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Guests in winter gear at the 2008 Eid-ul-Adha festival
As'salamualaikum all,

 I thought I would share some insight on what I thought of the MAC’s Eid-Ul-Adha 2008 at the Exhibition Place…

First, it’s important to note that MAC follows ISNA’s scientific calculation of the moon sighting to determine Eid. If you follow the Hilal committee, your Eid may differ. For MAC, this year’s Eid is Sunday, September 20, 2009. 

Eid is always a joyous occasion: a time to celebrate, share and get together. With the scale of MAC’s Eid you really do get the feeling that it is a special day. The venue shows strength in numbers. There is a strong feeling that you are part of a large and diverse community.

The Eid Salaah is fairly traditional to what you’d find at your local masjid and the khutbah is good, if you have the attention span and devotion to listen. The only thing is though that you should not be in a rush to get back home. Apparently, the Salaah is delayed every year to accommodate for stragglers and late-comers.

After the Salaah is complete, the organizers arrange for a prominent MP or MPP to give a small spiel about being Canadian and what Muslims mean to Canada. Make of this what you will: it may not be interesting and it may not be genuine, but at least someone came out.

I only took a quick glance at the Eid bazaar that day and I didn’t see anything too interesting. I say this as a brother. I’m sure a sister would say otherwise (“OMG! There are so many, different colourful hijabs! I’ll take them all!”). There are also political and social groups set up in the bazaar area for anybody who wants to network with other meaningful organizations.  
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There is no rest for the weary: political activitsts and charities take no time off to spread their message and set up shot in the bazaar area
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The carnival for Eid-Ul-Adha consisted of bouncy castles, merry-go-rounds and play activities that I am sure most kids under 10 would enjoy. If you have young ones at home this is sure to get them excited.

In short, the individual attractions can be a bit stale and you may not want to spend an entire day here unless you're serious about listening to the khutbahs. That said, I would suggest attending MAC’s Eid with your family if the day is about getting together and sharing the warmth of the joyous day with loved ones.
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Assalamualikum Friends,

Someone once said, “You’re born with family, but, friends you get to choose”.  As humans, we are all social creatures and can not live in social solitude. Friends fill an important void. They make us laugh, give us a hand and share everything with us.

But, friends, after all, are strangers and not all of them are who they claim to be. I don’t wish to sound paranoid, but, it’s true. I’m sure all of you have had people in your life that you would give the world for, only to find out that they don't have the same in mind for you.

Then there are those people who are caring friends, but don’t realize that they are leading you down a wrong path.

Ahh friends. I've got 600 of them on Facebook.
But, how can you tell whose worthy of being called a true friend? Facebook has become this generation's social medium for the popularity contest. It's not in the halls of high school anymore, and it's not in the brand names you wear. Even the quietest kid in your class can turn out to have the loudest Facebook profile, and the coolest double life.

The new applications (News feeds, and comments and the "Like" button) all seem to make us crave more friends who will comment on more pictures who will write more wall posts which will bring more friends who will comment on ...

Someone else once said: "Lord, protect me from my friends. I can take care of my enemies." (Voltaire, French philosopher and writer).

He wasn't talking about Facebook, but it certainly does apply. The vicious social game that Facebook can inspire is never-ending, and completely deceptive. Facebook and other online social networking sites have the ability to project a false image of yourself as you wish to be seen, and not necessarily as you exactly are. 

So, for that reason I’ve come up with some criteria for selecting friends. Real friends, not just an FB friend.

Common ground
o   They share your thoughts and your interests

 Respect
o   They respect you for who you are

Sharing is Caring
o   What is theirs is yours

Love
o They honestly seek the best for you and wouldn’t want any harm upon you

Morals
o   They’ve got their ideals in line

The fine print here is that all these points should be present in the person you want to befriend. Even four out of five is not good enough. And no, these points don’t mean you’re seeking out your twin. You need not be carbon copies of each other. If all five criteria apply you have found your BFF. And remember friendship is a two way street. You should also exemplify these points within yourself for your friend.

Now, go and weed out your FB friends list!
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On Facebook, kijiji, partyplanners.com, and craigslist, Faiza Syed (or "Fia," as her fans call her) has recently been making the rounds to publicize her home-run Henna business, Henna-by-Fia. 

