Come September

While I have my own thoughts on September 11th, they are most beautifully expressed by the amazing Arundhatti Roy. And my words pale in comparison...So I simply leave you with some of her words from her address, titled 'Come September'...

Last year, like many others, I too made the mistake of scoffing at this post- September-11 rhetoric, dismissing it as foolish and arrogant. I've realized that it's not foolish at all. It's actually a canny recruitment drive for a misconceived, dangerous war. Every day I'm taken aback at how many people believe that opposing the war in Afghanistan amounted to supporting terrorism, or voting for the Taliban. Now that the initial aim of the war -- capturing Osama bin Laden (dead or alive) -- seems to have run into bad weather, the coordinates have been changed. It's being made out that the whole point of the war was to topple the Taliban regime and liberate Afghan women from their burqas. We're being asked to believe that the US marines are actually on a feminist mission.

...

Since it is September 11 that we're talking about, perhaps it's in the fitness of things that we remember what that date means, not only to those who lost their loved ones in America last year, but to those in other parts of the world to whom that date has long held significance. This historical dredging is not offered as an accusation or a provocation. But just to share the grief of history. To thin the mist a little. To say to the citizens of America, in the gentlest, most human way: Welcome to the world.

...

For how many Septembers, for decades together, have millions of Asian people been bombed, burned, and slaughtered? How many Septembers have gone by since August 1945, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary Japanese people were obliterated by the nuclear strikes in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? For how many Septembers have the thousands who had the misfortune of surviving those strikes endured the living hell that was visited on them, their unborn children, their children's children, on the earth, the sky, the wind, the water, and all the creatures that swim and walk and crawl and fly?

...

September 11 has a tragic resonance in the Middle East too. On the 11th of September 1922, ignoring Arab outrage, the British government proclaimed a mandate in Palestine, a follow up to the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which Imperial Britain issued, with its army massed outside the gates of the city of Gaza. The Balfour Declaration promised European Zionists a national home for Jewish people. (At the time, the Empire on which the Sun Never Set was free to snatch and bequeath national homes as a school bully distributes marbles.) Two years after the declaration, Lord Balfour, the British foreign secretary said, "In Palestine we do not propose to go through the form of consulting the wishes of the present inhabitants of the country. Zionism, be it right or wrong, good or bad, is rooted in age-old traditions, in present needs, in future hopes of far profounder import than the desires or prejudices of the 700,000 Arabs who now inhabit this ancient land."

...

Donald Rumsfeld said that his mission in the War Against Terror was to persuade the world that Americans must be allowed to continue their way of life. When the maddened king stamps his foot, slaves tremble in their quarters. So, standing here today, it's hard for me to say this, but: "The American Way of Life" is simply not sustainable. Because it doesn't acknowledge that there is a world beyond America.

The complete text of Ms. Roy's work can be found here...or just do a Google search.

------
TWS

Disrepair

I've been extremely busy between attending the ISNA convention in Chicago, catching up with the fam, work and prepping for school. Hopefully some substantial updates in a few days about stuff at the convention and things that have been building in my mind.

I've been toying with some design ideas for the past couple of weeks (due to lack of sleep and writer's block). At this point they're just static images and I've been lazy enough to no start writing the code for them...Well...got to start somewhere right?

Feedback...please!

Forgive the nonsense thought...

Strange, shifting dreams...far too obscure and vivid.

The buoyant mind amongst the flotsam of old friends, new ones, ones I'll never see again, ones I couldn't live without...family who are and will be. Wreckage caused, wreckage received...all to the melancholy of a saxophone solo.

And all of it fading like the last notes in Coltrane's 'In a Sentimental Mood'. Nonsense thought giving way to the stillness of 5 A.M. leaving one thought.

What does it mean?

White cloud rivers ran through me
I felt them pass through my bones
through liver and lung
and stomach
Washed me into the big white cloud lake
and I floated
no knowledge of swimming
but I floated
right between fear and mountains
just beneath blues and birds
right next to the Sun
and God
Even in the middle of wind
Even in the middle of wind
Humbled

...

Beneath blues and birds
caught in my scream
right between fear and mountains

....

Humbled
Humbled
Humbled
Humbled
Humbled
Humbled

-Ursula Rucker, Humbled

0_0

MY GOD!

MY CHILDHOOD:

Transformers (Warning: Movie Link)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Warning: Movie Link) - Would it be too late for a Vanilla Ice comeback you think? Go Ninja Go Ninja Go!

(I am far too old) . . .

Yea...I'm sure they'll suck (like my other childhood Cartoon -> Movie... Spiderman)...But the Nostalgia alone is worth it.

On Disarming Hezbollah

[So here goes...this has been welling up in me for some time...and I'm writing this a bit rushed...]

The 24-hour news networks have become a constant in our house. Something reached me a couple of days (actually weeks) ago through the white noise of hourly updates and flashy news graphics. Israel is hellbent on 'disarming Hezbollah'. This seems to be the primary obstruction to a permanent cease fire and peace talks in the region.

