LoooL Jb she got you there saxib

^^JB, ma fahantay?

Saaminas?

^^You obviously havnt met him. Hes a nutter!

^^Amin Congrats WOL

I have a feeling its Ngonge!

Happy for Ghana. Just hope revenues are used well and we may actually see a 'developed' African country. Ghana 'will be an African tiger' Ghana's President John Kufuor says the discovery of the country's first major oil deposit could turn the West African country into an "African tiger". "Even without oil, we are doing so well... With oil as a shot in the arm, we're going to fly," he told the BBC. "My joy is that I'll go down in history as the president under whose watch oil was found to turn the economy of Ghana around for the better," he said. The discovery of 600m barrels of light oil offshore was announced on Monday. Reserves in the Mahogany exploration well were far greater than the 250m barrels that UK-based firm Tullow Oil had earlier forecast. Tullow, which saw its shares rise more than 12% on the news, jointly owns the West Cape block where the drilling took place with Anadarko Petroleum. 'Destiny' Correspondents say champagne bottles were popping at Osu Castle, the seat of Ghana's government, after the announcement. Mr Kufuor said the discovery would give a major boost to Ghana's economy. "Oil is money, and we need money to do the schools, the roads, the hospitals. If you find oil, you manage it well, can you complain about that?" he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. He dismissed suggestions that Ghana may follow in the footsteps of other countries that have mismanaged their oil wealth. "Some are doing it well and I assure you if others failed, Ghana will succeed because this is our destiny to set the good pace for where we are. So we're going to use it well," he said. "We're going to really zoom, accelerate, and if everything works, which I pray will happen positively, you come back in five years, and you'll see that Ghana truly is the African tiger, in economic terms for development." His sentiments were echoed in many of Ghana's newspaper headlines on Tuesday. The Statesman hailed the Gold Coast, Ghana's name under British rule, finding "black gold" and the Accra Daily Mail leads with the headline: "Thank God. Oil at last Thank God!" The BBC's Will Ross in Ghana says the country is the midst of an energy crisis and every four days everybody has their electricity switched off for more 24 hours. Ghana is described as somewhat of a success story in Africa but the country does suffer from widespread poverty and also has alarming levels of corruption, our correspondent says. Tullow chief executive Aidan Heavey said the discovery was one of the biggest oil discoveries in Africa in recent times, but warned it could be up to seven years before the oil started to flow. Tullow Oil holds a 22.9% stake in the West Cape Three Points licence and just under 50% in the Deepwater Tano licence. The move comes as foreign firms are increasingly tapping into Africa for oil. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6766527.stm I work for Chevron and I am Ghanaian. I have seen oil mismanaged in Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Angola. Why should Ghana be any different? After all look how we have managed our other natural resources like gold and diamonds... the reality is that all or most of the revenue will be lost through corruption, mismanagement. Thank God for oil - I don't think so. I would trade this for zero corruption, less brain drain, better management any day. Anonymous

Really need to do some home admin this weekend.... but i probably wont

Nur The rights of the people were non-existent. I think this can be classed as a dispute between the people and those who had a stranglehold on them (criminals) rather than a dispute between the people and a ruler. The people fought for their rights and in the process killed other Muslims who fought for those who withheld those rights from them. Is this classed as: Person who has a right, going about it the wrong way? Rulings on people who cause miischief on the land also come into play here right?

