October 30 1974

“Ali Boom I ay!” “Ali Boom I ay” “Ali kill him!” translated into English.  The cheers ring round a Kinshasa stadium sitting in the heart of Africa – now the Democratic Republic of Congo.  The humidity adds to the atmosphere as the heavyweight champion of the world and overwhelming favourite George Foreman waits in his corner, ready to fight former champion Muhammad Ali, the hostile crowd and potentially the Zaire rainy season.

The fight is for the heavyweight championship of the world, but far more is at stake, a fight between two Americans has become more than just a boxing match.  Each fighter represents something to the Africans and people around the world; Foreman, rightly or wrongly represents America, the ‘institution’ and Ali, the underdog, represents Africa, ‘the people’.  But how did this happen? Let’s go back and find out.

April 28 1967

The build up to the greatest boxing match in history arguably started on this date.  The Vietnam War had been raging since the early part of the decade, a disproportionate number of black Americans were sent to Vietnam, which incensed black communities.  Ali, who had failed the entry exam to the army (He was later diagnosed with Dyslexia) was later reclassified and subsequently drafted.  Prior to his draft he had converted to Islam, and going to war would have been against his religious beliefs.  It must be pointed out that this conversation had made him rather unpopular with the American public, as the Black Muslims were seen as a militant group.

Ali refused to step forward to be drafted and his punishment was swift and severe.  The US government stripped him of his heavyweight title, took his passport and gave him a 5 year suspended prison sentence.  These actions eventually bankrupted Ali, unable to work, the tide of public opinion started to turn in his favour, particularly as the government had effectively made him a martyr, coupled with the growing anti-war movement – of which he would take centre stage.

Life without Boxing

Banned from fighting, vilified by the American government, frustrated with the lack of equality in the so called ‘land of the free’, Ali did the only thing he knew how, he talked.  Ali went the length of breadth of America, visiting colleges and advocating his anti-war stance, civil rights and his black pride – his famous ‘Black is best’ speech is one of the better known ones.  In our day and age it sounds like racism and maybe it was, but many black Americans were not proud of their skin, they bleached it, they straitened their hair  – they needed someone like Ali, a role model – a symbol of ‘black beauty’.  A documentary from 1970, while Ali was still banned, claimed that his speeches, and what he stood for had “united young blacks and rebellious white youth”.

The road back to the ring

Ali had not only won over the American people, eventually the US government had to relent and in 1970 he was allowed to fight again while his case was pending appeal.  However, Ali had failed to regain his lost title, losing a unanimous decision to Joe Frazier.  Subsequently, Frazier was annihilated by George Foreman in 1973, which set up the Ali/Foreman fight, which would become known as ‘The rumble in the jungle.’

The Rumble in the Jungle

In the 1990 documentary ‘When we were kings’ it was found that many of the African people did not know what Ali or Foreman looked like.  And were surprised to see Ali was lighter than Foreman.  Foreman sealed his role as the ‘American’ by bringing his German Shepherd dog along, offending the people of Zaire as the breed was used by the Belgians to keep order during colonialism.

But the actual fight was remembered for a different reason.  Nobody thought Ali could win!  Ali had said he was going to dance, that he was too fast for Foreman, but in the first round Ali tried a daring and potentially dangerous move.  He threw a succession of ‘right hand leads’ at Foreman.   A right hand lead is seldom performed in professional boxing as you leave yourself open for a left hook.  In fact, it is almost an insult to throw one, implying your opponent is slow, as your hand had to travel further across your body.  Ali was to trying to knock Foreman out, but it didn’t work, instead causing Foremen to fly into a torrent of attack.  Ali wasn’t dancing; in fact he was on the ropes.

And as he was on the ropes he was talking to Foreman, winding him up, causing round after round of attacks, people thought this was the end of Ali, but between rounds he would wink at the crowd and call out “Ali Boom I ay!”

Round after round Ali stayed on the ropes and talked to Foreman, and by the 5^th round Foreman was beginning to punch himself out.  And by the 8^th, Ali decided it was time make history.  With Foreman resting on Ali, his punches lacking bite or power,  Ali exploded into action, unleashing a combination of punches that culminated in an accurate straight right, which knocked Foreman to the canvas and out for the count.

As the bout finished, the rain that has seemed so threatening arrived, amid scenes of mass jubilation.  The man who has lost his title for standing up for his beliefs had gained it back and with it united at least two demographics of American people for the first time.

About the Author: Matthew White is a copywriter for Fresh Egg.  His client deals with a different kind of ‘spa-ing’ providing Gift vouchers and spa gifts for quality spa experiences.

Photo Credit: Galaxy fm.

From this day forward, all of my professional writing and any reference thereto will appear on my new site, TavisOnline.com, a domain I have actually held for nearly a year.

This blog will once again return to what it was intended to be: creative illumination.  My writing always reflects my state of mind, and for the past year, mine has been far too preoccupied with business as usual.  But I have no completed my master’s degree, and I can now safely return to the world of the living.  After all, this life is nothing if we are not consciously living it, rather than just going through the motions.

With Ramadan fast approaching, I cannot help but start to reflect on where I am, where I have been, and where I am going, insha’Allah.  I pray that Allah makes this a fruitful journey and one worth traveling.

May “changing gears” is not even the best analogy.  From this point on, it is a whole new ride.

Grandson of Malcolm X in Rajae El-Mouhandiz’s latestvideo

Rajae El-Mouhandiz is a young Muslim woman from Amsterdam. She is also a world renowned singer of North African descent whose second CD, Hand of Fatima, was released in December 2009. One of the singles in the video, Malcolm Lateef Shabazz, has garnered a lot of positive attention in the past few months.

Read the rest

Watch the music video

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See more at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1562173/a_review_of_the_80s_movie_the_last.html

I have a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP  (yes, the engine is supercharged — that actually felt good to say when gas was under $2.00).

At some point, perhaps more than a year ago, the heating/air conditioning blower stopped blowing on the lowest setting, #1.  Over time, it gradually started losing higher settings, 2, 3, and finally 4.  At that point, heat or a/c would only work on the highest setting, 5.

There was only one thing more unbearable than heat or a/c set constantly on 5, and that is no heat or a/c at all.  On the coldest day of the year, when the temperature was -11 F, and you could see the vapor from your mouth crystallize and fall to the ground when you breathed, the number 5 setting died.

At that point I still had heat.  The blower motor was still blowing full-blast no matter what setting it was on.  When I was leaving work, heading to my car on Wednesday, I noticed a noise coming from the car.  I was standing outside of it, and the doors were still locked.  Upon opening it, I realized that the blower motor was still churning at full power.  Before I could get home, it shut itself off.  Apparently, however, that was just a temporary safety mechanism.

When I went to start the car the next day, the battery was dead.  Charging the battery again would only last until the blower motor zapped the juice again.  I knew I could not delay any longer.  I did not have $300+ dollars to shell out for repairs on my car, so I took matters into my own hands.

Apparently, Grand Prix owners have been plagued with the same failing part: a blower motor resistor that regulates the air output of the blower motor.  If part of it fails, you’ll lose functionality on some settings.  If and when it fails completely, it will never shut off until you pull the fuse, which is what I was forced to do.

It is not just 1997 Grand Prix’s affected by this problem.  Owners of models form every year even up to 2004 seem to have the same problems with this little resistor.  I knew it was a small part and knew that it was located inside of the car (not under the hood or underneath), but nothing could prepare me for the ordeal of trying to replace this part.

In my next post, I’ll detail what it took to obtain the part and finally get it installed into my car.

What is also not surprising, however, is that her conclusions are often wrong when dealing with issues that only “grownups” would understand.  It got my thinking about why this is the case.

For some logic and reason are more important than anything.  Someone with sound logic skills can work out any problem and do so without the tainting of emotional interference.  The true logician is like the Vulcan race from Star Trek, unflinching in their reasoning.

How then can such people ever fail to understand something?  Why does understanding often elude someone steeped in logic?  The answer, which I determined through observation, rather than pure reasoning, is that a person of logic also needs wisdom.

Wisdom is nothing something obtained through first principles or through studying.  Wisdom comes only through life experience, empathy, emotional trials, and often divine guidance.  The child can become very advanced and logic but still does not possess the wisdom that comes naturally with age.  Thus, understanding is not guaranteed.

I am reminded of a story about Luqman (peace be upon him), one of the wisest men mentioned in the Qur’an.  He wanted to teach his son that he cannot please everyone all of the time, but rather than preaching to his son, he allowed him to experience it.

They were traveling with their donkey one day.  Luqman was walking in front of it, and his son was seated on top of it.  A group of passersby saw this and talked amongst themselves (but loud enough for Luqman and his son to hear) saying, “Look at this young selfish boy who lets his old father walk while he enjoys the ease of riding.”

Luqman’s son felt bad after hearing them say this and got down from the donkey, insisting that his father ride it instead.  His father mounted the donkey, and they continued on their way.  Later they came upon some more people, and one of the said, “What a cruel father he is who makes his son walk while he rides in luxury!”

Upon hearing this the two of them both got off of the donkey and walked behind it.  They then came upon another group of people and one said, “How foolish!  They have a perfectly good donkey, yet they walk behind it!  Why do you not ride it?”

Upon hearing this, Luqman’s son decided perhaps it would be best for both of them to ride.  So, they continued with both of them mounted on the donkey.  They eventually passed some more people, and one of the said, “How cruel this duo are, putting all of that load on a small, innocent donkey!”

Luqman and his son dismounted, and he said to his son, “You have heard and seen what the people said. It must have assured you, by now, that whatever you do or whichever way you move, one is not able to please the people of the world.”

“He grants wisdom to whom He pleases; and he to whom wisdom is granted receives indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but people of understanding.” (Qur’an 2:269)

Let us see what’s going on in the world:

Halal Food on a university campus

Make sure to vote for the Brass Crescent Awards

KDE 4 Video Editor, KDEnlive Released

Alan Keyes and Uncle Clarence Thomas are questioning Obama’s Citizenship

I’ll post more later.  There, I blogged something.  Happy?

Sure enough, when I arrived, in the cold, in complete darkness, there was already a line formed outside of about 60 people.  I stepped up behind a friendly couple and waited.  Everyone there was excited and upbeat.  No one complained about the cold or the wait.  It was as if everyone had a purpose, a mission to make something positive happen.

As we gradually moved into the building when the doors opened at 6, it was clear that the line would move pretty quickly.  They had 6 booths set up in the gymnasium of our community center.  I live in a predominantly African American area, and to see so many faces of color exercising their right to self govern this country was sight to behold.

At one point, we all paused at the sound of the vote-counting machine giving a loud beep, kind of like a microwave.  A woman stuck her ballot into the machine again, and it beeped a second time.  More people who had finished voting formed a line behind her, and a volunteer quickly got on his mobile phone to ask someone, apparently an expert on the machines, what to do.  After a few minutes, the situation was resolved and voting resumed.

By 7:00 I was finished and extremely tired.  I prayed salatul-Fajr and headed to work.  There was no point in returning home.  I stopped at a store to pick up some donuts and orange juice, and even the cashier and other customers were so upbeat and enthusiastic about voting.

The overall experience made feel like I was a part of something important.  I only pray that the votes are counted without hassle and that history is made.  More than anything, I’m hoping my first voting experience is not my last.

Nevertheless, I will leave the idea of reviewing it for now and just enjoy the new release, codenamed Intrepid Ibex.

In what is being called the final season of Stargate Atlantis, how dare they toss in a flashback episode!  The latest episode, “Inquisition”, is perhaps aptly named.  Watching it was almost like being tortured in the Spanish Inquisition.  Naturally, they did develop a little story around the flashbacks, but it was not worth remembering, unlike the flashbacks themselves, of which I didn’t need a reminder.

If you don’t have the manhood to make a full episode, just show a rerun.  Don’t tease into thinking we’re getting a new show, only to see a rerun in disguise.  That’s just wrong.

One thing that has always turned me off from books like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and others is the complete whiteness of all of the characters and the Euro-centric locations and motifs.  It seems to be understood, without any questioning, that such characters are to be painted white, and the films based on those books seem to confirm that reality without fail.

To find fantasy books with African, Indian, and Middle Eastern motifs that are not polluted with stereotypical characters and plots is rare.  When I set out to write my book, I did not consciously insert such characters into it.  It was rather an expression of the type of fantasy that I had already envisioned in my head as a young adult and later as an author.

I think most authors write about what they know, and it is not unusual for white authors to write about white characters in white settings.  I can, therefore, only conclude two relative rarities:  1. A black author who writes about fantasy and adventure.  2. A black author who writes about fantasy and adventure and includes black characters without making the story a stereotypical “black issue”.

I’m hoping that I’m just making a generalization and there are at least a few exceptions out there.  If there are, please feel free list them in comments.

We participated in several other sessions, two of which were about the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him and his family peace), a topic that never grows old and always softens the heart.  Imam Mohamed Magid, in particular, had beautiful stories to tell of the Prophet that nearly brought the crowd to tears at times and laughter at others.

My wife and I had a nice quiet dinner in the corner of the convention center while the wealthier Muslims among us dined with Congressman Andre Carson and other dignitaries.  At $40 per person for tickets to the banquet, we opted for some $6.99 Chinese food.

They ran severely over their time limit, and those of us who were not in the banquet went ahead and prayed Salatul-Isha without them.  Finally, after waiting at least another hour, the entertainment began.  It started with a Muslim comedian whose name escapes me and whose comedy was not particularly memorable.  That was followed by a nasheed band called the Travelers who seemed a tad inexperienced but nevertheless very soothing and reflective.

After four songs the main attraction, the premiere of Allah Made Me Funny began.  It was spectacular, side-aching humor that left us with a much better impression of the convention than we had the first day. If I can scrounge up some time, I’ll post a full review of the movie.  For now let’s just say that I highly recommend it.

Overall, the convention is still not what it should be.  The price of attendance is steep, $40 per person (or $60 for husband and wife), and the organization, which is supposed to represent the entire body of Muslims in Indiana, is still heavily populated with people from the subcontinent.  It was rare treat to see a african american face in the crowd, even on Saturday.  Despite that, it was a noble effort, and the jewels of prophetic wisdom that we collected from the people of knowledge during those few sessions made the trip not only worth it, but priceless.

The rest was disorganized, rescheduled, and pretty much boring.  The bazaar was bare and pathetic, and the people were mostly of one ethnicity, which certainly does not represent the body of Muslims that we have in this state.  There were truly only a handful of people there.

The part that could have been the best, the film festival, was late getting started (actually, for all I know, it never started).  My wife and I were tired and decided to just leave.  The only thing that could redeem this convention is the showing of “Allah Made Me Funny” today.  Let’s just pray they don’t find a way to screw that up too, insha’Allah.

Let’s just talk a little about this “financial crisis.”  It is truly amazing that the powers that be have the audacity to spend our money (and it is our money anytime it comes from the government) to bail out organizations that have been swindling us for every penny we own anyway.

The average American is suffering and will continue to suffer, because instead of bailing us out, they’re going to reward the snakes for their venomous bites.  I know all too well what it feels like to not be able to pay the bills, especially hospital bills.  We have been struggling for the past two years, and just one false slip could leave us out on the street like so many others who have lost their homes.

Why are Americans so stupid to allow this to continue?  How can anyone still support these corrupt tyrants?  I’ve lost all respect for the politicians and the people who elected them, and I have no sympathy for whatever happens to them as a result of this mess.  I’m tired of not knowing whether or not I’ll be able to afford to drive to work just so I can pay for more gas to continue driving to work.  Meanwhile, we can’t even afford health care or child care.

And I’m not on minimum wage.  I have what used to be considered a reasonable salary with “benefits”, but it seems not to be enough.

In the end, Allah is enough for me, and I know He will remove us from this condition. Nevertheless, it is sad to see a country I love go down the tube because of a greedy few.

Those greedy few, possibly about 400 people, have more money than the rest of Americans combined.  The world would be better of if the earth just swallowed those 400 people and their pet Zionist Regime along with them.  Yes, I’m an angry black man.  Do something about it if you don’t like it!

In times like these, the world could truly benefit from the wisdom of Islamic economics, ethics, and social values, but unfortunately, too many Muslims are part of the problem.  Leaders in predominantly Muslim countries are just as corrupted, and Muslim-owned businesses tend to deal in the same sinister financial practices.  Meanwhile, there are enough wealthy Muslims to support the weak and poor, but we do not see this either. Instead we see a glittering mosque to the north of the city and storefront mosques in the inner-cities.  There is little cooperation, even less compassion, and absolutely no shame.