[ASIDE: It is interesting (but not surprising) to note the lack of support in disarming Israel, a nation that has demonstrated its ability to use its superior weapons against civilian populations with blatant disregard for life. Or the question: why Hezbollah should be disarmed? Or rage on part of the U.N. and the West in response to Israel's so called 'Measured' response?]

Israel's strategy for 'disarming' Hezbollah has consisted of 'targeting Hezbollah hideouts and infrastructure' ( Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs). However, Israeli policy on the issue does not account for the fact that Hezbollah is not a foreign government (although they do provide many government services to the Lebanese people, more on this later). Unlike traditional governments, Hezbollah lacks isolated 'strongholds'. They have no hardened bunkers, or government complexes or structured centers. Their infrastructure is intertwined with civilian infrastructure. In effect, the Israeli army has (knowingly) been targeting primarily civilian areas, civilian roads, and civilian homes. Wiping out 'Hezbollah supply lines' essentially means blocking aid from entering Lebanon. Shelling Hezbollah strongholds essentially means the displacement and destruction of Lebanese civilians and civilian properties.

Hezbollah's integration with the civilian population is far greater than traditional 'guerilla ' organizations or other resistance movements. In terms of categorization, Hezbollah falls somewhere in the gray zone between militia, social organization, grassroots movement and social services provider. According to CNN: "Hezbollah did everything that a government should do, from collecting the garbage to running hospitals and repairing schools." The U.N. reported that Hezbollah "boasts an extensive social development programme. The group currently operates at least four hospitals, 12 clinics, 12 schools and two agricultural centres that provide farmers with technical assistance and training. It also has an environmental department and an extensive social assistance programme." It maintains media programs for much of Southern Lebanon. It is an active advocate for women’s rights and has been key to aid efforts such as water purification in devastated regions. So when Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah strongholds, the statement is not to be taken lightly. Are these military strongholds or are they centers for Hezbollah's other branches? Does Israel care? Israel's history with the region (Lebanon, Palestine etc.) suggest that they don't. The casualties suggest they don't (for God's sake, look at the numbers). First hand reports from journalists, bloggers and extracted Lebanese suggest they don't.

By simply throwing firepower in Hezbollah's general direction, Israel has bolstered support for the group. National and international support for the organization was extremely high during the previous occupation of Lebanon and even higher during the Qana massacre, Israel's previous show of force. No, continuous shelling will not weaken Hezbollah like it did to the P.L.O. Even Israeli military officials disagree with the tao of the Israeli army. Captain Mitch Pilcer, a military spokesman concluded that if the shelling of Lebanon results in a flattened town, the population would simply turn and join Hezbollah. Another Israeli soldier remarked that "Nobody here looks down on Hezbollah. This is their home, they're the defenders." I think at the end of the day, Hezbollah has already won this bout, because Israel will not take care of clean up duty in shell shocked Lebanon. It has only added to the chaos and displaced a quarter of the population.

So what is the answer? Diplomacy, I'd guess. I do not know...but there HAS to be an immediate ceasefire (without conditions). If Israel truly hopes to 'disarm' Hezbollah, they must realize something. It was perhaps best expressed best by the Lebanese Prime minister: The continued presence and threat of Israeli occupation of Lebanese lands, the unfair and often illegal imprisonment of Lebanese is what contributes to the presence of Hezbollah's arms. Stockpiles of arms steadily increased during mounting tensions between Israel and Hezbollah just before everything came to a head.

Still...when the deathcount stands at 11 Lebanese : 1 Israel (bear in mind 1/3 of Lebanese casualties are children under 12) and displacement sits at 3 Lebanese : 1 Israeli (total of 1 Million displaced Lebanese...about a 1/4 of the population) and there is no heavy defense for Southern Lebanon besides Hezbollah, one must ask why Hezbollah should be disarmed? What of Israel who has used tanks and carpet bombings on civilian targets and stone throwers?

These I think are difficult questions...slippery slopes. At the end of the day, Israeli and Lebanese civilians are the losers. Because as the rockets and guns stop firing on either side, both lands will be left in the silence of grieving families, devastated homes and displaced populations. Allah help them.

You Have Your Lebanon and I Have My Lebanon
Khalil Gibran

You have your Lebanon and its dilemma. I have my Lebanon and its beauty. Your Lebanon is an arena for men from the West and men from the East.

My Lebanon is a flock of birds fluttering in the early morning as shepherds lead their sheep into the meadow and rising in the evening as farmers return from their fields and vineyards.

You have your Lebanon and its people. I have my Lebanon and its people.

...

Let me tell you who are the children of my Lebanon.

They are farmers who would turn the fallow field into garden and grove.

They are the shepherds who lead their flocks through the valleys to be fattened for your table meat and your woolens.

They are the vine-pressers who press the grape to wine and boil it to syrup.

They are the parents who tend the nurseries, the mothers who spin the silken yarn.

They are the husbands who harvest the wheat and the wives who gather the sheaves.