The Hamas Response Obstacles to peace Hamas wants to create a climate of peace and end all internal strife. But the international community must fully engage with us. The events in Gaza over the last few days have been described in the west as a coup. In essence they have been the opposite. Eighteen months ago Hamas won the Palestinian elections and entered office but never had the handover of power from Fatah, the losing party. The Palestinian president, Abu Mazen, has now tried to replace the winning Hamas government with one of his own, returning the losing Fatah party to power while more than 40 of our elected parliamentarians in the West Bank languish in Israeli jails. That is the real coup. From the day Hamas won the general elections in 2006 it offered Fatah the chance of joining forces with Hamas and governing in an unity government. It tried to engage the international community to explain its platform for peace. It has consistently offered a 10-year ceasefire with the Israelis to try and create an atmosphere of calm in which we can try to resolve our differences. Hamas even held a unilateral ceasefire over an 18-month period in an attempt to normalise the situation on the ground. None of these points appear to have been recognised in the media coverage of the last few days. Nor has it been evident to many people in the west that the civil unrest in Gaza and the West Bank has been precipitated by the US and Israeli policy of arming elements of the Fatah opposition to attack Hamas, the winning side in our democratic election, and try and force us out of office. We have, for 18 months tried to find ways to coexist with Fatah, entering into a unity government with them, even conceding key positions in the cabinet to their and international demands, negotiating up until the last moment to try and provide security for all of our people on the streets of Gaza. Sadly it became apparent that not all of Fatah were negotiating in good faith. A number of attempts on Prime Minister Haniyeh's life last week proved this and eventually we were forced into trying to take control of a very dangerous situation in order to provide a sense of political stability and establish law and order. The situation on the streets of Gaza is now calm for the first time in a very long time. We have begun the process of disarming some of the drug dealers and the armed gangs on the street and we hope to restore a real sense of security and safety to the citizens of Gaza. We want to get children back to school, get basic services functioning again, and provide long-term economic horizons for our people. Our stated aim when we won the election was to effect reform, end corruption and bring economic prosperity to our people. Our sole focus is Palestinian rights and good governance. We now hope to create a climate of peace and tranquility within our community that will pave the way for an end to all internal strife and bring about the release of Alan Johnston whose kidnapping by non-Hamas members is a stain on the reputation of the Palestinian people. We reject attempts to divide Palestine into two parts and to pass Hamas off as an extreme and dangerous force. We believe as we have said many times that there is still a chance to establish a long-term truce that will guarantee a peace of mind for all for many years to come. But this will not happen without a full engagement of Hamas by the international community. Any further attempts to marginalise, starve our people into submission or attack us militarily will prove that the US and Israeli governments are not genuinely interested in seeing an end to the violence. Dispassionate observers over the next few weeks will be able to make up their own minds as to each side's true intentions. CiF

Like these? What a star performer Bunglawala is! How many changes of clothes does he have, I wonder? What he doesn't realise that no matter what he wears it cant change the person underneath. Underneath this moderate exterior hes still the same. Just wait, and the mask will slip, as it always does. His glorification of the attempts to smear Salman Rushdie is deeply worrying, for a start. I like this one Metartarsal "The problem with Bunglawala is that he writes seemingly orthodox liberal stuff about freedom of speech and homosexuality one day and the next he refuses to endorse holocaust day and makes comments with a highly anti-semitic tone on his own thread." Surely "orthodox liberal stuff" also includes the right to opt out of Holocaust day until it is more inclusive? and this "makes comments with a highly anti-semitic tone on his own thread." a highly anti-semitic tone? yes I must have missed Inayat's "lets kill all the jews " comment.

Question: When one Muslim feels he is defending his land and his people (as per Islamic terms and conditions) fights against a fellow Muslim who is aiding the invasion of non-Muslim forces, what is the situation here?

Urban Glad am not the only Sharjaawi here though Theres quite a few of you in here. Sharjah--->Liverpool--->London is the usual way. By the time they are on their way to London the dishdasha has been abandoned and 'ya walad' replaced with 'yo wassup'