The Holy Prophet [may Allah bless him and grant him peace] said: “There will come a time
for people that: they will not respect their scholars except for their
good clothing; they will not hearken to the Qur’an except for the
pleasant voice; and they will not worship Allah except for during the
fasting month; there will be no shyness in their women, no patience in
their poor ones; and no prosperity for their rich ones, they will not
be contented with a small (portion), and they will not be satiated with
abundance. They will strive (only) for their stomach; their religion is
their money (wealth); their women are their Qiblah (direction of
worship); and their homes are their mosques; they run away from their
scholars just as lambs run away from wolves.

We ask Allah to remove the suffering and oppression of those who have suffered and are oppressed.  We ask Allah to uplift the downtrodden and destitute, to heal the wounds of the weak inflicted by the tyrants, and to return justice to the earth.  We ask Allah to remove from the earth the enemies of justice and equality wherever they are, whoever they are, and however He pleases.  We ask Allah to hasten the reappearance of the one who will fill the earth with justice and equality after it had been filled with injustice and tyranny, the champion of the oppressed, the proof of Allah on earth, the beloved of our hearts, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi.

Imam Sayid Hassan Al-Qazwini met on Wednesday May 14, 2008 with Senator Barack Obama, the democratic presidential candidate. The private meeting between the two took place at Macomb Community College – Michigan. In this meeting Imam Qazwini and Senator Obama discussed the upcoming presidential election, the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East and the War in Iraq.

Furthermore, in the end of the meeting Imam Qazwini offered a copy of his newly released book “American Crescent” to senator Obama. Imam Qazwini also invited Senator Obama to visit the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn.

(alqazwini.org)

Today I’m blogging on my new EeePC (more on that later).

Also, Ramadan is right around the corner — truly excited about that. I just pray my health will be better than it has in the past few Ramadans. I suppose that’s a sign that I’m getting old.

Anyway, back to this job. It’s a great school with a brand new building. The Library (media center) is huge with nice wooden shelves, soft new carpeting, plush lounge chairs, built-in media devices, including a projector on the ceiling, HP computers, as well as macbook laptops. The entire school is wireless as well. And my office, don’t even get me started. It’s large, complete with a refrigerator, sink, and a microwave.

I have large windows overlooking a green field and a forest near the river. I’m still getting adjusted, and that has taken more of my time than usual.

There are many issues to blog about, so expect to hear more from me soon, insha’Allah.

Now the dolphin is the default file manager, it only makes sense to add this feature to dolphin.

Prophet: “Your mother.”

Man: “And then who?”

Prophet: “Your mother.”

Man: “And then who?”

Prophet: “Your mother.”

Man: “And then who?”

Prophet: “Your father.”

In other news of corruption:

• Papa John’s stole money from me.  We ordered pizzas with Sprite.  They failed to deliver the Sprite and then refused to refund us.  Sure, it might only be $2 from us, but add up how many others they’ve probably ripped off and it becomes massive fraud.  Don’t buy their pizza.  It sucks anyway.

• My sister-in-law was arrested and charged for a crime she didn’t even know about, much less commit.  The cops are pigs, but you already knew that.

• The EU is fining Microsoft $1.45 billion.  Yeah I know it sounds like a lot, but Microsoft makes $1.5 billion in profits each month.  It’s like fining a lemonade stand $0.25.

• Exxon’s case is being heard by the supreme court, yes the one bought and paid for by the Bush family.  Exxon has proved that oil is thicker than water, and so is cold hard cash, with annual profits at $36 billion.

• Black History Month isn’t quite so short this year.  After all, we get an extra day.

I’ve heard of Korean children growing up in such an environment and then making the choice to go back to their home country to find out who they really are.  But that is not even why I am questioning the real motivation behind such programs that are financed by large Christian missionary organizations.

Why are they choosing Muslim children?  Do they think that they are somehow “saving” them not only from poverty and orphanhood but also from the pyres of Hell?  Is it not only a humanitarian mission but also a crusade?  After all, there are plenty of countries where Christian children need to be adopted (America included).  Why don’t we hear about more Christian families adopting Palestinian Christian babies?  Oh yeah, maybe it’s because most of the organizations support the Israeli occupation of Palestine.  It’s not politically convenient to support Arab Christians.

God knows best what the true intentions of these people are.  Maybe they are just naive political tools or maybe not.  What I do know is that Muslims need to adopt more frequently.  The Prophet did it, the Qur’an highly recommends it, and it seems close to being an obligation for those who can afford to do it.

1.  Survivor’s Guide to Desert Islands  (if that doesn’t exist, someone should write it).
2. The Qur’an
3. Nahjul-Balagha
4. Any book about Mulla Nasruddin (I’ll need humor and some spirituality rolled into one).
5. Survivor’s Guide to Escaping Desert Islands (yes, definitely)
6. Mathnawi (Maulana Rumi will comfort me on my lonely nights)
7. Essentials of Islamic Metaphysics (since I’ll have time, I can finally try to figure out this book).
8. A book with blank pages (so I can write my own)
9. A Thousand and One Nights (I love the stories, and it just sounds appropriate)
10. Survivor’s Guide to Accepting that You Will Not Be Rescued, including the 3-step easy guide to learning any island language so you can marry the native girl stranded on the island with you.

That is all for now.

Oh yeah, and Eid Mubarak to you all.

My advice to any young brothers out there: when it comes time to choose a wife, think deeply about it.  Certain physical and even personality traits will come and go, but a sister who is serious about the Deen, someone who has a connection with Allah that cannot be broken, that is priceless and timeless.

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrated that once a man came to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him and his family peace) and asked him to give him a piece of advice.  The Prophet asked him three times: “Will you make a point of following the advice if I advise you?”, to which the man responded each time, “Yes, O Prophet of Allah.”

So, the Prophet continued, “Then I advise you that when you intend to carry out an action, consider its consequences first.  If they are sound, then go ahead with it, and if they are corrupt, then abandon it.”

– From Wasa’il-al-Shi’a by Shaykh al-Hurr al-Amili in the book “Jihad al-Nafs” #20516.

The only problem is, I didn’t make this blog, yet the user wears my name. No other information is given. I’ve heard of this happening to famous people, but I’m not famous…really, I’m not.

Path of Light
by Adib

Many things are happening. The older issue starts school tomorrow, inshaAllah (preschool that is). We’ve chosen what we think is a decent Islamic school.

The younger one, at 9 months, appears to be just about to start walking. She’s constantly on her feet now.

Me, I’m just trying to make a dollar out of 15 cents and keep my head above water. But I’ve never been happier. Allah is enough for me. SubhanAllah. Allah is enough for me.

1. Every morning, I have everything laid out and done the exact same way, otherwise I’ll forget stuff. My wallet, mobile phone, shoes, etc. are always in the same place. I also always leave about 15 minutes earlier than I need to. And I get up at the same time everyday, even on the weekends.

2. When I read parts of my book, I have no recollection of writing it, as though something possessed me and wrote it for me. I swear I’m not even really a good writer.

3. If it weren’t for my wife and kids interrupting me, I’d spend hours in front of the computer and forget to eat, sleep, and other important things. I would break for the bathroom and prayer, which leads to my next one.

4. If I miss a prayer, I actually feel it physically. It’s as though it makes me sick. Missing a meal has little effect on me.

5. I don’t use any Microsoft products. I have five computers in my house, and all of them run flavors of GNU/Linux.

6. I hate gum. I hate chewing it and hate listening to other people chew it. I think it’s disgusting.

7. When I was a child, I always wore socks, even in bed.

8. I like to take things apart (and sometimes fix things too)…you know gadgets, computers, houses. I recently halved my humongous desk so that I could have more space in my office. I also cannibalize old parts, a bit like MacGuyver.

Hmmm…let’s see. I tag: SoulElixir, IzzyMo, and Planet Grenada…oh yeah, and Dervish (no just kidding. That would perpetuate the cycle of violence).

[Note: I just tried to spell-check this post and couldn't figure out why it was saying that everything, even words like "that" and "lady" were misspelled. Then I realized I had the Arabic spellchecker on from the last thing I typed. Good thing I wasn't typing a book -- If there was a #9, it would be that I cannot survive without spell check].

To clarify, I’m interested in new western groups (not necessarily cults) that often focus their attention to a guru or adopt some elements of eastern thought (whether it be yoga, Buddhism, etc).

One thing that strikes me immediately is the overemphasis on the self by many of these groups. Whereas traditional eastern spirituality focused on defeating the self, much of new-age spiritual thought seems to focus on uplifting of the self, to the point of almost deification.

Self-help, as it is called, soon becomes self-worship. That is one side of the coin. The other side is the self-enlightened guru who deserves even more worship from his followers because his “self” is even higher than theirs. For lack of better terminology, I’ll call this the “Oprah-syndrome.” (not to say that Oprah is a cult leader — geez, it’s just an analogy!)

The new-age guru is not an ascetic, far from it. He/she is usually rich, in some cases, filthy rich (and I use the term filthy in the sense of “dirty money”).

Although the truer forms of new-age spirituality certainly do have elements of bettering society, protecting the environment, and general good will, too many fall short of this, only to be trapped in self/guru worship.

In a sense, it is akin the business pyramid scheme (although this is a spiritual pyramid scheme), where only those at the top reap the benefits. Those at the bottom work diligently to recruit more like themselves, with the promise of becoming like the Oprah…I mean the guru. When they do not, they become disillusioned and usually leave the religion or cult. Nevertheless, they are easily replaced with new recruits.

Islam is not immune to the infection of new-age groups. The Nation of Islam is one that comes to mind (although very little of their focus is on actual spirituality — they still preach the “do-for-self” motto while mostly encouraging the followers to do for the “guru”, in this case the religious leader/minister).

Still, enlightenment can be achieved, and I’m sure there are authentic gurus out there, but there is a sea of misinformation, complex doctrines, and fresh cash to swim through, whereas the path of ihsan (perfection) that comes through submission to God (al-Islam), has always been clear.

A group of the people of Paradise will get worried about some of the people of Hell, and will (therefore) inquire:

“Why are you in Hell? By God, we did not enter Paradise except through what we learned from you.”

The Hell-bound will reply: “We did not practice what we preached.” (literally: we spoke but did not act).

– Nahj al-Fasahah (hadith #70)

Ibn Arabi promised him that he would, and so when he arrived in Cairo, he asked the people in the city where this sheikh lived and they said, “Do you see the huge palace on the top of the hill? He lives there.” So he went to this beautiful palace on the top of the hill, knocked on the door, and was received very well. They brought him into a large, luxurious waiting room, gave him food to eat, and made him comfortable. But the sheikh had gone to visit the king. And Sufis don’t normally visit kings or people in high positions. It’s forbidden because they can become an additional curtain between us and God, an additional attachment to the world.

While Ibn Arabi was in this luxurious room waiting for the sheikh, he looked out the window and saw a procession coming. The sheikh was riding a beautiful Arabian horse and was wearing a big turban, diamond rings, a fur coat, and had a whole honor guard of soldiers at his side, and he arrived with great pomp at the palace. But he was a very nice man, and came and greeted Ibn Arabi warmly, and they sat down and started talking. At some point in the conversation, Ibn Arabi said, “You have a student in Tunisia.” And the sheikh replied, “Yes, I know.” And Ibn Arabi said, “He asked for your spiritual advice.” “Tell my student,” the sheikh said, “If he’s so attached to this world, he’s never going to get anywhere.”

So this was confusing to Ibn Arabi, but on his trip back, he stopped in Tunisia. He went to the fisherman there, who immediately asked, “Did you see my sheikh?” “Yes, I saw your sheikh,” he replied. “What did he say?” asked the fisherman. And Ibn Arabi, looking uncomfortable, said, “Well, your sheikh, you know, he lives in great pomp and great luxury.” The fisherman replied, “Yes, I know. What did he say?” So Ibn Arabi told him: “He said as long as you’re so attached to this world, you are never going to get anywhere.” And the fisherman cried and cried. “He’s right,” he said, “each day, when I give those three fish bodies to the people, my heart goes with them. Each day, I wish I could have a whole fish instead of just a head, while my sheikh lives in great luxury but doesn’t care at all about it. Whether he has it or not, it doesn’t touch him.”

– Traditional story, as told in an interview by Sheikh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi

I love the store, but there is one problem. Their size charts assume that everyone is a lanky beanpole. Maybe it’s a cultural thing, but men in my family have big chests and broad shoulders. I wear a size 44 in chest comfortably. 43 starts to get tight and 42 makes me feel like I have a kid’s shirt on.

According to Shukr, 44, which is an XL (extra large), is for people over 6 feet tall! Imagine the chest on a 6-foot+ guy only being 44 inches, hence the beanpole reference. Anyway, my shirts end up being below my knees, so I have to get my dear mother to hem them (yeah, my wife just doesn’t do that kind of stuff).

There you have it readers: the silliest post I’ve ever written.

You can’t find peace, unless you address the existing issues, honestly, and frankly. …

There’s no doubt, now, that a minority of Israelis are perpetrating apartheid on the people in Palestine. The Palestinian people.

It’s not based on race, as I make very clear in my book. It’s not a racist inclination.

It’s a desire for land.
A desire for Palestinian land. …

This occupation, and confiscation, and colonization of land, in the West Bank, is the prime cause of the continuation of violence in the Middle East.

And, what is being done to the Palestinians, under Israeli domination, is really atrocious.

It’s a terrible affliction, on these people.

You will find that her art carries the tradition of Islamic calligraphy and abstract, while also fusing modern elements, undoubtedly from her own experiences growing up in the southern U.S.

We need to see more of this in the West from Muslims. Instead of completely mimicking other cultures, we must start to formulate our own identity through both cultural appropriation of the good aspects of our society and the natural influence of our Islamic character.

So anyway, mad props to Sister Izdihar.

“The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world, were all considered by the people, as equally true; by the philosopher, as equally false; and by the magistrate, as equally useful.”

– Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.  Chapter 2.

So, anyway, as I was minding my own business, strolling on the promenade, the hoopoe gracefully landed on my shoulder. What it whispered in my ear was both pleasing and awe inspiring…

You would be neither scholar nor learned,
but an animal carrying books.

A donkey doesn’t know whether it’s carrying books
or firewood.”

– Sa’di

February 24th rally in London against the UK’s plans to renew their Trident nuclear warhead arsenal in direct violation of the international laws they claim to uphold.  In addition, they rallied for an end of the Iraq war, the pending war against Iran, and freedom for Palestinians.  Full coverage and photos at IndyMedia UK.

In 1787, slavery was made illegal in the Northwest Territory, which included the present states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota.

That, however, did not mean that someone who was already a slave would automatically become free upon crossing the Indiana border. On the contrary, slaves were not only still slaves even if they entered Indiana, they could also be returned to their slave owners. Eventually, this became the law: that slaves must be returned.

Therefore, in the underground railroad, Indiana was just a “rest stop” as opposed to a destination. A fugitive slave would not have guaranteed safety unless he crossed the Canadian border into Ontario.

On February 12, 1793, President George Washington, a slaveholder himself, signed the first Fugitive Slave Law of the United States. This law, providing for the return of fugitive slaves from any state or territory in the Union, was weighted heavily in favor of the slaveholder. In 1821, Indiana instituted “An Act Authorising the Writ of Replevin”; pursuant to this statute anyone found guilty of detaining “goods or chattels” could be sued for double the amount of the “property.” Three years later Indiana passed its own Fugitive Slave Law. The 1824 statute delineated the procedure slaveholders and Indiana law officials must follow in claiming “property.” Abolitionists and those active with the Underground Railroad fell victim to these laws.

(see here)

This clearly contradicts the Indiana State Constitution of 1816 and 1851:

There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, within this State, other than for the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. No indenture of any Negro or Mulatto made and executed out of the bounds of the State, shall be valid within the State.

In this case, federal law obviously superseded the state constitution. So, even if it was the intent of Indiana lawmakers to “liberate” slaves (of which I am not convinced), federal law prohibited it.

Excerpt:

I want my message to be clear. Writing for me is a way of reaching people who otherwise would not hear my message. I do not write simply to entertain. Every book, every fable, and even every line on a page has some deeper meaning. It can be a moral message, a spiritual message, or a social commentary. When conveying it, I do not want to make it too obvious, but I also do not want to obscure the meaning. It is a thin line to walk, but, hopefully, I traverse it well.

