And yet, many are still unaware what RSS means, what it does, and why you should be taking advantage of it. It’s simple, fun, and can save you a lot of time in your daily dallying on the wonderful world of the Internet.

So what is RSS?

The most common definition of RSS is ‘Really Simple Syndication’. Essentially, it is a standardized way of publishing frequently updated information. Many websites with frequently updated content will publish ‘RSS feeds’ in order to alert readers whenever new material is posted.

As a standardized format, other applications can read and interpret RSS feeds, to present the data in any number of ways.

‘Atom’ is another format that serves essentially the same purpose. For the purposes of this article, any use of the term “RSS” should be considered interchangeable with “Atom”.

If you have your own blog running under Blogger, WordPress, Windows Live Spaces, LiveJournal, or any of the other major blogging platforms, your blog most likely will have an RSS feed enabled already.

How do I use an RSS feed?

An RSS feed is an ‘XML Document’. XML is a standardized notation that can be used to define different types of content; RSS and Atom can be considered as applications of the XML specification. As a standardized specification, anyone can write a program to read RSS feeds, and those programs can present the data in any number of ways. A program that reads an RSS feed can be called an “RSS client”, or a “feed aggregator”.

There are literally thousands of RSS clients out there; an RSS client can be anything from a desktop application, a website, or even a handheld device like the Apple iPod or the Amazon Kindle. When you add an RSS feed to one of these clients, you have “subscribed” to that feed.

Using an RSS client lets you read all the content that is interesting to you in one place, where you want and when you want. For example, the team at ijtema.net uses Google Reader, a popular web-based RSS client, to monitor the hundreds of Muslim blogs that we link to.

What kind of content is available as RSS feeds?

Almost everything! Most news sites, social networking sites, blogs, podcasts, and web forums publish their data as RSS feeds. Many blogs even offer RSS feeds for comments on the site, and many support category-specific RSS feeds. There is certainly no shortage of content out there, and RSS makes it easy to find the content most relevant to you.

How do I know when a site has an RSS feed?

As you navigate the web, you will notice the icon throughout your surfing. Also, depending on your web browser of choice, an RSS feed icon may be appear within the browser itself to alert you that the site you are visiting includes an RSS feed.

For Mozilla Firefox users, you will notice the RSS icon right in the address bar. The following screenshot is from Firefox 3 on Windows XP, however the behaviour would be the same whether you are using Vista, Mac OSX, or Linux.

Internet Explorer 7 has an RSS icon on the toolbar which lights up whenever the site you are visiting includes a feed.

Other popular web browsers, such as Apple’s Safari, Mozilla’s Camino, and Flock, all support RSS as well.

How do I subscribe to an RSS feed?

When a webpage contains an RSS feed, there are various ways to subscribe to the feed depending on your browser and RSS client. For this article, we will walk through the process of subscribing to the ijtema.net RSS feed through Google Reader. As the most popular browser that runs on all three major operating systems, we will focus our attention on Mozilla Firefox.

To access Google Reader, you first need to create a Google Account. If you have an @gmail.com address, you already have one. Simply navigate to the Google Reader website, and log in using your gmail username and password. If you don’t have a Google Account, follow the on-screen instructions to create one.

Once you have your Google Reader account, there are a few ways to subscribe to ijtema.net. We will first describe the process of subscribing to the feed through Google Reader itself.

Subscribing using Google Reader

Once you have logged in, you will see a bar on the left-hand side which includes the “Add Subscription” function. (If you do not see this bar on the left-hand side, try pressing the u key on your keyboard – this toggles the view to allow you to maximize the space available for your content.)

When you click on “Add Subscription”, a text box will appear where you can enter the URL (the web address) of the site you are visiting. You can simply copy and paste the text www.ijtema.net from your address bar into the textbox, and then click the “Add” button.

Once you do this, Google Reader will tell you that you have been successfully subscribed, and show you the most recent posts. If you like, you can add it to a folder to keep your feed reader nice and organized.

And you’re done! Whenever new content is published to ijtema.net, you will see it in your Google Reader shortly after it is published.

Subscribing using Firefox

You can configure the Firefox web browser so that it can automatically add feeds to your Google Reader account as you come across them, simply by clicking on the icon in the address bar.

Note that these instructions are for Firefox 3; the process is similar for Firefox 2, but I would highly recommend upgrading if you are still using that version.

First, navigate to the webpage you want to subscribe to.

Then, click on the RSS icon in the address bar. If the site publishes multiple feeds, you will be given a list of them. For this purpose, we will select the “RSS 2.0″ feed, but any of them would be fine.

After clicking on the “Subscribe to RSS 2.0″ option, Firefox will display a preview of the content of the feed, and provide you with some options for subscribing to the content.

Simply select “Google” from the dropdown menu, and click “Subscribe Now”. You can also click the “Always use Google to subscribe to feeds.” checkbox if you want this to be the default behaviour whenever Firefox encounters a site with an RSS feed.

Google offers two ways to subscribe to a feed – you can subscribe through the aforementioned Google Reader, or add it to your iGoogle homepage. When you click “Subscribe Now”, it gives you an option for both:

Adding it your Google Homepage would give you easy access to the headlines on a page where you can also view your latest e-mail, news, weather, and stock quotes. This illustrates the great flexibility of the RSS specification; it can be used and formatted in an unlimited number of ways, depending on the application and interface.