Finding Islam in Cyberspace The Story of a Jewish Boy By Musa Caplan Prior to my conversion to Islam, I lived my life as a Jew. Although my family was not traditional, I learned Judaism from traditional Jews. I went to an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, and an Orthodox Jewish school. I lived, and continue to live, in a Jewish community in the United States where there is little diversity. And considering how much Judaism was involved in my life, I did not have any non-Jewish friends. But about a year ago, I began to chat online quite often and my e-mail list slowly began to fill with more and more Muslims. I developed a strong interest for studying other religions as well as my own. I paid special attention to Islam, for I knew it was a religion not much different than Judaism. We share many similar prophets (peace be upon them all), morals, values, and most importantly, we worship the same God — Allah. Although I knew much about Islam and knew it was a peaceful religion, I cannot say I did not have stereotypes. I was lucky because I knew many Muslims online, one of which was my girlfriend who I consider to be my guide to Islam. She led me to the doors of Islam, and Allah took me through the rest. Regardless, when I heard of a terrorist attack, similar to many others, I figured the cause of it was Islamic extremists. Many times I was not wrong. But then you must ask yourself, what makes these people go to the extreme? Does their religion really teach to kill innocent people? The reality is that it does not. Prophet Muhammad was a great warrior. Yet he managed to never kill an innocent human being. I realized that Islam is a religion that teaches respect, peace, and tolerance. Never does it say to kill an innocent disbeliever. A true Muslim is taught never to force conversion, but instead, to share his knowledge with the world, which I hope to do in this article. In the Qur'an a valuable lesson to be learned is "to kill a man, is to destroy the world." [Whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men.] (Al-Ma'idah 5:32) After realizing Islam was not a religion of war, I decided to look deeper into the faith. By doing so I discovered flaws in my own religion. According to the Old Testament, the great Prophet Aaron committed the worse sin possible. Due to pressure put upon him by the people while waiting for Moses to return with the Torah from Mount Sinai, he built an idol. How could a great prophet possibly commit one of the three sins that are so great that one should prefer death before committing them? In the Qur'an, Moses comes down and sees the Jews worshiping the Golden Calf. At first he thinks it is the creation of Aaron and is angry at him; later he finds it was other Hebrews who had created this idol. A lot can be learned from this story. Would a nation of people led by God really be forgiven for such a sin? My view on this story matches the Islamic view that the Old Testament has changed over the years. In the past, there have been many Cohaneem (religious leaders at the Holy Temple) who were corrupt. Couldn't it easily be possible for them to have changed Judaism to make it easier to observe and less time-consuming in order to make more money with their profession? Another astonishing factor that led me to Islam is the scientifictruth written in the Qur'an. The Qur'an mentions the human embryonic development long before it was discovered by science. [And certainly We created man of an extract of clay, Then We made him a small seed in a firm resting-place, Then We made the seed a clot, then We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made (in) the lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We caused it to grow into another creation, so blessed be Allah, the best of the creators.] (Al-Mu'minun 23:12-14) The Qur'an also mentions how mountains are formed and talks about the layers of the atmosphere! These are just a few of so many scientific discoveries mentioned in the Qur'an 1400 years before discovered by science. Here is one of the key factors that led me to explore my heart to find the truth of life. In Arabic, the word Islam comes from salama which means "to submit"; "purity" and "peace" come from the same root. The person submits to the One, the Merciful, and the Most Beneficent Allah; whereas other religions are named after people: Judaism comes from the tribe of Judea, Christianity from Jesus Christ, etc. Islam is a word derived from a verb; anyone who submits to Allah and believes in all the prophets is a true Muslim. Many of the great prophets mentioned in the Old Testament lived prior to Judaism and Judea; they submitted to God, and therefore they were all Muslims. And we shall live as the prophets lived, for they were great human beings. Considering my situation of being very young and living in an all-Jewish area, it would be difficult to have my beliefs accepted. My parents and relatives are very respectful, but I am unsure how they would react if it is their own son who reverts to Islam. So for now, I am unable to live out an Islamic life to the fullest, but thanks to Allah, I am able to pray five times a day, I am able to study Islam online, and at least I am openly able to believe in one God and express those feelings. In some ways it can be very difficult. I become more emotional than most people would when I debate something involving Muslims, for example the Middle East. When I talk about Israel, my whole family supports Israel and doesn't know the truth of what goes on to Palestinians, but I think they should have proper treatment for the Palestinians. And when they talk about this situation, I become easily offended, especially if they bring up the idea that it is "the Jewish Holy Land" and "Promised Land." Because I have not yet told my parents of my reversion to Islam, I am unable to attend prayers at a mosque. As I stated before, my area has little diversity and all the mosques are far away. I have never had the opportunity to do Shahadah in front of witnesses although I have said Shahadah for the best witness of all — Allah. When I am 16 in about one year, I will be able to drive to the mosque, in sha' Allah (Allah willing). The most important thing is to improve the person I am. I try to avoid my friends who do drugs, watch porn, drink alcohol, and steal. It is not always easy to avoid close friends, but I try my best for the sake of Allah. And I hope over time my personality will meet what Allah wishes to see from us all. When studying Qur'an, my advice to you is to read it for yourself. Looking at biased websites, you are not able to see the full content of a verse. "Go forth to war" will be a phrase you can find on prejudiced sites in order to make you think Islam is a religion of war. But if you read on, you will see the Qur'an specifically says only with those who first wage war with Islam. Through this whole experience I have discovered that I did not find Islam, I re-embraced Islam; nor did I convert, I reverted; and on my ride from darkness to light, it has only made me a stronger, more spiritual, and a better human being. May Allah guide us all to the truth that I was led to. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammad rasulu Allah!