When the violence is no longer us against them; when the violence is us against us, I can no longer defend the rights of those who wish to oppress themselves. I have seen this in my own (African American) community and other places around the world (India vs. Pakistan vs. Bangladesh for example). It is always ugly. It is always self-defeating, and it will always end in loss for both sides.

It is not a civil war, for there is nothing civil about it. It is pure chaos. I will not blame Hamas or blame Fatah. The blame lies on the Palestinian people as a whole and on the Muslim Ummah. We all hold responsibility for this. If there is any shred of dignity left in our spirit, we will stop fighting one another, stop blaming the “enemy” for our losses, and start helping ourselves.

Many times individuals involved in celebrating New Year’s Eve with gunfire do not realize the dangers posed by their actions. Researchers report that a bullet fired into the air can climb two miles into the air and remain in flight for more than a minute. As it falls, the bullet reaches a velocity of 300 to 700 feet per second. A velocity of only 200 feet per second is sufficient to penetrate the human skull.

In other countries, people fire guns into the air to celebrate weddings and other occasions. My only question is: What is the purpose? To make noise? (OK, one other question). You can make noise with fireworks (or firecrackers). Why risk your life and the lives of innocent people living around you just for that? It must be something else. I mean, why do these people have guns anyway? There are only two reasons: 1. to hunt animals or 2. to hurt/kill people.

If you must own a gun, it should not be used as a badge of honor or as a plaything for celebratory purposes. What message does it send to your children? Don’t play with guns except on New Years Eve? Please, people, grow up. “Civilized” people should be civilized at all times, regardless of how joyous or cataclysmic a situation may be.

Having said that, I wonder why people are shocked and surprised by the language of the Iranian president. He never denied the Holocaust as a whole but rather questioned the numbers. How many people actually died? How many of those were actually Jewish? The statistics that I’ve traditionally been taught indicated that as many as 12 million people died and only 6 million of them were Jewish. Who were the other people and why has the Holocaust become an exclusively Jewish tragedy?

These are real questions that real seekers of knowledge ask, not the the questions that “deniers” or “revisionists” ask. What Mr. Ahmadinejad has called “mythology” is the religious imposition that the Zionists have placed on the world. You must “believe” in the holocaust, not just accept that it happened. Questioning any aspect of the Holocaust is blasphemy (regardless of whether or not you are Jewish), and any blasphemy against Judaism is anti-semetism.

So, if the Holocaust is a religious belief of the Jews, then mocking it or offending it is akin to mocking or offending a religious belief of another religion. Some have wrongly assumed, however, that this situation is similar to the cartoons erroneously depicting Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace). The difference is that the cartoons were intended to offend and were designed to ridicule him with obviously false depictions. A conference on the Holocaust (whether politically motivated or not) simply questions the accuracy of certain facts. This is done at conferences all the time.

If the question were of enslaved Africans in the Americas, we would hear no outcry. If the question were of enslaved Africans in the Americas, we would hear no outcry. (I said it twice so you couldn’t skip over it). Many white academics have questioned the oft-repeated statistics of slavery: the number of slaves kidnapped and brought to the “new world”, the number of captives on slave ships who died on the journey, the number of people killed in resistance to slave masters, and so on.

The numbers listed by many scholars reaches in the tens of millions, while some scholars cite much smaller numbers. Are the latter “revisionists” or slavery “deniers”? Very few, if any, would call them that.

The question one must ultimately ask is, what do the Zionists have to hide? Why can no serious academic inquiry be done? I doubt that they have lied about the number of deaths; that is not the issue at all.

But the “mythology”, as Ahmadinejad calls it, that has allowed them to gain not only the world’s sympathy, but also an unflinching belief that the Jews have an undeniable right to Palestine and that they can seize that land in whatever matter they please, even if it means committing some of the same atrocities that were once committed against them by the Nazis, that they can setup Palestinian concentration camps, exile hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, shoot and bomb men, women, and children, and setup an Apartheid-like regime that denies Palestinians even the most basic rights of life, dignity, and property.

Then, as if that were not enough, they prop up this vicious, militarist, terrorist state and justify it under the banner of “retribution” for the crimes committed against them by the Nazis? And who among the Palestinians were Nazis? Why not turn their guns, their bombs, and their bulldozers on Berlin? Occupy Germany and exile millions of Germans? It is the pinnacle of euro-centric racism that no Arab or African life is as sacred as that of a white person, and Israel is a symbol of that racism. Even the Arabs who have accepted Israel live as second-class citizens. And the lost tribes from Ethiopia and even India have experience similar maltreatment (and they are Jewish).

Why can such a small and miserably unpleasant state such as Israel hold sway over the entire civilized world? No wonder there are conspiracy theories! All Iran has to do is build a nuclear reactor and the conspiracy theories run wild in western media. Israel has admitted to having nuclear weapons, and yet the world remains silent. Even a child can see when something is not fair, yet we have grown folks who will deny injustice and turn a blind eye to those crying out for help.

Most of the people Ahmadinejad invited to that conference might be crazy, but they’re not stupid. Truth stands clear from falsehood. When people are honest and kind, they have nothing to fear, yet Israel is terrified of Iran and terrified of any Muslims who speak out against them. God will judge between all of us, and He is surely the best to judge.

She couldn’t have been 20 years old, and I assumed that she was probably holding a sign about a car wash or charity event. Never could I have imagined that she was making such a powerful statement. Her facial expression gave no hint of it, and if you had noticed her face before seeing the sign, you might have thought her to be the average teenager. But as I slowly rolled by, I looked into her eyes, and I could see her pain and also her dignity.

“How courageous this you girl is,” I thought. In a society and time period where a statement such as hers is viewed as “intolerance” or “extremism”, this girl stood above any fears she might have had and delivered her message. Abortion is murder. Abortion is murder.

Perhaps a passerby might have ridiculed her or scoffed at her attempt at moral assertiveness. But if they did frown upon her, was it because abortion is not murder or because it is? Is it because she’s intolerant or because she’s right?

Moral, political, and even religious issues aside, it is the taking of a life. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to have children will know what I mean. A first-trimester ultrasound does not reveal a lifeless blob of cells. Organs have already begun to form. There is unquestionably life inside of a woman, even in the first trimester. This is a scientific fact, not a religious one.

Moving back to a moral perspective, we can conclude that taking the life of another unlawfully, without just cause, is murder. Of course a woman has a choice, but all of our choices have consequences. Stopping a life before it is ever born has consequences.

I wonder if that girl holding the sign had imagined herself inside of her mother. What if her mother had aborted her? What if she was never born? People in America have a difficult enough time dealing with death. Have they ever even imagined not even being given the chance to exist? But we are a selfish bunch. Our “needs” take precedence. If it is inconvenient to have a child, we kill it.

So, young woman, whoever you are, you are correct. Abortion is murder, and it is God who will hold all of us accountable for our actions. May He reward you accordingly.

“On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one killed a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all of humanity: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all of humanity. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.” (Qur’an 5:32)

“Ironically, though, everyone who comes to know the divine Reality possesses the purest faith—but is labeled an ‘unbeliever’ by the pious.”

–Rumi

– Hafiz

So, enter the new cover. Before you ask, I have no idea who the model is on the front. It is just a stock photo that I purchased. If you would like the photographer’s information, I can send that to you. As to what character she represents, I will leave that a mystery, at least for now. But for those of you who read the book and want to guess, I would be happy to hear your guesses.

Here is the plot summary:

The Golden Scrolls
by Tavis J. Hampton

Fuad, a young boy from the kingdom of Cor, must leave his home to travel the Known World in search of the legend his heart believes to be true. The Golden Scrolls, written thousands of years ago, could hold the answers to the mysterious darkness that has been consuming kingdoms, with Cor in its path. But is the legend true or simply another fable of the renowned Storyteller? The fate of civilization depends upon the courage and faith of a boy. Is he the Chosen One?

Part of the first chapter is available for download on GoldenScrolls.com.

Those who have read it have enjoyed it. God willing, you will too.

“Many believe that American Jews unanimously and unconditionally support the Israeli government. That what we learned from the Holocaust is to shoot first and ask questions later. That our commitment to justice and equal rights is a quaint feature of our past.

“There is a saying “two Jews, three opinions.” Now we are told “1 million Jews, one opinion.”

“In fact, our community is profoundly divided:

“Hundreds, if not thousands, of Jews all over the country have demonstrated to demand an end to the bombing of Gaza and Lebanon. In one of these demonstrations, 17 Jewish protesters were arrested in an act of civil disobedience.”

Full Article

Come on folks, the “axis of evil”: Iran, Iraq, and North Korea? The writing is on the wall. The real nature of every conflict thus far has been about who will control the “new Asia.” Will it be the U.S., Russia, or China?

If China doesn’t stand up to the U.S., it will lose. The sad thing is, if the U.S. doesn’t back down, they will lose too. Iran, of course, will lose. But Islamic Resistance will win, and it will thrive, flourish, and gain global support.

If this so-called “War on Terror” is not just a guise for a war against Islam, then Elvis is probably reading this on his laptop right now.

“And whoever takes Allah and His messenger and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah (hizbullah) are they that shall be triumphant.” (Qur’an 5:56)

“It is necessary that all freedom-loving peoples of the world unite with the Muslims and together condemn the inhuman aggressions of Israel.”

– Ayatullah Ruhullah Musavi Khomeini

You finally united Iraq against Israel.

Umm Zahra’s grandmother passed this morning. Please pray for her and her family (especially her mother, whose mother has returned to Allah).

It’s nothing much. Comments and suggestions are always appreciated.

It’s in MPEG2 format. That should play in most (if not all) video players.

This group did not actually do anything, mind you. They did not sit on top of poorly-armored assault vehicles and fire indiscriminately into crowds of Iraqi civilians. No, they left that job to the hundred thousand or so U.S. service men and women (if you can even call the kids men or women), who only joined the armed forces to get money for college, not to fight some crazy man’s war.

What the PNAC did was send letters. They sent a lot of letters, each one “requesting” that the U.S. government would shape the world according to their vision. They described themselves as a “think tank,” although they could easily be called “Big Brother.” So, they sent letters to Clinton, and he apparently ignored him. That meant that “regime change” was even necessary inside of the U.S. Gore would be Clinton times 3, so they had to ensue that someone who would do their bidding got elected. Enter: Bush.

Now the question is, who is on this committee that could be so influential as to dictate their schemes to the “leader of the free world”? Several people who would later become members of the Bush administration, including: Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Cheney’s chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby, Paul Wolfowitz, Elliot Abrams, and U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq, Zalmay Khalilizad make up a list of about 27 influential members of Bush’s first term administration. The list also includes several neo-conservatives, right-wing groups, and Zionist organizations outside of the Bush administration.

But now, the organization has melted into non-existence, or at least dormancy. Lobe explains:

“That period — Sep. 20, 2001, to the run-up to the Iraq war in early 2003 — marked the high-water mark of PNAC’s existence. Since then, things have generally gone downhill, as the hawks they represented, including the group’s dominant neo-conservatives, have fallen prey to internal disagreements: over Rumsfeld’s stewardship of Iraq and the Pentagon; over the wisdom of democratic “transformation” in the Arab Middle East; over Sharon’s Gaza disengagement plan; over China; and even over the latest administration moves on Iran. “

Unfortunately, most of the damage is already done. Bush is still in office until 2008. Iran could become a fizzling nuclear wasteland by then. Israel might have reached its dream of extending from the “Nile to the Euphrates” by 2008. Iraq might no longer exist by 2008. But even his own supporters would not let Bush go that far. Would they?

In this state, the soul finds life only by dying, but I wanted things in reverse!

I thought, “First I I will know you, then I will die.”

He replied, “Whoever knows me never dies.”

– Rumi

Whatever you have been given are the wares of the life of this world, but what is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who have faith and who put their trust in their Lord.

Al-Qur’an, Sura Al-Shura(42):36

Unlike you, Mr. Abbas, the rest of us have not been living under a rock. Israel has already built a wall through the middle (and I use the term loosely) of the holy land, making it clear they are not interested in giving up any of their seized land or East Jerusalem, for that matter. Hamas has repeatedly said that they would be willing to work with Israel under the above conditions, but Israel has always refused.

So, the question is, why is Abbas suddenly making himself seem like Mr. Bright Idea? Obviously, he has been exposed for the lame duck that he is and is trying to save face (i.e. make himself look good for his masters, the Zionists, and also look good in front of the Palestinian people, as the reasonable secular politician, willing to bend but not break). Rubbish.

Regardless of what Mr. Bush, Israel, or anyone else thinks about Hamas, they have always represented the interests of the people. So, it is not surprising that the Palestinian people elected them, or that Israel is so vehement in opposing their plans, irrespective of how peaceful and “reasonable” those plans might be. If Hamas, tomorrow, said “Israel, take all of the land, we’ll leave,” Israel would accuse them of antisemitism and bomb them, along with hundreds of houses of innocent people. If Mr. Abbas turned around and said the same thing, he’d be championed as a hero.

Why? Because he will lead the Palestinian people into moral corruption and decadence, just as his predecessor, Arafat, had done. For Muslims, real Muslims, the issue of Jerusalem, of all of Palestine, is not a political one, or even a human rights issue. It is a religious issue. That land belongs to God, and all religions that hold it sacred have a right to it. The Zionists claim it exclusively for themselves, and for that, they will be eternally resisted, until the relent.

1. My expected new addition, inshaAllah (Please pray for us — and tell Umm Zahra to go to the doctor!).

2. The house issue. We’re still thinking of building a house or perhaps buying one. I’m starting to think it’s more trouble than it’s worth. I’ve been reading fatawa about mortgage. Very interesting indeed.

3. Iran. In all its complexities, Iran still has a right to decide its own future. It is a sovereign nation, and the thought that the U.S. is intending to attack it (possibly even with nuclear weapons) sickens me. The day it happens, the entire world will change, for the worse.

4. Had some good food I bought at the masjid today. Indonesian chicken with basmati rice (I hope that chicken wasn’t actually from Indonesia).

5. I am wondering if XGL will ever become something standard on the Linux desktop. It runs fine on my nvidia-powered Motherbrain, but how about an ati-powered iBook? Quite a mess.

6. Zahra watches Chicken Little (the movie) about four times a day.

7. I’m on chapter 12 (page 140) of my book. It’s weird because I don’t think I’m even almost finished. There’s so much more story to tell.

8. Something is seriously wrong with the passenger-side door on my car.

9. I successfully curtailed attacking ants with baby powder, with very few casualties. Yes, a humane ant-repellent.

10. I’m really getting into this graphic novel thing. Naturally, my kids (patrons) are getting into it too. I have a lot of them on display. Now I just need to buy more. I think I need two separate budgets: one for other books and one for graphic novels. Seriously, they are super-popular in my library.

We have recently had dealings with a company called Guidance Financial Group. They describe themselves as a company that will “provide you with Sharia-compliant financial products that are competitive and of the highest quality.” I am not about to question whether or not their products are “Sharia-compliant.” What has become questionable are whether or not their services are of the “highest quality” as they purport.

My wife, who is pregnant and was hopeful to buy a new house that can accommodate our new addition was unfortunately misguided by “Guidance.” We both were led to believe that we had been “pre-approved” for, what their representative described as “100% financing” on a home. In other words, we would not have to make a down-payment because of our good credit.

Under this unofficial promise, we proceeded in finding a home, eventually settling on building, as Guidance had instructed us to do. After spending many days of our precious time, we finally made a decision and then spent an entire day choosing a house model, colors of floors, bricks, siding, and my wife was particularly excited about a garden bath tub that she wanted for our bathroom.

After all of this, Guidance said that they would have to run two more credit checks, but they didn’t expect anything to go wrong. After all, I am only one person. How could I have “different” credit, right? It was only then that they started asking for more things: driver’s license number, bank statements, and a multitude of other privacy invading information. But I can understand why they would need that information since they were preparing to enter a contract with us.

Today, the representative called and said that we did not get approved for the promised 100% but that we might instead have to pay a 3% down payment, which would have been about $3,485. My wife and I both cringed. That was exactly the reason why we had not looked for a house with other “Islamic” companies, because they required as much as 20%. Apparently “Sharia-compliant” finance is only for the wealthy. Other Muslims are not qualified. And that was the ultimate outcome. He called again and told us that my credit was apparently even worse than he thought, so we would have to pay 5% or over $5,000.