In today's modern world, young kids are getting more entrepeneurial. It's not just about selling lemonade on a street corner: with internet, social networking and university as a marketplace, teens are getting more creative. It's becoming easier and easier to turn side hobbies and pet projects into lucrative small businesses. Marketing is much easier, and word of mouth spreads faster.

But this also means there is much more competition and much more action on the playing field. So, entrepeneurs have to find a special product or service and cater to a unique subset of people.

Take one look at this 19-year old York student's advertisements and you can tell straight away that she knows her product.  On her Facebook group wall, Fia boasts an extensive knowledge of Henna, as "an ancient Indian Body Art." ..."Mehndi is a natural product that comes from a bush called Lawsonia Inermis... growing in size from 3 to 5 feet and can vary slightly from region to reion. Its leaves are then dried and ground to make the henna powder."

One potential client, on her Facebook group wall, asks if she using black henna. "No I don't use it," she replies quickly. "Since it contains PPD in it and its harmful for the skin. Thus, its ban in Canada!"
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Artist: Faiza Syed
Her business is only about eight months old, but she has already been successful. She is unique among many on Gerrard Street because she also applies henna on the legs, the back, and even on pregnant baby bellies. She is a veritable temporary tattoo artist. See her Facebook group for some pictures of her more interesting - and even controversial - designs. 

Her customers are just as thrilled by her prices as they are by her expertise. Working from home reduces costs for Syed; and it also allows her to be more flexible and adaptable.  

Syed is in second year at York, pursuing a psychology degree. Her henna skills are self-taught, and she's been practicing for as long as she can remember. As a kid, she had always wanted to have henna applied on her own hands but no one in her family knew how to do it. Eventually, her mom would give into her tantrums by slapping henna on both her palms. Though there was no design - only two big red stains - it was the start of something special. 
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She is available for anniversary parties, birthdays, bridal showers, weddings, and other events. But for Eid, she is hosting a special Eid Open House. Check the Upcoming Events section for all the details, or log on to the Facebook group for Henna-by-Fia.
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“Unionized driver examiners across Ontario are on strike, putting thousands of licence applications in limbo.”

CBC news has definitely got that right! What is up with Ontario and strikes this summer? First we have to spend our entire summer with the smell of garbage everywhere. And now, we can’t even rush to get our license before school gets too hectic!

Politics: Oh how I deeply despise thee. Ever since I can remember I always ran away from it. It wasn’t only because I found it confusing but also because most of what I heard just seemed so corrupted that I didn’t want to wrap my head around it. Don’t get me wrong: it’s not that I don’t care - I used to care, and I tried to care -  but it is all nonsense to me. It's all a power game.  

Unionized workers of Drive Test centers are on strike (after 55 hours of bargaining because of wages, overtime and sick days. This is why I don’t understand political people and the government. Why can’t everyone just be fair and equal?! Why can't union workers, on the other hand, just be grateful for what they have? Think about all the homeless who have nothing at all! People just always want more and more. Let’s be happy with what we have and what we are given (thanks to Allah).

I guess I’m just frustrated because I was supposed to give my drivers’ test (written) last week (after having already delayed a year) and when I finally decide to do so, they happen to be closed. This is an example of how political issues come chasing after you; no matter how much you try to avoid them.  I guess in all fairness they examiners have the right to go on strike for their wants. Last week I wrote that people should try to take time off for Eid if they can. But without unions, there wouldn't be any sick days or vacation days to take off!  While some people do abuse benefits many people do need them to survive. With cancer and disease rates rising, many people must work while getting treatment. If they didn't benefits, they would pretty much end up homeless. In a lot of non-unionized environments, someone who was diagnosed with a permanent illness might find himself/herself weeded out of a job.

But at the same time the governments and the union should try to speed up the process so the public doesn’t have to suffer. Okay:  they did extend the expiry dates on licenses for those who need renewals (but what about those who need to actually get a license?!). I’ve also heard from friends that the legal age to get your permit might be changed to eighteen. Great. They can do that after I get my permit.

