I love being Muslim.
And I love that 'love' can encompass so many different meanings and hold together tightly in unison. Saying you 'love' something is like breathing the words, 'alhumdullilah, inshAllah, mashAllah, subhanAllah' together in this tightly strung and fantastic four letter word.
Often the romantic implications of love are misused in society by lovers, friends and even family.
But when you stumble across the true meaning of love, what it really means in all its complicated and often unfathomable intricacies you realize how blessed it is that you are a Muslim.
Because when you are a Muslim, you are willingly submissive to this way of life. And often people will say, 'oh but there are other religions that preach a way of life too!". But you see the thing is, is that Islam when studied properly- works for everyone. There's something in it for everyone, it is a way of life for everyone. No matter what time, what culture what place you are in. It just works.
And if you'd kindly notice- the only times it doesn't 'work' is when people enforce their own rules and ristrictions upon this beautiful faith and make it such that their word becomes equal to the word of God. Which of course it is not.
See, what we need to realize is that people have different opinions and that is ok. I listen to music. Music that hasn't any haraam under (or over) tones to it. Because I acknowledge that music can be used as soul food.
But does that mean I look upon my brothers and sisters who don't listen to music at all with disdain? No of course not. Because I know that that is what they think is right for themselves.
I go through life by the word of Allah, by the word of the Prophet (pbuh) and by my hearts intention. Of course I am also guided in part by the words of trusted scholars- but those are the three main things. Only we know what is in our hearts and if we feel that at the heart of matters what we are doing is not wrong but beneficial then khayr-
I am ok with that.
What isn't needed, however, is others enforcing their will upon you. No human has that right. When writing this article I didn't think my ultimate message would be something as basic as, 'Let's just respect each other folks'. But I guess it is. Respect that everyone is different, not everyone comes from the same vein as you and that if we learn to accept these differences therein lays the solution to the human struggle.
Well, one of the human struggles anyway.
Yep, chances are you have an iPhone of some sort and you're looking at it right now and notice that all you have is 'Plants vs. Zombies' and 'Angry Birds'. Now, while both are super awesome games… there's definite room for improvement on what I can be using on my iphone!
When I got my iPhone I immediately started looking for good Islamic apps. Unfortunately, I was smacked in the face with useless and faulty app after app. Some were cool (i.e. the Korean Quran app) but not of any use of me (unless I learn Korean). But I battled forth on the notoriously slowly loading pages of iTunes to look for proper apps that will make my iPhone an Islamic-Machine! An iSlam if you will.
It says a price on this app here, but there is a free version which serves all your needs.
1. iQuran
Beautifully made app! I have the free version but I'll probably buy the iQuran pro version because it's just that good. It has a list of all the surahs in the Quran and you have the option to keep it Arabic only or have a side by side English translation. You can also download different types of recitations to aid you in memorization or tajweed. You can even choose from two pretty themes!
 2. Islamic Compass App
Seriously, you'll never have to wonder which direction to pray in again. This app is so relevant to my life I danced a little on the inside when I discovered it. As a university student and a commuter I often find myself having to pray in places that aren't designated prayer areas and then half guessing which general direction I'm supposed to pray. But with this app that uses the iPhone gyroscope it shows you what exact direction the qiblah is! Also it has a lovely prayer chart and reminder and you can choose to have athan reminders as well. Unfortunately this only works on iPhones and not iPod touches.
3. Bukhari (iHadith)
I LOVE THIS APP! Ok, all the other apps are wonderful. But I always carry a pocket Quran with me and I do usually pray in the right direction, and I know what times to pray. But I don't carry over 7,000 hadiths with me.
But now I do!
Bukhari is the best $0.99 I've ever spent. When you open up the app there is a 'Hadith of the Day'. All the collections are sorted by type (there are ninety three!). You can bookmark certain hadiths for later reference and you can search for hadiths.
All hadiths are Sahih so you know that your reference is 100% truth!