They are the builders, the potters, the weavers and the bell-casters.

They are the poets who pour their souls in new cups.

They are those who migrate with nothing but courage in their hearts and strength in their arms but who return with wealth in their hands and a wreath of glory upon their heads.

They are the victorious wherever they go and loved and respected wherever they settle.

They are the ones born in huts but who died in palaces of learning.

These are the children of Lebanon; they are the lamps that cannot be snuffed by the wind and the salt which remains unspoiled through the ages.

They are the ones who are steadily moving toward perfection, beauty, and truth.

...

You have your Lebanon and I have my Lebanon.

---------
-TWS Out

Of Nukes n' things

[NOTE: This post is long]

Words are monstrously beautiful. Some hurt, some heal and some do both. They can create and destroy. They can convey our deepest truths and our greatest lies. Encourage action (good or bad) or even worse...encourage inaction. Sometimes it is all necessary, including the pain. Sometimes not.

In truth, words (and language) are the Creator's gift and can be the Devil's plaything. And for those of us with short tempers and little patience, they are the greatest gift and the worst curse. There is no shortage of Hadith on these matters.

I have been brooding about their dichotomous nature for far too long.

----------Rant----------> ITS A LONG ONE

Although over a month has passed since the arrests of the 17 in Toronto, it remains in the back of the city's mind. The event hangs low in the hazy Torontonian air, like smog. Those more eloquent than I have written on their own individual reaction/feelings to the whole event (ALL MUST READ IT).

There have been fewer articles however, on the numerous Muslim communities' (relatively limited) response to the whole event (and one must remember there is neither a single united community nor a response) - most of these responses were either apologetic or directed blame onto others (such-and-such sect, the Government etc.) While discussion is important, these two methods do not fix social problems. Few looked at the lack of Islamic culture available to the youth, or the lack of outreach programs to high school students...or community aid for Muslim and non-Muslims in impoverished aread of Toronto. There was very little support (from organizations AND people) for the rallies at the courtrooms or signed petitions or wrote letters to government officials.

In all honesty, most of our responses to contemporary crises are a far cry from the proactive nature of our Islamic models (i.e. the Prophets [p.b.u.t.], the Sahaba [R.A.] and the successful communities preceding us) which analyzed social/cultural/local/global issues (such as crime) and actually went about fixing the root causes (creating the system of Zakat, implementing the Sharia'ah and so on). We are now strictly reactionary and defensive. This is to say that we have (for the most part) become stagnant.

The Global Warming situation, the AIDS crises, the proliferation of corporate entities and power, the loss of public spaces, the lack of proper Islamic governance (Saudi, I'm looking in your direction), the lack of Islamic economic models (i.e. non-Friedman Models), the cultural double standard, the instability or absence of an Islamic infrastructure in the West (we don't even have a big library in T.O.). There are no shortage of issues that need to be addressed by Islamic Scholars, activists and all practitioners of the faith. The youth cry out for answers and solutions. As said before, the responses to recent and not-so-recent events have rarely analyzed and addressed the conditions that led to these events. What are the social conditions of 'suspected terrorists' (and the primarily muslim youth in Rexdale/Jamestown Toronto for that matter)? What are their educational conditions? Are there prejudices in the system? Again, there is no shortage of questions.

Gone from the bulk of contemporary Ummahs (as we have now been divided, subdivided, classified and labeled) is the passion ignited in the Prophet (S.A.W.) and his followers by the command ‘Iqra!’ It seems that many of our people ignore the Prophet's words to Khadija (R.A.) after revelation. "The time for sleep has ended." In truth, we lie dormant and divided and our only comfort comes from the mantra of victimization. Like a narcotic.

Looking at other victimized communities, we know that one can rise from such a state in only one way. A proactive, productive response. A violent (well...not always physically) upheaval... A revolution. We must realize however that not all revolutions must shed blood. No, the tools of revolution are largely decided by social conditions of the people. Nat Turner had his sickle and machete. Ghandi chose the path of nonviolence. Simply repeating the mantra however, lulls us into an even deeper state of stagnation and victimization (a victim is far easier to kick when he's down).

It is the other mantra however that kills me. 'Islam is a religion of Peace'. It is repeated by nearly every speaker, pundit and tactful politician. In a world of 30-second sound bites, ticker-tape headlines, one liners...where lex parsimoniae is the dominant principle of philosophy and science, we (society AND the Muslims) have shortened Islam to the English word 'peace'. I take issue with that. Islam isn't a religion of peace. Nor is it a religion of war. [Nor of pink polka dots (borrowed from B) ]. Not anymore than Christianity is about war (or peace or pink polka dots). It contains rulings and conditions for all these states (and obviously more…well not the pink polka dots). I wonder, in a world where September 11th is shortened to a simple 9/11, about the state of the history of Islam after this amputation. It is more frightening to think how much is lost with that reduction. And there’s the question that has haunted me for the last few weeks. How much is lost? Of ourselves? Of our past? Of our future?