So there you go! Now you know the basics of the RSS protocol, and you can now surf the web in style. Many websites even include buttons that further simplify the subscription process, such as the one below, so becoming an RSS pro has never been easier.

a

As the old adage goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Even so, the judging panel of Ijtema’s inaugural competition was asked only to find the photograph that best represented one, single, four-letter word: “hope“; the theme chosen to commemorate the start of both the Gregorian and Islamic New Year. It is a time when people all around the world inadvertently synchronize in their resolve to change themselves for the better. Many a sincere prayer is made, asking for help in keeping to one’s newly formed good intentions; and what else is prayer, other than a expression of one’s hope in the beneficence of God Almighty?

The contest ran from January to March of 2008, and by the stroke of midnight on the eve of the deadline, we had received over ninety submissions, sent in from all corners of the globe (you can view them all on our Flickr group). The overall quality of the entries was amazing, masha’Allah, which made the task of choosing the winners even more daunting. Thankfully, we had recruited three very talented Muslim artists, who were well equipped to handle the job:

• Peter Sanders, a true professional, who is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading photographers of the Islamic World;
• ‘Teakster‘, an artist of enormous talent, who is the founder of the new digital arts magazine, Project Suwar;
• and Samir Malik, whose wonderful artwork has been exhibited at various noteworthy establishments, such as The Houses of Lords, Alexandra Palace, County Hall, and Regents Park Mosque.

After several days of nervous score counting, the following images emerged as the clear winners (daff roll, please):

First Place: “Wish the best”, by ‘dianiwulandari’ (Indonesia)

It is clear to see why this photo was described as “very professional” by Peter Sanders (judge). This joyful image represents the tangible hope of a Indonesian couple looking forward to taking the first steps of their new life together in holy matrimony. May Allah grant them every happiness, Ameen.

First Runner Up: “Sehzadebasi Cami“, by ‘karanlikay’ (Turkey)

A humble slave of Allah worshipping in a Turkish mosque.

Samir Malik (judge) says:

“Essentially hope is submitting to God’s Will; in this photo I love how the figure is in the prayer position, maybe about to go into Sujood.”

Second Runner Up: “When We Look Out”, by Maryam Hamza (Malaysia)

This calming and contemplative sea view was taken on Pangkor Island, in Malaysia.

Teakster (judge) says:

“The reason why I liked this photo was the entire composure. It gives the reader the impression that the person inside the photo is looking towards the future, seeking the unknown. Hoping that the New Year will bring new prosperity.”

—

For more details of the prizes that were on offer, please visit the contest page.

—

In addition to the winners chosen by the judges, each member of the Ijtema.net editorial team selected their own favourite image as a special mark of appreciation:

Gess’ choice: “Hope…”, by Hanadi Traifeh (United Kingdom)

Photo description: “Engaging with nature and living the beauty of it is a gift from God that gives us more hope. The closer we become to nature the closer we see that life can be more beautiful.”

Gess:

“I chose this picture because of the composition, and I also liked the angle the photo was taken where there is a focus of the petals and how fragile they are – almost as if the wind is about to blow them away.”

Manas’ choice: “The Path of Noor”, by Peter Gould, www.azaan.com.au (Australia)

Photo description: “This is one of my favourite photos, taken while studying Arabic for a month in Morocco, 2006. I had become completely lost in the maze of the souk, and was blessed when this scene appeared before me – indeed, a journey towards guidance and hope.”

Manas:

“I chose this because of its stunning symbolism. The photo tells us: truly, there is light after darkness.”

Faraz’s choice: “Child and Quran”, by Jacob Simkin (Pakistan)

Photo description: H11 Relief Camp, Islamabad, Pakistan. Child attending Qur’an reading class. Over 1500 children live in H11 Relief Camp who have lost their homes during the October ’05 Earthquake. – Taken for Muslim Aid Pakistan

Faraz:

“To me, the boy shows that in spite of tragedy around him (the child was an earthquake survivor, according to the photo description), he will still hold on tightly to his Quran (Noorani Qaida, actually – for learning how to read). He may have been separated from his loved ones, but he will hold on to his Quranic learning as tightly as he can.”

iMuslim’s choice: “Embrace the Light Together”, by Widad Sirkhotte (South Africa)

Photo description: “In a [South African] township… [a] mosque unites muslims brothers of all ages, races and backgrounds. The building is far from fancy, yet the light of Allah shines through the windows. This magnificent light, lightens Islam… within their hearts.”

iMuslim:

“Every time I see this photo, I am blown away. The light streams forth, bringing joy and hope; the gathering denotes true brotherhood. Truly an amazing capture, masha’Allah”.

MJ’s choice: “Ortakoy”, by ‘carabul’ (Turkey)

Photo description: “Ortaköy Mosque, officially the Büyük Mecidiye Camii (Grand Imperial Mosque of Sultan Abdülmecid) in Istanbul, is situated at the waterside of the Ortaköy pier square, one of the most popular locations on the Bosphorus. The wide, high windows let the ever-changing light reflections of the Bosphorus shine in the mosque.”

MJ:

“The expansive, brilliant blue sky suggests infinite possibilities and endless hope; the suspension bridge in the background – an engineering marvel – signifies modernity and technology, while the beautiful mosque in the foreground serves as a reminder to always stay grounded in our faith.”