Now, here is the worst part. I have very little credit. I’ve never owned a credit card, never had a loan. In fact the only thing we have is a car lease, which I had to cosign on because of my lack of credit. Yes, folks, no credit is worse than bad credit. I’d expect such a philosophy from a secular institution. What disturbs me is that Guidance Financial Group claims to be Islamic ,and yet they operate on the same twisted standards. Here they were punishing a fellow Muslim for NOT having entered into interest-bearing loans and credit transactions, which I apparently need in order to be 100% approved for “Sharia-compliant” financing. I will send them this blog post, inshaAllah, and pray that they seek forgiveness for the way they have wronged us. I am sure they will defend their actions, but the bottom line is that they deceived us. They led us to believe one thing and then finally told us another.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that there are four signs of a hypocrite. If any of them is present in a person, he has a trait of hypocrisy, and if any person has all four, he is a hypocrite.

1. When he speaks, he lies.
2. When he makes a promise, he breaks it.
3. When he enters into an agreement, he violates it.
4. When he has an enemy, he is immoral and unjust to him.

I am not trying to spread (fitna) by making this public, but as I said, people need to know. I am neither recommending nor discouraging anyone to use Guidance Financial, only to warn you of the consequences of believing their sales pitch. If they cannot be honest from the beginning, one must question how reliable they would be as a financial service provider.

May Allah guide us all, including Guidance Financial Group, to worship Him alone and to follow the Sunnah of His Messenger (May Allah bless and grant him and his family peace).

***********************

I just spoke with the representative from Guidance, and they clarified one point:

They claim that they are required by law to do only one credit report and that they cannot do the other two until they have an application for a house.

My problem with that is that they are still basing their entire trust of another Muslim on an already flawed system. That system relies on credit reporting done by companies that charge interest and determine someone’s “good credit” based on how well they manage their interest.

I asked him if their trust of me is based solely on that credit report. He said, “We have to base it on something.”

Indeed they do. Why not base it on what Allah has revealed? I have lived in the U.S. all my life. I have no criminal record. I’ve had a steady job for 6 years. I’ve paid rent on various apartments and have never been late for 7 years. I have a family, two cars, insurance, and I’ve never caused a car accident. There are plenty of honest, just ways of determining if someone is reliable. They chose to rely on an unjust system, and I therefore stand by what I have said.

So, you hear people all the time saying, “I’m writing a book about…” Yet, that book never emerges from the depths of their poor confused mind pits. Instead, what might have been a wonderful idea and an enlightening read, turns into ashes under the phoenix of “reality.”

So, here are I sit, on chapter 7, well beyond the “3-and-out”, “would-be”, “coulda-been”, stage. If I stopped now, it would technically be a book. I could write “to be continued…” at the bottom and publish it. And that’s when it becomes work. The novelty wears off, and I am faced with a real task, a real deadline, a pile of notes, research, and references, and an unfinished book. Now, I’m moving a chapter-every-three-days, while the first three chapters took two years. It’s not as fun, neat, cute, or cool, but it is much more rewarding. I am inching closer to the ultimate goal: (no, not to have a best seller), to tell a story from beginning to end.

How many times have we started stories and not finished them? Heck, my book might suck completely, but it’s the thrill of finishing the story, of realizing how the characters will end up, even as I write it. Now it’s like the characters have taken on lives of their own. I don’t even know what they might do next. I am no longer writing the story; they are.

So, when the pages of the Golden Scrolls are finally bound between two covers, God willing, I can look back on this blog post and chuckle at how dramatic and naive I was. Until then, the daily ritual continues, of sneaking away during odd hours of the day or night to slip into an imaginary world, one that might even have a happy ending.

I found an Islamic book on the topic, but I am curious to know if there are any good books in favor of the theory.

I, of course, am of the opinion that morality is universal, that certain undying principles and morals are inherent in human beings and that all human beings are, by the decree of the Creator, entitled to certain inalienable rights. In other words, a person either has morality or he does not. While the way someone perceives morality can vary, the presence of it is pretty black and white.

My sister asked an interesting question about whether or not those rights extend to animals (i.e. some cultures kill animals for food, clothing, etc., while others hold them to be sacred and never kill them). I would say that their rights are different with us just as they are different with each other (in other words, a lion, by its nature eats a gnu, and a man, by his nature, eats a chicken).

Nevertheless, the right to kill can only be granted by Allah. And that is the real reason that we (the followers of the Prophet’s household) only eat meat that is slaughtered in the name of Allah (zabiha). It is not the method of slaughtering that is so important but rather, as Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said, “the name that is important.” It is important to recite Allah’s name over it, thus acknowledging the animal’s right over you and seeking Allah’s divine permission to kill it.

I mentioned to my sister the example of Native Americans, particularly the Lakota, who believe the animals to be sacred (or perhaps even divine in the case of the buffalo — tatanka), yet they certainly ate it, wore it, used it for tools, housing, and just about everything else. By using it in every aspect of their lives, they honored it. To kill it for sport, however, would still be considered wrong. This is, in my estimation, the correct moral approach, and al-Islam clearly supports this view. Killing, whether of people or animals, can be sanctioned under certain circumstances, but it can never become a sport or something taken lightly (according to one’s own immoral values).

I intend to write a more lengthy discussion on these issues on OneUmmah.net, insha’Allah, if time and longevity of life permit.

The price they offer is $295 for a one-year subscription with unlimited access, which would not be bad if it didn’t suck.

Umm Zahra: “I’ll go to the meat store to get some meat, and then what are you going to make with it?”

Me: “By the time you get back from the store, I probably won’t feel like making anything.”

Umm Zahra: “OK, well, just make something here.”

Me: “OK.”

Umm Zahra: “What are you going to make?”

Me: “I don’t know. Something with tuna.”

Umm Zahra (eyes widening): “Hey, will you make curry tuna?”

Me: “Yeah, sure.”

Umm Zahra: “Really?”

Me: Yeah.

Umm Zahra (in tears, hugging me): “Thank you!”

Me: “Uh, you’re welcome.”

Click here to view

According to the BBC:

The exact numbers of Africans shipped overseas during the slave trade are hotly debated – estimates range between 10 and 28 million.

What is undisputed is the degree of savage cruelty endured by men, women and children. Up to 20% of those chained in the holds of the slave ships died before they even reached their destination.

How is this more devastating than the Holocaust? The answer is something you’ll find in the survivors, not the casualties. The Jewish survivors were freed. They were allowed to keep their heritage, their language, their culture, their religion, and their names. In any other tragedy or oppression, those who have been oppressed survived with some aspect of their culture and heritage.

From enslaved Africans, particularly in the United States, everything from their motherland was stripped from them. Their language, religion, culture, history, and even their names, were erased from history. Only fragments of what it means to be truly African are left among Blackamericans. The Atlantic ocean is littered with the human remains of our heritage. That which survived was beaten out of our ancestors on plantations.

So, today I remember one of the greatest sustained acts of injustice that the world has known.

Every night brings a new day. Allah alleviates all pain. Everything has its end. Allah is enough for me.

I have at least two more books that I would like to write after that (in the near future).

I feel that I owe some explanation about Bayt-al-Hikmah. The premise for it began when I was working at an Islamic school in Chicago. In essence, it is a non-profit library, mainly geared towards Islam, but also holding a collection of books from other revealed religions (Judaism, Christianity, etc). The goal is to make it public so that anyone can check out the books, just as they would in a public library, with library cards. I have figured out a way to get the initial funding. The only issue that remains is how to keep it funded. I would prefer not to rely on donations, as most religious organizations do.

After I get one successful Bayt al-Hikmah (House of Wisdom) going, I’d like to send the plans and structure to Muslims all over the world so that they can also start similar ventures, inshaAllah. Who knows, maybe they’ll even make it happen before I do. I think it is something that is needed, and since I am a Librarian, I am hoping that I have something useful to contribute to the Ummah. Allah knows best!

But this man is the leader of millions of people, not only in Iraq, but all over the world. His name is Ayatullah al-’Udhma Ali Seestani. He is not pro-America, nor is he pro-Iran. His goals have always been clear: protect the interests of the Iraqi people.

When the U.S. invaded, toppled Saddam’s regime and set up a laughable provisional government, Ayatullah Seestani insisted that the Iraqis hold elections as soon as possible. The U.S. refused, and so Ayatullah Seestani sent his followers into the streets to protest. Eventually, the U.S. caved into their demands. Seestani himself, penned and reviewed the election plans and the laws that would be setup for the interim government, a fact that U.S. media conveniently hides. Instead, the Bush administration championed the elections as though they had organized them. In reality, they had resisted them, preferring to keep their new Ba’athist boy, Iyad Allawi, in position as long as possible.

When the young, fiery scholar, Muqtada al-Sadr, raised the banner of jihad and sent his Mahdi army into the streets of Najaf to fight the U.S. military and drive them out “once and for all,” the Americans saw their dreams of a “liberated Iraq” slipping away. Al-Sadr was poised to start another Islamic Revolution, one that would see the Iranians take center-stage in reshaping and rebuilding Iraq. Seestani, at the time, was having surgery in London. Upon his return, al-Sadr, like a disobedient grandson, silenced his rhetoric, retired his army, and turned the keys of Imam ‘Ali’s shrine back over to the “Grand Ayatullah.”

But was Ayatullah Seestani trying to aide the Americans in stopping the Mahdi Army? Absolutely not. His goal, as always, was to protect the people of Najaf, to protect the grave site of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), and to protect one of the greatest learning institutions on the planet, Al-Hawza. Furthermore, Ayatullah Seestani had no more interest in having Iran play too much of a role in reshaping Iraq than the Americans. The difference is that he does not want Iranians to be his enemies. He is Iranian himself. But Iraq must be able to stand on its own, and for that, he has repeatedly asked for the Americans to leave.

Instead, they have remained, ignoring the one sane voice coming out of Iraq. With hope slipping away, after the attacks on the grave site of Imam ‘Ali al-Naqi (peace be upon him) and Imam Hasan al-’Askari (peace be upon him), the 10th and 11th Imams, the U.S. is shivering at the thought of all out civil war. But so far, civil war has not happened. Yes, sectarian violence in on the rise, but, considering the number of Shi’a in Iraq, the power of their leadership, and the organization of their militias, they could easily and effectively crush any Sunni resistance, but they have not. Why?

Ayatullah Seestani issued a statement. Thus, the majority of shi’as have remained calm, only involving themselves in peaceful protest. The leader of Iran, Ayatullah Khamene`i, issued a similar statement, refusing to bow down to the pressure of a few lunatics who insist on starting a Muslim-on-Muslim civil war. Iran has no interest in doing so, as they did not when Saddam imposed the Iran-Iraq war on them in the 80s. Had Seestani said only one word, “fight,” every Shi’a in the known world would have taken up arms, but he did not. He will not, inshaAllah.

So, once again, Ayatullah Seestani might have saved Iraq and the U.S. from sudden death. But now the question remains, will the U.S. finally start listening to this man? Iraqis listen to him; Iranians listen to him; even people in Pakistan listen to him. The only person reasonably capable of ruling Iraq is the one person who does not want the job, but, whether he wants it or not, people will continue to look to him for guidance. I think it is about time Mr. Bush does the same, before it is too late.

I will say, however, that no Muslim has the right to attack the graves of anyone (Muslim or non-Muslim) much less the graves of Ahlul-bayt.

I think that this is a time when we should learn something about these Imams, because that is what the nasibiyya (haters of Ahlul-bayt) wish to erase by attacking their graves. But they cannot make us (those Muslims, both Sunni and Shi’a, who love them), forget.

Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir (the 5th Imam) once said, “The true nasibi (hater of Ahlul-bayt) is not one who shows antagonism towards us, the family of the Prophet. You will not find anyone who will say, ‘I hate Muhammad and his family.’ The true nasibi is one who antagonizes you, our followers (shi’a).”

Once Bahlul (may Allah have mercy on him) saw a young child sitting in a puddle of water on the ground, crying and wailing. The child was Imam Hasan al-’Askari. Bahlul went to him and asked him why he was crying. Despite his young age, the boy began reciting ayaat about the Day of Judgment and about other heavy matters. Bahlul said to him, “Why are you concerned with these things? You are not even baligh (of age) yet.” Imam al-’Askari replied,

“I have watched my mother kindle a fire, how she uses the smaller sticks to ignite the larger ones, and I am afraid that Allah will do the same thing with me.”

This pure soul, a child, an Imam of all the Muslims in the world, is afraid of Allah’s punishment to the point where he is in tears. What of those who attack his grave and defile the religion that he sought to preserve?

There are many books that have documented this reality, but the most acclaimed (and also most controversial) is Ivan Van Sertima’s They Came Before Columbus (ISBN: 0-394-40245-6). In captivating narrative form, the German author details the journeys of great African explorers and even quotes excerpts from Columbus’ own journal, where he provides abundantly clear imagery of African people that he encountered upon arriving in the “New World.”

The chapter that I find most intriguing is about Abubakari II, king of the great Mali empire, who set sail from the coast of West Africa into the Atlantic ocean, determined to make the journey to the New World. He had no intentions of returning and took virtually everything that he would need on his journey, along with an entire fleet of ships. He also appointed his successor, his own brother, who would become known as Mansa Musa, the legendary king of Mali, celebrated around the world for his extravagant generosity on his journey to Makkah for Hajj. History records that Musa’s caravan included 500 people, each carrying a staff made of gold. He gave so much gold to poor people along the journey, that it altered the economy of the region for twenty years.

When Mansa Musa was asked about his extreme wealth and power, he replied that what he had was nothing and that the king who came before him left the shores of West Africa with his griot and a fleet of ships, never to be heard from again.

Imam Husayn did not fight because his right (the caliphate) had been taken from him. All of the Imams, before and after him, had their rights taken away by those in power. What was so different under Yazid? Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) could have given allegiance to Yazid as a form of taqiyya. Instead, he resisted. Why?

The answer is that rights of the community of Muslims were being violated. The rights of Allah over the people were being ignored. The rights of Allah’s house were being desecrated. More than anything else, the blood of a human being is sacred. It is not lawful to kill even an animal without Allah’s permission. So, how can anyone kill a human being?

That is the question that Muslims today must ask themselves. Every human being has unalienable rights that cannot be taken away, even by the highest scholars or the most decorated rulers. The tears we shed for Imam Husayn are declarations that certain things are right and certain things are wrong. Allah is just, and certain things cannot be reinterpreted or explained away through conjecture. Murder is wrong. Female mutilation is wrong. Nationalism is wrong. Racism is wrong. Lying is wrong. Hoarding of wealth at the expense of the poor is wrong. Oppression is wrong. Torture is wrong. Every person in any form of leadership (even over their own household), must uphold certain principles, and it is the responsibility of their followers and patrons to ensure that they do uphold them.

In this way, there should be a little Imam Husayn in all of us, fighting injustice and calling all people to return to the path of Allah.

As-salaamu Alayka Ya Waritha Muhammadin Rasoulullah, Ya Aba Abdallah il-Hussayn!

In the meanwhile, I intended to post something about Group Thikr. A weird thing happened last night, and somehow that post is missing. I’m at work now, so, I don’t have my personal library (I really need to digitize it).

PRI’s “The World” has an interview with a political consultant to Hamas, talking about their victory in the recent Palestinian parliamentary elections. It is definitely worth it to lend your attentive ear. I think you’ll see that the prospects for peace have actually gotten better rather than worse.

Finally, it’s good to see that Sunni Sister is back and blogging, alhamdulillah.

Oh yeah, another thing. I have to work tomorrow (Saturday)! It’s for a good cause though, inshaAllah.

On behalf of all upstanding Muslim men in the world, I categorically denounce any acts of harassment against Sunni Sister or ANY other sister (especially my wife). Apparently, some men were not born from women, do not marry women, and do not have female children. I, however, have all three, and would become extremely violent (yes, I’ll use the J word…JIHAD against Muslims…It can happen), if anyone messed with my peeps.

Since these particular people have chosen to remain anonymous, I just want to let them know, you can click but you can’t hide. If you visit a web site, post comments on it, or email someone, you have left a trace of yourself, and you can be found.

But this blog post is not about punishing the perpetrators; it is about my support for the victim. We are with you, Sunni Sister. I speak on behalf of all the men of OneUmmah.net, Muslim Writers Society, and MuslimMessage.net when I say that you are not alone. For every pig-headed man who attacks a woman, there is another man to whack the pigginess out of him. I believe the 2nd caliph, Umar, said that, for some people Islam comes easily, for others, they need the stick.

Sister, I’ll hold the stick. You just keep blogging.

While it is amusing to image that Oprah’s Book Club must compete with Bin Laden’s Book Club, it does raise some serious questions.