Like Reza Aslan or Irshad Manji, I do believe we (as a people under one faith) are (or very soon will be) undergoing a period of Islamic Reformation. This is where our similarities end however. I think that it is not the religion that we must reform but ourselves. Self renewal and adaptation to environment is not a modern idea (as much as Tony Robins might want you to think). Rather it is a Prophetic tradition seen clearly throughout the Prophet’s life (the Seerah), his Hadith and the lives of his companions. And so I state again, it is not the Religion that requires a revolution, but ourselves. After all, The Prophet himself declared (over 1300 years ago) that the time for sleep has ended.

In truth, what we need is a gigantic Islamic Manhattan Project. A nuclear bomb of change (man...I’m going to end up on some suspect list...). This is to say that we must coordinate the skills of the Ummah to develop Islamic (and just) alternatives in all spheres of life [all the while directing our actions by the moral/ethical compass of the Prophet as found within the Sahih Hadith and Seerah]. Economics, Biology, Medicine, Ecology, Art and Culture, Manufacturing...so on and so forth.

[ASIDE: These studies are not new to Islamic civilizations. Rather, the consolidation of knowledge in these fields (from Muslim AND non-Muslim scholars) combined with intention and the grace of Allah formed the basis of our strength during the 'Islamic Golden Age'. But harkening back to the 'good old days' isn't productive and I digress].

Moreover, these alternatives should not be restricted to Muslims...we are after all from the Ummah of the Guidance to MANKIND. By that same reasoning, we must fight for the right of return for Palestinians as well as Native Americans. We must petition for the release of political prisoners in Iraq as well as in China. We must rally to end unjust Governments...East or West. By that same reasoning, we must fight state sponsored terrorism, Government wiretaps, sexual slavery, deforestation, child labor, free trade and so on. The movement must be grass-roots...global...and always in progress. Always fighting. After all, The Time for Sleep has Ended.

But when all is said and done, these are simply my 3 A.M. ranting on a page (mostly unread). And Allah knows best what we must (and will) do.

----------End of Rant----------

[wow...that was a lot longer than I remember...that was definitely building up]

July is a month of departures. Two brothers have left Toronto (one East, one West), both with beautiful parting gifts...and Two sisters will be leaving before the month ends.

1) Yossof - > Yossof, done with school (temporarily) returned to his family in Morocco after 5 years...perhaps never to return to Toronto. He refused to let me accompany him to the airport ("Akhi, gas is at $1.07 / L!" were his words if I recall). He left me with a tiny bottle of Ittar Gulab (musk)...one that he made himself from back-yard roses (hand pressed!). It is now the favorite of my small collection (this one makes 4). He also left me with a pretty beautiful Dua'a (prayer):

O Allah!

Make me sufficient only upon whom all are sufficient! O Master of the Day of Judgment! You alone do we serve, and to You alone do we cry for help! Guide us on the true Path, the path of favors and of the right hand. Not of those upon whom wrath is brought down or of those gone-astray.

O Allah! Cover my shame, pacify my fears, guard me from what is in front of me and behind me, from what is on my right and on my left, over my head and under my feet.

O Allah! Grant health to my body. O Allah grant health to my hearing. O Allah! Grant health to my sight. There is no deity except You.

O Most Merciful! Forgive my sins and those of my parents and my ancestors. Give me the strength to guard my intentions and leave me not without light in the dark and without guidance in my time of ignorance! Nor leave me quiet when I must speak, nor let me speak when I must remain silent!

O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the evil of my self, and from the evil of every creature. O my Lord, keep me on the straight path.

O Allah! You hear my words, You behold my situation, You know what is open and what is hidden within me; nothing is hidden from You. O Allah! Soften my heart to the words of the Guidance and harden it to those of the Whisperer!

O Allah! Grant me soundness of belief, goodness of character, forgiveness of my sins, and Your eternal pleasure in the Hereafter.

May Allah's blessings be upon Muhammad (S.A.W) and his family and Companions

His quick flash of white teeth (almost Chesire-cat like) that he calls a smile and his tardiness in getting jokes will be severely missed.

2) David - > David transferred back to UBC to be closer to his Grandfather and the rest of the fam. Being the road-trip sort, he organized a cross country caravan/vacation back to Victoria with his sister and her kids (man of courage...that one). He also left me with a most beautiful Ojibwa prayer (he's half Ojibwa, half Salishan I think):

Oh great Spirit,
Whose voice I hear in the wind,
Hear me for I am young, small and weak.

I need your strength and wisdom.
not to be superior to my brothers,
but to conquer my greatest enemy, Myself.

I seek wisdom,
the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock,
so that I may carry this message of life and hope
to all people.

May my hands respect the many beautiful things
you have made. May my ears be sharp to hear your
voice. May I always walk in your beauty and let
my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunsets.

So when life fades like the setting Sun my Spirit
I will come to you without shame.

I have spoken.

His arguments (almost fist fights) and his crooning (mostly the classic Aerosmith and LZ) will be severely missed.