—

We are grateful to all the participants for making this contest a pleasure to hold, with their beautiful submissions. Also, many thanks to the judges for their time, effort, and for donating prizes to be given away. Speaking of which, congratulations to Alia for winning a signed copy of Peter Sanders’ book, In the Shade of the Tree in our raffle draw!

If you missed out on all the action, don’t worry, as we hope to hold more of such contests in the future, God-willing. Feel free to contact us with suggestions for themes and collaborations.

In the mean time, Peace and Blessings of Allah to you all!

a

The Oil Factor

Given it’s shiny human rights record, history of war and occupation- it’s difficult to believe Washington’s commitment to democracy outside it’s own country. Their backing of Kosova has nothing to do with commitment to either democracy, freedom or human rights. You guessed it right- it’s about oil. Again.

Kosovo does not have oil but its location is strategic as the trans-Balkan pipeline – known as AMBO pipeline after its builder and operator the US-registered Albanian Macedonian Bulgarian Oil Corporation – will pass through it. (Source)

More recently,

on January 10, Swiss-based Manas Petroleum Corporation broke the news. Gustavson Associates LLC’s Resource Evaluation identified large prospects of oil and gas reserves in Albania, close to Kosovo. They are in areas called blocks A, B, C, D and E, encompassing about 780,000 acres along the northwest to southeast “trending (geological) fold belt of northwestern Albania.” (Source)

So then. It’s also good to reckon that Kosova is the second largest foreign military base of the US. Oil is important. That’s what makes Kosova important. Good thing is, it worked in their favor. It could have been otherwise.

History and Politics

Serbs (and their friends) claim that Kosova is integral part of Serbia, which is not correct. It was conquered and ruled by the Serbs for about 250 years before the Ottomans conquered the whole region in the 13th century AD. In 1912, after about 600 years Serbs conquered it back from Ottomans. In the meantime, the cultural and political linkage between the two regions got severed.

When in late 1990s a revolution broke out, the Serbian forces reacted with gross human rights violations. The UN intervened and set up a “autonomous” government within Serbia. The government of Kosova, ever since it was installed in 1999 has not actually been a autonomous one. EU and NATO (US in particular) has a lot of say in how the country runs. The three previous Prime ministers are known to have been involved with illicit activities. The new government?

It will be run by an appointed High Representative and bodies appointed by the U.S., European Union and NATO. An old-style colonial viceroy and imperialist administrators will have control over foreign and domestic policy. It is similar to the absolute power held by L. Paul Bremer in the first two years of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. U.S. has merely consolidated its direct control of a totally dependent colony in the heart of the Balkans. (Source)

The US wants to secure it’s oil, and more ambitiously- to control the flow of oil. It is ready to pay a lot of money for that- shown by it’s rather costly occupation of Iraq.

There are fears that this will cause further instability in the region. There are opinions that Kosova should have stayed within Serbia. I shall not get into that debate after Kosova is already independent. We should focus on future taking the present into account.

Future

As the Kosovars have affinity towards the US and they share some strategic interests with the US, it will not be wise to try to get US out of Kosova. The presence of US forces give security to this tiny country of 2.2 million.

The US is not going to protect them for ever. In the meantime, as the US is busy building on it’s own interests, the Kosovars should build their nation.

Politically it’s very difficult for a population of 2.2 million to remain unwary of a hostile neighbor- Serbia. It is good (if not essential) to establish strong political and economic ties and treaties with Albania, B&H and Turkey (the biggest power in the neighborhood and a NATO member.) An amicable merger with Albania will not be bad- since Kosova is so little and landlocked. Last but not the least- the Serb minority should not be oppressed- Allah does not love the oppressors.

A honest and hardworking society (which are essential qualities of an Islamic society ) can form the backbone of the nation. A just and swift judiciary and police force ensure the health of a nation. It is a good time for Daw’ah. However, one has to be careful in a society that has seen little Daw’ah for a long time. It may be met with hostility unless Daw’ah is sympathetic.

Trade and industry provide backbone for a state. If too many countries do not recognize Kosova (recognition is another interesting ball game) it will be difficult to engage in direct trade with them. It will be good if Kosova is eventually recognized.

Kosova is rich in minerals- making heavy industries a possibility. Oil is nearby. The technical colleges should incorporate material, mechanical, civil and petroleum engineering heavily into their courses, if they are not doing that already. Automobile and aviation engineering can come later.

Medical training has to be taken seriously, and free healthcare for the poor only brings Barakah to the state. A good healthcare system will bring health tourists from the Arab countries who now head for UK or India.

There should be enough support for students of every useful stream (including deeni ilm) to ensure that a single talent does not go untapped for lack of money.

Building good road and railway network is essential for growth. They help fight unemployment and generate expertise. Are well worth the money and effort due to their long term gains and implications. But no IMF/World Bank loans please. How about attracting some FDI from the Arab states (seeing that they have funded the war)?

It’s a scenic place with not much rain. Perfect for a film industry, I would imagine.

Prayer

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Kind

I hope and pray Kosova takes it’s freedom very seriously, and flourishes both spiritually and otherwise.

Amen.

a

We feel angry and frustrated about the problems that the Ummah faces, and often complain about them. Nobody listens, which leads to yet more frustration.