These are the three most useful apps I found myself. There are many that don't just cut it Islamically or are not very useful as actual apps (crashing etc). The iPhone is a great tool and shouldn't just be used for idleness. You can use technology for good! Every time you're on the train or bus just whip out that iPhone or iPod and start memorizing some Quran! Alhumdullilah.
Also, if you're thinking about buying an iPhone I hope I convinced you. I promise, I'm not being paid to Apple to do this. However, Steve….if you're reading this. I wouldn't mind being paid…
And guys, if you enjoyed this review say so in the comments! I'll have a few more themed app reviews coming at you, inshAllah.
On January 12, 2011 a bright and beautiful spark left us. Kirran Shoaib passed away after battling colon cancer for the past 3 years. In the end, it overcame her but her strength still prevails in the hearts of her family, friends and community. Her father, Shoaib Alam, had passed away only two weeks earlier. I haven't ever met this girl, but truths of her warm heart and beautiful character spread like wildfire across the Muslim Community in the GTA in the final weeks of her struggle. I wish I had gotten to know her better, seen her suceed in school and excel in extracurricular activities. Had experienced first hand the promise that she held in her heart for a bright future. So I, like so many others, was broken hearted when I listened to her story. How she has left behind 5 siblings and a mother left to care for them on her own. Their strength through such a difficult tight is a tough test from Allah, and mashAllah- we all can learn a valuable lesson in patience and strength from the Shoaib family. May Allah wrap Kirran and her father in an endless mercy and give them the highest place in heaven and give them the best company in the afterlife. Ameen. Please remember her and her family in your du'as. They really need it at this time. If you can do anything to contribute financially to Kirrans mother and five siblings, please go to Islamic Relief as it will be handling all financial support for the family.
I have been skeptical of Islamic conferences for a while, doubting their true impact on individuals. To me it was all a show; a display of the Ummah, a way to find your significant other, a place to shop and perhaps catch a lecture or two.
I attended this year’s Reviving the Islamic Spirit. A conference I had always looked forward to when I was younger not for the lectures but for the sheer spectacle. It was a big Islamic show, and to my young eyes that was more than enough. Even now, looking at my 12 year old sister as she sits patiently in her seat staring up at Sheikh Hakim Abdul Jackson, wide-eyed and excited; I know she doesn’t understand the brevity of his words at all. She enjoys the show of it all. Claps enthusiastically, beaming from ear to ear, when two brothers from Montreal accept Islam on stage. She enjoys the bazaar, asking for brightly coloured hijabs to add to her slowly growing collection.
Whereas I feel a little bereft, feeling as though I should be much more touched spiritually by this conference. I sit in the lectures, stoically listening. I am not moved to tears, I don’t stand up when the men convert. I felt emotional only when Sheikh Habib Ali Jifri speaks, his sincerity is obvious. His words emphatic, they are not meant to stir a great emotion in us. Rather, he speaks sense and from the heart. He makes us nod our heads in agreement, “yes!” I think, “this is what RIS is to me”.
After the conference is finished I sit in my bedroom, staring at my prayer mat lovingly set out with my oversized chaddar folded in a corner to the side. I am sitting cross legged after praying fajr. I miss that feeling of having a ‘deen boost!” from RIS. I remember in days gone by how energized I felt after the conference, how ready I was to take on the world. How the words of Sheikh Hamza and Zaid would fill my heart and mind. I would search their talks online, reliving my experience. A smile on the corner of my lips. For days (months, even) afterward I would regale those who didn’t attend not with the knowledge I had gained- but with the speedy cognition of my reignited heart. How I felt, rather than what I learnt, was far more important.
And for so many this is what RIS is about. The “deen boost” a figurative kick in the pants. It gets their gears crunching, their heart beating. Their blood running with love of Islam. That’s great! “If that is what RIS is for you,” I said, “Then go for it. May Allah bless your time during the conference”.