I wish the both of them the best of luck and open my home to them when they return to visit (We shall meet again in the place where there is no darkness). May Allah keep them well.

Thankfully, I am not friendless in Toronto (yet!).

We (Q, Z, Anum and myself) spent today (yesterday?) downtown for Street Support. Not many people downtown (volunteers OR homeless). I suppose it was too hot out (smog alert). Z returned to her home away from home (Residence) and her fam away from the fam (us) and FINALLY joined us for street support. The circle was almost reunited today. After we finished the route, we actually did something that was waaay overdue. Coffee and tea at the Moonbeam Café (Kensington Market)[...the atmosphere alone was worth the trip (Waeed...you were missed!). Old school coffee house, rickety chairs, old school tunes (man I'm ancient! I knew ALL the lyrics and riffs...Hendrix's 'Hey Joe', Dylan's 'Man who sold the world', LZ's 'Josephine'...) and an eclectic crowd. The place oozed history]. Then off to a rice bar-> $8 and it was all organic...then a packed subway ride home, jokes along the way.

A pretty good day to end a not so great couple of weeks. I'll take what I can get. And for now that mean's a nice pre-sunset stroll and some (semi) fresh air to the tune of John Coltrane's 'In a Sentimental Mood'.

C'est la Vie.

No haiku...but I got some Bowie lyrics:

Who knows? not me
We never lost control
Youre face to face
With the man who sold the world

-----
-TWS Out

Linkage

Don't have much time...but thought I'd post some links.

There are a few movies coming out that are quite interesting:

Aaron Russo poses some very thought provoking questions in 'America: From Freedom to Fascism'. Its a bit too soon to tell, but it looks pretty intense.

The War Tapes is a first hand account of the war in Iraq as taped by soldiers on the front line. The movie is very over due. There seems to be a major disconnect between the Governments rehtoric and the opinions/thoughts of many soldiers on the field (I'll post some milblogs of friends later on).

Road to Guantanamo is a first hand docu-drama of three British Muslims ('The Tipton Three') who were held at Guantanamo for something like 2 years before being released without restriction or charges.

Longer post soon as I'm done studying.

-TWS

'Til she bled sunshine

So much on my mind that I can't recline
Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine

Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine

Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline

Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathin
Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening
Sigh before we die like the last train leaving

-Mos Def: "Respiration"

...A Beautiful Day...

It was beautiful today.

20° C.

No wind nor cloud touched that azure sky. I spent the day cruising with the windows down and spent the sunset with some old friends in a field of dandelions (about 1/4 KM from the road)...just kickin' it. We prayed Maghrib on that yellow-and-green carpet (and our jackets) and basked in the dying heat and silence of the day.

I was struck by the simple pleasure of those two (I think), very brief hours. Before reality and responsibility came crashing back down. I kinda missed B...surely he would have drawn a profound metaphor or prose from that scene...I tried to do the same, but I had only 3 thoughts in that field.

Thought 1:

They relax on green carpets, in beautiful surroundings.
Which of your Lord's marvels can you deny?
(Surah Al-Rahman)

and...

Thought 2:
And at noontide the toilers and the wayfarers say, "we have seen her [beauty] leaning over the earth from the windows of the sunset."
In winter say the snow-bound, "She shall come with the spring leaping upon the hills."
...
It [beauty] is not the image you would see nor the song you would hear,
But rather an image you see though you close your eyes and a song you hear though you shut your ears.
It is not the sap within the furrowed bark, nor a wing attached to a claw,
But rather a garden forever in bloom and a flock of angels for ever in flight.
(Khalil Gibran)

No haiku...

--------
TWS Out

Its been a long time coming...

After nearly a month of all-nighters, papers, exams and (mainly self imposed) solitary confinement in the concrete walls of the basement, the prospect of freedom seems farfetched. I fear I've been broken...I beleive the right word is institutionalized. Even a short-term freedom, (8 days...well now more like 3) before I have to start summer courses, seems like an eternity and I find myself unable to fill the hours. Still, each day seems to pass in a blink. I'm kind of scared to see what 4 years of this stuff will do to me. Tim, upon the completion of his BA at UTSC commented that he too has been instituionalized and I've noticed that recent graduates must take some time to readjust. Some don't ever readjust completely. He busted a gut when I compared the 4/5/whatever-year uni experience to those explored by inmates in The Shawshank Redemption. I think any university student can instantly relate to the movie's tagline: "Fear [of exams] can hold you prisoner. Hope [of a bell-curve] can set you free."

Freshman year has come to a close and I seem to be in one piece alhumdulillah. Still, I find myself questioning my motives. Is this where I want to be? Is this what I want to do? What am I missing? What do I need? Am I doing the right thing? The questions are deafening in the silence that follows. I'm not satisfied with my performance...or my answers (or the lack thereof). Langston Hughes once posed similar questions:

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

My God...I hope all this is normal. Still, I'd say I learned things worth knowing (although not nearly enough Chemistry or Calculus) and formed lifelong friendships...as trite as that sounds. Still, things are the way they are and I got a nice, long (and compelling!) lecture on perseverence and drive as well as hope...Well, make dua'a (prayer) people.