The biggest thing to realize is that the union is paid by union members to GET RESULTS at the negotiation table. This is why they often resort to a lot of sketchy tactics to get what they want. The city workers went on the strike specifically in the summer so that the smell of the garbage and the lost tourism would get on the news -- even though hundreds of city summer students lost six weeks of pay that they can never get back. And at the garbage dumps, picketers were getting mean, hurtful and even scary, at times. This is an example of how unions, though they have good intentions, attract public hatred when they play political games.  

I really hope they open up soon, because school is about to start and then it will be quite hectic to find a day to go give a drivers’ test. Oh and I hope to God Ontario faces no more ridiculous strikes.


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We are rapidly approaching the last ten days of Ramdhan, and as sad as it is, it will come to an end very soon. No longer will we see people rushing to the mosque for the nightly prayers, no longer will we see our brothers and sisters breaking their fasts at Magrhrib, and no longer will be able to get up in the middle of the night and consume everything and anything in sight.  Nonetheless, Allah (SWT) has saved the best for the last: the last ten days of Ramadan are to be held in the highest of regards.  For instance, it is during the month of Ramadan that the entire Quran was completed and revealed, and sent down. As Allah says in the Quran,

Indeed, We sent the Qur'an down during the Night of Decree. / And what can make you know what is the “Night of Decree?” / The “Night of Decree” is better than a thousand months./ The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. / Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.

These verses sufficiently and effectively enough, explain the importance of the Laylat-al-Qadr, or the “Night of Power”. It is believed that it can occur on any of the last ten nights, oddly numbered in the month of Ramadan. Thus, take the time to hit the jackpot with tons and tons of reward, during these last ten nights of Ramadan. Pray and worship Allah SWT as if it was your last time, and stay up until the wee hours of the morning.

For, Allah has told us that this is the most powerful night, and all of our duas and prayers will be accepted. If not in this life, then the next.
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We could potentially be saved from a punishment that Allah SWT had intended for us, all because of our decision to thank Allah. Focus on making this Ramadan, and the last ten days, a way to reflect on your life, be more conscious of Allah, and be grateful for his blessings.  A dua that the Prophet taught Aisha (RA) during the end of Ramadan as she seeked the night of Laylatul-Qadr is as follows:

Allahumma innaka a’ffuwan tuhib-bul afwa, fa’fu a’nna.
O Allah indeed you are a Pardoner, and you love pardon; so pardon me.

Remember the “Night of Power” is better than a thousand nights. Even for a devout Muslim, missing this night is like rejecting a million dollar gift. 

As it was narrated in a hadith:

Jibreel said to me, ‘May Allah rub his nose in the dust, that person to who Ramadaan comes and his sins are not forgiven,’ and I said, “Ameen.”

Let’s not be among those that get rubbed in the dust. Make dua, and inshAllah we will all catch the night of Power. And if you do: remember the entire Muslim Ummah in your prayers.

Ameen.
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Another school year has started and it’s about that time again to decide where our allegiances lie. No, I’m not talking about the Game versus 50 cent. I’m talking about clubs.

Clubs are tricky at university: we have so many in existence; plus a million more being planned at any given minute. It's not like high school, where everything was neatly planned. Many university clubs are not truly active after the first couple of weeks. Due to lack of resources, lack of will or lack of interest in the club: members disband and the executive stops planning. It’s hard to keep track of which clubs exist and which are active. This makes Clubs Week at any university a terrifying process for a newbie. What if you join the wrong club? What if the one you joined is just a lame social party? What if the executive is disorganized and lazy, and it ends up shutting down? 
 
So, allow a Clubs Fair veteran to point out some clubs that might be ideal for the readers of Keepingithalal.com.

A good club...
1)     Allows you to build a resume: Is it a clubs that has a long history? A great number of resources? Lots of clout? Famous alumni? Is there someone who can provide you a reference, or is there some evidence of your involvement in the club? 

2)     Allows you to build a large social and professional network without sacrificing your religious values. Do the members meet regularly? Do they attend events, socials and trips together? And if so, is the social life diverse, or is it focused on clubbing and drinking? Is this a place where you can make good friends? 

