<![CDATA[keeping it halal - kih - Updated Saturdayss - Articles]]>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:32:26 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[La Politique: Un drame Egyptien]]>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:53:03 -0500http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2012/02/la-politique-un-drame-egyptien.html_ Quand la politique met sa main sur un match de foot, les conséquences sans doute seront graves. C’est le cas notamment de l’Egypte où 74  personnes ont trouvé la mort, et plus de 1000 personnes ont été blessés, à l’issue d’un  match de foot à Port-Saïd opposant l’équipe Al Masry au club d’Al Ahly. Mais la question qui doit être posée : Quel message les organisateurs de ces violences ont-ils voulu faire passer ?

Jamais les affrontements entre les supporters n’avaient fait autant de victimes, ce qui a poussé de nombreux Egyptiens à exprimer leur colère contre la police et le conseil militaire parce qu’ils étaient capables d’éviter ce drame.

De ce fait, Les manifestants ont organisé une marche jusqu’au ministère de l’intérieur, pour dénoncer le comportement de la police et réclamer le départ du pouvoir militaire.

Les frères musulmans à leur tour, ont accusé l’armée d’être derrière ces faits de violence, et leurs objectifs de ces faits étaient de montrer au peuple Egyptien, que la révolution déclenchée en 25 janvier n’était pas la solution, et la preuve que le pays connait toujours la violence et l’insécurité.

Personnellement, je pense que ce drame est mystérieux, vu que la plupart des assaillants étaient les supporters de l’équipe qui a gagné le match, donc le football n’est pas la cause, mais c’est plutôt la politique !
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]]><![CDATA[Reviews: Banker to The Poor by Muhammad Yunus]]>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:23:19 -0500http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2012/01/reviews-banker-to-the-poor-by-muhammad-yunus.html
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Inspiration from Around the World: A Review of Muhammad Yunus’s Banker to the Poor, Micro Lending and the battle against World Pover




It is no secret that Muhammad Yunus, head professor of Economics at Chittagong University, shook the world with his innovative and breakthrough theories on micro-financial lending. Founder of the successful banking institution the Grameen Foundation, Yunus became responsible for bringing much needed attention to the dire state of poverty in his native of Bangladesh.

However, the accomplishments which he writes about in his autobiography, Banker to the Poor, were certainly not met without difficulty. In fact, Yunus’s original inspiration behind tackling poverty was a natural progression derived from his many life experiences. Together, the events discussed in his book illustrate an intriguing account of the life of a simple man’s journey, and his dream becoming a reality through relentless effort and dedication.

The following article is a review of his acclaimed autobiography, Banker to the Poor: Micro Lending and the Battle against World Poverty.

Yunus’s literary work easily trumps the average written biography we are used to seeing in bookstores and libraries. Banker to the Poor offers readers an exciting journey alongside Yunus in his adventures from being a young boy caught in the whirlwind of a revolutionary era, to an intelligent young student with exceptional academic skills and active participation in politics and government. Born in South Central Bangladesh, Yunus was raised under his parent’s strong beliefs of educational achievement and religious spirituality.  Being the third of fourteen children (with the exception of five whom passed away during infancy), Yunus was brought up from humble beginnings living in the second floor of his father’s jewelry workshop.

Banker to the Poor can be categorized into two parts. It first begins with an intimate account of Yunus’s personal life as a curious child growing up amidst the chaos of the Second World War, the Pakistan Movement, along with the Bengali War of Liberation. Unique to his story are the events which will surround and affect his childhood, adolescent and adulthood life. His insatiable need for the advancement of his educational background brings light to the countless unique positions he acquires throughout the book. This includes teaching positions, international scholarships, along with several leadership responsibilities during the Bengali road to independence. Yunus’s ever changing environments eventually lead to the second half of the book, which tells a riveting tale of the inspiration and lengthy process behind the birth of the micro-financial lending system that is Grameen.

Upon his early years as head of the Economic department at Chittagong University, Yunus sought practical ways of implementing his teachings to bring about positive change to the poor and destitute. However, through the author’s narration readers will quickly discover the societal barriers placed upon those less fortunate, thus isolating them from participating in the banking system. Not only is poverty one of the most definable aspects of life in Bangladesh, it is also virtually impossible for poor families to exit their current state of living, simply because they are unable to obtain financial loans or credit. The Grameen Foundation was first established by Yunus to counter-act these issues through unique methods described in his book. After years of experimenting and trials of implementation, it soon launched as the first international organization of its kind with profound success behind the specific cause.