------------------ WARNING! RANT! ------------------

The artist Asheru has been a breath of fresh air. I've said that rap (and most music for that matter) is dead. Few artists have proven me wrong. But his mostly laid back stylings and excellent lyrics are refreshing. He also keeps the swears down to a minimum. But...when I say laid back, I don't mean lazy (like 50's flow), and he can bring a storm of energy when needed. I just mean to say that he seems relaxed and confident. He's also not overconfident (or underconfident) which is one of my main gripes with rappers. Pair him up with Talib Kweli or Mos Def and they put out some excellent tracks. He's great to just throw on when you need to vibe.

Is he a socially conscious rapper? Yes. Would I label him as such? No. I have a huge problem with that label (Conscious Rap). Looking at the early roots of rap, hip-hop and its subsequent genres (rap, rapcore, rock-rap fusion etc.), most of the innovators and founders (Public Enemy, Sister Souljah, RATM etc.) spoke on social issues. Sure, some would argue that current (and some old-school) mainstream rap lyrics are extremely violent, misogynistic, socially detrimental and for the most part pointless...and I would be inclined to agree...(Common once joked: "So many raps about rims, I'm surprised @#%$ ain't become tires") Still, old school mainstream rappers such as Biggie (and especially Tupac) were commenting on the social conditions (desperation of the projects, reduced economic opportunities, lack of role models, single-parent households etc.) even while spitting misogynistic, violent and detrimental lyrics. Hell, the entire spirit of rap and hip-hop was of dissidence, activism and rebellion. I can't really comment on most contemporary mainstream artists as I have given up on them (for the most part) since I heard a Queen-50'Cent Mashup. My point is these labels and categorizations really hurt artists for the most part, as a large body of their work goes ignored (as people may or may not avoid 'Conscious Rappers') and it isn't fair to the repertoire of most rappers (who may produce socially conscious tracks and mindless anthems on the same record).

Anyway...I digress. I was introduced to Asheru through 'The Boondocks'. He wrote the excellent opening theme. As for 'The Boondocks'...that is one hilarious, brilliant show. I know a number of people that would disagree for numerous reasons (including some pretty bad racial stereotyping). Still, the show is a satire and deals with some heavy topics such as the African-American experience, American politics, prejudices etc. I love it as I was an avid reader of the original comic strip (back when The Source was the magazine). The show does suffer a bit due to the absence of Michael Cesar (a character)...but for a show found on cable (Teletoon or Adult Swim), its pretty damn good. Some of Ahseru's good lyrics...these don't do justice to the song however:

I am the stone that the builder refused
I am the visual, the inspiration That made Lady Sing the Blues...

I'm the spark that makes your idea bright
The same spark that lights the dark So that you can know your left from your right...
I am the ballot in the box, the bullet in the gun
The innerglow that lets you know To call your brother son...

The story that just begun The promise of what's to come
And I'm a remain a soldier 'til the war is won


------------- WARNING! END OF RANT! -------------


I find the development of ideas to be most interesting. What started off as a string of four words spoken over the phone to a close friend ("Man! I MISS music!"), blossomed into a conversation, an idea, a goal and an intention. At this stage, its simply a concept and strictly in the planning phase: To showcase different forms of art (Photography, Film, Graffiti, Comedy, Qira'at recitations, Martial Arts, Spoken Word) in an Islamic context (both contemporary and historical) and to help expose the youth (both Muslim and Non-Muslim) to the gifts of creativity and grow them (in a halaal way through permissible forms of expression). Basically provide our youth with islamic culture as well as the contacts, training and/or inspiration to develop that culture within themselves and their communities...for Non-Muslim youth, the goal would be to foster an awareness of the historical importance of Muslims on these different art forms as well as showcasing their roles in further defining them. As for structure...we have had some ideas...Among these are:

1. Art Installations
2. A coffee shop style set of presentations
3. A museum or art gallery style setup
4. An intensive set of workshops/lessons
5. An intensive 'boot camp' with integrated workshops and activites
6. Some weird combination of all of these concepts

I've been hung up on this idea since and just can't seem to get it off my head. More than that...I want this thing to be a huge event...something with heavy media coverage (The Toronto Star, local news media, City TV etc.) similar (at least on a media popularity level) to Christian and other religious efforts made in Toronto. Also...the target audience is as many Non-Muslims as it is Muslims (as one of the goals is to foster Inter-religious communication and awareness). In short...the event is By Muslims, For Society. So far...the response has been positive, although I have heard a few naysayers. I really do need the opinions of all of y'all.

Damn...the boys are leaving in a few hours.



