were we merely created to master every minute detail of how to tie our turbans? Will our lives be judged based on how we answer the question, where is Allah?

I remember one Imam saying that we will never achieve success until we get out of the bathroom. He was referring to the incessant focus placed on fiqhi issues, such as going to the bathroom.

Hijab is another one of those issues that we all need to get over. Let's move on folks. Let's talk about wider social issues such as education, standing up for the rights of the oppressed (both locally and internationally), fighting against economic injustice, fighting for international justice, countering secularism and liberalism and their evil sidekick capitalism. And let us stop with this ill-advised obsession with peripheral issues.

Its all about misplaced priorities.
Looking 'Muslim' is more important than Acting Muslim.
Talking 'Muslim' is more important than Walking Muslim.

Outward expressions of superficial value have been given priority to the more substantial realms of inner purification and social activism. And why not? The former are quicker to carry out and easier to judge than the latter.

I believe there is a balance between the micro (individual) and the macro (society). Since we've lost control over our macro, too many of us have relegated our lives to dominating the micro, explaining our imbalanced infatuation with personal expressions of piety, resulting in major bouts of hypocrisy and self-righteousness.

Finally, I'm not as pissed as her, but Achelois has a nicely written rant on a similar subject.

I’ve been seeing highlights of the French Open on the news and I got to thinking. Am I the only one who thinks those skimpy tennis outfits worn by the women are totally sexist?

How come the men get to wear knee-length shorts and short-sleeve shirts while the women have to scamper around in tight-fitted tank tops and ultra short mini-skirts? Do the women get some sort of competitive advantage running around in lingerie? If that were the case, I’m sure the men would be playing in speedos.

I’m not even making some Islamic hijab-based argument for covering up. I’m just talking about wearing the same gear the men are wearing.

Tennis seems to be the only sport that has such clothing-based gender discrimination. Basketball, softball, soccer, track and field – all sports wherein women don the same uniforms as their male counterparts.

And truly indicative of their warped sense of morality, these folks ballyhoo the equal prize money as a sign of advancement in gender equality (eventhough women play three sets while men play five!), all the while ignoring the more sexist clothing arrangements.

Warped indeed!

Many activists talk about women being their own worst enemy in the fight against patriarchy and misogyny, referring to cases where women themselves perpetuate social and cultural norms antithetical to gender equality. Choosing to objectify one’s body surely places one into this category.

These female tennis players are equally guilty of sabotaging the women’s rights movement as the Pakistani mother who forces her daughter to return to her abusive husband in the name of preserving family honor.

Shame on these women and shame on the tennis world (organizers, sponsors, and spectators) for allowing such sexism.