If you are looking to get back into the habit of reading, or if you are on the search for a worthy read, I strongly recommend this book. Issues not only within Bangladesh, the ideas behind Grameen were a result of the global characteristics of poverty which the author observed within much of his country’s geography. Furthermore, a critical analysis into the life choices and decisions of Yunus will uncover his helpful nature and consistent drive to assist people by providing them with the proper resources to build improved livelihoods and remove them from the cycle of poverty. We are individually blessed with unique life experiences, but this book will offer the inspiration to make the most out of them.

Approximately seven years after the publication of Banker to the Poor, Yunus went on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. Years into the international legacy of the Grameen Foundation has shed an innovative perspective on the stigma of credit loaning to individuals in poverty-stricken areas of the world.

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]]><![CDATA[Culture and Life: Adieu Megaupload]]>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:21:32 -0500http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2012/01/culture-and-life-adieu-megaupload.html Un des sites les plus connus au monde vient d’être mis hors service suite au projet de loi SOPA et PIPA. Le site MegaUpload.com ainsi que les autres sites de la galaxie de MegaUpload, très connus des amateurs des films, de séries ou de musique, viennent tous de se voir se fermer suite a une décision de justice et sont désormais inaccessible.

MegaUpload, qui aurait gagné plus de 175 millions de dollars en faisant perdre plus de 500 millions à l’industrie artistique, est considéré comme « une entreprise internationale organisée » qui viole les lois sur droits d’auteurs et encourage le piratage.

Par conséquent, le patron de MegaUpload, Kim Dotcom, a été arrêté ce 19 Janvier dernier ainsi que deux de ses associés. Le FBI a confirmé qu’il y aura bien d’autres fermetures et arrestations pour d’autres sites.

Cependant, cette fermeture a provoqué une vague de cyber-attaques et un débat mondial. Ce fait est maintenant le sujet discuté sur les réseaux sociaux.

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]]><![CDATA[Religion: Hasten Towards All That is Good]]>Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:47:12 -0500http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2012/01/religion-hasten-towards-all-that-is-good.htmlYou’re a student, piled with loads of work on pending. Essays, reports, labs, exams, all on your mind as you also strive to achieve success in this world and the akhira (hereafter). Sometimes a balance between the two can become a very difficult task, often times leading to a compromise of one over the other. Unfortunately, most of the time, we choose to compromise on the latter. “I’m young, I’ve got lots of time,” we tell ourselves. We like to believe the akhira is a long way ahead. In this deceived belief we make statements such as “I’ll start praying 5 times after these exams are over” or “I’ll observe the hijab after I’m married”  “I’ll recite the Quran more frequently when I’m finished with school” and “I’ll grow a beard when I’m older, just not now”. With the passing of time we realize that life gets busier than it previously was, we find more excuses to delay our goals and again we put our religious obligations on hold.

Striving for the best in this world is not something that is forbidden or disliked, in fact acquiring a higher education, seeking knowledge, and becoming the best in what we do is an obligation we have as Muslims. However, our priorities and our focus are vital for our success in both worlds.  However, our focus, when working toward anything should ultimately be that we were created to worship God. Everything else should be subservient to this fact. Tasks such as performing our daily worldly obligations, and acquiring an education are also a form of worship, however we should be careful as to not make the world our ultimate focus. It has been related in a hadith:

Relieve yourself from the concerns of the world as much as you possibly can. For verily, one who makes the world his ultimate concern, God multiplies his concerns, and will set his poverty up before his very eyes. One who makes the Hereafter his greatest concern, God will focus his concerns, and make his wealth in his heart. No servant approaches God with his heart, honestly and truthfulness, except that God makes the hearts of the believers inclined toward Him with mercy and love.

 It is essential to take a moment and reflect on where our priorities lie. Yes, life can get very busy and hectic, but that’s where the test lies. It isn’t supposed to be easy, it involves compromise, sacrifice and a lot of devotion, just like any other task we choose to take on. We procrastinate towards adopting the good deceiving ourselves in the belief that we have generous amounts of time to get serious about religion, to repent, and to restore broken relations. While our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, has said “When you turn in at night do not anticipate that you will live until the morning, and when you rise in the morning do not anticipate that you will live until the evening”.  Which one of us can guarantee that we will live to see another day, another hour, or even another minute? We need to ask ourselves, are we ready to be taken into account for our actions, or a lack thereof? And most importantly, is it really worth waiting for a day that may not come?