I must say...its been a wild 3 weeks having them around. I know I haven't spent as much time as I could with them...but every (difficult) moment is a blessing. Children are wondrous...every activity and experience is a lesson. It is beautiful to watch the moulding of a mind. I am blessed (alhumdulillah) to watch the development of THREE! I don't know how my sister manages...Allah help her and keep her and the Fam safe and secure and blessed. Anywho...its coming to 2 in the A.M. and the parents is getting upset...so I guess I gotta wrap this up...Hopefully the next couple of posts should be a lot less sporadic. In fact, I've already got some topics picked out...Why don't you all tell me what you guys want to hear about...

-------------------------

• Martial Arts -> Studying combat mechanisms and movements
• More Environmental Stuff -> Oil sands/usage...threats to Athabasca
  
• Photography -> Importance of images and icons
• ???

P.S....Can't wait for the cousins to touchdown in T.O.

Freeway overpass
Blossoms in grafitti on
fog-wrapped May mornings

-------------
TWS Out

Lest we forget...

For the 11th of April/12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal

Muhammad is no more than a messenger: many Were the messenger that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then Turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude.

Nor can a soul die except by Allah's leave, the term being fixed as by writing. If any do desire a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if any do desire a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give it to him. And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve us with) gratitude.

And how many a prophet has fought with whom were many worshippers of the Lord; so they did not become weak-hearted on account of what befell them in Allah's way, nor did they weaken, nor did they abase themselves; and Allah loves the patient.

All that they said was: "Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and anything We may have done that transgressed our duty: Establish our feet firmly, and help us against those that resist Faith."

- Surah Al-E-Imran, 144-147

...

...And it keeps going...

Boarders

Before I forget...and crash...Someone sent me this...Kept thinking of the Fam in Edmonton...

------
TWS Out

And now...sleep...

Sleep has now become an infrequent blessing.

Not sure what it is...whether its the writer's block or thoughts of the human condition or the crushing amounts of work I have to catch up on. It may just be the books that I've buried myself in...Primarily the classical Sufi masters...From Ghazzali to Saadi to Hakim Sanai and Omar Khayyam. I believe that a bit of our favorite Sufi has rubbed off on me (Rooq...looking in your direction). The last 2 weeks have stretched themselves out...like one really long day interrupted by moments of lucidity (punctuated by the words of the old Sufi masters). Sometimes things just seem to click. Sometimes not. Perhaps I'm just being morbid...

--------------WARNING----------------

Speaking of morbid, I've been thinking a lot about the worsening conditions of Africa (nice segue huh). Between stints of mindless chemistry exercises, I managed to pick up a few scraps of information from Stephen Lewis' excellent AIDS themed lecture series on CBC (entitled Race Against Time)...Which sparked my interest in the topic. What I found may just have scared the sleep out of my days. Seventeen percent of the child population in Zambia has been orphaned. The number may rise to nearly 1/3 (33%) by 2012 if the current death-toll projections are accurate. In Swaziland, the current numbers are even more staggering...sitting in at around 23% by conservative estimates.

Africa is quickly becoming a continent of orphans...These numbers have never been seen in contemporary history. The number of child led households throughout AIDS affected Africa number in the tens of thousands. The average age of children running those households is eight. I will repeat that. The average age of children running those households is eight. Eight years old. 2nd and 3rd graders. Let's think about the lack of experience transmission between generations. If that doesn't scare you, then perhaps this will.

Failing crop yields due to lack of land rotation, low-grade or lack of fertilizers and droughts have also had a major effect on the African population. The soil has literally been stripped bare of its nutrients due to over farming (as farmable lands must be rotated between harvests to allow the land to recover). Ironically enough, high-investment crops (such as cotton and sugar canes) are the primary harvests of African agriculture industry. Even more ironic is the fact that biomass and fertilizers are at their highest prices in Africa, where they are most needed. The cruelty of supply and demand. What does this mean? Africa is quickly losing its internal food supplies and the hopes of a self-sustaining Africa are fading fast. The result is a larger expenditure of Africa's GP (Gross Product) on imported foodstuffs rather than potential treatments for the sick and the ailing.

The role of the 'First-World' (as much as I detest that convenient label) is flawed. Instead of building a sustainable long-term solution to Africa's crises (by providing critical farming equipment, personnel and infrastructure), they hope to shove the African problem under a rug while throwing a few million to keep the accountants happy...And what are a few million to the Billions in military expenditures/upkeep and trillions in national debt found in the West. The saddest fact that Lewis stated was this: If the pharmaceutical patents of HIV/AIDS treatments and medications were relinquished to (fully capable, reliable) generic pharmaceutical companies in India and/or Cuba, the needed medicines could be produced at a fraction of the cost of Big Pharma (shivers). Here comes the pain. The cost of generic medicines (manufactured on the scale required by the African) would be equivalent to the current cost of aid provided by the 'First-World'. The effectiveness of these closely guarded medications cannot be disputed. Lewis suggests that a single dose administered to an expecting mother could reduce risk of transmission (from mother to newborn child) by something like 90% (or more). But we persist in throwing them the food that will not fill their bellies.