3)     Is not a waste of your time. Are the meetings efficient? Check the website: Is it up to date, and does the team execute its mandate within the year? Is there room to grow from a lowly member, to an organizer or executive; or are you stuck at the bottom of the totem pole forever? 

Here are some clubs I saw at the U of T Clubs Fair this past week (September 4th – 8th) that may or may not be a good place to start. While these clubs are specifically a U of T, you most likely have similar clubs at your own universities. As well, it still gives you a good idea of what to expect, and what to look for.
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At a UN Conference in London, England

For the Politically Inclined:
1)    U of T UN Society (Model UN):
Meets Wednesdays 7-9 pm OR Fridays 3 -5 pm. Location TBA.
This is a Model United Nations; the club trains members on how debate, negotiate and perform well in United Nation SImulation Conferences that take place in Canada, the United States and throughout the world.
The committees you find in the conferences simulate real committees that have been or are in the United Nations.

Some of the more interesting committees you can be a part of:
- Futuristic Security Council, Mafia Wars of the 1920s, Mexican Drug lord negotiations, Palestine/Israel peace talks.

Some of the more interesting conferences you can go to:
-Yale, Harvard, McGill, London (UK), Lahore, Pakistan

Pluses:
- You can meet a lot of great people during weekly meetings, weekly socials, and the conferences.
- A great resume builder! You can start off as a delegate, you can win awards, you can organize local conferences or be a Head delegate in an away conference...
-The club has a long history and more resources than most clubs. The U of T team is one of the best model UN schools in Canada & the United States. There are also similar teams at York and Ryerson. I've met them, and I can tell you they have a lot of fun. MUN'ers around the world usually become friends for life. This means that if you met someone at Model UN in Chicago, you've got a place to crash the next time you visit!

Minuses:
- the away Conferences can be pricey. The team is working on getting funding, but you're still covering a lot of costs on your own. It's up to you to decide if its worth it.

2)     Hart House Debates Club
Meets Tuesdays at 7 pm AND Wednesdays at 4 pm, at the HH Committees Room (2nd Floor)
This is a university wide organization based out of Hart House. They train members on how to debate, in practice for tournaments that take place in Canada, the United States & abroad.

Pluses:
-Another great resume builder. Debating skills are essential to many political/social careers. In fact, they are essential to many fields, so its definitely useful.
-The fact that the team is affiliated wtih historic and world-renowned Hart House is not bad, either.
-The tournaments are not very expensive! The 2009 McGill Winter Carnival North American Invitational was only about $35.
-There is a lot of room to move up in the organization: if you are a good debater, you can go from a novice to a pro. If your skills are not up to par, but you love the environment, you can be a tournament organizer for local events.
It's a close-knit team. You will make friends for life here.

Minuses:
-2 mandatory meeting times? Though a heavily rewarding experience; it could be very time consuming and mentally exhausting.

For the Intellectually Inclined:
3)   Bookends
OPTIONAL meetings: Thursdays from 3-4P OR 5-6PM in Hart House
This club at U of T wants have fun with reading. They also want to support (non-textbook) literacy on campus. According to their website: "At our monthly meetings, we discuss the book of the month and vote on the following month’s book.  We also discuss issues that are relevant to the club, such as which charity events members would like to participate in, and ideas for club socials."

Pluses:
- What a nice, relaxing club! Pick a book, read it, and talk about it? Maybe have some tea and cookies? Take a mental load off? I'm interested.
-There's also an active online forum for those who miss meetings, or who want more discussion.

Negatives:
- As for these so-called charity and social events, I don't see a single picture of one on the website, and I have yet to hear about it on campus.  Could it be that the group is a little bit disorganized? Considering that the one-hour meetings are OPTIONAL, how much does the club really get done?
- As a resume builder, it depends on what the charity events are. Otherwise, you're just a group of kids who sat together and read a book. Big whoop for an employer/grad school acceptance committee.
- Could be a great way to meet like-minded people. Books really do tell you a lot about people.