But to complain alone is a mistake. To solve a problem, we must not stop at pointing it out. Rather, we should offer a solution and work on it. Thus the following is a humble attempt at offering such a solution, based on the advice found within the Qur’an and Sunnah.

The future of the Ummah? [Source: dlemieux]

Help Thyself

“God helps those who help themselves.” – an English proverb.

No other society is going to help us either (besides, what can they avail us, without Allah’s help?). It is a difficult world, and we have to emerge from it triumphant without becoming cruel.

The best way to begin helping others is by helping oneself. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“A person who teaches others while neglecting his own soul is like an oil lamp, which illuminates others while burning itself out.”

[Source: Sheikhy Notes]

Let us try and become the best in our field. Allah says in the Qur’an:

So lose not heart,
Nor fall into despair;
For ye must gain mastery
If ye are true in faith

[Meaning of the Holy Qur'an 3:139, Yusuf Ali]

Allah will help us if we try, insha’Allah. He knows what is in our hearts, and takes our intention into account. Even if we fail, our sincere effort will certainly be recognized – a beautiful loan lent to Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala.

The Ummah is a single body: if one part of a body becomes wounded, and does not heal, it loses blood. The body needs to cure itself; we need to take care of the needy and the sick amongst us. Who knows when we may fall into poverty? What goes around, comes around.

We should live in proximity to others in the Ummah, in order to be aware of the needs of those close by. One cannot achieve a great deal when living far away from those who need help, which is why the order of rights first belongs to our family and relatives, then to our neighbours, and then to the rest of the Ummah.

The Goal is to serve, not to be admired

The intention for any charitable act should be to serve Allah by serving the Ummah; it should not be for one’s ego or any worldly interest.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) foretold of a time when the nations will try to devour the Muslims. The reason, he said, will be that we shall fear death, and we find in the Qur’an about those who fear death:

But they will never seek for death,
on account of the (sins)
Which their hands have sent on
Before them.

[Meaning of the Holy Qur'an 2:95, Yusuf Ali]

This verse was originally revealed in relation to the Jews of Madina, but it has general implications. We are afraid of death when we know in our hearts that we are committing crimes; when we have become too attached to the material world; when the true Goal has become blurred.

Give the Benefit of the Doubt

Trust is essential for unity of the Ummah.

I read a beautiful Hadith the other day:

Someone gave the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) honey; he asked Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) what it was. He said, “Honey, O’ Messenger of Allah.” He asked Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) [the same question], he said, “Honey, O’ Messenger of Allah.” Then he asked Ali ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who tasted some and then said, “It is honey, O’ Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon be him) said, “The one who tastes, knows.”

In other words, the one who verifies, knows. We forget that. We hear something about somebody, and immediately believe in it.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) discouraged dispensing punishment before a crime has been proven beyond doubt. Unless we have clear proof, we do not know. Therefore it is better to make excuses for the brother/sister, or at the least, avoid passing negative judgement.

Let us also start being Muslim. Allah wants us to be Muslim, and not a Sunni, a Shi’a or a Sufi. We may have different opinions, but please, please do not let these differences become “tribal”. We only stand to lose from that.

There is no “Quick Fix”

As Yasir Qadhi said at the Texas Dawah Convention: we must not expect to change everything in a second. We must not hope that people will accept what we say the moment that we say it. We have to be patient: with them, and with ourselves.

Do not be bogged down by pessimism

We have a decent life to lead, and a lot to look forward to; let not the disturbances spoil our day.

In addition, when we witness a misrepresentation of Islam, we must not only stop at saying: “this portrayal of Muslims is wrong.” We should go on to point out how we want to be perceived: as kind, generous and honest people, who have the courage to stand up for justice and equality. And most important of all: we must go on to really behave in that manner, in order to please Allah, and for the benefit of all of mankind.

To close, I shall quote Shaykh ibn Ahmed Darqawi:

“If you want to treat your enemy with what is duly deserving for him, preoccupy yourself with the love of the Beloved, for if you preoccupy yourself with hate and enmity then the enemy gets from you what he wanted and you have the lost opportunity to love the Beloved.”

[From his Epistles, 13th Century]

With Allah’s help, we shall succeed.

a

As Muslims, we believe in the power of prayer. That Allah hears our silent whispers; our pain-filled cries. Night or day. In public or in private. He hears us, and He helps us.

But sometimes we forget. Not even out of a sense of despair, but rather, due to a misunderstanding of the manner in which prayers are answered. Sometimes, we expect it all to be very black and white: you pray for a promotion, you get the promotion. You pray for a child, you’re granted a child.

But what happens when you don’t get what you want?

How many of us pray for peace in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Palestine? We pray to an end to the torture of our brothers and sisters; an end to their suffering. But the news doesn’t change. We still witness the horror. Our inbox is regularly bombarded with images that scar our eyes, hearts and minds. When will this end? How can we stop all this?

We pray, but we don’t see an improvement. We demonstrate, but the governments ignore us. We send our money, but it never seems to be enough. Eventually, the prayers become a little less frequent. The candlelit street vigils become a thing of the past. Our fists become a little tighter. We may even go as far as to think: what’s the point?

I’m here to tell you, that there is a point; a real and tangible point. But one that you may not expect.

On Friday evening, I attended an event, at the end of which a representative of Islamic Relief was allowed to say a few words. He mentioned that he had just returned from Gaza, and spoke of the problems that the residents were facing – problems of which we are all well aware.