But now I feel like it is but another mire of knowledge. Insights are gained, Ambassador Shabazz was most illuminating- refreshing even. But I don’t feel that ummah kick anymore. It’s just a point of interest in my year, no longer the highlight of my year. And yes, it has become that time to meet old friends, purchase that hard to find hijab, and steep myself in an environment full of Muslims.
*
I’m sitting cross legged on my prayer mat, it faces my window. I look out onto the unseasonably warm December sky. Rain splatters my window, I think of all the things that surround my life right now. Fear, love, war, hatred, forgiveness, stagnation, a sexualized society, tuition fees, family, fights, happiness- Allah.
I think I’ve come to that point, inshAllah, where I don’t need a yearly conference to reignite love of my faith.
I’m already there.
Can I still be feminine and wear the hijab?
It seems like a fallacy doesn't it?
It probably does, dear reader, ignite in you a certain feeling of rage. How dare I even attempt to relate this paradigm of modesty, this cloth of subservience to the one true God, this symbol of piety to something so base as one's sex.
But that is what it is about, my dears; protection and distinction of one's sex.
We cover our heads why- because Allah Ta'ala told us.
And for some of you that is enough. Khayr, good for you.
But there is nothing wrong with asking questions, asking for deeper insights. Some of you argue against that- I say the act of questioning allows you to love this faith even more. For how can you truly love something if you can not even understand it?
So the question I'm trying to ask here: can a practicing Muslim woman be feminine and beautiful?
The idea of the hijab is to downplay your sex, not to oppress it. But to merely show shame and modesty in front of men who by all accounts are a little more…shall we say…eager when it comes to pursuing the opposite sex.
But it doesn't necessarily mean it's a rejection of femininity, that to wear hijab is to forgo the fact that you are a woman entirely.
So we have this generation of young Muslim women who are very into their deen, who want to be the best Muslimati they can be, who strive to please Allah. And what can I say to that but MashAllah! God is truly great.
Yet at the same time I see plenty of these women walking down the street resembling nothing more than dark bundles of frumpy cloth- unironed, unkempt. And if you'll forgive the allusion- deluded in their belief that dressing in hoodies and shapeless black shirts is a good thing.
I strongly believe that women were created as women so as not to be hidden away; but to be women. That is to be strong, passionate, pious and yes- beautiful individuals.
So when I see Muslim women dressed in such clothes, as a Muslim woman, I am annoyed. Because this, to me, is an alteration of Allah's creation. He, Subhanahu, has made women to be beautiful, to be desirable. Not for the public at large- but for our private lives. Yet at the same time, just because we're not meant to be flashin' our "wares" to men on the street, we also shouldn't be lurking around in such unkempt and manly clothing.
Dress beautifully, just with due diligence. Wear your modest clothing- but don't forget that you are a woman. Iron your clothes, wear clothes your size, and embrace your femininity.
See what I find most challenging is that notion of the frail little Muslim woman whose shy and quiet. I myself am not necessarily shy or quiet. I am reserved when I need to be; however by and large I am confident in who I am, I speak with ease to both men and women. Some frown on this and others like me, construing this as flirtation. But this is my nature- I'm not deliberately attracting attention to myself. I'm just being myself . I am polite, but also friendly.
Nothing wrong with that.
In fact, it is a part of being grateful to Allah Ta'ala to look polished and presentable. In a hadith, Abul-Akhwas radi Allahu Ta'ala anhum narrated that his father said: “I came to the Messenger of Allah looking dishevelled and scruffy. He asked me, ‘Do you have any possessions?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He asked me what sort, and I told him, ‘I have all sorts. Allah has given me camels, horses, slaves and sheep.’ The Prophet said: ‘If Allah has given you all of that, then let Him see His blessing on you.’”
Look at the Sahabi radi Allahu Ta'ala anhum! They all were strong, beautiful, intelligent and courageous women who were modest within their bounds but unequivocally feminine. Neither were they shunted to the side, nor were they sexualized. They were true to how they were created, as women.