For the Religiously Inclined:
4) Muslim Students' Association
Meetings depend on your involvement!
The MSA works to be a representative voice for Muslims at U of T, and a unifying one.
There are lots of ways to get involved: For example, the MSA Community Affairs Committee organizes events such as: Ramadan Food Drive, Blood Drive, Habitat for Humanity Build, Pink Hijab Day, Sandwich Run, Lecture, occasional recurring events, and more as suggested by the committee members.
 
Pluses:
- Your voice matters. Got an idea? You can put it into action if you find  the right committee.
- It's a close knit group, despite the size of the group.
- You decide your own involvement. So meeting times vary and commitment level varies depending on what you can handle.
- It's chicken soup for the Imaan =)

Negatives:
- The fractured nature of the involvement means a lot of people get lost in the shuffle. It's a huge club and they put on many events that get regular attendance and regular notice. But this means there are different bodies of the MSA doing different things at different times. The lack of simple structure can be disarming to some.
- As a resume builder, beware. In today's society, it may not send off a good vibe if the only thing you are involved in is your local religious organization. Many employers and grad schools expect variety and diversity in your experiences. If this is ALL you do, it may come off exclusive.

For the Active:
5) University of Toronto Outing Club
About ten-fifteen outings per semester. See website for details.
The club sends out trip information via a mailing list and members sign up for which outings they
want to do!

Some outings include:
-Halloween Outing to the UTOC cabin, with a movie night and a trip to the apple orchard, a Killarney Canoe Trip, a Gourment Foods weekend at the UTOC weekend, day trips at the Dufferin Quarry, indoor rock-climbing, and ice-skating.

Pluses:
-Don't want to be a committed member but want to go camping with some friends? Sign up for an outing!
-Trip costs are very low for day trips. The most expensive trip is the weekend canoeing which is about $90, with food and accomodation included.
-Doing active things with friends, and getting to see some beautiful parts of Canada!
- An escape from the city!

Minuses:
- Though there is a large number of events, many of UTOC's socials appear to feature pub nights. But if you can get your own group together who doesnt drink, it changes the nature of the experience.
- As a resume builder, it does show that you have diverse interests. It can be wow-ing, depending on how you spin it!

For the Creatively Inclined  - Those who want to get Published!
6) The WA
Is a biannual urban publication. According to their booth at the Clubs Fair: If you can write/draw/design/interview/come up with "cool shit to publish", then send it off to the WA, at emailthewa@gmail.com

Pluses:
-It's a free for all! Got ANY cool social things to publicize or highlight? Send it to the WA!

Minuses:
- The group doesn't have a website that is easily searchable; or any place you can find a mandate or a mission statement. Who do you contact to look at back copies of issues? Who is the Executive? Even if you get published, will it mean much as a credit if no one can find any evidence of it online? It may just be free exposure to small group of emo/artsy people.
-You exercise your typing skills... not your social skills. Not a great way to make friends.
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Assalamoalaikum fellow sisters and brothers! As I’m sure you are all well in the middle of Ramadan and busy with your prayers and iftaries, there is another event that is coming up that I’m sure everyone has been thinking about since they sighted the moon. EID. That’s right, with Ramadan well in its way; Eid-ul-fitr is just around the corner. Eid is when Muslims all around the world gather with their family and friends, after a whole month of fasting and offering as many prayers as possible. This is also the time when all the younger Muslims get to fill up their wallets! It’s such a joyous event and every family has a different way of enjoying the day (or DAYS) of Eid. (It is explicitly a three-day holiday, but many families only celebrate the one day immediately after the end of Ramadan).

When I was younger and back home in Pakistan, everyone would get up early, get showered and dress up in the fanciest clothes of the season; mixed with elegant jewellery and henna on the hands (this applies only to the girls!). Then we would pray the Eid prayers after which the FUN would begin! I used to run around with a small purse with me saying Salaam to everyone as they gave me my ‘Eidhi’. We would then go to our relatives homes where there would be a BIG lunch and dinner (and of course: more Eidhi!). Among the cousins and siblings we would exchange Eid-cards (which, in Pakistan are a BIG thing. And boy, did they have some awesome looking cards!). Eid Day Two and Eid Day Three would be pretty similar, and just as fun. 