While delivering food parcels, he came across an old lady, who was looking after her five grandchildren, one of whom was disabled; their parents had both been killed in an air raid. She had not eaten for two days. When he asked her why, she responded: “The children, they must eat”. He knew that the food they had donated would not last very long, and in a moment of deep concern, he again questioned her: “How do you keep going?”.

She simply replied: “With the help of our Lord, everything is easy“.

Tell me, if this old lady who hadn’t eaten in two days can retain her faith in the help of Allah, why should we find it so difficult?

He continued to speak, and by this point, my heart had already begun to soften, but soon it was about to break, as he shared with us what another Palestinian had told him:

“When our brothers and sisters around the World pray for us, wallahi, we feel it… we feel different inside“.

Subhanallah, they feel our prayers. They feel us. Can prayers really be felt? Could our words truly have such an effect on the hearts of those thousands of miles away?

Indeed, Allah has bound together the hearts of the believers. He made this Ummah as one body – but it is not just pain that we share: as the suffering of the oppressed is our suffering, our strength is their strength, of which the greatest of strengths comes from the faith that we have in Ar-Rabb, and the firm knowledge that He will answer our prayers:

Abu Hurairah quotes the Prophet (sallalahu ‘alayhi wa salam) as saying: “The supplication of any servant of Allah continues to be answered unless he prays for something sinful, or for the severance of a tie of kinship, and unless he is hasty.” The question was asked: “What constitutes hastiness?”. The Prophet (sallalahu ‘alayhi wa salam) answered: “He says: ‘I have prayed often but I have not seen my prayers answered.’ He then feels aggrieved and stops his supplication.” (Related by Muslim and At-Tirmithi)

Let us not allow impatience to stand in the way; let us keep praying, keep demonstrating, keep donating our wealth – the results may not be what we asked for, but they are real, and they are so desperately needed.

May Allah make it easy for us, and liberate the souls from oppression, wherever they may be. Ameen.

a

I don’t blame you for having a skewed image of me. Every day, it seems like there’s another story that undoubtedly affects your perception of the Muslim community. Whether it be the ridiculous response to offensive cartoons, or the nearly daily attacks that take place in our war-torn countries, it must be difficult for you not to think we’re just a little bit suspicious. The murder case here at home, which has dominated headlines this past week, certainly does not help our case.

I know that all of our condemning doesn’t change a thing. I’d like you to know how much I am sincerely saddened by what is happening. Whether or not our sister Aqsa was murdered for hijab or not is hardly even relevant to me; she was killed nonetheless, and this is something that cannot be accepted under any circumstances. Please don’t think we are lessening her death because the hijab link is, at best, tenuous. She was meant to be loved and cherished as any daughter should, and it pains us that we could not be there for her when she needed us.

I know, you’ve already read this. You’ve already heard us say how Islam means peace and that such actions have no place in Islam. I’ve heard you, when you sarcastically make mention of our “religion of peace”. You wonder how we can keep echoing this refrain, even when not a day goes by when this statement is not challenged. You may think we’re incapable of seeing reason, of seeing the reality of what is going on in the world. You may believe we’re stubborn, foolish, and blind because we still hold on to our faith in spite of the hateful acts being associated with it. Perhaps you’re afraid of us, thinking that behind our condemnations lie people who, in an instant, can commit the same unspeakable acts we’re condemning.

Do you know what our Prophet, peace be upon him, told us? He repeated thrice, “He does not believe! He does not believe! He does not believe!” Who was he referring to? “That person whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil.” Do you feel safe, being my neighbour? If that’s not the case, I am afraid for my soul. I will do whatever I can to make it up to you. I cannot change what is happening in the world, but I’d like you to know that I will never harm you. I will protect you as best as I can. You are my neighbour, and you deserve it. I know, my words alone don’t mean much, but for as long as I hold this belief in my heart, I will do my part. As long as I consider myself a believer, it is your right and my responsibility that you be safe.

I want you to know why we hold on. It is not because we are blind, but rather because we have seen much more. It’s because we’ve read about what our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, brought to the world. It’s because we have learned his teachings, and have become better people because of it. Because we saw how a corrupt society of nomadic tribes became a beacon of light and guidance for the world over through those teachings. Because we saw how that message instilled love and compassion amongst those warring tribes, and brought them to the heights of morality and progress. Because we have heard the verses of the Quran and the sayings of the Prophet, the wisdom of which can transform hearts of rust and stone into hearts of gold. Most of all, it’s because we have felt our own hearts become illuminated by this faith, by the conviction in the oneness of the Creator of the universe, and His promises for His creation.

I wish you could feel it. I wish you could feel the incredible words of the Quran touching your heart the way it touches mine. I wish you could see it for the miracle it is, and see how Allah has preserved it through the miracle of hifz (memorization). When I see children under ten years old reciting hundreds of pages from memory in a language they cannot speak or understand, I cannot help but feel awed. I wish you could see that, hear that, and let it touch your heart as it has touched mine.