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]]><![CDATA[Politics: Political Prisoners Freed from Burma]]>Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:46:58 -0500http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2012/01/politics-political-prisoners-freed-from-burma.htmlOn Friday January 13th 2012, six hundred political prisoners were released in Burma. Burma has been ruled directly and indirectly by the military since 1962. This regime has been marked by systematic rape, torture and forced labour to the nation’s citizens. Most of the political prisoners took part in demonstrations against this repressive regime that has ruled the nation for decades. The political prisoners included political activists, leaders of repressed ethnic minority groups and journalists.  Many of these prisoners are serving sentences of several decades after trials with none or very little legal representation and they were spread out in the nation’s forty three prisons. The prison conditions are horrific with overcrowding, filth, bugs and a lack of appropriate food. There are several reasons for the prisoners release; one is that it is a step towards the country’s reform and the second is to end Burma’s isolation from the international community by adhering to the international human rights regimes and conventions.  Most of the political prisoners believe they were fighting for fundamental freedom and for them this liberty means that lovers and families are reunited.

Below is a link to a slideshow of pictures marking the special day: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2012/jan/13/burmese-political-prisoners-released-pictures

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]]><![CDATA[Reviews: L’émission Khawater]]>Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:46:44 -0500http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2012/01/reviews-lmission-khawater.htmlChaque année et en mois de Ramadan, Ahmed Choukairy ne cesse de nous surprendre avec ses idées innovantes et originales pour présenter et revivre l’esprit de programme de Khawater. En effet, Cette émission est considérée comme une fenêtre qui s’ouvre sur les civilisations anciennes, où les téléspectateurs peuvent apprendre davantage sur leurs coutumes et traditions, et les utiliser dans leur vie quotidienne. Parmi ses objectifs,  la contribution à la croissance de la conscience des musulmans vis à vis de tous les problématiques constatées.
Contrairement aux six éditions précédentes, Khawater 7 était une saison spéciale pour trouver et suggérer des solutions plus fiables et pratiques à mettre en vigueur afin de progresser le monde arabe avec tous les évènements survenus au cours de 2011 (printemps arabe). L’émission Khawater 7, vient suite au grand succès des anciennes éditions. Ahmed a choisi de voyager vers 9 pays à savoir la Chine, la Turquie, l’Espagne… et en retirer des leçons, pour orienter les peuples arabes vers un monde meilleur et saint, à travers des comparaisons très intelligentes entre ces peuples et le peuple arabe.

Un grand travail chaque année, une équipe très dynamique, de très bons sujets qui nous donnent l’espoir pour améliorer de plus en plus notre vie.

Et enfin, on n’oublie pas la participation spéciale de Maher Zain, le jeune chanteur dans la chanson du générique dans cette septième édition de Khawater.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0MDHRd-0sw

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]]><![CDATA[Guest Blog: Success and Happiness By Marzia Niamah]]>Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:19:02 -0500http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2012/01/guest-blog-success-and-happiness-by-marzia-niamah.html_ Go easy on yourself, for the outcome of all affairs is determined by God’s decree. If something is meant to go elsewhere, it will never come your way, but if it is yours by destiny, from you it cannot flee – Umar bin al Khattab [Radi-Allahu anhu]

What is success? What is happiness?

Take a second. Or a minute. Think about what your ideal day looks like. Is it an accumulation of small routine tasks or one big achievement? What would your first step be? And your second?

First off, let’s contemplate for a bit on why it would be beneficial to plan out a set of goals, daily or for a period of time and to describe what would make said period of time successful and productive. God tells us in the Qur’an, “Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between.” [21:16] This verse relays the importance of time and its proper use in the life of the Believer. There is a purpose for all of God’s Creations. The purpose of mankind is to worship as revealed in the Quran, “I did not create the Jinns and the human beings except for the purpose that they should worship Me.” [51:56] However, worship comes in many forms and throughout our daily lives, whether it is habitual activity or an accomplishment after weeks and months of tiresome commitment, it is important to remember that everything that is done is for the sake of God alone, and none other than Him.

Now, bring your thoughts back to what forms of worship your ideal day consists of. Picturing and visualizing what you as an individual define as “a good day” helps to hone in on what your goals are in your public and personal life, while remembering your purpose. It is important to realize that everyone has a different idea about what he or she would want to accomplish. God has given us free-will and choices that create the life we want, that is what makes your life, yours. Everything that you do does not have to be an all-or-nothing situation; it can be a process as most of life is.