^^Too bad you cant go outside

When Malik (Malcolm X)discovered 'true' Islam Malcolm X’s (al-Hajj, Malik al-Shabazz) Letter from Makkah The following is Malcolm X’s (al-Hajj, Malik al-Shabazz) letter to his assistants in Harlem during his pilgrimage to Makkah in April of 1964: Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colors and races here in this ancient holy land, the home of Abraham, Muhammad and all the other Prophets of the holy scriptures. For the past week, I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colors. I have been blessed to visit the holy city of Makkah; I have made my seven circuits around the Ka'aba, led by a young Mutawwaf (guide) named Muhammad; I drank water from the well of the Zamzam. I ran seven times back and forth between the hills of mount al-Safa and al-Marwa. I have prayed in the ancient city of Mina, and I have prayed on mount Arafat. There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white. America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem. Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have met, talked to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered white - but the white attitude was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam. I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color. You may be shocked by these words coming from me. But on this pilgrimage, what I have seen, and experienced, has forced me to rearrange much of my thought-patterns previously held, and to toss aside some of my previous conclusions. This was not too difficult for me. Despite my firm convictions, I have always been a man who tries to face facts, and to accept the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds it. I have always kept an open mind, which is necessary to the flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of intelligent search for truth. During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept on the same rug - while praying to the same God - with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and in the deeds of the white Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana. We were truly all the same (brothers) - because their belief in one God had removed the white from their minds, the white from their behavior, and the white from their attitude. I could see from this, that perhaps if white Americans could accept the Oneness of God, then perhaps, too, they could accept in reality the Oneness of Man - and cease to measure, and hinder, and harm others in terms of their “differences” in color. With racism plaguing America like an incurable cancer, the so-called “Christian” white American heart should be more receptive to a proven solution to such a destructive problem. Perhaps it could be in time to save America from imminent disaster - the same destruction brought upon Germany by racism that eventually destroyed the Germans themselves. Each hour here in the holy land enables me to have greater spiritual insights into what is happening in America between black and white. The American Negro never can be blamed for his racial animosities - he is only reacting to four hundred years of the conscious racism of the American whites. But as racism leads America up the suicide path, I do believe, from the experiences that I have had with them, that the whites of the younger generation, in the colleges and universities, will see the handwriting on the walls and many of them will turn to the spiritual path of truth - the only way left to America to ward off the disaster that racism inevitably must lead to. Never have I been so highly honored. Never have I been made to feel more humble and unworthy. Who would believe the blessings that have been heaped upon an American Negro? A few nights ago, a man who would be called in America a white man, a United Nations diplomat, an ambassador, a companion of kings, gave me his hotel suite, his bed. Never would I have even thought of dreaming that I would ever be a recipient of such honors - honors that in America would be bestowed upon a King - not a Negro. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. Sincerely, al-Hajj, Malik al-Shabazz (Malcolm X) Taken from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, co-authored by Alex Haley. Editor’s Note: The compassion, selflessness, brotherhood, and generosity that Malcolm encountered in Makkah during his Hajj opened his heart to the true spirit of Sunni Islam. He writes in his autobiography, “Because of the spiritual enlightenment which I was blessed to receive as the result of my recent pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah, I no longer subscribe to sweeping indictments of any one race. I am now striving to live the life of a true Sunni Muslim. I must repeat that I am not a racist nor do I subscribe to the tenets of racism. I can state in all sincerity that I wish nothing but freedom, justice and equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people.”

Its the weekend saxib and i dont feel like struggling reading Somali! Lets hope they see eye to eye and agree on a few principles in the lead up to next year's 'games'.