I wish you could feel the peace I feel when standing before my Creator among my companions in faith. Right now, millions of people are gathered in Makkah, worshipping together. Just think about that. Millions. Imagine every single person you passed by on the highway driving to work this morning stepping out of their vehicle and prostrating next to you, joined with you in submission to One Creator. Maybe all those commuters make up a few thousand people. Now, think about every other highway in your city, and add them to the mix. Then think of everyone else in your city, sitting at home, and include them in your congregation. Then everyone else who has already reached their offices – let them all join you. Now maybe – just maybe, you’ve reached a million people. That’s what we see every year at Hajj. People of every colour and race, united in belief, all gathered together in one place, joined together in worship. Kings and beggars joined together, their foreheads upon the ground, in glorification of the Most High, the Most Merciful. This is why we still call it the religion of peace. You’ll need to witness this spectacle yourself to truly appreciate it.

I wish you could see Islam for what it is, and not for the cultural practices that predate Islam but continue to hinder our society. You will see then that the honour killings you hear about, the misogyny and hatred, is in complete opposition to Islam. You will see why our sisters defend their faith with such fervour and strength. You will see how much we love them, and how strongly we regard our families. You will see why we believe that Paradise lies beneath the feet of our mothers. You will read about the great women from our history, among whom were the first to accept Islam, and the first to be killed for that belief. I wish you could see what these women were willing to sacrifice in order to hold on to Islam, for it raised the status of women the world over. I wish you could see how Islam liberated and honoured these women, while it is only culture and ancient tradition that has shackled and disgraced them. Often, I wish we could see that as well.

There is so much I wish you could see and feel, but alas, the responsibility is upon me to convey the message. I hope that I am conveying the message correctly, and that I have helped shed some light upon your doubts and concerns. I regret that someone better than myself could not deliver this message to you, for surely I fall short of the kindness and respect that Islam instructs me to show to you. I do hope you accept me for who I am, in spite of my shortcomings. I’m trying.

I am not asking you to forgive us. I’m not even asking you to change your mind; that’s up to you. I only want you to know that I want the best for you, irrespective of what you believe about me. You are my neighbour, and I cannot neglect your rights. If you ever need something, you know where to find me.

With love,
Your friendly neighbourhood Muslim.

a

When Muslims outside in the West are asked what comes to their mind when hearing of Denmark, there is a big chance that they will refer to ”the Cartoon Crisis”. An incident that sparked outrage and political turmoil, finally putting Denmark on the world map and into globalization; ahead of famed Danish products like Hans Christian Andersen, Lurpak, and the giant philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard. (Oddly enough, his works are read only in small circles within Denmark, compared to other countries).

After the crisis, after the foreign media forgot all about us and we disappeared to our little andedam, many questions remained unanswered, and many of us were left soul-searching. Maybe it was best they left us alone and let the opportunity for the future PhDs to do all the analysis. However, it’s a shame and a mistake that the world left us alone; because if there is something we can export and be proud of, that would be how to integrate a large Muslim group (2 % of the population out of 5.4 millions) in a Western country.

During the crisis, it became clear that the Muslim population lacked the strong resources and organizations necessary to stand up to the media. Typically, those with strong resources are in the minority, and most of them leave the country as soon they get higher education, eventually settling down in England, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere. Despite that, the Muslims still managed to find spokespersons for their cause, with a few Imams taking the responsibility to speak on behalf of the community. Unfortunately, most of them lacked the understanding of the culture and social structure of their host country, and it did not help matters that the primary spokesperson had not yet mastered the Danish language.

One study showed that 80% of the Danish population has no daily contact with ethnic groups. In face of these challenges of integration, two Muslims sought to prove that you can be a Muslim, be integrated, and still be Danish. Both of these Muslims used different approaches, but ended with the same disappointing results.

First, a little introduction of the two main characters.

Asmaa Abdol-Hamid, a 27 years old Danish-Palestinian caseworker and a debater. She came to Denmark as refugee with her family, and was one of the first who filed suit against the newspaper that brought the cartoons, instantly becoming a familiar face in the media; she was the first Muslim talk show presenter with a headscarf. The programme was taken off the air after one season due to poor ratings, but her career as politician went full steam ahead.

Before joining the left wing (communist) party, she tried to get into the leading opposition party, the Social Democrats, but was rejected. After all, the Social Democrats lost two consecutive elections for being soft on immigration.

So her party enjoyed all the publicity they could get, and they profiled for being the only party who fights for the weakest in the society. However, when the election neared, the party got cold feet and opinion polls showed that the party would lose all six of their members in parliament. Most observers agreed that she was “forced” to stridently emphasize that she believed in separation of religion and politics, and that she supported homosexual rights; here, we have a picture where she reluctantly attended a party at a gay bar in Copenhagen.

All the hard work did not bring success to Asmaa Abdol-Hamid. Her party lost two members and came in with very narrow votes to parliament. On the evening of the election, the party leader accused Asmaa for the bad results.

And as much as Asmaa does not want to admit, her only trademarks were her headscarf and her refusing to shake hands with non-related men. In a column, her former employer asked after where the real Asmaa was, the Asmaa he knew who had no problem giving hand to men when she worked for the commune before entering the political arena.

—

Naser Khader, a Danish-Syrian politician. He also came to Denmark as a refugee, and like Asmaa Abdol-Hamid, his career took off during the crisis. In 2006, he received the freedom of speech prize from the same newspaper that published the cartoons. His trademark was “the Saviour of Denmark”. Saving us from mad Mullahs, who gave bad publicity about Denmark; he even called the American ambassador in Denmark a “useful idiot” for inviting two imams for iftar.