Consider success in life not as a destination or an end, but as a means; it is a process of culminating deeds that eventually determine your Reward from God. As you live your daily life, it can be helpful to realize that there is no worldly perfection that exists at the end of the path you wish to pave for yourself. The idea that you must be acknowledged for every good deed and the pursuit of fame as a means of success is an unstable lifestyle of continued dissatisfaction. The fulfilment of goals in this life is not dependant on being the best or the most or the highest. Seeking any form of reward other than that of God’s [reward] itself would be a hindrance. The intention and action for the sake of God alone is enough to say I am happy with what I have done. I am happy with what God has enabled me to do. I am grateful. Alhamdulillah.

Now, happiness – just defining the word is a heavy task in and of itself. Happiness is a state of being, a being that is variable amongst all peoples. It cannot be the heading of a list of synonyms or extravagant possibilities that may or may not come true. It is the assurance of knowing that what you have is enough, the clarity of Truth that guides your life through childhood, adolescence, your acquisition of knowledge, work and parenthood. However, happiness is a mere portion of what it means to be truly whole – a sense of satisfaction with whatever God has willed, whether they are moments of joy or sorrow. Being human implies the need to experience all emotions, opening possibilities and changes about learning how to deal, how to accept, how to act and react. Through the journey of knowing yourself, you learn and recognize that from Him you came and to Him is your inevitable return. The lack of material wealth or renowned fame is not an indicator of success or happiness, but rather serves as a reminder of all that is left behind in this world.

In your own daily life, make changes to keep your goals in mind at all times. Prioritize your needs to continuously remember your purpose. Purify your intentions to establish a relationship with God. Make time for yourself, make time for your family, your community and do it for the sake of God. To worship Him is our purpose and Paradise is our final goal, insha’Allah.

With immeasurable Mercy, Guidance and Compassion, God tells us in the Qur’an,

“Who have believed and whose hearts have rest in the remembrance of Allah. Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!” [13:28]

Marzia holds the Treasurer position at KIH
]]><![CDATA[Religion: La satisfaction - Un trésor inépuisable]]>Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:14:27 -0500http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2012/01/religion-la-satisfaction-un-trsor-inpuisable.html_ Le monde où nous vivons possède une nature à la fois séduisante et décevante. Nous, faibles humains, pouvons facilement céder face a nos désires illimités qui se résument en ayant beaucoup d’argent, des voitures luxueuses, des demeures opulentes, des bijoux, des pierres précieuses, le prestige et la gloire. Tous ces exemples  ont toujours fait un effet sur nous et nous ont toujours impressionnées.  La nature humaine nous a souvent fait aimer ce qu’on n’avait pas et nous pousse à chaque fois a chercher a avoir plus de ce que nous possédons déjà. Le don de la satisfaction n’est pas donné a tout le monde, et l’avidité peut croitre d’une façon continue si nous ne sommes pas convaincus et heureux de nos situations. Cependant quelque soit notre situation de vie, il faut toujours se dire qu’ils existent d’autres personnes qui ont connu pire. Et    comme disait notre bien aimé le Prophète Mohamed (S.A.W) : « Regardez celui qui se situe au dessous de vous et non celui qui est placé au-dessus de vous, car il vaut mieux pour vous de ne pas dédaigner le bienfait qu’ALLAH t’a accordé ».  Sans oublier que quiconque se satisfait et remercie de la portion qu’ALLAH lui a accordé; ALLAH lui en donnera davantage.

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]]><![CDATA[Guest Blog: Hanging by a Moment by Saadia Humayun]]>Sat, 07 Jan 2012 02:22:42 -0500http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2012/01/guest-blog-hanging-by-a-moment-by-saadia-humayun.htmlSaadia Humayun stuides at NED University of Technology in Karachi, Pakistan. She is a blogger on the WordPress street and a bio-engineer  to-be, who loves writing about anything that captivates her, whose work is a  collage of memories, reflections and life-changing experiences, frustrations and
her latest  infatuations. Blogs at http://callofthedusk.wordpress.com.
 
_ I’ve been looking back at my basketball days and thinking how much similar life is to team spirit. Anyone who has ever played any sort of sport at some point in his life would be familiar with the drill all too much. Focus! Don’t let your guard down. Practice till you drop. Close in and score! Keep aside those personal differences and work on it together. We are a team! It’s not a one-man show, we’re all in this together.

It’s tough- people with their psyche poles apart work together for one cause. If you’ve ever been a part of any group (sports or any project you got yourself in), you’ll agree it’s one heck of a job to pull. If you’ve never been a part of it, ask someone who has been through it all. He’ll give you the real insider account. The times he had to smother his ego for the team’s good, had to let go of his place and make room for the other, stand back and watch the better ones take his limelight… those moments when he had to eat it every time life turned unfair, or just that saintly feeling when he backed up his mate and helped improve his weaker points. All for the win. Believe me this is what that makes a team great. The reasons behind their winning streaks are the players who know what sportsman spirit is all about.