Shalom to Salam By S. E. Jihad Levine My husband and I had gone to the masjid for a speaker's program. It was the first time that he had invited me to the masjid since our marriage a year or so earlier. We had met and married while we were both working as substance abuser counselors in a rehabilitation center. We couldn't have been more different in the beginning, as we are from entirely different backgrounds — he is black and I am white, he was Muslim and I was Jewish. Although he hadn't asked me to become a Muslim prior to our marriage, he did give me silent da`wah by his excellent example. He had an extensive Islamic library, and because I was an avid reader, I naturally read a lot of his books. I also observed his modest behavior, watched as he made salah five times a day, went to Jumu`ah Prayer on Fridays, and fasted during the month of Ramadan. So it was natural that I would develop an interest in his religion. When we arrived at the masjid, he pointed out the entrance to the women's section — downstairs in the basement. We agreed to meet in the parking lot after the program was over. "OK, I can do this," I thought to myself as I entered the dark dank hallway and walked down the steep steps. I had never had trouble making friends before. I had always enjoyed multicultural situations and looked forward to the evening. My husband had suggested that I wear something modest for the occasion. I ran my hands down over my long-sleeved dress, straightening and smoothing it out. I felt confident that the women at the masjid would approve of my appearance. However, when I arrived at the bottom of the stairs and walked through the door marked "Sisters," I could immediately feel it in the air: thick tension, suspicion, estrangement, and confusion. Every veiled head turned in my direction and the Muslim women stared at me as if I had two heads. I stood frozen in place in the entrance way, staring back at them. I had never seen so many Muslim women together in one place. Most of them wore the traditional hijab, but two women peered out at me through head coverings that revealed only their eyes. A few others sat with their scarves draped over their shoulders. When they saw me, they pulled them up over their heads. But then one of them got up from where she was sitting, approached me, and introduced herself as Sister Basimah. At least this one has a welcoming look on her face. "Hi," I said. "My name is Sharon. I'm here for the speaker's program." "Is anyone with you?" she asked. "My husband is upstairs," I replied. "Oh! Your husband is Muslim?" she asked. "Yes. Yes, he is," I said. "Al-hamdu lillah," she said. "Come over here and sit with us." She led me to a table where three other women were seated. They were the most beautiful exotic women I had ever seen. Right after she made introductions, I forgot each one of their names, which were equally exotic. Sister Basimah then got up and went to greet more people who had arrived. "Where are you from?" one of the women asked me. I replied that I was an American of Eastern European heritage, born in New York City. "Where's your husband from?" was the next question. "He's from America." "But where is he from?" "Philadelphia," I replied. "No, I mean, what country is he from?" "He's American, born in the United States, he's African-American, from Philadelphia," I replied, thinking that there was a language barrier. I would later learn that most of the Caucasian women in the masjid were married to Arab men. "Hmmm," they all said in unison and they cast their lovely gazes downward. "Are you thinking of becoming a Muslim?" another one asked, looking up at me with a beaming expression on her face. "No," I replied, "I'm Jewish." Well, I wish you could have seen the look on their faces. As soon as it was politely possible, the topic was switched. "Are your children Muslims?" one of them asked, returning to the interrogation. "No." I replied, "I don't have any children." That was it; their attempts to find a common ground with me had failed. They smiled at me and then something incredible happened for which I was not prepared: The conversation turned to Arabic. I continued to sit with them at the table. They mostly spoke to each other in Arabic, and I mostly smiled. As more women would join the table, they would introduce me in English, "This is Sharon. She's Jewish." Then they resumed speaking in Arabic. When the program began, the women gathered in the prayer room and everyone sat down on the plush carpeted floor. But after about five minutes, the women started chatting to one another, all but drowning out the sound of the program that was being delivered over a stereo speaker from upstairs. After the program was over, the women went into the kitchen to prepare food. Sister Basimah came over and told me to sit and make myself comfortable until it was time to eat. "But let me help you," I offered. "No! You are our guest. Some American sisters have arrived. I'll introduce you," she replied. Sister Basimah motioned to one of the women on the other side of the room. She came over and the two women kissed each other on the cheeks and greeted each other with a cheerful Arabic expression. Then they both turned to look at me. "This is Sharon. She's Jewish. Will you keep her company until we eat?" Sister Basimah said to the other woman. "Oh, yes!" she replied. "Hi, Sharon, I'm Sister Arwa!" Sister Arwa and I sat down and began to get acquainted. I asked her questions such as how long she had been a Muslim, whether she was married to a Muslim, etc. Then she dropped the bomb. "Why did you kill Jesus?" she asked me. "What?" I replied. My face must have shown my shock and disbelief. "I mean" she inquired again, this time softening her question, "why did the Jews kill Jesus?