Go read on about the great women of the Ummah! Those are the only role models we need.
Modesty does not mean to reject your femininity. It serves to find a balance in which you are protected from the lustful gaze and yet still be womanly. It is a clear message, when you wear a hijab, it says "I am a Muslim woman and no- I'm not for sale".
"I don't know where you learned about right and wrong, but you seem to have missed a few crucial lessons."
- Mrs. Weasley
"Magic is haram!"
"Harry Potter? More like FITNA-POTTER!"
"Harry Potter is…SHAITAIN!"
"No man, I'm staying away from these books just to be safe."
And this my friends is a conversation of which I've had to partake in far too many times. Yes, I know the argument is 'I want to be careful, books have impact' etc. But really, dudes, this book has a positive impact if anything.
The final film is winding its way to movie theaters; many of you by the time of reading this have already seen the first part of Deathly Hallows. I don't think it is an end to the saga of Harry Potter in the slightest, this series will continue being wonderful, amazing and yes- magical. Some individuals seem to be hung up over the fact that the book has MAGIC! And therefore it's the scariest thing ever, because our children will turn into crazy black-magic baddies.
So I ask the question,
"Give me one kid whose gone OMG! I'm going to turn to BLACK MAGIC from now on!"
Can you?
No.
You can't.
But, I can give you plenty of children, teenagers, young adults and old people alike who have been inspired by the courage of Harry, the bond of friendships between the Trio, the wisdom imparted by Dumbledore, the bond of familial love, the true heroism in Snape's overcoming of his inner demons...
I think, honestly, those who lambaste Harry for propagating 'magic' are missing the point. The book isn't about the magic. It would be just as brilliant if Harry was a little Indian boy called 'Harbinder Pankaj' and it was his tale of going to a school for tiger tamers with his best friends Rohan Wala and Harpreet Govinda.
It's the message, what the books boil down to is Love.
"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love." - Albus Dumbledore
This is one of the things that I'm amazed that passes over readers heads when they watch the movies or read the books. The emphasis that J.K. Rowling (Jo) puts on a mother's love throughout the novel from the start is what is emphasized. It is the key thing that propels the books along. It is a seemingly simple enough concept, but Jo portrays it as it should be: fraught with the difficulties of having it, lacking it, wanting it and not understanding it.
Harry's very existence is defined by love- the fact that the reason why Voldemort couldn't kill him with the ultimate, scary, omg-no-one-has-ever-survived-it-before death curse was that his Mother died to save him and continued to protect him all his life.
Dude, I mean- come on can I get a SubhanAllah?
All of the Mother characters in the novel are incredibly portrayed, they are strong and willing to go the distance for their children. Jo, being a single mother herself, understands that love that is so often overlooked in society today. Molly Weasley, the Weasley Matriarch, is one of these key mother figures. Further we have Narcissa Malfoy, by all accounts a 'bad character' but made good in our eyes when she risks life and limb for the protection of her son, Draco.
And then we have Voldemort, who by all accounts is evil. Why? Well that's a whole other debate, but it can be boiled down to the lack of love he had in his life and his disregard for his own mother who died giving birth to him. He is vilified by the very fact that he isn't able (rather, willing) to love.
“That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend. Of house-elves and children's tales, of love, loyalty, and innocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped.” - Albus Dumbledore
So here you have it; what the books are about. The value of a deep familial love and how this is the only 'true magic' and the strongest.
As a Muslim, I'd love to have my future children read this. I'd want any kid to read this. We don't have enough of this in a culture so fraught with the nonsensical idealizations of romantic love, 'motherly love' has fallen by the wayside. When I see mothers disregarded in a culture that only purports sexuality and hedonism, I see Harry Potter standing as one of the only pop culture icons that is against that. That tells young people to love your family, love your mother because there is no one on this earth who will love you more- and to not just love them, but to respect them.