Now that I’m here in Toronto, I don’t get to spend Eid with my relatives, but instead with my friends and family acquaintances. The morning doings are exactly the same, but then all the family friends gather at someone’s house and once again we indulge in the deliciously cooked foods (including biryani, kebabs, chicken, pasta, custard, kheer, butter chicken, korma, ghulab jamun, kofta, nihari...and the list literally goes on). This past Eid, my friends and I actually skipped another day of school just to have an Eid Party; and it was fantastic.

I’ve heard of some people who don’t go out and celebrate Eid. They go to work or they go to school, they get on with life. My heart goes out to those people, really. Come on, people! If you can sometimes lie and take a sick leave... then why not take a day off from your daily life to celebrate this once a year joy of Eid-ul-Fitr?! It’s definitely worth it, even if it’s just with your immediate family: there is just something really special about the atmosphere of Eid.

Then again, there are some other people who dread this event not because they don’t care, but because of certain limitations. Some parents can’t afford to provide other children with Eidhi or and some students would rather not go through the trouble of writing another make up exam or test (either because it’s a huge process, or not permissible). What I think is that due to the large number of Muslims (speaking of Toronto, in particular) teachers and employers should seriously have some consideration. They all very well know when Eid is approaching, so they should at least try not to make dead-lines, tests or exams close to that date – it shouldn’t make a huge difference in their schedule; a little consideration never hurt anybody.

For the fellow Muslims going through this struggle; InshAllah, you still have Eids Day Two and Three to enjoy! 

As for the people who feel their financial life affects their complete participation in Eid: I know that if they don’t give Eidhi they might feel embarrassed, or they may be looked at in an ill manner by the other parents if their kids are not suited in a brand new lahenga or shalwar kameez. But not everyone can easily do everything; I don’t want something like money or gifts to be a reason for anyone to dread such a joyous occasion. I say they should still try and make the best of it: give out a piece of chocolate to the kids – they just want to have “something.” It’s not what you give that matters, but the intention with which you give.

And if anyone should have a problem with the way you celebrate, you may have to learn to ignore it. Only God is fit to judge, in the end. We kids, at least, should reject some of these social/cultural “responsibilities” that threaten to take precedence over our religious lives.

Eid is something that all Muslims worldwide are supposed to enjoy. Young, old, rich, poor, whomever and wherever: every Muslim deserves the right to indulge in these festivities… and they shouldn’t let anything come between that.

So...start getting ready for Eid everyone! Get your jewellery, your clothes, your food list, or your excitement ready (but don’t let it interfere with your Ramadan prayers...because that would be counter productive) and most importantly get your spirit ready!

Eid-Ul-Fitr Mubarak to everyone (in advance)!

(By the Way, the exact date for Eid will depend on the moon, but it could possibly take place on Sunday, September 20th, 2009).
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Lock your doors and shut your windows: there's a recession going on outside. You think your school is the only place safe from all the madness?

Think again.

If you’re walking on campus this year you will find yourself surrounded by a much larger number of flustered, confused, and lost first-year students. And this is not because you've started losing your mind already. Rather, it's due to UofT's decision to accept more students. Some colleges have accepted around THREE TIMES more students than normal.

Higher acceptance rates may sound awesome to some high schoolers but there's a major downside. It affects the quality of your learning experience by cutting down on one-to-one time with profs and teaching assistants. Classes also become more competitive, and the sheer volume of people can become overwhelming.

And even if you think you’re okay with that, you should think twice. As second year comes along, the weeding process begins. Some universities are infamous for this. They take your money for first year and then inform you in second year that your marks were not up to par. You are either expelled from the institution, or forced to change programs and stay an extra year to figure it out.

It’s not what you paid for.

On the subject of getting what you pad for: you’ll also notice an increase in your tuition fees. As if we weren’t broke enough already. Another thing you will notice is some of your previous professors are missing. Where did they go? Well, they were let off.

Summer abroad programs, bursaries, and part-time on campus jobs? Slash, slash, slash.

This is all in an effort to make more money as the university claims fiscal loses.

Who's the real loser here? 

It's me and you. 

