A long time ago, a friend of me brought me to the realization that living in a completely patriarchal environment had made me, as a man, completely unaware and even worse, uncaring to the plight of women in my society. The fact that I probably live within the top 2% of the most privileged and educated people in my country (btw that’s middle class, in a country where 40% of the population lives below the poverty line*) made my indifference only contribute to their abuse.
I vowed then, to never take situations for face value, and not to allow myself to simply accept "cultural norms” without question. To open my eyes and actually see what’s around me, and not just pass by life as if I was a tourist in some foreign land. Simply voicing your opinions can make an incredible difference to the lives of individuals… and it is a few individuals who make the world. SPEAK UP.

Regarding women, Shaykh Abdullah Adhami said:
"The word ‘al-Shams’ (The Sun) is feminine, while ‘Qamar’ (Moon) is masculine.
The Sun burns itself to give light and life to everything around, while the Moon is ‘Muneer’… meaning it reflects the light.
Within itself it has no light; it radiates the brilliance of the sun.
So when we shine as Men, the implication is that we are reflecting
The glorious light of Women."


*The Poverty Line as defined by the United Nations is earning less then $2.00 a day

“They’re going to have a hard time eating their oil.”

Condoleeza Rice
U.S. National Security Advisor,
Shrugging off Iraq’s decision to stop oil sales for 30
Days as a protest over the conflict in the Middle East.
(Quoted from TIME Magazine- April 22. 2002)

Earlier on I had mentioned that, though just about every nation of the World, had publicly condemned the recent Israeli action at Ramallah, and yet their was not a single country which had actually made any sort of an effort to pressurize Israel into withdrawing its forces. In Particular I used the incident where Pakistan and India tested its Nuclear weapons, an act that was also condemned by most of the Western World. The difference in this case though, was that even before the week was out, both countries had sanctions of all sorts slapped onto them by the international community.

Here is a country, which is actually taking a public stand beyond that of simply wagging its finger and saying “naughty… naughty boy”. Here is a country which is willing to use more then just words. Iraq made a decision, which stares in the face of economic thought. “Men are rational, and they all attempt to raise their standard of living” stated in loose terms. Iraq was not rational- or perhaps it simply maintains a different sort of rationality- one which modern economists in their capitalistic World simply cannot understand. See, Iraq was willing to strike a very large blow to its own International Exports, on a principle. On the principle that they thought what was happening at Ramallah should be stopped, and stopped at any price.

Here, a Third World Nation, was willing to step forward and actually do something, while some of the rest of the Worlds most powerful nations are willing to do nothing more then stand by and watch. Yet, for this apparent selfless act- this is what the U.S. National Security advisor has to say to them. The Worlds most powerful Nation, stands by and watched, while condemning the entire scenario (originally they weren’t even condemning it)- and yet they have the audacity to berate a much smaller, economically and militarily weaker country, which was willing to put its ideals before anything else.

A country willing to do something as selfless as this, should be praised- not put down by those who are in a better position to do something, yet are willing to do nothing.

FAIR-L Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting
Media analysis, critiques and activism

ACTION ALERT:

Palestinian Deaths Aren't Headline Material at New York Times

April 12, 2002

How many Palestinian lives equal one Israeli life, according to the editors of the New York Times?

The main headline on the front page of the New York Times' April 10 final edition was "At Least 8 Killed In Suicide Bombing On A Bus In Israel." The late edition, which is available to more readers, had "13 Israeli Troops Killed in Ambush; Bus Bomb Kills 10," in the 36-point headline size that the paper reserves for what it considers major events. Six paragraphs into the story, the paper provided this additional information: "More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in Jenin, the Palestinian town that has brought the stiffest resistance to the broad Israeli sweep through the West Bank. Many of the Palestinian dead still lie where they fell."

By its headline choice, the Times suggested that the deaths of 23 Israelis (or eight, in the final edition) are more important than the deaths of 100 Palestinians.
But even those ratios may understate the greater weight that the editors place on Israeli casualties. Beneath the main headline in the late edition were two subheads: "Worst Army Toll" and "A 14th Soldier Is Killed in Separate Attack at a Refugee Camp." The Times might have used one of the subheads to acknowledge the deaths of more than a hundred Palestinians, but evidently noting the death of a single additional Israeli soldier was considered more newsworthy. One might suggest, in the New York Times' defense, that large numbers of Palestinian deaths have been a constant since Israel's military invasion of the West Bank began on April 1, whereas the deaths on April 9 were the first time since the offensive began that Israelis-- civilians or combatants-- had seen casualties on that scale.