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing! I was astonished and rankled by the question. I could tell by the innocent look on her face that she really wanted to know. Maybe she never met a Jewish woman before, and this was her first real opportunity to get an answer to her burning question. When I was first introduced to her, I welcomed her company; after all, she was the first American I had seen that evening. Now I wanted to get up and run from the table. Then the anger set in. Giving her a baleful look, I replied through clenched teeth, "We did not kill Jesus. The Romans did!" She returned the look of a wounded animal. Her lips opened to say something, but before she could reply someone called to her. "Excuse me," she said, "I'll be back." I could hear the relief in her voice. A group of African-American sisters arrived at the masjid and I spent the remainder of the evening in their company. Before I left to meet my husband, Sister Basimah gave me her telephone number and encouraged me to call and arrange a time to visit with her. I did call her, and we developed a beautiful relationship. She told me all about Islam and Allah. It was from her that I learned that no one killed Jesus! I learned that Allah took him up unto Himself. She knew I was interested in Islam and could sense that my heart was searching and yearning for spiritual peace. One evening while my husband and I were visiting her home, she came right out and invited me to Islam. The turning point occurred when she explained that all my sins would be forgiven when I came to Islam. She said that I would be reborn, like a newborn baby, with no sins, with another chance. I broke down and cried. I wanted another chance to get right with Allah. You see, I had a very checkered past. I always loved God, but I got lost in life. We asked her husband to help me say the Shahadah. When I told my husband what I was about to do, he was shocked and happy at the same time. He asked me if I was really sure about my decision, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. I responded that I was never surer about anything in my entire life. There was no internal battle, no fears or doubts. After I said the Shahadah, Sister Basimah's husband said, "Mabrook (congratulations)! You're now a Muslim!" When we returned home, my husband gave me a gift of my very own Qur'an and a summarized Sahih Al-Bukhari. Before I left Sister Basimah's home that special evening, she gave me a gift of a booklet about modesty for Muslim women. She also gave me a prayer rug, a prayer dress, and a hijab. I have worn hijab since that day, al-hamdu lillah. I have never taken it off, even after the dreadful days following September 11, 2001. When I became a Muslim in July of 1998, my father denounced me once and for all. He had been very upset with me anyhow for marrying a Muslim, and refused to recognize my husband as his son-in-law. "But, Sharon, those people hate us!" he cried. All efforts to explain the difference between the peaceful religion of Islam and the political struggle between the Palestinians and Israelis fell on deaf ears. Never mind that my father was the first one in his family to marry outside of Judaism. My mother had been a practicing Catholic when they married. To add insult to injury in my father's eyes, my husband was also African-American. Prior to September 11, 2001, most Americans thought of Malcolm X whenever Islam was mentioned. Many other family members also made it known how disappointed and frustrated they were with my decision to marry a "Black Muslim." My father died in August of 2001, one month before the events of September 11. At the request of my father's wife, my family did not tell me that he had died until after his funeral was over. Did they fear that I would show up in the synagogue dressed in garb accompanied by my black husband? We are taught that the religion of Islam is for all people and for all time. It shouldn't matter whether a Muslim is Egyptian, Pakistani, American, Saudi, Indonesian, or Palestinian. It shouldn't matter whether he or she is black, white, red, or yellow. It shouldn't matter whether he or she speaks Arabic, English, Spanish, or Urdu. Our cultural diversity should not divide our Ummah. Allah tells us in the Qur'an that [We created you in nations and tribes so that you may know one another] (Al-Hujurat 49:13). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S. E. Jihad Levine is the secretary of Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA) and a member of Muslim American Journalists Association (MAJA). She also blogs at www.juwariyyah.blogspot.com.