Before the crisis, his reputation in the Muslim community was very low. He was not one of them. Like the Godfather chronicle where there is a battle between “Nativist” and “Immigrant”, the immigrant community saw him not as one of them, but one who is willing to do everything to assimilate into “Whiteness”.

Never mind, Naser Khader became the most popular politician for the rest of the population during the crisis; in fact, he became even more popular than the Prime Minister in Denmark, and this popularity led him to leave his old party (a centre left) in protest for being soft on radical Islamists, thereupon forming his own party, the New Alliance.

The prospect of his new party looked very promising, and the opinion polls gave him 24 seats in the parliament. An unheard event in the history of Denmark, that a Syrian born immigrant would lead the third largest party in the parliament; not only that, but he would also have the power to decide who the next Prime Minister would be by forming a coalition, either with the Social Democrats or with the Liberals.

Then came election day. Despite support from famous figures in business and media, even from ultra neo-conservative (Ayn Rand) adherents from America, he managed only to win five seats. In fact, there was uncertainty if his party would ever get any seats on election night.

Most political analysts agree that when it came to the moment of truth, his supporters abandoned him. One good example is an editor-in-chief of a local paper; they used to be close friends and fitness partners. One week before the election, he came with a revealing article, alleging that Naser Khader used illegal workers in his villa.

Naser Khader became the biggest loser in the election. When their hype came down to reality, Naser Khader and Asmaa Abdol-Hamid were not different.

—

So how is integration in Denmark successful? A new study shows that 25% of young second generation immigrants want to leave the country once they get an education, and there is no doubt, that many people want to increase this figure and continue the trend.

a

The Earth was at the center of the universe. The movement of the stars above the moon decided the fate of the world below. This was the science of Aristotle.

The scholars of the new Islamic empire, established when the Roman Empire had given way to the Christian Byzantines, began to translate Greek books. They were astonished by the originality of the Greek sciences in measuring and determining the orbit of the stars. Whereas the Christians of that era had been extremely suspicious of such “pagan” texts, the Caliphate had been continuously absorbing books and sciences from Greece, Rome, Persia, India and else where, since the early days of its inception. During this time, the Greek sciences were subject to criticism and development; a process especially highlighted when they became difficult to reconcile with religion.

For example, Islam says that man decides his own destiny, whereas all the Greek philosophers, including Aristotle, believed that the movement of stars decided man’s fate (astrology), thus leading to an inevitable clash of ideas. The problem was eventually solved by the abandonment of astrology; the new breed of philosophers were simply observing God’s universe to know Him better, and not to determine the future. However, in spite of a fierce attack from Islamic Jurists, it cannot be denied that some astrologers remained (people love to know their future – so much so, that they are ready to invent it).

Greek science, as a whole, tended to be theoretical. Although very often the philosophical discourses were shaped by experience, philosophers never went back to Nature to verify their assumptions or conclusions. They thought man, being rational and the best of living beings, could understand the universe by thinking.

It didn’t work. Aristotle, for example, assumed that human beings must have the most number of teeth, because man is the best of all the animals. All he had to do was open the mouth of one of his students, do the same to his horse, and start counting; he would have soon realized his error – but he never did.

We cannot decide how the universe “should work”. To learn about the world around us, we must observe it and find out how it “does work”. We can even go one step further, and demand that all the conclusions we draw should be verified by experience. This idea, that all theories must be verified via experimentation (or in other words, must be consistent with our observations), is known as empiricism, and is the principle upon which modern Science (with a capital S) is hinged.

The scientist whose work first reflected this idea was ibn Al-Haitham (or Al-Haytham; 965 – 1039). In his own words:

“the seeker after truth is not one who studies the writings of the ancients and, following his natural disposition, puts his trust in them, but rather the one who suspects his faith in them and questions what he gathers from them, the one who submits to argument and demonstration”

Portrait of Al-Haitham on the Iraqi dinar.

In brief, Al-Haitham is credited with “inventing” Science. In less passionate terms, he invented the Scientific Method; and because of that, he is recognised as the first scientist.

And quite a scientist he was. He was the first to experimentally demonstrate that light travels in a straight line. He invented the pin-hole camera, determined the laws of

refraction, and established the field of experimental psychology. In addition, his analysis of the Greek models of the universe led him to conclude that they were inadequate and faulty.

Al Haitham published his most famous book, Optics, around 1015 (the exact year is unknown).

What is really exciting is that we are now approaching a thousand years from the publication of Optics. In other words: we are approaching a Thousand Years of Science, thousand years since Science earned a capital S.

(Logo of 1000 years of science designed by Fara.)

a

—

I’m getting pretty fed up with Muslim-on-Muslim bashing. No, i’m not referring to the Shia versus Sunni violence prevalent in Iraq, nor the Sufi versus Salafi rhetoric found on countless forums and blogs spread across the net. Rather, I am referring to this kind of talk:

“Oh, the Muslims are so stupid…”

“Oh, the Muslims are so lazy…”

“Oh, the Muslims are so backward…”

Blah! Blah! Blah!

All from the mouths of everyday Muslims.

Don’t you guys get it?

YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT YOURSELVES.

This kind of talk achieves nothing. It achieves absolutely nothing. It does not spur your “stupid”, “lazy”, “backward” brethren into action. You know why?