I guess life is the most dangerous game of all- and the only one we play (with) ever so carelessly. As Muslims and as humans too, we’ve got it all wrong from the beginning. The goal is not to win this rat race or survive this rat-hole as Darwin so “wisely” says in his “survival of the fittest” theory. It’s not to show other people down while you hog the spotlights. The point is to work together. For what? For this life and the life after death. We tend to blow this part out of proportion though. To keep the balance in check, just keep this in mind- ‘work for this life as much as you are to stay here, and for the hereafter as much as you are to stay there.’

And worldly life is nothing but an amusement and play and the Last Abode is the real life indeed. Only if they know! [29:64]

Practice! Probably the most grueling part of anything. But this game of life which you play, practice is not about getting perfect at it. It’s about trying and not giving up, avoiding slip-ups and picking yourself up after every fall. It’s like watching your step while climbing a ladder and holding on tightly when it sways, and each day, you find yourself a step higher.

And that man can have nothing but what he STRIVES for. And that his DEEDS will be seen. [53:39-40]

The results do not matter. It’s the input quality that counts.

Work together. Instead of laughing at others, laugh with them (read this somewhere). If you see anyone falling out of place or failing to keep up with the pace, stop to help them out.

I swear by the Time, Man is in a state of loss indeed, except those who believed and did righteous good deeds, and EXHORTED each other to follow the truth and EXHORTED each other to observe patience. [103:1-3]

This is when you’ll win. And when others will win along with you. At every step you’ll need support to side-step your enemies (your nafs and sahytaan). Just like in a basketball game, when an opponent closes in to intercept the ball, your team mate signals you the way out- he takes the ball from your end and throws it back to you in perfect timing. So your team player in life too, will zap you back if you sway. Because all of you have the same goal- a better hereafter for me and everyone around me.

“When you keep your final goal in sight, you’re constantly reminded of what you’re working towards, you’re constantly planning ahead and envisioning the end. How much more are we in need of doing this for the project called “life”! How much do we need to do to win this game called “life”?

Keeping the hereafter in mind changes the way we live this world, and makes this experience – with all it’s pain and joy, struggles and hopes, trials and triumphs – worth it, by the will and mercy of Allah.”

Where are the bright ones, the handsome-looking ones, and where are those who took pride in their youthfulness – where have they gone? Where are the great kings who built cities and castles and fortified them with towering walls? What happened to the lionhearted valorous ones who made their enemy suffer humiliation in the battlefields? Time waned under their feet and they ended inside dark graves. Think of it and take heed.
— Abu Bakr as-Sideeq

We’re all hanging by a moment on this court. The thrill of the game is- we don’t know for how long we’ll be playing it. Any second, time-out will be flashed and we’ll be called in for the Marking. So you know what any wise player would do? He’ll make sure the scoreboard always reads in his favour- that he exits the arcade a winner. The timer is ticking. I know we can still turn the score around. Let’s work on it!
]]><![CDATA[La Culture et la Vie: Un monde virtuel ou naturel?]]>Sat, 07 Jan 2012 02:22:27 -0500http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2012/01/la-culture-et-la-vie-un-monde-virtuel-ou-naturel.html_ L’article de Imane sur l’utilisation de Facebook m’a inspiré ce thème que je trouve très important, parce qu’il touche notre vie quotidienne.

Le développement des Nouvelles Technologies d’Information et de Communication (NTIC) comme : les Smartphones, les réseaux sociaux, la technologie 3D…, nous oblige de passer énormément de temps sur écran.

Il est vrai que les NTIC facilitent la communication et la favorisent, en réduisant les distances et en diffusant l’information d’une vitesse vertigineuse.

Toutefois, on trouve que les gens deviennent de plus en plus dépendants des NTIC. Il faut juste un clic sur un bouton, pour aller faire ses courses, regarder un film, ou même lire un journal en ligne .Et par conséquent, l’individu ne fournit aucun effort. Et si les NTIC disparaissaient du jour au lendemain, bien des gens auraient du mal à se débrouiller seuls.

Ensuite je pense que nous vivons un monde totalement irréel, et virtuel : des relations virtuelles avec les gens, des communications virtuelles, tout se fait a travers un écran et un clavier.

Mais je dois reconnaitre que sans les NTIC, je n’aurais jamais l’occasion de partager mes  opinions avec vous sur keeping it halal !

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