Future Posts

It’s unlikely that I will be able to post in the foreseeable future for many reasons.  I would recommend the blog below, the author of which shares many similar thoughts to me:

http://ghaithkrayem.wordpress.com

The essence of Islam and a Muslim

As our religion and actions are questioned more and more and come under the spotlight because of the actions of a small minority, the need to articulate what Islam is and what a Muslim is in these troubled times is a difficult thing.  But there are those special people amongst us whom Allah(swt) has blessed with the intelligence and ability to show the truth.

If you are Muslim or non-Muslim, listening to the talks at the link below will go a long way to answering some of these questions.  In particular the talks of Sh. Abdul Hakim Murad and Habib Ali Jifri are worth listening to.

http://radicalmiddleway.co.uk/videos.php?id=45&art=45&vid=172

Business Leaders or just glorified book keepers?

As the economic and financial crisis continues, and potentially worsens around the world, more and more attention is, and will, focus on the quality of leadership demonstrated by our so-called business leaders.  Not only in terms of how some of these companies got into the situation they find themselves in but more so around how the leaders of other businesses manage in, and only if they are good enough, through the crises.

When Split Endz sang “history never repeats” they were certainly not talking about the business world.  For history does repeat itself and is in fact repeating itself at a much quicker rate.  Any business leader worth their weight in salt should have seen this crisis coming.  I’ll grant that the extent may have been unexpected but the event itself was there to see.

Leading a horse to water

We all know the saying “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.”  Last week I heard a variation of this which went “You can lead a horse to water, and while you can’t make it drink, there are times you’d like to dunk it’s head in!”  Anybody who is involved in a change process of any sort will understand the frustrations that are so aptly described by this statement.

What is even more frustrating is when the horse is thirsty, knows it’s thirsty but still refuses to drink because it doesn’t want to get its lips wet!  Where’s the nearest knakkery!!!

Not in the name of my religion.

Yesterday started on a high with cricket and ended on the lowest of lows, also with cricket.  Like many people I was a little shocked when the news first came in of the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team.  While it’s true that we should take as much interest in the fate of any anonymous citizen as we do for sportspeople of celebrities, it is also true that our interest becomes focused more in those areas which we have a more personal involvement or attachment to.  Cricket is one of those areas for me, so when the news came in I did take particularly more notice of it than otherwise.

Similarly like many people, once the shock wore off I went through a range of emotions but unlike many others my immediate thought then was, given it’s Pakistan it is almost certain to be Muslims who have done this and I pray to Allah(swt) that they don’t come out and claim some religious purpose behind this.  I went through many different emotions but by the end of that process where I have ended up is with anger.

Some semblence of normality returns

For the cricket tragic the last 12-18 months have been a roller coaster ride.  We saw the retirement of some greats of the game – McGrath, Warne, Gillespie.  The likes of which people of my generation are highly unlikely to see playing the game again.

We waited nervously for the tour of the West Indies to get a feel for what the future was going to look like and took some comfort in Brett Lee stepping up to the plate (can you use a baseball analogy in cricket?) and taking the lead; Mike Hussey was still Mr Cricket and while things were not quite what they were we were still the team others wanted to be and beat.

My Brother’s Keeper

I am Muslim, my will I submit to the Divine, the Majestic

I am Muslim, the Quran is my inspiration, the Prophet(saws) my guide

I am Muslim, my Love for Allah(swt) and his Prophet(saws) my centre

I am Muslim, the Halal and the Haram my focus

 

Today’s Quote of the Day

Live your life thinking that when you wake up in the morning you will not see the night and when you go to sleep you will not see the morning.

To Kill A Mockingbird

I’ve just reread the Harper Lee classic and forgot how much I enjoyed this book the first time nearly 3 decades ago – Scout’s problems at school (nothing much has changed even now with gifted kids being forced back to the lowest common denominator in our schools); what happens to generally good people when they get caught up in a mob; the fact that all communities need those individuals who are prepared to do what everyone knows is right but which very few have the courage and conviction to do.

What makes a piece of literature a ‘Classic’ is, amongst other things, its timelessness and piquancy regardless of setting – exactly what To Kill A Mockingbird has in spades.  Well worth a read and a re-read.

The Racist UN

In April the UN World Conference Against Racism will take place in Geneva.  The former US Administration had already indicated it would not be attending.  Today we read reports in the Australian Press that Australia is also being urged not to attend.  Urged by whom?  By Israel of course. 

In this mornings Age newspaper Israeli representatives are quoted as urging Australia to boycott the forum because it is a ‘charade’ and will be used simply to ‘bash’ Israel.

I think that the (fewer) enlightened Western civilised societies attend the conference, the more it will be seen as the stage for anti-Semitism, racism and Israel-bashing that it is,” Mr Gillerman said.