Of course, of course, we are taught this in Islam. Motherly love is so important in Islam that one of the gravest sins a Muslim can commit is to not come to their parents when they are called by them. And yes, I am very well aware of the fact that J.K. Rowling is not a Muslim. But you can not deny that her books are positive and that they can be read by Muslims as a means of of finding a positive modern day role model and for reinforcing values that have been left by the wayside.
There is so much more to these books, it really hurts me when Muslims tell me that it's haram. That they're staying away from it just to be 'safe'. To me that is simply willful ignorance. I mean, when we have a new generation emerging who have idiots like Ke$ha and Miley Cyrus as role models, why wouldn't you want to take them away from that and introduce them to a more positive side of pop culture? A side that is in line with Islamic values?
Harry Potter is not about the magic of wand waving, it's about the magic of the heart.
“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Asalaamulaykum everyone!
If you are still in high school, chances are you've heard of this new series. Now, while I like to impress my fellow English students with big thick novels that were published when men still wore leggings, and flogging was an acceptable means of justice, I do love a good old adventure novel.
From the inner flap:
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The capitol is hard and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before- and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
After a lot of prodding from a friend to read the book, I finally gave in….
I read it in one night.
A feat I have not achieved since reading the last Harry Potter book.
The Hunger Games has something to offer everyone. Teenage readers can appreciate the action, adventure and romance. However, older readers will enjoy the conflicted and damaged characters in the novel, the subtle (and, admittedly, obvious) overtones of disestablishmentarianism, references to present day land occupation and echoes of war crimes.
Katniss is a rare breed of heroine in today's teen literature. She isn't pretty, graceful or feminine or perfect. She doesn't spend too much time mooning over men, either. She is gritty, determined and is often thrown into incredibly complex and interesting human and ethical dilemmas to achieve her goals. She is by no stretch of the imagination a good character, nor is she a bad character. She makes plenty of mistakes, but as readers you appreciate them. In Katniss we see, not ourselves, but an allegory for the lengths humanity will go to when all is taken away from them. I loved her as a character, though at times her narrative felt heavy she always progressed the story on with a realistic fervour.
The book is very much a social and political commentary packaged for teenagers. The people of the Capitol are extremely wealthy, arrogant and ignorant. However, the people who live in the outlying districts are starving, poor and are forced to work for goods that support residents of the Capitol's lifestyle. It's an extreme and localized parallel of what we experience in the world today, what with huge poverty gaps and extreme poverty prevalent today.
Collins stands out from her lambasted contemporaries, she has a strong voice and isn't afraid to deal with gritty issues that some of us find disturbing. Young people killing each other, extreme hunger and loss of humanity to just name a few. From an Islamic perspective, this book has a lot of merit for young readers. It teaches the basics of war and poverty, the problem with corporations and nuclear warfare in a way that both alienates and familiarizes the reader. It's an excellent crash course in world politics. As young Muslims, it’s incredibly important to be aware and gain an understanding and empathize with world issues. We need to strive to make the world a better place, and the starting point of spurring change is to create empathy for our fellow human being.
I'm glad that in an era where Twilight mania has gripped the nation, a book like this is capturing the minds of thousands of young people. While I do strongly recommend this book, I wouldn't recommend it for those of you who dislike reading about gory violence and murder.
Enjoy reading!
Ma'Salaam,
Zainab
P.S. have any books you'd like me to review? Email me!
 I can hear you now, "But Zainab! It's just a book! It's just for pure fun and enjoyment, it's not like I'm internalizing it!" . Well to you all I have to say is, books have a huge power over individuals. They can dissuade, assuage, and persuade; you can not deny the power of the book. We all are, after all, People of the Book. I'm not comparing the Qu'ran to such trash as the Twilight series, but I am acknowledging that all books contain within them the power to influence minds. Especially young minds.