1. A news media (both western and arab) that passes over stories such as the alleged rape of a 21-year-old woman by 4 US marines in the Philippines, dwells on, and even embellishes the latest “Bin Laden Tapes” as though they are rap albums and he’s the latest “American Idol.”

2. Why isn’t credibility a factor in midst of this brouhaha? Oprah was held accountable for less-than-factual book club recommendation, yet very few have seriously questioned whether any of these magically and incredibly easily available Bin Laden tapes are real. In an age when even a less than competant movie maker could conceivably created a video tape of anybody doing anything, how much easier would it be to create an (translated) audio tape?

3. If Al-Jazeerah has access to Bin Laden on such a regular basis, why can’t the US army and “intelligence,” with all of their cutting-edge spying technology that they use on their own citizens, find him?

4. If Bin Laden writes his own book, will American libraries carry it? Will we be allowed to have it on our shelves?

5. If his book becomes a bestseller, will Oprah read it? Will it be her next book club book?

First, it is important to clarify the reasoning behind desegregation. It was not done simply to “unite” blacks and whites in love and harmony. This could be accomplished any number of ways and with less risk of violent backlash from the white community. The problem with the “Separate But Equal” law was that “black” schools were not equal to “white” schools. The white students came from privileged homes, with parents who received privileged jobs, who paid privileged taxes, and thus sent their children to privileged schools with amenities that black students only dreamed of having.

The purpose of desegregation (i.e. busing) was to move black students into white schools so that they would have the same privileges as whites. It was also supposed to balance the system. Eventually, those “black” schools would be brought up to par with the “white” schools because whites and blacks would attend schools in both communities.

Fifty years later, desegregation is being reversed. Astonishingly, when the last black student to be bused to the south side of Indianapolis graduates, the south side will essentially return to being nearly all white, and the “northern community” (as it is still called here), will return to being nearly exclusively black. The largest school district in our city is also the most impoverished. Countless other cities around the US are in the same situation. There are literally “all black” schools, even to this day.

These schools lack the funds for basic needs like current textbooks, computers, qualified teachers, and even properly working heating and air conditioning. Most of the whites have moved to the fringes of cities or into suburban towns that surround the major cities. In these schools, students enjoy their own personal laptops, wall-to-wall carpeting, air conditioned buses, and well-paid teachers.

The truth is that desegregation was a patch meant to appease the masses. The whites that ended up going to “black” schools were just as poor as their black classmates. In the end, it isn’t about race anyway. It’s not about black and white. It’s about the haves and the have-nots, and the haves make no intentions of giving up any of their luxuries.

The lasting legacy that belongs to Dr. King is that he tried to bridge the gaps between rich and poor. In the last years of his life, he struggled with the poor people (black and white) to gain rights as workers and as general citizens. How difficult would it be to pool the tax money of all neighborhoods (rich and poor) to have equal opportunity education? Apparently, it’s a little too difficult for the elite few who can make it happen.

“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ But conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but because conscience tells one it is right.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Islam and Religious Pluralism
by Ayatullah Murtada Mutahhari
Translated by Sayyid Sulayman Ali Hasan
Foreward by Hasnain Walji with an Introduction by Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi
Islamic Publishing House
ISBN 0-9733622-2-7
$10.00 Canada

Islam and Religious Pluralism is actually a section of another book by Ayatullah Mutahhari entitled, ‘Adl-e Illahi(The Divine Justice) under the chapter heading, “Good Deeds of Non-Muslims.” The first 38 pages of the 140-page book consist of the Foreword, Introduction, and Biography of the Author. The foreword was short and tolerable, while the introduction was somewhat superfluous. Sayyid Rizvi devotes most of his pages to defending the point of view of Ayatullah Mutahhari, while also providing very little new information. One could argue that his approach is the exact purpose of an introduction, and I agree. But a page or two would have sufficed.

After the introduction, the remainder of the book is not only perfect in its relevance, eloquence, and style, the translation feels completely natural with very few awkward sentences that tend to appear in many Islamic books. The typesetting and cover design by the Islamic Publishing House are professional and elegant. Simply by looking at the cover, the reader is enticed to open the book.

I did not expect to find myself in tears reading this book, but the biography of the author caused just that, only because of the touching story that it paints of a remarkable man who transcended the norms of his society and religious doctrine. He excelled beyond regurgitation of facts into the depths of logic and reasoning, which only strengthened his faith in Allah and solidified his position as one of the greatest scholars of our era and a reminder of the luminous saints (awliyah) of our Islamic heritage.

This legacy by itself would have been sufficient for those living in the wake of his wave of supreme knowledge, yet his martyrdom at the hands of those who opposed his quest for modern Islamic revival typifies the greatness that was Murtadha Mutahhari. All of this paves the way for a concise examination of the dilemma of religious Pluralism and all its dimensions.

On the Deeds of Non-Muslims

Mutahhari divides his discussion into 5 categories:

1. Unbelievers (mainly atheists and polytheists) who do not believe in the One and only God.

2. People of the Book, those who believe in God and the Day of Judgment, but who follow a previously revealed religion, while not necessarily recognizing the Prophethood of the last Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace).

3. Muslims of various levels, good and bad.

4. Non-shi’a, distinguishing whether being shi’a accords someone a particular status in the hereafter (the reverse could be applied from a sunni perspective).

5. Shi’a who follow the household of the Prophet (may Allah send blessings upon them).

Before he enters into the descriptions of these categories, Mutahhari first presents the opposing views. This is very important with any philosophical/theological discussion. Many writers, even great scholars, often fail to even recognize the opposing viewpoints. Mutahhari not only recognizes them but even attempts to fairly present their strongest arguments.

He outlines two ways of thinking (i.e. the two extremes):

1. Those who believe there is no distinction between Muslim and non-Muslim, believer and unbeliever. Anyone who performs good deeds, regardless of faith, will be recompensed by God because God is just. He quotes many verses from the Qur’an that they use in support of their view, such as:

“Indeed the faithful, the Jews, the Sabaeans, and the Christians–those who have faith in God and the Last Day and act righteously — they will have no fear, nor will they grieve.” (Qur’an 5:69)

and

“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.” (Qur’an 99: 7-8)

Furthermore, Mutahhari says, “Some who are apparently intellectuals have gone one step further and said that the aim of the Prophets was to call towards justice and goodness, and in accordance with the rule “Comply with the spirit and not the letter of the law” we should say that justice and goodness are accepted even from those who don’t believe in God and the Day of judgment. Thus, those who don’t believe in God and the Day of judgment but have made great cultural, medical, economical, or political contributions to humanity shall have a great reward.” (pg. 60)

2. The Rigid Group. Mutahhari says, “…their position is directly opposite to the former group. They say that it is impossible for a non-Muslim’s actions to be accepted. The actions of unbelievers and similarly those of non-Shi’a Muslims have absolutely no value.” (pg. 61)

“A parable of those who defy their Lord: their deeds are like ashes over which the wind blows hard on a tempestuous day: they have no power over anything they have earned. That is extreme error.” (Qur’an 14:18)

Regarding non-Shi’a the rigid group quotes such narrations as:

Muhammad ibn Muslim said, “I heard Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him) say, “Whoever worships God and tires himself in worship but doesn’t recognize the Imam (leader) God has appointed for him, his deeds are not accepted, and he himself is astray and lost, and God abhors his actions… and if he dies in this state, he dies not in the state of Islam, but in a state of unbelief and hypocrisy…” (Wasa’il-ush-Shi’a, Volume 1, Part 1, Page 90)

This group also argues, if the works of non-Muslims were accepted by God, what would be the advantage of being Muslim? What is the point of performing all of those extra deeds (prayer, fasting, pilgrimage) if God will accept the deeds of someone who, not only does not perform those extra deeds, but does not even believe in Him.

Ayatullah Mutahhari then systematically answers both of these arguments. First, he clarifies that belief is important, as the second group claims, but there are obvious exceptions. “…it must be said that if the ignorance and unawareness do not spring from negligence, they shall be forgiven and overlooked by God.”

“And We do not punish until We have sent a messenger.” (Qur’an 17:15)

“That is, it is impossible for God, the Wise and Munificent, to punish someone for whom the proofs (of truth) have not been completed.” (pg. 71)

Muslims engaged in da’wah with non-Muslims often have this view but limit it to distributing pamphlets and having occasional debates. As a result, the non-Muslims do not reach an adequate and complete view of Islam.

Though these individuals might not be punished for their ignorance, this does not mean that their religions are completely truthful or valid. Here, Mutahhari makes it clear that Islam is indeed the true religion revealed from God and that “if anyone chooses a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him.”

But what of someone who does good deeds and who generally has “good” intentions, particularly someone who believes in God? Mutahhari offers both a logical/rational explanation as well as the view of the gnostics (i.e. sufis), particularly Mulla Sadra.

I will not give away the ending (aren’t I cruel?), but I will say that his conclusions are surprising and also refreshing. I highly recommend this book for anyone struggling with these questions, particularly someone who might have non-Muslim relatives or friends. It is also good for anyone with a sectarian superiority complex.

As I’ve stated in the past, I am not someone who is an “open source” fanatic, although I am a free software fanatic. Both projects are still GPL, and I still support both of them. I’ve only switched to Joomla because I think the core developers have the right ideas in the direction that they are heading for a site such as mine. Those who are running business sites will more likely prefer Mambo. It is really going to become a question of preference, and I think that is the whole point of free software and the ability for a small group of individuals to take a corporate created piece of software and mold into a community-based project. I still might use Mambo for many of my clients.

Goodbye Mambo, for now.

In the words of John Fire Lame Deer:

The buffalo gave us everything we needed. Without it we were nothing. Our tipis were made of his skin. His hide was our bed, our blanket, our winter coat. It was our drum, throbbing through the night, alive, holy. Out of his skin we made our water bags. His flesh strengthened us, became flesh of our flesh. Not the smallest part of it was wasted. His stomach, a red-hot stone dropped into it, became our soup kettle. His horns were our spoons, the bones our knives, our women’s awls and needles. Out of his sinews we made our bowstrings and thread. His ribs were fashioned into sleds for our children, his hoofs became rattles. His mighty skull, with the pipe leaning against it, was our sacred altar. The name of the greatest of all Sioux was Tatanka Iyotake–Sitting Bull. When you killed off the buffalo you also killed the Indian–the real, natural, “wild” Indian (Fire, 130).

The bison’s struggle for its own right to exist continues:

In the past ten years Montana and the federal government have killed 2,477 wild Yellowstone bison, more than half of the existing herd. Twenty wild bull bison have been killed in Montana since September; seventeen have been shot by Montana hunters, two by Montana’s Department of Livestock (DOL), and another was shot by a Yellowstone National Park ranger inside the Park. (indymedia.us).

At one time, prior to the coming of the white man, as many as 60 million bison roamed the plains of North America.

“We did not ask you white men to come here. The Great Spirit gave us this country as a home. You had yours. We did not interfere with you. The Great Spirit gave us plenty of land to live on, and buffalo, deer, antelope and other game. But you have come here; you are taking my land from me; you are killing off our game, so it is hard for us to live. Now, you tell us to work for a living, but the Great Spirit did not make us to work, but to live by hunting. You white men can work if you want to. We do not interfere with you, and again you say, why do you not become civilised? We do not want your civilisation! We would live as our fathers did, and their fathers before them.” (Crazy Horse, d. 1877)

All seems well. The students did an excellent job, although I cannot say the same for the computers. I never realized how cheaply these Apple iBooks are made. A little wear and tear really takes them apart. I had missing keys, fried LCD backlights, toasted Airport cards, and a variety of flavors of OS X, from 10.2 all the way to 10.4. That actually presented the biggest problem, since some students were using that old crappy Internet Explorer 5, while others had Safari.

I had intended to show the students how to spell check using Safari, but that was shot down. I also had some students on my desktops with SuSE (http://www.suse.com)/KDE (http://www.kde.org) combo. Those, of course, worked flawlessly.

Drupal (http://www.drupal.org) was also everything I had hoped it would be. It allowed all students to have their individual blog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog) pages, while also displaying all of them on the front page. Their teacher has the option of highlighting a particular student’s work on the front page as well. Furthermore, the teacher has full moderation over everything. A blog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog) is not posted or updated without the teacher’s approval. Many thanks to the developers of Drupal, which, in case you didn’t know, is free software, released under the GPL.

Overall, I was pleased with the results. I think the kids really love blog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog)ging. Most of them had never even heard of it before today. My philosophy with writing has always been, write often, write well, and write about stuff you like. If you can do those three things, your writing skills will steadily increase.

Without further ado, I present our school’s blogs (http://longfellow.lanterntorch.org/).

The biggest [reasonable] criticism of the Clinton administration was its sanctions on Iraq that led to the starving of countless Iraqi children. Sec. State Albright shrugged it off, while the Bush administration was quick to put the blame on Saddam for squandering oil-for-food money (which we all now know was a farce), but here is the evidence that, after Saddam, the US-led coalition has done nothing to improve the situation of Iraqi children. In fact, it’s gotten worse.

Acute malnutrition among young children in Iraq has nearly doubled since the United States led an invasion of the country 20 months ago, according to surveys by the United Nations, aid agencies and the interim Iraqi government. […]

The new figure translates to roughly 400,000 Iraqi children [under five] suffering from “wasting,” a condition characterized by chronic diarrhea and dangerous deficiencies of protein.

The surveys suggest the silent human cost being paid across a country convulsed by instability and mismanagement. While attacks by insurgents have grown more violent and more frequent, deteriorating basic services take lives that many Iraqis said they had expected to improve under American stewardship.

Iraq’s child malnutrition rate now roughly equals that of Burundi, a central African nation torn by more than a decade of war. It is far higher than rates in Uganda and Haiti.

I have republished it in full at Muslim Message.

Some of the most important points that I noticed include:

“The first is that Iran has vast oil and gas resources and therefore does not need nuclear energy. Although it is true that Iran is rich in oil and gas, these resources are finite and, given the pace of Iran’s economic development, they will be depleted within two to five decades. With a territory of 1,648,000 km2 and a population of about 70 million, projected to be more than 105 million in 2050, Iran has no choice but to seek access to more diversified and secure sources of energy.

“Iran’s quest for nuclear energy picked momentum following a study in 1974 carried out by the prestigious US-based Stanford Research Institute, which predicted Iran’s need for nuclear energy and recommended the building of nuclear plants capable of generating 20,000 megawatts of electricity before 1994. Now, 30 years later, Iran aims at reaching that level by 2020, which may save Iran 190 million barrels of crude oil or $10 billion per year in today’s prices.

“Over the past 250 years, Iran has not waged a single war of aggression against its neighbors, nor has it initiated any hostilities.

“There is also a fundamental ideological objection to weapons of mass destruction, including a religious decree issued by the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran prohibiting the development, stockpiling or use of nuclear weapons.

“The Agency’s thorough inspections of Iran have repeatedly confirmed Iran’s assertion that no amount of inspection and scrutiny will ever show the slightest diversion into military activity. The Director-General confirmed in Paragraph 52 of his November 2003 report that “to date, there is no evidence that the previously undeclared nuclear material and activities referred to above were related to a nuclear weapons programme.

“At the same time, the EU3 recognized “that this suspension is a voluntary confidence building measure and not a legal obligation” as well as “Iran’s rights under the NPT exercised in conformity with its obligations under the Treaty, without discrimination.”

Iran systematically responded to every acusation and suspiscion. They’ve presented themselves as level-headed, eloquent, respectful, willing to comprimise, and peaceful whereas the US has presented itself as brash, unreasonable, prejudiced and prone to violence.

This round definitely goes to Iran.

Apparently, our students watched some type of autopsy presentation today. A girl told me that she held an eyeball. Not my idea of fun.

In other news, I am curious to know of there will be RPMs for KDE (http://www.kde.org) 3.5 for SuSE (http://www.suse.com) ppc. I have yet to see any. I know 10.1 is not near release, and I’d hate to have to upgrade the whole OS everytime I want to get the latest KDE (http://www.kde.org). Of course I could compile from source…ugh.

So, you might ask, am I excited because I want to run OS X on my mega-PC desktop? No, absolutely not. That desktop will run Linux (http://www.linux.org) until it dies. However, I love the functionality of Apple portables (iBook, Powerbook, etc.) Linux (http://www.linux.org) already runs very well on PowerPC architecture. And there are already quite a few distros that ship PPC versions (Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntulinux.org/), Debian (http://www.debian.org), Gentoo, SuSE (http://www.suse.com), Mandriva, etc.)