Firstly, because they don’t even know that you’re talking about them! In fact, they’re most likely silently nodding away in agreement in front of their monitors, even though you’ve just dissed them:

Reader: Yes, yes, I agree – Muslims are soooo useless!

Me: But, but… you’re a Muslim too! [insert a long string of question marks here]

Secondly, speaking from personal experience, being insulted only encourages the recipient of said insult to ignore the speaker, no matter how true or wise the rest of their counsel is; it’s basic human nature. Just think: how would you react in such a situation? Insults do not stimulate an exchange of ideas, nor a change in attitudes, other than to put people in the mood for a good brawl. Really, how does that help anyone?

Allah forgive me, I am sure that I have been guilty of this talk too, but lately, something inside my head has just *ping* snapped; I can’t take this negativity anymore!

I’m not asking us all to group hug. I’m not sticking my head in the sand. Nor am I launching a propaganda campaign titled: “Muslims are so lovely, yey for us!”. I acknowledge that there are many, many, many problems in this Ummah, and most of them are the result of “reaping what our own hands have sown”. However, I have also come to realise that this kind of Muslim bashing is unnecessary pessimism that does not motivate change in anyone. In addition, it also reeks of arrogance, because the basher has indirectly placed themselves above the bashees; very rarely do they include themselves in the Ummah that they have just criticised.

So, if you wish to complain about the state of the Ummah, fair enough, but let there be some purpose in your complaint, which is reflected in the manner in which you phrase your observation (hint: insults are a BIG no-no!). And most importantly, do not complain unless you follow it up with a suggestion on how to improve our condition. I’m sorry, “returning to Qur’an & Sunnah” does not cut it for me. That is the most oft-repeated and vague statement of the Muslim-on-Muslim basher. I want to hear a clearly defined plan (that may very well be rooted in Q & S) that someone can actually follow and eventually implement. If you don’t have one, think of one: form a task force! Do something. Else you’re just as “stupid”, “lazy” and “backward” as the rest of us “hill-billy Muslims”.

And no, the irony of this little rant has not escaped me – but at least I have taken my own advice: complaining with a purpose, followed by a suggestion at the end. It’s really as simple as that.

a

Just a few years ago, finding good content from Muslims on the Internet was a rather futile endeavour. Between the popular media and the emerging blogosphere, the image of Muslims on the Internet was distorted, polarized, and inaccurate. But in the last few years, the Muslim community has embraced the blogosphere wholeheartedly. Not just the youth who grew up on the technology, but Muslims from all walks of life have subscribed to the medium: scholars, activists, professionals, artists, the East and the West. And as more and more content is created every day, it is becoming harder and harder to find the best content. And as new bloggers join the fold on a daily basis, it is increasingly difficult to get noticed with everything else out there.

One can never underestimate the power of the individual, when his or her voice is heard. And as technology becomes more advanced and adoption becomes ever easier, we are already seeing this power. It is taking us places we would have never reached before. It is exposing stories that would have otherwise been left untold. It is empowering the individual, in ways that are not only challenging the authorities, but are defeating them.

Consider the following two well publicized incidents: the taser attack in a UCLA library, and the similar incident at a recent John Kerry forum at the University of Florida. In both cases, we have first hand accounts of what appears to be savage police brutality. Irrespective of the reasons behind these two incidents, what is most notable about this is that such a story may have been left completely ignored had the witnesses not been carrying cameraphones to report the incident. If such an event happened five years ago (and who’s to say it didn’t?), it would be something that would not get any attention outside of perhaps the school newspaper. With technology in the hands of each individual, this story became headline news all over North America. The authority, in this case being the police, has been challenged in a way that no one could challenge them before.

Some may consider this to be first steps towards an Orwellian dystopia; the difference today, however, is that Big Brother is not watching you. Everyone is. And while this may be even more frightening, it is at least a level playing field. Anyone can claim a stake in it, they just need to take that step. And it is becoming more important everyday that we as Muslims lay claim to this new world as well.

Blogging brought us within the walls of Virginia Tech at the time of the terrible shootings last year. It gave a voice, a personal account, to a story which made headlines throughout the world. It reinforced the reality of the situation, above and beyond anything the popular media could produce. It brought us through the hurricanes in New Orleans and walked us through the violence in France. And it’s brought us along through Makkah and Madinah, as numerous writers vividly share their journeys.

The first blog I started reading regularly was that of a young woman, known only to her readers as “Riverbend“. In her blog, she gives a deeply personal account of life in Iraq in the time of war. Her writing touches the reader in a way no news article can. It’s not the story of some journalist who travelled to the country, living a life quite detached from the daily realities of Iraqi life; it is her story. And it being her story, the readers could not help but feel elated when her and her family recently managed to escape Iraq into Syria. The readers care about her, in a way they never would about the nameless crowds we see on television.

After the Second World War, Anne Frank’s diary became a posthumous bestseller because it provided a perspective to the war that no other publication offered. Today, we are getting those perspectives in realtime. There are several others in Iraq alone, sharing their experiences and giving a voice to the voiceless.

There is a long way to go for this medium, and truly we are still in it’s infancy. But as the technology matures, the Muslim voice also needs to mature with it. And initiatives like ours will become more and more important, to identify those voices that need to be heard. Like the Internet itself, it is a collaborative effort, and together we can make a difference. Allah’s Hand is with the jama’ah, and with His Help, we can achieve our goal.

a