But when were the hundreds of Palestinians killed considered to be major, front-page news by the New York Times? A review of the page A1 headlines used by the Times since the March 29 start of the invasion reveals a striking lack of references to the Palestinians killed in the Israeli operations. Generally the headlines were antiseptic: "Israelis Broaden West Bank Raids as Arabs Protest" (4/2/02); "U.S. Envoy Meets Arafat as Israel Steps Up Its Sweep" (4/6/02).

When an April 5 headline used the word "carnage," it was not a reference to the scores of Palestinians dying in the ongoing Israeli attack, but to a suicide bombing that had killed three (including the bomber) a week earlier.
One April 4 front-page subhead, "Bleeding to Death," did allude to Israeli killing of Palestinians-- under the "balanced" headline, "Arabs' Grief in Bethlehem, Bombers' Gloating in Gaza"-- but this was an exception to the general trend.

There's more to news than front-page headlines, of course, and the Times has done some valuable reporting of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on its inside pages. Front-page headlines are, however, a clear indicator of what a paper's editors consider to be the most important events of the day. In the case of the powerful and prestigious New York Times, these headlines can set news agendas around the world. The Times should not use its front page to send the message that some lives matter more than others.

ACTION: Please tell the New York Times not to suggest through its headline choices that the lives of Palestinians and Israelis should be valued differently.

CONTACT:
New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036-3959
mailto: nytnews@nytimes.com
Toll free comment line: 1-888-NYT-NEWS

I am a Muslim, i say that with no reservations and with nothing but pride in the fact. I wonder sometimes though, is there a choice between me being a Muslim, and me being recognized as a human, with the undeniable rights to life, freedom and happiness. I wonder why, the words "Muslim" and "terrorist" have become synonymous- placing blame for the sins of a choice few upon the heads of all.

People say that killing innocents is a sin- is it impossible for Muslims to be innocent as well? When individuals or organizations not backed by a country commit crimes, they are "acts of Terrorism"- when it is done with the badge of an army, it is known as heroic warfare- something that has become completely above the law, and something which - forget unpunished - is not even considered a crime.

I am not justifying terrorism at all - it is a despicable act in its entirety. What I find as an incomprehensible truth is how the same acts of "terrorism" go unpunished when it is committed by soldiers of war. Rape, destruction of property, and the killing of innocents - all have been repeated time and time again in places of military conflict. Yet these are written off, as "unavoidable casualties"... tell me how you would explain the searching out and killing of an entire family to a 7 year old girl, tell me how you will explain to anyone that the homes that they were born and grew up in, are now being destroyed by soldiers in front of their eyes, and that this is not terrorism. How can the United States write off such acts, with nothing but a simple gesture and a few words of condolences? When Pakistan tested their Nuclear missiles - they were immediately sanctioned by the international community. The acts that are being committed by Israel at this moment have been condemned by almost every single country of the world - and yet, there is not even talk of attempting to make Israel back off. Especially now that the Arab Countries have put forth a very simple and effective peace plan, pushing back borders to pre 1967 lines. Yet still, the massacre continues.

I sympathize with the innocents that have been killed in Israel, through suicide bombings and otherwise, and i can understand that this produces nothing but pure hatred towards the Palestinians. But what their individuals do to you - your military has been doing to them, in a continuous process after 1967. I do not hail Mr Arafat - indeed i think he has thrown away more then his share of peaceful solutions to this problem - yet it is neither him - nor the Israel government who is suffering - it is the innocents of both side... and where the innocents of one side are hailed as "people slaughtered by terrorist acts", the people on the other are simply put under the heading of "necessary casualties". Tell me please, where is the truth is that.

Israel is the stronger power... it has more economic recourses, it has a more stable government, it is not the victim. Israel parades itself, as simply defending themselves - but i simply shake my head and wonder - how are you defending yourself against a country which is without a doubt weaker then you in every way. Israelis have been killed, innocent Israelis have been killed - but after 35 years of pushing Palestinians out of their homes, after 35 years of being told the land that for generations had been within families - land that was usually their only livelihood, Israelis have created nothing but hatred deep in the hearts of the Palestinians.