I could go on and on about the internal factors, embedded racism, entrenched class-ism, clan superiority complexes and corporate profits for pages. But it will do no good, because at the end of the day...the conversation is one sided. And we'll go on. And we'll forget. And somewhere, a nation will pass quietly with its orphans into the dark recess. And this is partly what has kept me up.

--------------WARNING----------------

Its funny where we can find wisdom (and the thoughts and reflections of our scholars ) embedded...Case in point...I had a bitter need for some soul and lyrics when I turned to my old Blackstar (Talib Kweli/Mos Def) records (fine...CDs...but its essentially going the way of the VHS and the tape). Kweli spat:

Knowledge Of Self is like life after death
With that you never worry about your last breath
Death comes, that's how I'm livin, it's the next days
The flesh goes underground, the book of life, flip the page
Yo they askin me how old, we livin the same age
I feel the rage of a million niggaz locked inside a cage
At exactly which point do you start to realize
That life without knowledge is, death in disguise?
That's why, Knowledge Of Self is like life after death
Apply it, to your life, let destiny manifest

Attar (the great Sufi and Rumi's inspiration) spat:

You will know that when you were alive you were dead, and only thought yourself alive.

To be fair...I don't think Attar literally spat it...but...ah...whatever...I'm tired. And I don't have the energy to write a Haiku, so I guess I'll leave y'all with some poetry from Saadi (I beleive from his Kitab, Gullistan...or The Rose Garden).

Dominion of the world from end to end
Is worth less than a drip of blood upon the earth.

Anyone wanna read that one out to Bush and the Reagan crowd?

P.S. Anyone a fan of Billy Holiday? I'm trying to cut back on the music thing...but the classics still get me.


------------
TWS Out

My heartbeat...

There is a certain...Pulse to the city. Its in the bus driver's banter, in the drone of traffic, in the beats coming from that kids iPod headphones and the flickering of neon lights...In the rattle of the subways and in the shaking of the pick pocket at the subway station (yea...I remember you). Like a heart beat. Like a break beat. Like a meter...Keeping the city's time. Man I missed T.O. And yet...I've come to miss Edmonton as well. Alberta bashing aside, it really is a beautiful and serene place, despite the cold and the snow and the general lack of heat. And somehow, it lacks that pervasive beat (or perhaps my ears just weren't trained for it)...Which is a nice escape. Truly an excellent place for some reflection...Or a quiet rest...Or a vacation.

Still...Its the people there that really captured my heart. Alhumdulillah there is an excellent community and set of organizations down there...The beauty is its all integrated at the institutional, recreational and familial levels. Groups, organizations and events link high schools and families and universities and so on. And lets not forget Salwa, Muntaka, Shareef, Ibrahim, Fatima, Omar and the hundreds of others.

Anywho...What a week. Ended up making it down for Street Support on Friday after Juma'ah. It was an excellent session...Late and not as effective as it could have been...but still a blast. Ended up making hazing big Mike and kicking it with Chris. Thankfully, it wasn't too cold...but surprisingly, we didn't see too many of the regulars (which could be a good thing or a bad thing). The mission though, was packed...Pulsing to that same beat I mentioned in the beginning. Man...We are severely lacking funds...And manpower. Somehow, I think there's more I could be doing (there's always more I could be doing...Sigh). Still, we've got to start the movement somewhere. Might as well be at home.

Jaddi got in on Friday as well. It was a delight to see her after a long hard day and it felt like someone had been missing since she left. Now home feels...Like home. Well...Almost.

Also managed to run into Kareem after months and months. At a Popeye's no less. We just chilled out. Apparently he's been in Africa for some time doing work with various NGO's (see...Told you there was more I could be doing). Being Kareem, he managed to pick up some things while down there and treated me to an impromptu Piper demonstration with a broken piece of wood as we walked to his place. For those that don't know...Piper is a free-form style of knife-fighting from the Africas. Its used a lot by gangs but is developing a structured following...Its primarily rapid strikes and stabs and unlike any form of knife-fighting I've seen (as it evolved primarily from Zulu short-spear fighting...or so I'm told). It is also not a sport or an organized martial art. Heck...Its not even a martial art...Its more like a type of knife-fighting. Moreover, its a key to survival in the tougher neighborhoods. It, like most forms of geographically unique combat...Has its own rhythm (which is something I gotta talk about). Its very difficult to pick up (for me anyway). I'll say there's nothing beautiful about it...But its efficient. (Note to self...Must speak on convergence of styles...Fluidity...etc.)

Also manged to kick it with Qasir and Michelle at the theater...Saw V for Vendetta...More on that later...

Dang...Still got a mountain of work to finish (sigh)...and exams to study for (sigh)...and about a hundred other things. Still...I heard some good news. A certain set of somebodies may just come down for a visit.

Kareem, that's Piper?
You can't be serious man
Looks damn effective

P.S. Does that still count as a Haiku ? (Its still 5, 7, 5, but has grammar)...Well here's a throwaway one...

Creativity
Disappears into darkness
Like a fleeting thought

----
TWS Out