The university chalks the problem up to some bad investments and harsh economic times. Some students at the university blame the current administration, and the current president, David Naylor. For some admittedly left-wing ideas about the big fiscal mess at U of T, talk to anybody working at the University of Toronto Students' Union. Or, check out the Drop Fees website. Believe you and me, they will have a lot to say on this subject; having fought against university privatization and the rise of tuition fees for many years. 

 
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In France, a parliamentary committee is about to meet to decide whether or not the burqa is banned in France (not just the public school systems at it currently stands). This seemed an opportune time for me to introduce you all to Canada’s right-wing voice against the burqa. Rosie Dimanno is a columnist for the Toronto Star. She has a pink streak in her hair, and the ability to make me gag every time I read her work on the Muslim community.

She has done a great job of making this so-called community appear to be a monolithic identity made up of unenlightened women, ravenous men and secretly unreligious, resentful teens. 
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In an article written in October 2006, she essentially goes on a tirade against the burqa/niqab. She declares: “I can think of no more insulating a statement than the veil. That one small rectangle of fabric speaks volumes about separateness and exclusion. It carries both an intrinsic sense of superiority (my faith, which sets me apart) and inferiority (my gender, which renders me de facto prey, thus requiring this protection, which just happens to be the invention of males).”

She then goes on to declare that women who wear the hijab, niqab, or burqa are actually hurting other women. When we wear it out of our own personal choice, we make it hard for oppressed woman to stand up to their evil brothers and fathers.

She says: “It is not patronizing to acknowledge that many Muslim women who wear the niqab… do so not out of personal choice but because they are bullied, tacitly or overtly, into doing so. They must hide their faces so that their men don't lose face.” … “And I care a great deal more about their predicament than I do their Islamist sisters who choose to veil under the rubric of feminism.”

In this second article, she is more irritating. If you’ve ever burned your hand on a hot stove, you will realize that you often get the same sensation when you read Rosie Dimanno’s articles. It stings hard at first, and then becomes a dull pain that lasts for weeks.
 
"A burqa," she says, “is not just an article of clothing. It's a fetish that demeans and demonizes women.” …“I've never met a female who willingly wore the damn thing.” She congratulates President Nikolas Sarkozy, who banned the burqa from the French Republic. He declares it to be a sign of subservience and subjugation, and thus unwelcome in a modern democracy. Apparently, Muslim women all over the world should thank Dimanno and Sarkozy for giving them the justification they needed to finally throw off these repressive clothes.

Her colleague, Antionia Zerbisias (another columnist at The Star), poses this question in retaliation: "How can a state complain about women being forced to wear something – and then force the same women to take it off?" 

Dimanno’s answer is basically this: well, Afghanistan did it first. They’ve been telling people what to wear it since forever, so why shouldn’t we? It appears then, for Dimanno, two wrongs do make a right. So, she’s going to ban the scarf and drag Muslims kicking and screaming into modernism.

Though I agree with Dimanno that many women are brutally forced to wear the burqa, many other people I know were not forced. These women wear it for a variety of reasons (it’s comfortable, it makes them feel closer to God, it’s a statement of pride, etc). Whatever the motive may be; the simple fact that it is often worn by choice reduces the impact of her argument. For if there exist people who “wear the damn thing willingly”, then there must be some significance to it that she has simply chosen to ignore. It is sheer lazy reporting that keeps her from investigating the other side of the coin. 

On one hand, she belittles the veil, and on the other hand, she makes it out to be something bigger than it really it is: a square piece of cloth that many women use to cover themselves.

Examine this situation for context: In 1984, James Keegstra, Canadian high-school teacher, was charged with denying the Holocaust and making anti-Semitic claims in his classroom as part of the course material. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, where it was decided that the law he was convicted under did infringe on his freedom of expression. But, it was ultimately justified, because teaching hate is a far worse crime. It appears Dimanno is trying to say that forcing women to remove the burqa/niqab is justified infringement of their constitutional rights because the veil is not just a personal choice: it’s a furtherance of evil, oppressive attitudes.

Is this really the case? Is my choice to wear the hijab directly or even indirectly leading to the subjugation of other women? I am not convinced that it is.