What I see as exciting is the possibility of running SuSE (http://www.suse.com) or Kubuntu on an iBook with realtime binary compatibility. That adds tremendously to the amount of software available and the speed at which software can be installed (minimizing the amount of software that must be compiled for PPC). Also, with losers like Macromedia refusing to make PowerPC versions of Flash, Linux (http://www.linux.org) Mac users will finally be able to see wonderful flash web sites. (OK, that is a blessing and a curse).

At any rate, it’s nothing but good news for the
GNU/Linux (http://www.linux.org) users. Forget what people say about Mactel being bad for Linux (http://www.linux.org). After all, we’re not trying to wipe Apple off the map. We just want everyone to play fair. As far as I’m concerned, with the new Mactel factor, the playing field just leveled. The only potential loser here is Microsoft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft).

“The city was placed ‘under a strict night-time shoot-to-kill curfew’ with ‘anyone spotted in the soldiers’ night vision sights … shot’ (Times, 12 Nov 04); male refugees were prevented from leaving the combat zone; a health centre was bombed killing 60 patients and support staff; and refugees from the city claimed that ‘a large number of people, including children, were killed by American snipers’ and that the US had used cluster bombs and phosphorus weapons in the offensive. ” – Remember Fallujah

One year later, the over 200,000 people who were displaced from their homes and livelihood are still waiting for a ray of hope and relief. May Allah make it easy for them and punish the enemies who perepetrated such injustice against them.

“To many thinkers religion is alien to science. Science simply means a specialized branch of knowledge. In Arabic it is called ‘Ilm. A scientist in Arabic is called an ‘Alim. The west is wrong in separating Science from Religion. The great universal Muslim scientists about thousand years ago were at the forefront of knowledge particularly in the sciences and technology without ever giving up their religion. In fact Islam in general and the Qur’an in particular inspired the Muslim scientists to seek and advance knowledge. Hence they achieved all these without any conflict with religion.”

Read the full article

From the perspective of education and democracy, this is not good. I don’t think that the constitution or American law has a place for this. Personally, I think that is the correct way to teach science (not just the how but the why), but America has chosen a different path. They either need to stick to it or change their entire philosophy of religion-state. More of my views on this on my personal blog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog).

Well, it WOULD be beautiful if the guy on the mic wasn’t SO loud that you can’t even hear yourself! Ugh! And then they pass the microphone between themselves messing up the rhythm and changing the tone. I understand that they’re hyped, but what is it really about? Ego (nafs)? They think the women can’t hear? (since they lock the women away in some closet). No, I think they just believe that’s what they should do. No particular reason to it. I personally think it ruins the whole experience. I tire from reciting the takbir when I can’t even hear myself or the beautiful voices of my brothers and sisters.

Next year, leave the mic on, but step away from it.

The new “planet” affectionately referred to as “Xena” (with a moon named Gabrielle), by its discoverers, might not be a planet afterall. It seems there has always been some dispute about what actually constitutes a planet. It would seem logical to me that any body in our solar system that revolves around our sun and has satellites revolving around it, should be a planet. I say all of this as if my logic is at all noteworthy.

I’m trying out Kat (http://kat.mandriva.com/) again. So, far it’s pretty cool. It searches documents, pictures, emails, and more. *Sigh* I don’t know. I just can’t get excited about any of these search tools: Beagle, for Gnome (http://www.gnome.org), Spotlight, for Mac OS X, or the infamous Google Desktop Search. I think the problem is that I don’t have a problem finding anything as it is. Maybe it’s because I’m a librarian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Librarian) and I spend most of my life finding things for people. The real question that should be asked is, why don’t any of these tools have names like Google Desktop Librarian?

1. I’m ready to get this student-blog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog)ging thing underway. I have permission slips for students under 13, even though I’m not sure if that’s necessary (you can never be too careful).

2. RIF (http://www.rif.org/) is coming up in November (earlier than last year).

3. KDE (http://www.kde.org) 3.5 is now beta 2. I installed the SuSE (http://www.suse.com) rpm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPM_Package_Manager)s and then turned off the computer. So, I have no idea if it even works. Also, SuSE (http://www.suse.com) 10 was released. I have it on the Averatec laptop. (Dude! Sweet!). It fixed one very important bug, but now I don’t remember what it is.

4. Exa will be released with this version, but I’m disappointed to learn that some of the drivers (mainly intel 810) will not be completely finished. I can understand that the ATI situation was probably more important, but I think there are a LOT of people with paltry intel graphics chips who would love to have some eye candy.

5. My huge book order (relatively speaking) is due in December, before we leave for break. The crunch now begins. I have to get a list together and show it to the selection committee (because they won’t help actually make the list, which is fine with me). I already have a good deal of fiction books in my bibliography, but suddenly my mind has gone blank on non-fiction. Everytime something came up, I would tell myself, “Man, I should be writing this down!” Oh well, I still have time to procrastinate (just kidding).

The blessed Messenger of Allah, to whom is most deserving of our salutations of peace and blessings, reportedly said, “Take benefit of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied and your life before your death.”

He has bartered three Arabic textbooks and a dictionary to me in exchange for creating a web site that will host his store selling these books. The books are called Arabic For All, and I am already very impressed with them. There is NO English in any of the books. Not a single letter. It might sound impossible to learn Arabic from it, but that is actually the best way to learn. It comes with CDs (containing MP3 files, which beats typical textbooks with Windows CD-ROMs that don’t work in Linux) that takes you through the book. I’ve started the first lesson and love it, alhamdulillah. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to start learning Arabic. The obvious requirement is that you know how to read Arabic at a beginning level.

As long as you live in America, you can enjoy such freedom, but if you live in another country, America must impose their perception of freedom on you. By now you should realize that my ulterior motive for this article is to discuss Iraq. A new constitution is being formed in Iraq, and as long as the Shi’a majority stay in power, no matter how long it takes, Islam is going to play a role in the new government.

The United States has tried every possible move to avoid this, and even the liberal opponents of Bush are upset that he has allowed this to occur. Those in favor of the Bush plan have always voiced their disapproval of anything Islamic and of traditional Muslims, in particular. The terrorists, they explain, hate “our way of life.” Their goal, according to them, is to take away American freedom. There is no chance, according to them, that the motives of the terrorists are to change American foreign policy, particularly their unflinching support of the Zionist Israeli regime, despite what the terrorists themselves say. Odd isn’t it? The terrorists claim to support one thing, but America wants us to believe they want another thing.

Clearly the methods used by the terrorists are wrong, but the majority of Muslims agree with the motives. What does that mean? Does that mean the majority of Muslims are terrorists? No, Islam forbids the killing of innocent people. But the cause, that is the liberation of oppressed people, wherever they are, is something that all Muslims cherish deeply. American policy makers are well aware of this, and so their goal is not simply to silence the terrorists but to also silence any criticism of their policies.

They also have a more obvious goal: to spread “democracy” to all parts of the globe. This global democratic vision is one that includes other western ideologies, such as secularism and materialism. It is, for example, not enough to be democratic. A country must also be materialist. That is why the democratically elected president of Venezuela is now receiving so much heat from the American democratic iron. How dare he empower the poor and exclude the rich! Even the great Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists is in favor of someday making Tibet a democratic state (free from Chinese oppression), but America would never take interest in supporting it because it would still be a religious, not secular, democratic state.

Which brings us to Iran. The Supreme Leader of Iran (the wilayat-e-faqih, the wali-e-amr, the head honcho, whatever you want to call him) is, according to western media, “unelected.” In reality, he is simply an anomaly. He did not steal his authority, like many dictators do, and he did not even necessarily want power. The Supreme Leader is, indirectly chosen by the people. If he were not a religious authority (mujtahid), he certainly could not be supreme leader. If people did not follow him religiously (taqlid), he would not have the people’s support. It is a collective acceptance of his authority. They also have a parliament (majlis) of elected representatives, an elected president, and elected vice presidents. Now, they do have a council of Guardians who are appointed, but so is the US supreme court, who determine whether something or someone (in the case of presidential candidates) are in line with Islam (which is part of their constitution).

So, to make a long story shorter, Iran is a constitutional democracy, and their constitution is based on Islam. Their laws, their way of living, and their foreign policies would be tolerable to most people. They are certainly not perfect, and their mistakes have been plenty. Nevertheless, they are a stable government, much more stable than any other government in their region, including Israel. And even the people who want reform in Iran wish to do so by peaceful means and an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, political process.

But even if Iran was not at all democratic, what business is it of any American? If the Iranian people are happy, why should we, the pinnacle of tolerance and freedom, care? Therein lies the extreme intolerance of Americans.

America’s hatred or Iran, then, is not because they are unstable or undemocratic. Their hatred stems from the fact that Iran is unsecular and unmaterialistic. They do not share America’s goals of materialism. The Shah of Iran did, despite his dictatorial oppression of his people. Musharraf of Pakistan, an unelected general, shares the US interest in “stomping out terrorism (read: Islam).” The King (yes I said king) of Jordan is practically a “good ol’ boy” to the US simply because he supports their material interests. The royal family of Saudi Arabia, that was formed through the killing of thousands and oppression of many, is one of America’s biggest Middle East allies.

So, why is an Islamic constitution opposed by America when it comes to Iraq? Is it because America truly believes an Islamic constitution will oppress women? (Iran, for the past several years, had a female vice president. America has never had one). Is it because they will support terrorism? (The only real evidence of any regimes supporting terrorism point to Saudi Arabia and Jordan, two US allies). Is it because they oppress non-Muslims? (According to Islamic shari’ah, non-Muslims must be allowed to practice their religions, and their tax, jizyah, is actually less than the Islamic taxes on Muslims). No, it is not any of those things. America is opposed to the plans of the SCIRI (Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq) because they know that such a regime will not support America’s secular and materialistic interests. They will not allow American corporations to run their countries, and they will not sit by idly and allow Israel to run the religion according to their agenda.

Oddly enough, America cannot support the secular arabs of Iraq, because they are the ones leading the insurgency. It is not the Sunnis, who would probably love an Islamic government as much as the Shi’a. It is the secular arabs, who were on the payroll of Saddam Hussein, who stand to lose the most from any new government in Iraq. Saddam was once a US ally, and their only goal in taking him out was to replace him with another Saddam who would obey their orders better. That plan has already failed, and now the United States is left with the one thing they have never wanted: Islam. It’s growing, like a weed to them, even in their own backyards.

There should be a reasonable balance between deen and dunya. Too often we get consumed by the dunya and neglect remembrance of our Lord. There are some writings of Imam al-Ghazali on this matter. Perhaps I’ll peruse them for some answers.

We have such a limited time on this earth. Let us not waste it.

This day I will reflect on how I have spent my time and how I could spend it better, insha’Allah.

“I have experienced every type of delight and found well-being to be the best. I have suffered every kind of hardship and found turning to others to be the worst. I have carried iron and stone and found being indebted to others to be the heaviest. Know that there are two kinds of days: one favorable and the other unfavorable. If it is good, do not lavish, and if it is unfavorable, be patient, as both are temporary.”

–Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)

No doubt, love is an illness, and “falling in love” is a very dangerous adventure. True love, however, is much deeper than the trifles of heart-shaped chocolates and rose pedals. True love is the foundation of all life. All that exists continues to do so out of its divine, unconditional love for the Ultimate Source.

The one who is spiritually capable of sight can gaze upon the divine attributes in created things and people. When I look at my wife, I do not see the flesh but rather the manifestation of divine Will, the archetype of pure Love. Ya Wadud, Ya Wadud, Ya Wadud.

“The sea of love is a sea that has no shore,
There you can only give up your soul.
Each time you give your heart to love is a joyous moment
For auspicious deeds there is no need for diviniation”

– Hafiz

What I love most, however, is just listening to older people talk about their travels and experiences. They always have such a tremendous amount of wisdom to convey to us. I think it is a shame that western civilizations disrespect their elders so much. They push them aside and hide them from public view. It’s not “cool” to be old.

It is nice, however, to know that some civilized African-Americans are trying to preserve the wealth of wisdom of elder generations.

Unfortunately, most Arabic sites (even some of
my own) don't seem to know squat about Unicode Arabic, which works in
Firefox (http://www.spreadfirefox.com). So, Konqueror is my best friend now.

Aside from that, Konqueror is king of the desktop, with file
management, remote acces, etc. Well, remote access is the reason I'm
typing this.
I need to connect to my server, and I connect to my other computers.
Well, sometimes, I need a graphical interface (or at least WANT one).
Normally, SSH from the console is more secure than FTP or the dreaded
Telnet. I have a graphical FTP program in Gftp, and it can also do
SSH2. But let's face it, it's less than stellar.

To make a secure connection with Konqueror using sftp protocol, do the
following:

1. Open Konqueror (duh!)

2. In the address bar, type in sftp://remoteaddress.net where
remoteaddress.net should be replaced with the name of the SSH server
to which you are connecting (Side note: most Linux (http://www.linux.org) distros come with
SSH2 enabled and FTP and Telnet disabled).  So, even if you think
you don't have an SSH sever, you probably do.

3. Konqueror, being the smart genius that it is, will then prompt you
for your username and password.  Enter them.  If you're
really feeling ambitious, tell it to save your password (but I'd never
do that).

4. Now, voila!  You're connected!  But who wants to have to
type that stuff in everytime?  Not I.  So, Click y our
bookmarks menu and add it to your bookmarks.  Next time, all you
have to do is click the bookmark.

5. Now you can drag and drop files from remote locations to your hearts
content, securely and quickly.  I now do this back and forth from
my laptop and desktop, sometimes forgetting that I'm using two remote
computers.  It's just like managing files on your own system.

I can think of many other uses for this, but you get the idea.

1. Our future depends upon Allah’s favor that He has granted to us (Islam), and not the other way around. It is not Allah who must conform to man’s vision but rather man who must conform to Allah.

2. Unity is certainly achievable, but Muslims must move beyond the obsession with uniformity. People are not ever going to be completely the same, even in their ideologies. If we are to bring peace to the world, it must be through acceptance rather than complete assimilation.

3. People who wish for “progressive Islam” do not understand Islam. They are attempting to reinvent the religion, seemingly unaware of the religion’s adaptive nature. They are forcing something that should come naturally. As a result, they reject anything traditional and accept anything perverse (such as homosexuality, etc.) Their claim is one of tolerance, yet they are not tolerant of us. They label us extremists and turn the media and non-Muslim populace against us.

1. Novell has announced OpenSuSE (http://www.suse.com), a plan to make SuSE (http://www.suse.com) Linux (http://www.linux.org) open source and community driven. It will be similar to the Fedora (http://fedora.redhat.com/) model, a spin-off of the old Redhat (http://www.redhat.com) Linux (http://www.linux.org), which pushes code back into Redhat (http://www.redhat.com) Enterprise Linux (http://www.linux.org).

OpenSuSE (http://www.suse.com) will push mature code back into SuSE (http://www.suse.com) Linux (http://www.linux.org) Enterprise Server and Novell Linux (http://www.linux.org) Desktop.

Interestingly, however, Novell wants to get this distro to everyone, not just Linux (http://www.linux.org) “enthusiasts,” so they will continue to sell a boxed version of SuSE (http://www.suse.com) Linux (http://www.linux.org) with manuals and tech support to non-technical users. Techie users, of course, can freely download the ISO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9660) online and also distribute it to their non-technie friends.

2.Mozilla (http://www.mozilla.org/) Foundation has announced that they are spinning off a commercial subsidiary called Mozilla (http://www.mozilla.org/) Corporation. It will now be in charge of all Mozilla Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) and Thunderbird distribution, while making a little cash for the project.

They say they don’t intend to make serious revenue, but I say, if it happens, more power to them. The old rules still apply. It will continue to be open source, and community developers are still welcome. The only question is, will they still feel welcome?

I have currently have an online application for student assistants. That is going really well. Technology is making my job easier everyday.

The software is based on ANGEL (http://www.angellearning.com/).

For risking your life and your future on the corner, you are
earning minimum wage…in the Canadian context, that ranges
from a low of $5.90 per hour in Alberta to a high of $8.00 per
hour in British Columbia, a wage level akin to the earning of
the cashier at your local McDonalds.

Make sure you read the whole article.

Just imagine it, Would you like fries with that crack?