Please give me a summary in English ya JB

I think new Muslims always give off an aurora (sp) of love for Allah SWT as they are very dedicated. It’s a new life for them. They feel as though they have escaped an empty life and into something special. They are right of course and its always great to see a ‘newbie’ who is in love with Islam. Heres another write up. I Needed to Repack My Suitcase When I First Donned Hijab By S. E. Jihad Levine When I made the decision to become a Muslim, I didn't tell a soul. It was a decision between me and Allah alone. But, I did approach my supervisor at work to feel out whether or not my workplace would be a supportive environment for my new way of life. "Hmm, let's say," I began one morning after my supervisor and I were finished with a staff meeting. "If I were ever to convert to Islam, would it be a problem for me to wear a scarf here?" I asked. "Hmm, let's say if you ever did that," he responded with a twinkle in his eye, "it would be OK with me." Because he knew my husband, he had an idea what I was considering. I had been married to a Muslim man for about a year at that time. He never pressured me to become a Muslim, but he gave me silent da`wah (inviting me to Islam) by his excellent example. One of the things we did as a married couple was to visit other Muslims. We were often invited to the home of one particular family, and I spent many evenings conversing about Islam with the lady of the house. I said the Shahadah on her garden porch in the summer of 1998. Before I left her home that special afternoon, she gave me my first hijab. I remember it was the one-piece type that slips over the head. The day after I became a Muslim, my husband and I traveled to Puerto Rico. Just 24 hours before, I had been planning a vacation that included sunbathing on the beach in a skimpy bathing suit! Needless to say, I spent part of my first evening as a Muslim repacking my suitcase. I don't know what I expected concerning the reaction of others to my hijab. Looking back, I wasn't worried too much about anything other than potential problems with my job. I was sure that I wanted to be a Muslim. Almost overnight, however, I lost my identity as an "American" in my own country. It was immediately assumed by others that I was from the Middle East or some other Muslim country. At the Philadelphia International Airport, on my way to Puerto Rico, for example, I was frequently stopped by security and asked about my country of origin. Was my hijab changing my national identity as well as my religion? It was clear to me that my life had taken a 180 degree turn overnight. The Caribbean heat hit me hard as I exited the main terminal of the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan wearing my new white cotton hijab. But I was determined to keep it on. In the following days, I was a bit confused as I walked the streets of nearby Condado. Many of the local people greeted me with an admiring look and a smile. "Dios te bendiga, madre!" (God bless you, Mother) they would say as they walked past me. Did they think I was a Catholic nun? I later learned that there is a Christian group in Puerto Rico whose female members wear white veils similar to hijab. When our vacation was over, we made our way back to the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport. Again I got a security grilling, but it was more intense than the one I had experienced in Philadelphia because this time I was attempting to enter the United States. My husband was proud of how I handled myself. When we returned home, he told me that he knew I was serious about hijab due to the fact that I wore it in public the entire vacation despite the Puerto Rican heat! When I returned to work, I was a little anxious about walking through the door of the agency. The first person I saw was my supervisor. He was in the file room when I arrived. He gave me a long smile when he saw me in my hijab. "So — you did it!" he said, nodding with approval. The best reactions I got to my hijab came from my Muslim clients (Remember: I hadn't told anyone!). One of them was scheduled to see me the day I returned to work from vacation. When I saw Mahmoud, he was flabbergasted. "Al-hamdu lillah!" he exclaimed. His eyes glistened with tears that soon overflowed and spilled to his cheeks. "Congratulations! You look so beautiful!" He kept saying it over and over again. I was a bit apprehensive in the following days, but my friends and acquaintances were supportive. The encouragement they gave me made my transition to wearing the hijab very smooth. Sadly, I know that some of my revert Muslim sisters have not had such a positive experience. There was no internal struggle or conflict for me concerning the wearing of hijab. I had read a lot about Islam, including the issue of hijab, prior to making my decision to become a Muslim. I understood hijab to be part of the "package," so to speak. It was that simple for me. At that time, I had no spiritual sense of hijab; I was wearing it to comply with Allah's command in the Qur'an. Today I do have a spiritual sense of hijab. My hijab lets the world know that I am a Muslim woman. It symbolizes what my life stands for. I wear it to please Allah, but I also wear it for myself. I have worn hijab since the day I said the Shahadah. I have never taken it off, not even after the dreadful days following the events of 9/11. S. E. Jihad Levine is the secretary of Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA) and a member of Muslim American Journalists Association (MAJA). She also blogs at www.juwariyyah.blogspot.com.

As I suspected. They dont have the balls to address issues a little close to home. *if all else fails blame SL*

Xan, didnt say you didnt know how to pray. I just cant bring myself to correct people (or my opinion on what is the correct way of prayer). Scared they may react the wrong way or something.

Somaalis are just rude sometimes. Could they not call it something else. Imagine telling your kids to buy it from the store looooool

^^Sharjah? Met a few bballers the other night from Sharjah. Dallas? Eight Is Enough? A Team? Falcon Crest? Big John, Little John? Waltons? Mananimal? Chips? The Cosby Show? T J Hooker? LA Law? Doogie Howser? Cheers? Airwolf? The Equliser (remember that Jag?) Magnum? lol The A Team and Airwolf on a Sat afternoon after our Quraan class at the Somali Community Centre. Doougie Howser LoL What about Maquire Desmonds Bulls Eye V Miami Vice Doctor Who Cant remember the rest. But i didnt think you were in blighty in the 80s mise you watched them on your one channel TV in UAE?

Any 80s fans in the house?