Tell me. Do you expect a boy of 11, bodily thrown out of his house with his entire family, losing everything that they had, is not going to grow up with nothing but pure hatred for the Israelis? Time and time again we've stressed that the future of a country, and the future of the world lies within the hearts of children. If this is what we nurture, it is these sins that will reap our souls for time evermore.

Peace is in the hands of all Men. I just wish i could understand- how a terrorist is defined - and how the plights of one country can be paraded by CNN, BBC, and Time - while the faces torn by years of anguish and pain of the other are completely ignored. Israel is the big bully, pushing around the smaller child... the child will not stay silent for ever. The child will fight back.

*I didnt write this, but its one of the best peices ive seen written, and ive seen a lot. If anyone knows who wrote it, please mail me.. so i can get in contact with them and also post the name here as well.*

FOUR YEARS

In his book, A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess compares our childish morality to a clockwork toy. We are wound up and set loose. There is no why for the things we do. By slamming into the walls that surround us, we learn our boundaries, until, as adults, we eventually gain the capacity for true moral choice. Over the last four years, I have found many of these walls, most of them painfully. This is the story of who I was, who I am, and who I hope to be.

Four years ago, life was simple. My life consisted of video games and books. I remember reading the Legends trilogy by Margaret Weiss freshman year. In the book, there was a character named Raistlan Majere, a magician. He was an outcast from society who struck back. He was arrogant, cynical, and powerful. His strangest trait was his eyes. They were shaped as hourglasses, and through them he saw the decay and death of all things. I thought I identified with his character. I was convinced that I possessed a superior intellect, and I lorded it above everyone. I thought myself wise and worldly. My goal was to learn everything there was to learn. I somehow also considered myself strongly Catholic, probably because I went to Mass once a week, or perhaps because I was convinced that I had been singled out by God for some great purpose. I saw myself in the future as a doer of great things, a leader of men, or a killer of them, as war was a great and glorious endeavor. I was to be a leader of men, but at the same time, I had no need of others. To me, love was a weakness that ruined two otherwise good people. I had a reason for being better than everyone. Some people smoked or drank, and I despised them as subhumans. Some had sex, and I thought this was bad impulse control. Some weren't devout Christians. They were the "lost sheep" I'd heard so much about. My morality consisted of rules that proved my superiority to everyone else. I invited to world to "Bring it on". It took me up on the invitation.
The last four years seem to have disproved everything I once believed in. I still read, but for the first time, I am beginning to understand what it being said. In my quest to become Raistlan, I almost succeeded. I now see the world through hourglass eyes. Everything I was once sure of has now abandoned me. I lost my faith first in religion, then in God, as I saw the things that have been done in the name of both. I fell in love. My arrogance refused to allow this weakness, and I threw away my chance. In the end, even my knowledge abandoned me. I found that the more I learned, the less I knew. The very knowledge I sought was too much for me. Machiavelli destroyed political idealism, Vonnegut exposed the folly of war, and Pink Floyd taught me the value of a good wall. I know stand alone upon my pedestal, watching. I see the world dying. I see it in politics, in religion, in the daily papers, in the faces of people around me, in myself. The bright side has been lost to me. I see everything only in shades of black. I am a dweller of the dark side. Sex and drugs are no longer a taboo, but an escape. I have lost my faith, hope, and love. Or perhaps I never had them.

I see my future branching out before me. I see a time approaching when I must choose between escape or confrontation. I have visions of my future. In some I die young, alone, without hope, looking for freedom within a needle or a bottle. In some I choose to become that what I am not. I marry for the sake of marrying. I have 2.5 kids. I work in an high rise office in a big city. I jump out of the window. In another, an white bearded old man lies dying. He is surrounded by friends, and perhaps children. He was a poet. He helped those around him. He loved and he laughed and he really lived. The world is a better place because he lived. He dies without regret because he was not afraid. He turned and fought the dark things that chased him, things that lived within him. He won.

When I look into your eyes.. I drown a thousand times
I’m stabbed by a thousand blades
and kissed by a thousand angels
when I hold your hand
I can feel the lifeblood flowing out of me
and I can feel this pure soul taking its place
when I feel your breath on me...
I feel God

Your embrace holds me in the balance between life and death
and a single kiss shatters my existence
and then piece by piece puts me back again...
better then before
and then shattered... again
all within the time it takes for a moment to pass
your presence
makes a world which flies blindingly fast
seem to be ... slow, meandering
just a little bit faster then standing still.