From the web site:  Under the Patriot Act, the government can:

* SEARCH YOUR HOME AND NOT TELL YOU FOR WEEKS, MONTHS OR INDEFINITELY (Sec. 213)* COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT YOU READ, WHAT YOU BUY, YOUR HOTEL VISITS AND YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY (Sec. 215)* SEIZE BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL RECORDS (Sec. 505)* TRACK YOUR EMAIL ACTIVITY AND WEB USAGE (Sec. 216)

New TVs in every classroom
3 new Data Projectors
New iBook carts on the way

I've prepared an orientation for the students to the Media
Center.  It's meant to be interactive, with students answering
questions, but it still might be useful to view online.  So, here it is (../../../documents/studentorientation.html). 
I made it in Open Document Presentation format (.odp) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument), the new standard,
but I've exported it to Flash (.swf), which I just discovered that
OpenOffice.org can do.  Enjoy!

I'm sure there's a lot that could be added to it, but I just wanted to share the idea.

The police have issued a statement of regret. This comes after the Mayor had endorsed the apparent “shoot to kill” policy that had been adopted by London forces. The policy has already claimed its first innocent victim, a man with absolutely no connection to the bombings.

I have a Special Edition of our newsletter available online.  You can check it out here (../../../images/stories/newsletterspecial.pdf).  Viewing requires a PDF viewer such as KPDF, XPDF, or, if you prefer, Acrobat Reader.

What a welcome.

Xgl (http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software_2fXgl)

Plasma for KDE (http://plasma.bddf.ca/)

Luminocity for Gnome (http://www.gnome.org/~seth/blog/xshots)

Perhaps, someone will make the connection between the two groups of innocent victims, who are not all so different despite their physical proximity and various languages and cultures. They both have families, friends, jobs, hopes, and dreams. Perhaps someone will see that connection. Then again, probably not.

“On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.” (Qur’an 5:32)

First, let me say that, before today, I had never heard of Stephen Schwartz. Perhaps Allah had blessed me. Today, I happened to stumble upon an article of his declaring Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) to be a “fundamentalist” Muslim who was rightfully barred from entering the United State.

Schwartz is most famous for his book The Two Faces of Islam: Saudi Fundamentalism and its Role in Terrorism. You can find a criticism of the book at its link.

You should also read this article that reveals much about Schwartz’s ideology, which he has apparently learned from his teacher, Hisham Kabbani, “Shaykh” of the US branch (or splinter sect) of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order (tariqa). They’ve essentially declared everyone who does not conform to their skewed interpretation of Islam to be “Wahhabi” and “extremist.” Apparently, CAIR, ISNA, ICNA, and even Hezbollah are all “Wahhabi” organizations, despite the fact that these groups bear little resemblance to organizations that claim “salafism” (claiming adherence to the teachings of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab), or the teachings of Saudi-Wahhabi scholars, such as the late Shaykh Ibn Baz. Hezbollah is even a shi’a group, loyal to Iran (most wahhabi/salafi scholars consider shi’a to be non-Muslims/kuffar).

Assuming Schwartz is actually Muslim, he is, at the least, committing a major sin by lying so blatantly (thus taking on the long believed to be archaic term, pseudologist). At the most, he is perpetrating a great fitna (sedition) against Islam, allying himself with the enemies of Islam, justice, and human rights. He is a charlatan who has duped numerous news sites that have lost all journalistic credibility, and has managed to convince the US government (big surprise) of his contrived nonsense.

Amir ul-Mu’minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) said: “The foolish does not advise you of good and is not expected to save you from any problem even if he does his best. Moreover, he may harm you as he intends to benefit you. His death is better than his life, his silence is better than his words, and his remoteness is better than his closeness.” — Bihar ul-Anwar; Kitab ul-Ashara 56

On the way home, my wife and I discussed how odd it is that certain non-Muslim scholars can literally dedicate their lives to researching and writing about Islam and yet never actually enter into the Deen (religion, way of life). Granted, some of them are probably “closet Muslims,” but some stick firmly to their own religions. They’ll even promote Islam and defend it against opposition, but not utter those beautiful words (la ilaha il-Allah, muhammadur-rasulullah). I imagine that many of them belong to the perennialist school, and that they think themselves to have transcended the need for any “organized religion.” So, they reside in a nomadic fluidity, floating aimlessly in spritual anarchy.

Traditional Islam first must trace back to the divine source, which is Allah’s unchanged and inerrant book, al-Qur’an. The Qur’an is so certain in its purpose and yet so flexible and universal in its approach that it is sufficient for all people in all times to come.

There is a certain humanity, however, that must be exemplified if the Qur’an is to be properly understood and its precepts to be effectively carried to fruition. Allah gave us this exalted character (khuluqin ‘atheem), in the beloved Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, the seal of the Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). His sunnah must be preserved and taught, and no other lights existed in the Ummah’s darkest hours (fitnah, apostasy, tyranny, and materialism), except the Muhammadin Nur that was shouldered by the Prophet’s pure household (Ahlul-bayt).

So abundant is the knowledge they revealed, so marvelous is the example that they brought, and so monumental are the teachings they left, that even their enemies can find no fault in them and those who do not even call themselves their followers (shi’a) rush to claim them as their own.

Traditional Islam is both outward and inward, and true excellence (ihsan) resides in the awareness (or knowing God), called ‘irfan. The science of this awareness is called tasawwuf (Sufism), and any tree of knowledge that denies it is a tree that bears no fruit. The beauty of al-Islam manifests itself in this inner science, and it was only through Ahlul-bayt (may Allah sanctify them and bless them with His divine peace) that this divine secret light was transmitted through all traditional chains. Because of this, Sufism is today the great equalizer between all sects and schools of thought.

Traditional Islam is not found in the canonization of a madhhab nor in the culturalization of the husayniyah. To truly tap into the house of wisdom (bayt al-hikmah) that is the Messenger of Allah (and the divine Book that was sent with him), one must travel through its door (al-bab), Ahlul-bayt. It begins with love of these luminaries, but it must not stop at nominal love. To love them is to obey them, and to obey them is to emulate them. To emulate them is to achieve human perfection (ihsan).

This is the traditional Islam of Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant he and his family peace) and his household. It is a “school of thought” that predates time itself, for it was divinely ordained by Allah ta’ala, and it will be upheld and preserved, even unto the latter days, when Allah will raise up one from among the descendants of Fatimah (peace be upon her) who will fill the earth with justice and equality, just as it had previously been filled with injustice and tyranny.

I also work for Indianapolis Public Schools and find it interesting how willing they are to hike the taxes for stadiums while continuing to cut funding for schools (http://www.indianademclub.org/blog/2005/03/22/indiana-politics/46/).

Why is the responsibility of the city to pay for such a stadium? Where does revenue from the stadium go? It certainly doesn’t go back into the pockets of the people. And it’s not as if it’s free to go see a football game. What message are we sending to our children who we’re supposedly not leaving behind?

I just returned from salatul-Juma’ah (Friday congregational prayer) at the masjid. The person giving the khutbah was someone I had never seen before. Masha’Allah, he was very well spoken in both English and Arabic. It was a very enlightening lecture about iman.

One point that he mentioned that has led me to this afterthought is that many people are attempting to enclose Islam within their own ideologies. We have many “reformers” within the Muslim community, whose agenda appears to be opening a “stale and backwards” Islam into the “pluralism and freedom” of the West. There’s an ongoing discussion at Muslim Message and many other issues, such as women leading prayer, that have sprung from this progressive Muslim movement.

I was going to write about how their approach to “reform” is part of the reason many Muslims have been turned away from them, but it seems one of their own, Muqtedar Khan, has an article about it, in which he writes:

“…There are several aspects of style that seems to bother average Muslim readers. The tendency to immediate mock and ridicule prominent American Muslim leaders and organizations – a song that calls Siraj Wahhaj a fag is often cited. Most people have no problems with criticism, but they object to the complete lack of Islamic adab. Regardless of what ploy MWU editors may use to defend this – “Oh it is under the section satire, or humor “ – the distasteful content speaks or rather stinks for itself. This is not the Islamic way. One thing that many people told me was that they were deeply hurt by the manner in which MWU either dismissed or mocked traditional Muslim scholars of the past and the present. “

I agree that many “progressive Muslims” have undermined their own movement by failing to follow traditional Islamic adab in their arguments. I can also safely state that many traditional Muslims have done the same.

There needs to be serious dialogue between all sides (and I say all sides because many Muslims are in between these two extremes). All issues should be brought to the table so that each group can decide what is acceptable and rational for both and what is only acceptable for one. If this does not occur, the progressive movement will splinter into a sect and eventually be lost within the dusty pages of Islamic history. And I’m not even saying that losing it is a bad thing. Perhaps that will be one of the tests of its validity.

I certainly welcome any progressive Muslim to come to Muslim Message and discuss any of these issues with me and to possibly arrange for our scholars to dialogue.

The human being (al-insan) seems to always desire more from this world. No matter how much we deny our lusts for material gain, its amassing consumes us, and that which we do not have beckons us. All things of this world are not bad, and many of the beautiful gifts of Allah should be treasured, nourished, and used for the good of this life. But to desire these material objects, both organic and inorganic, and to refuse to let go of them is every good man’s undoing. I fear of this for myself and for my family. Adib, seek attachment to no one, not even family. Attach yourself to Allah alone and dissolve yourself into the flame of His eternity.

“The likeness of this world is as the water of the sea. However much (water) a thirsty person drinks from it, his thirst increases so much so that the water kills him.” — Imam Musa ibn Ja’far al-Kazim (a.s.)

First of all, let's talk about the interface.  It's GTK2, which
beats Gnu-Cash's old GTK1 interface that they'll someday get around
to updating.  It fits in perfectly with my QT/GTK themes. 
(Yes, appearance is important for someone like me who can easily forget
to balance my checkbook).

Secondly, the name is much better than Quicken, MS Money, Gnucash, or Kmymoney.  It just sounds better.

Thirdly, it comes with a ton of categories already assigned.  You
can add categories just by typing them in, and it remembers prior
transactions as you type them so that you can just press enter to
repeat a transaction.  This is helpful for bills, but you can also
change the amount if it fluctuates from month-to-month.

It has all the other stuff that I don't use, like financial reports,
scheduling, etc.  I'm not saying the best accounting program ever,
but it's certainly the best for personal finance.

The path to peaceful felicity begins
with dissatisfaction.
Dissatisfaction leads to the desire for
change.
The desire for change leads to the
formulation of resistance.
Resistance leads to counter-resistance.
Counter resistance leads to resilience.
Resilience eventuates change.

Think, Exist, Plan, Act, Affect Change

Think,
because without thinking, one does not exist.
Exist,
because the road to any destination must begin with realization.
Plan,
because one who acts without planning ceases to exist.
Act,
because planning without action is a tree that bears no fruit.
Affect Change,
because one's actions must produce a positive effect.

But this is an educational movie.

It's not going to hurt anybody if we
just watch it in our class.

I've even got some asking, When are you showing the next movie? as if this were the Cinemaplex.  Dude, teach your class.

These people obviously have me all
wrong. I'm just trying to obey the law and keep my job. In some
cases, I even agree with them, and I'm not a big fan of some of the
ways in which the Copyright Law (http://www.copyright.gov/title17/) has been used. Nevertheless, if you
have a problem with the law, take it up with the MPAA (http://www.mpaa.org) and
Congress (http://www.house.gov/)…not me.

I kind of feel like that US Marshall in
the movie, The Fugitive. The man who is being chased yells
out, I didn't kill my wife, and the US Marshall replies, I
don't care.

That reminds me.  Firefox (http://www.spreadfirefox.com) kept crashing on me whenever I would
change the desktop background or occasionally when I would switch
virtual desktops.  So, after all kinds of pointless straces and
stuff like that, I found out that it's the gtk-qt engine. 
Apparently, freedesktop.org people need to update their version to fix
this bug (and maybe they have in cvs, so don't get mad at me).

Anyway, the good news (if you want to call it that) about working this
summer is the extra money…literally two paychecks.  We need a
second car, so this money can go to that.

1. Mozilla (http://www.mozilla.org/) patches their security holes a lot faster than Microsoft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft).

2. We have still not seen any reported attacks on anyone's computer as a result of Firefox (http://www.spreadfirefox.com) vulnerabilities.

3. They are using quantitative analysis to contrast the two browsers,
but the number of vulnerabilities is not the issue.  It's whether
or not they get fixed.

4. In reference to point 3, the two biggest problems with Internet
Explorer that weren't fixed were a) Microsoft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft)'s Java Virtual
Machine.  A security joke that they never fixed until it died cold
and alone b) ActiveX, which Microsoft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft) still uses.  The whole point
of ActiveX is to allow programs to run and install themselves on
computers.  That is where all the spyware and adware comes from on
Internet Explorer.  What they aren't telling you is that, when
they talk about security holes, most of them are never exploited on
either browser.  The problem with Internet Explorer is not
technically a security hole at all.  It's a feature. !

5. The number one reason not to use Internet Explorer is the number one
reason that it has been so successful: it is integrated into the
operating system.  It's closed source, but heck, for all we know,
it's integrated into the Windows kernel (http://www.kernel.org/).  If you are foolish
enough to use Windows, at least don't use a browser that promotes its
insecurity as a feature and integrates the browser so tightly that a
web site can install a program and run it on your computer whenever it
wants, with administrative privileges.

So, let's not be confused.  The difference between the security
holes with Firefox (http://www.spreadfirefox.com) and Internet Explorer is that the former actively
and quickly patches their holes while the latter embraces their holes
and expects every web developer to embrace them as well.

Instead of doing the right thing we're being told that Microsoft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft)
intends to integrate Internet Explorer even further into its new OS,
Longhorn, despite the legal, ethical, and technical brouhaha that it is
certain to cause.

I had a very intriguing dream. Although I usually don’t tell my dreams, I have this feeling that this one is meant to be told.

Somehow I found myself in Palestine, the occupied territories. I had befriended an Arab family and was staying with them during my visit. Somehow, they apparently had connections in this Israeli town, and the managed to get me in for their “parliment” of sorts. It was somewhat of a townhall meeting, but apparently it was their local government. It was quite a shabby building with white dirty walls and lots of older men sitting around discussing mundane issues.

At lunch time, one of the Israelis and my Arab friend (I promise this is not a joke) wanted to go outside for lunch, or so I thought. They walked toward a hill, and I was trailing some distance behind. They disappeared behind the hill, and when I walked all the way around it, I did not see them. I expected them to walked to the top of it and setup a place to eat.

Then, I noticed a door in the side of the hill. Sure enough, they had gone inside. This was someone’s house. The Israeli man lived there with his wife and several children. It wasn’t much, but they were happy. The Arab man had also brought his wife and children to visit.

It was very uneasy at first with not a lot of talking. Finally, the silence was broken by one of the Jewish boys talking about prayer. His mother had asked him if he had performed his prayers. It sounded very similar to a Muslim mother asking her child the same thing, so the Arab boy interjected and asked how they prayed. The Jewish boy recited one of their prayers, which I cannot repeat. Somehow they spoke Hebrew in my dream, even though I do not speak Hebrew.

The Muslim boy then recited al-Fatiha, but he was the youngest, and I had to help him through some parts. The Israelis were very enthusiastic about hearing it, as if they had rarely heard, which I found strange. They wanted to learn it right then. As we were all engaged in this activity, we heard a car pull up. In no uncertain terms, the driver announced that somehow this house was in violation of something rather, and they began to open fire with machine guns.

We all hit the floor as quickly as possible as the gun men riddled the house with a barrage of bullets. I managed to crawl over to the opposite side of the wall inside the kitchen where no bullets were entering. After the shooting stopped, I seriously expected to come back around to the other side and find everyone dead. As I came back around, I found my Arab friend standing up. He had blood on him but did not appear to have been actually hit by a bullet directly.

Everyone else was lying there completely still. Then, slowly one by one, children started getting up checking themselves for bullet holes. Finally, the Jewish mother got up and looked at her husband as though he might be dead, but then he rose with a smile on his face. We then began festivities as if nothing had happened. No one even talked about the shooting.

We cooked all kinds of dishes and deserts, with children laughing and playing well into the night. Soon, we had forgotten our differences, and we all felt like one family.

The only complaint that I have is that the self update system that is
listed in preferences does not detect new updates and does not update
Firefox (http://www.spreadfirefox.com) to the latest version.  I have been told, but cannot
confirm, that the updater works on Windows, but it clearly does not
work on Linux (http://www.linux.org) or Mac OSX.

To me this sounds like a case of Mozilla (http://www.mozilla.org/) Foundation biting the hand
that feeds it by offering a slightly inferior product to the free
software community that supported it when everyone else had turned its
back and jump on the Internet Explorer bandwagon.

