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

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-TWS Out