Ah Twilight, where to start with you? I came across the novel through a recommendation from a friend when I was 14. Five, glorious, years ago. Initially, I was daunted by the size. But I ate it up. And the others after that. And after each one I was left in an almost dream like state. Every time I thought about Edward and Bella, about Jacob or Carlisle..oh! My heart would sing and I kid you not my pulse quickened. Everything about Twilight was perfect. I was convinced that I wanted a man like Edward. One who'd creep into my bedroom at night, who'd prevent me from doing what I wanted, who was just so gorgeous. And Bella! Why she was the perfect heroine, I could slip easily into her skin! I was fair skinned and dark haired, and she had no apparent personality so I could just impose my own on hers. It was perfect!
Then, Breaking Dawn came out. By this time I was in my first year of university and had forgotten the Twlight series (the horror! I know, I know!). Then I saw it on sale and thought, eh, what the hey I'll buy it, Biggest. Waste. Of. Money. Ever.
I'm not sure what happened to me from when I was 14 to 18, but apparently I had gotten what my mum likes to refer to as, common sense. I read the book and was immediately creeped out, disgusted and over all felt light-headed for entirely different reasons. I actually liked this? I thought to myself. I didn't even finish the book, just skimmed the final chapters.
I look up at the book now, sitting between my Christie and Taylor novels (much better fare for your brain, if you ask me). I'm glaring at it balefully. Why? Because this piece of garbage has brainwashed an entire generation of girls. My 12-year-old sister included. What is it about twilight I hate so much?
Well, allow me to list my grievenences (I could possibly have more than 99, but I'll only include the ones that don't involve swearing).
1. Bella Swan is a dangerous role model
Bella Swan, is perfect in every way besides the fact that she is oh so adorably clumsy. Moreover, any decision she makes on her own is immediately overruled by the men in her life. Time and time again, she is put in her place and told what is what by either Edward, Jacob or Charlie (her dad).
Bella also is the model of the perfect house wife. All she seems to do is cook, clean and be in love with Edward. She even forgoes her university education just so she can be a mother and wife to Edward and her daughter.
Now there isn't anything wrong with being a mother or a wife, but the way Meyer paints it, it seems that this is the only viable option for Bella. Similarly all the other women in the twilight series assume this singular housewife role. Teaching young girls that there is no point in going to University if you find the man of your dreams? That is dangerous. Young girls need to be taught that they have options and choices and that their life should never ever be determined by a man.
2. Edward needs a restraining order
Strange guy who doesn't talk to anyone outside of his family, creeps into girls bedroom to watch her sleep at night. Then proceeds to woo said girl by threatening her, then bringing her back. Forces girl to cut off relations with all friends, aside from the ones he choose for her. Leaves girl for a long spell, and she is in such a state she literally can not operate without him in her life. Then proceeds to fail to tell her that having sex with him can lead too demon offspring that will eat their way out of their mother's belly.
Right.
What a dreamboat.
3. "Delusional, delusional, delusional." - Emerson Spartz, Mugglenet.com founder and webmaster.
Ok, so Emerson is referring to Harry/Hermione fans. But I'm certain he'd use the same term for the majority of Twlight fans. I have had encounters with some of the more extreme ones (and wisely kept my mouth shut), some of my own friends are twilight fans and cite it as a mere past time. That’s fine and all, they are well-adjusted and confident individuals who know that sparkly vampire boys are fiction not fact. What about the myriad of young girls like my sister? Or older women with self-esteem issues and an unhappy marriage? They are being fed this nonsense and I really fear for this generation. Twilight has, in my opinion, absolutely no redeemable values. In my mind, it is the equivalent of trash television. It is not well written, its message is poor and worst of all its enraptured millions of minds.
To me what is most dangerous is that the bad qualities that I have pointed out in both Bella and Edward are not glossed over, these qualities are encouraged in people. For women to be frail Stepford-esque housewives, and for men to be creepy stalkers. The language of romance has been utterly disregarded, there is no merit in this novel.