Granted, if your Linux (http://www.linux.org) distro offers Firefox (http://www.spreadfirefox.com) and regular security
updates for it, then you probably weren't using the updater
anyway.  But I still wonder why they have the feature listed if
they do not intend to use it.  If someone from Mozilla (http://www.mozilla.org/) wants to
offer an explanation, feel free to comment.

I am not the type to speak over people or cut people off when they
talk.  Everyone should spend time increasing their abilities to
have patience and to listen.  By the way, waiting to talk is not
the same as listening.

He starts out talking about how Microsoft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft) Windows crashes causing us to
reboot the computer and curse Bill Gates.  Similarly, he leads us
to assume that Linux (http://www.linux.org) also crashes but we don't curse Linux (http://www.linux.org).  
This is his first error.

Anyway, after I finished stuffing my items into the trunk, I pushed the cart over to him and handed it to him. He looked me directly in the eyes and said, “Thanks, man.” I said nothing in reply.

It was not the way that he said “Thanks, man” that left me speechless. It was the look. His look said more than his words, and my silence said more than any language could have conveyed. That look said more than thanks. It was a look of, “So, you know my plight. You know my struggle. Thank you for the respect.”

For that moment, I understood that young man, much as I wished someone had understood me a few years ago. If I had said, “You’re welcome,” it would have been meaningless. I had not actually done anything for him. All I did was give him the respect that he always deserves as a man, and yet so many of us rarely receive.

Are the planets aligning tonight for the first time in 3,000 years or something?

My computers are actually jealous.

Well, the truth is, OS X and Safari are anything but free, and they do
little to nothing to contribute to the free software projects from
which they so liberally borrow code.  KDE (http://www.kde.org) developers have
repeatedly complained about how Apple is not revealing the CVS history
of their changes to KHTML (the KDE (http://www.kde.org)-based browser engine that powers
Safari), so their changed sources are essentially useless towards
reintegration back into Konqueror (the KDE (http://www.kde.org) KHTML-based browser).

I still maintain that the best way to promote intellectual freedom and
growth, especially in libraries, is to run and distribute free
software.  Besides, what message would I send to my kids if I
promoted hardware (Macs) and software (OS X, etc.) that they could
never afford?

Slashdot reports (http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/29/1556252&from=rss):

Zack Rusin writes: 'All I'm asking for is that all the clueless people stop talking about the cooperation (http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/view/1002)
between Safari/Konqueror developers and how great it is. There's
absolutely nothing great about it. In fact it doesn't exist.'

Now, just imagine, you're driving your new Ford Escort, complete with
Microsoft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft) AutoWindows for cars.  Suddenly, your car stops,
flashes a blue screen on the windshield and says:

The temperature outside has changed, please restart AutoWindows in order for the changes to take effect.

Later on, the car displays a balloon message, The are unused icons on your dashboard.

Then, you sell your car after a few years.  When the new owner
starts driving, it shuts down and displays a warning, Warning:
unauthorized use of this vehicle is prohibited by the End User License
Agreement.  Please activate your copy of AutoWindows.

I'm still trying to figure out a good way to introduce Project
Gutenberg.  We have these Mac iBooks.  I wonder if we can use
them to read ebooks.

On another note, I am making all of our newsletters and documentation
public.  You can view it at
http://www.lanterntorch.org/documents/ (../../../documents)   All documents in
that directory are licensed under the same Creative Commons (http://www.creativecommons.org) license as
the rest of this site.

I immediately SSHed into each box and shut down the computers.  Then, they left…

Also, the wireless, KInternet tool was activated by default. When I
move between locations, it picks up the wireless signal and connects
automagically.

Overall, it was great for the laptop. As an operating system as a
whole, however, I can't say that it's that much better than 9.2 that
you should go out and spend the money on it. If, however, you're not
into updating KDE (http://www.kde.org) yourself, it's worth it just to have KDE (http://www.kde.org) 3.4 out of
the box, with full support.

Openoffice.org 2.0 pre-release has some nice features, and Novell added
their own little splash screen, which is also great.

Beagle was a dud. I still can't get it to work. I just gave up.
They also mentioned that they had some new photo program.

I came to
find out that they were referring to Digikam for KDE (http://www.kde.org) and F-Spot for
Gnome (http://www.gnome.org). Well, F-Spot is not any good, in my opinion, and I already had
and use Digikam (I think it's better than most photo management
programs on other OSes).

Bottom line, if you have a laptop, you NEED SuSE (http://www.suse.com) 9.3. If you have a
desktop with 9.2, you might not want to bother. If you have a desktop
with any older version of SuSE (http://www.suse.com), another Linux (http://www.linux.org) distro, or Windows, you
should definitely consider SuSE (http://www.suse.com) 9.3.

My book order arrived.  Lots of great books.  I ordered quite
a few graphic novels this time in an effort to try to drum up interest
from the boys.  We'll see if it works.

Right now, I'm reading Monster

This cannot be further from the truth.  Linux (http://www.linux.org) supports more
hardware on more architecture out of the box than any other kernel (http://www.kernel.org/).

I have been hearing a lot about Linux (http://www.linux.org) being difficult to install
compared to Windows.  I find this quite odd.  Being someone
who has worked in professional environments with both Linux (http://www.linux.org) and
Windows, I can testify that many Linux (http://www.linux.org) distributions are much easier to
install than Windows.  I wondered for a long time why someone
would say that the average user would have trouble installing
Linux (http://www.linux.org).  Then, I imagined the average user (my mother) trying to
install Windows and it made sense.  Most average users buy
computers with Windows already installed.  Therein lies the
problem.

Everything here worked out of the box except for two things:

1. Suspend – because apparently SuSE (http://www.suse.com) disables it by default, which
makes sense because it's not a laptop distribution , which I'd like to
comment on later.
2. Wireless – because Averatec made a stupid button to turn their
wireless on and off.  You're probably thinking, Dude, isn't that
a good thing?   Well, it would be except that their little button
is controlled by software drivers (Windows only) and not by the
hardware itself.

So, to enable suspend, I simply went into /etc/powersave.conf and edited this line:

POWERSAVED_DISABLE_USER_SUSPEND=yes to read no

To fix the wireless, I had to rip out my hair for a long time (my beard
hair, mind you).  OK, so some dude, bless his heart, came up with
a linux software kernel (http://www.kernel.org/) module specifically for this brand of laptop to
turn it on, as well as a few other laptops that have this stupid
feature.  The project is called RFSWITCH (http://rfswitch.sourceforge.net/) because of the radio switch that must be enabled.

Wireless now works fine, and I am currently typing this from a wireless location.

Some people raised objections about it, using intellectual property
as their reason.  This raises a more relevant question: To what
extent does intellectual property reach?  Does someone's
intellectual property actually include the paper on which it is
printed?  Mircosoft, the MPAA (http://www.mpaa.org), and the RIAA would have you believe
that it does.

I argue that once I buy the book, it's mine.  I cannot change it
and then republish it, but I can surely rip it to shreds, write on it,
spill food on it, and put it in the washing machine to my heart's
content (of course I would never do any of those things, but you are
free to do it).

1. Java – The average user is annoyed by it anyway.  Why do
we use it?  Because people make us use it.  I've never gone
out and searched for some cool java apps.   Usability aside,
however, it's also not free.  We need to drop java from our Linux (http://www.linux.org)
Distributions.  There are some people working on an alternative (http://www.kaffe.org/), if necessary, which brings me to my next point:

2. Openoffice.org – There next version, 2.0 has a disappointingly high dependence on java (http://software.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=05/03/22/204244&from=rss).  It is now up to each distribution to make free versions of OpenOffice.org that do not contain these dependencies.

3. Macromedia Flash – With an advancing (and perhaps more
ignorant) number of web developers in the world, we are seeing more
flash-based web sites every day.  Almost every movie promo site
now uses Flash exclusively.  Flash is not free, and Macromedia's
Linux (http://www.linux.org) support has been questionable at best.  They do not even
offer a version of their Flash development software for Linux (http://www.linux.org), which
means web developers on GNU/Linux (http://www.linux.org) platforms are left out of the flash
craze.  But flash is not a web standard, and it should not
be.  It's good for multimedia presentations, but it should not be
used for web site structural design.  Furthermore, it's not
free.  There are alternatives on the horizon (http://www.affs.org.uk/~alex/HowDoWeReplaceFlash).  
A warning to Macromedia, you better use your technology wisely.  I
suggest you preempt the free software movement, as Real Player (https://helixcommunity.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=128) did and release your player under GPL.  Otherwise, someone might just replace you with a free-software alternative.

I'm sure there are more of these sneaky little non-free programs out
there.  Our goal should not be to condemn them.  That just
makes us look like extremists.  We should instead develop feasible
alternatives that can work for the average user.  What Real Networks (https://helixcommunity.org/) did is highly commendable, and others should follow this example.

It's loaded with wireless, mobile processor, 15 screen, and tons of
other goodies.  And it's been tested and proven to work with
Linux (http://www.linux.org), which I will promptly install as soon as I buy it.

I'm making progress though.  I can see the floor now.  You
know it aught to be illegal for these book and a/v companies to send
their catalogs.  How many trees died for them if every single
library gets their catalogs?  Don't you people have web
sites?  It's bad enough that you want to call me but then you send
faxes and catalogs? ugh!

I also found this really weird map thing that's like 20 feet long (I
kid you not).  You'd think my office was big or something…

The solution?  Simply add:

[Development]

AutoCheckAccelerators=false

to ~/.kde/share/config/kdeglobals

Or:

# /opt/kde3/share/config/kdefilepickerrc

#

# OpenOffice.org's KDE (http://www.kde.org) file selector configuration

#

# This avoids crashes when using OpenOffice.org with KDE (http://www.kde.org)

# file dialogs and KDE (http://www.kde.org) >= 3.4

#

# Move this file to $KDE (http://www.kde.org)DIR/share/config/kdefilepickerrc

# or merge it to an existing configuration.

[Development]

AutoCheckAccelerators=false

This is filed at: http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=100849#c2 (http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=100849#c2)

I received no confirmation after my order.  So, I had to e-mail
them to see if the order went through.  They replied that it had.
A day or so later, my credit card gets charged…waiting.

Last week, I figured it would arrive maybe Tuesday or Wednesday (I
didn't pay for the fast shipping).  Waiting…waiting…Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday…waiting…

Today, I e-mailed them like 30 times with no response.  This dude
finally calls me and starts his sentence with, Well, see what
happened was… and I knew it was bad news from that point. 
Apparently, it was out of stock.  Instead of calling me
immediately to let me know, they charged my card and then waited 10
days to see if their next shipment would come.

He was calling me to offer me a substitute (IBM Thinkpad).  He
said that it had the same specs, except it was like 0.1 GHZ
slower.  So, I said, well, how much?  He said, Same
price.   Ugh!  After all you've put me through? 

Then he said, but I can have it shipped out
tomorrow.   And I said, You mean it will arrive here tomorrow.

No, he said, You're in Connecticut, right?  So, it'll probably be there the next business day.  

Connecticut?  Do you even know who I am?  You loser!  No, cancel my order and prepare to be blog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog)ged.

If anyone out there can sell me a laptop with decent customer service, let me know.

It is talking about some X.org (http://www.x.org) innovations with OpenGL, composite,
etc.  Am I the only one who wonders about this?  First of all
Longhorn is not even out yet, so I fail to see how X.org (http://www.x.org) has to catch
up with it.

Secondly, Mac OS X definitely has some eye candy that X desktops did
not have in the past, but the Mac desktop is still not free and not
customization-friendly. 

Finally, I have proven that this technology is here and now for
X.  Although some naysayers have described the xcomposite features
of X.org (http://www.x.org) to be buggy and unstable KDE (http://www.kde.org) 3.4 has done away with those
concerns.  Please see my screenshots (../../../content/view/92/1/) for confirmation.  Since I downloaded KDE (http://www.kde.org) 3.4, X has been stable.

I have been able to watch videos and play video games.  I have the
latest Nvidia driver (don't try it wit ATI — not X.org (http://www.x.org)'s fault. 
ATI seems not to be committed to Linux (http://www.linux.org) the way Nvidia is).  No, my
desktop is not exactly like OS X.  That's the point.  I don't
like everything on OS X.  It's the freedom of choice that matters.

I think it's time Mac and Windows catch up to X and release the source code for their desktops.

School Forge

It's also giving me time to think about how the employment game really
works.  I was reminded of this when I read about that Harvard
ongoing lawsuit. 
Although many are describing the discrimination against her as sex
bias or even racial discrimination, I think that there is more to it
than that.

How many people have been turned down for a job for being too
pretty?  Too skinny? Too ugly, too fat, too smart, too dumb, too
tall, too short, too black, not black enough, etc.  There is a
shortage of jobs, so employers come up with the dumbest reasons to pass
over qualified candidates.  Invariably, the person who gets the
job is someone who knows someone.  It's not technically nepotism
because they're usually not related.  Their kid might just play
with the boss' kid, or their parents have connections.   Yes, the
job market is simply unfair, and employers are imperfect people charged with performing subjective tasks.

So, what is this woman's true motivation?  I don't think it's so
much that they discriminated against her (although they probably
did) or that she was too pretty (because she probably isn't), but it
is most likely because they shafted her 13 times.  13 times she
was up for promotion and was passed over by less qualified
people?  Umm, hello?  People go postal over a lot less than
that.  No job is worth it.

The problem is that they can think of any lame reason not to let you
succeed, and it might just be because they don't like you.  The
amazing part is that this woman let it go on for so long.  It's
like the abused wife who allows herself to be beaten day in and day
out.  Does suing your husband do any good?  Nope.  It's
time to stand up and hit back.

new mouseover effects on the panel (../../../images/stories/kde3.4screenshot1.jpg)

check out KPDF (../../../images/stories/kde3.4screenshot3.jpg)  You can now select text, copy it to clipboard, or
even have text-to-speech read it!  And it's 18,000 times faster
than Acrobat Reader!

One improvement that I really like is KDM.  KDM used to be wimpy
compared to Gnome (http://www.gnome.org)'s GDM.  Well, now KDM is themeable (is that a
word?).  You can apply GDM themes, except, KDM does not support
username-password in one form box. 

Anyway, I figured out how to hack the GDM themes to make them work with
KDM.  It's actually quite simple, just an XML file to edit. 
But, if any of yous out there need a theme converted, just let me
know.  I'll do it for free, but it has to be clean.

OK, so I am going to try to bring back the downloads section
soon.  There are scripts and other knick-knacks that I've been
working on lately.  For instance, I have a lot of hosting clients
who want Mambo (http://www.mamboserver.com) (especially after I suggest it).  So, I wrote a
shell script that will automatically download it, chmod files where
necessary, and prepare it for install.  It doesn't install it
because it's a web based install.  Plus users have to setup their
own MySQL (http://www.mysql.com/) databases.  Nevertheless, it really saves me time.

Anyway, back to the Media Fair.  I needed a laptop to show the
web site to the judges.  So, I borrowed my father's.  It has
Windows XP on it (ewwwww).  So, I managed to install Apache (http://www.apache.org), PHP (http://www.php.net/),
and MySQL (http://www.mysql.com/) on it (cool). 

I want to buy a laptop.  In fact, I even have one picked out, but
alas, I am but a pauper.  Perhaps when I finally save up the
money, I'll appreciate it that much more. The life of a Poor Righteous Teacher. **sigh**

1. SuSE (http://www.suse.com) Professional 9.3 has been announced.  It will include KDE (http://www.kde.org)
3.4 (not yet released), OpenOffice.org 2.0 (not yet released) and
Firefox (http://www.spreadfirefox.com) 1.0 as the default browser (I know that will make a certain
someone happy).

2. People keep asking me to buy videos and stuff, but no one gave me
any money.  I was told by the bosses downtown that I have no A/V
budget.  But, they said, my building might have funds set aside
for it (yeah right).  So, they sent me two brand spankin' new DVD
players, but I only have one DVD (it was donated).  Why are we so
slow to make the transition from video tapes?

3. I dumped MEPIS on the CIRC/CAT and installed SuSE (http://www.suse.com).  I have my
personal reasons, but professionally speaking, I don't think MEPIS is
ready (or even designed) for the business world.  SuSE (http://www.suse.com) is more
polished, and definitely ready for a production environment.

4. (I know I said a few).  Server has been going for a couple of weeks now without incident, alhamdulillah.