If I have learned one thing throughout my education, it is this: correlation is not causation, and appearances are often deceiving. There is rarely one, singular, sufficient cause for any problem. Looking at the Keegstra case, it is possible to see that teaching anti-Semitic material has a direct negative effect on youth. It’s pretty safe to say that though teaching hatred from a position of authority may not be a sufficient factor; it is definitely a necessary factor that could cause young, susceptible students to become racist and intolerant. Conversely, the veil is neither a necessary or sufficient factor. It is correlative, since it often coexists with oppression, but it is not causative in any way.

Accordingly, our energy is better expended on correcting the underlying sources of the problem. It is interesting that the same people who rant about the banning of the veil continue to keep quiet about many poor leaders and poor laws that propagate tyranny and patriarchy. It creates only hypocrisy and confusion when influential people decry a nation’s culture without criticizing the rulers who manipulate and exploit it cruelly. From the Taliban, to Pervez Musharraf, modern industrial democracies have shown their willingness to prop up corrupt regimes. And it is only after the state crosses the line from ally to enemy that democratic politicians come out with guns blazing. Great power politicking seems to have allowed our nation’s leaders to pick and choose when they enforce humanitarian responsibilities.   

At the end of the day, the veil is a tool of domination, but not the cause. This certainly does not mean that we should ban it, because it is possible for any “good” thing to be used as a tool for “bad” acts (education, media, religion, etc). So, don’t take your rage out on a square piece of cloth. It’s sometimes modestly decorated, and it’s sometimes bedazzled… but it’s still just a square piece of cloth. There are larger, systemic problems at hand, ones that can only be solved with an appropriate mixture of domestic uprising and international intervention.

If it was really true that the niqab or burqa was the origin of the dilemma, every Muslim girl in the world would willingly take it off her head and burn it. Islam never asks us to do anything that harms fellow sisters. So, before we assume that Dimanno speaks with any authority on this matter, let us ask ourselves this: if the scarf never existed, would downtrodden Muslim women be any freer? Perhaps they would be freer to show and style their hair, but not free in any meaningful sense of the word. Not if the fundamental conditions that have resulted in the problem continue to exist. 

Apparently, the French have had distaste for organized religion since the 1789 Revolution, in which the Roman Catholic Church was dismantled. The political foundations built subsequently put a strong focus on Rousseau’s philosophical idea that nothing comes between one’s relationships with the state. Religious affiliations are the ultimate rejection of this. When in conflict, religion is supposed to beat the state. This is a dangerous breeding ground for the bad things people have seen coming out of Islamic communities in the last couple of decades.

For Sarkozy to pretend this situation is all about the women is distasteful and laughable. Andre Gerin, Communist Party legislator and mayor of Vénissieux, a Muslim-populated Lyon suburb in France, began the motion to ban by the burqa in June. He got it signed by 57 other legislators and called for the parliamentary commission.

He expresses the sentiment of the French very clearly, in a way that damns him more than redeems him: “The burqa is the tip of the iceberg. Islamism really threatens us.”
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First off, I would like to start off by saying Ramadan Kareem to all of you and your families. Alhamdullilah, if you are reading this, it very well means that Allah has been gracious enough to bless us with one more opportunity to witness this sacred month. 

We fast because Allah has commanded us to do so; in an attempt for us to remind ourselves of how grateful we ought to be. But we often don’t really remember the other blessings our fasts can bring. It is during this time that all the gates of Hell are closed, Shaytan is chained up, and all the gates of heaven are opened for us all. We have an opportunity to make the most of this month; to repent and beg forgiveness for the numerous sins we have made. 
 
The Prophet Muhammad SAW said in a hadith narrated by Bukhari:

"Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan with faith and hoping for its reward (ihtisab) shall have all of his previous sins forgiven for him." [Bukhari, Muslim]

Thus, the righteous believer - one who is looking to gain the most out of this month - will look forward to each fast; regardless of its length. He will read the Quran as much as he can, and know that at the end of it, Allah will reward him for his patience and guide him on the path of Siraat Al-Mustaqeem. InshAllah, this person will be rewarded with happiness in this life and the next.

May Allah make this month the most hallowed of months for us, and may He help us through these difficult times and accept each of our fasts as being of pure heart. 

Ameen.
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