As Muslims, we should read all kinds of literature, not just exclusively Islamic literature. But the literature should be of some merit, go out and read Kipling, Rowling, Said, Bhaba! The Twilight series offers no intellectual merit, dear readers, it is the equivalent of toilet paper bound up in a glossy cover. If you have a copy lying around, and you're out of toilet paper- well you know what to do.
Ma'Salaam,
Zainab
If you haven't already read about the Sept. 11th 2010, ' National Burn a Qu'ran Day' led by Evangelical pastor Terry Jones, I suggest you remove yourself from your cave, and read up.
Though the pastor finally backed down from the burning after international pressure (sorry, but can anyone say drama queen? He had to get two world leaders, military leaders and claims that he could ignite World War III, in order for him to pour sand over the fire), it wasn't the act itself that has me so interested but rather the reaction.
Every group, religious or non, has their crazies. The village idiots, if you will.
Our village idiots are Islamic extremists that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Ranging from the deadly bomb-wielding kind down to the Uncle-ji at the Masjid who will loudly proclaim that you're going to hell because you have a Christian friend. The majority of 1.5 Billion of us can agree that this is a fortunately tiny group within our ranks that certainly doesn't represent us. Yet, of course (it seems almost tiresome saying it now), the media will have even us believe that we're all crazy Terrorists.
But, I'm glad for Terry Jones.
Why?
Because Americans got a taste of their own medicine. Their village idiots, the kind that bomb abortion clinics (an act I fully can't wrap my head around), rednecks and the like have been relegated to the back burner. We don't hear about them, not really. However, with Terry Jones it seems America's dirty laundry has been aired.
Let me give you a scenario:
It's a bright September morning, the birds are tweeting and the sun is shining. All is well in the Joneses home, the Joneses are also Evangelical. But that doesn't mean they don’t welcome their Muslim neighbours over for supper, after all aren't 'We all God's children' as their Pastor says? Mr. Jones switches on the TV and is very perturbed to see what appears to be a wild-eyed, scruffy looking man (and he uses man in the loosest sense of the term as the person on screen resembles a step back in the evolutionary process, if anything). The ape-man begins talking and Mr. Jones shouts aloud in alarm and calls Mrs. Jones in; this man (identified as Pastor Terry Jones) is apparently one of them?
Both Mr and Mrs Jones stare at the screen in shock as Pastor Jones starts spewing phrases like, 'Death to Mozlems!' or 'Izzzlam is a CURSE!" with such intense fervor they can see spittle flying out of his mouth.
Mrs Jones turns to Mr Jones and says, "Oh dear! This strange man doesn't represent all Americans…or all Evangelical Christians! What will people say? Should I stop wearing my cross and my American Flag sneakers?!"
End Scene.
If it's not apparent from my drawn out scene, the reaction to Terry Jones from his 'fellow' Americans and Evangelical Christians has been pretty much…shock and a need for them to disassociate themselves from him. And to me this is simply just desserts. Well perhaps not quite as just as I'd like it, but oh boy is it sweet. To see some many of the same people who had negatively stereotyped 1.5 billion Muslims, immediately shout out, 'oh no nononnonono we all aren't like that! They're just a small group of very loud nutcases!' and then having these same people fear that the Muslims are going to perceive that all Americans are like Terry Jones and his ignorance fellowship is just awesome.
True their fear was very short lived, but, for a moment there I was a little glad. Because what America got with Terry Jones, was a taste of its own poison. Some of them felt a tiny bit of what it's like to have to apologize for something they had no part in, they had to fear unwarranted hatred toward them based on anothers actions and overall they now knew how easy it is to feel unjustly represented by one major butt.
Now, I'm not saying that all Americans were anti-Terry. A minority was all for Qu'ran Burning. And yes, the normal, sane majority of Americans didn't feel the same level of fear we as Muslims have, since 9/11.
But, in a small way, they felt what it was to be hated, at some level, for no good reason.
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