Article No.34 Ground Zero ‘mosque’: The controversial story - By Alima Ali

Salaam. I pray that you’re all in the best of health. As you may know, I decided to take a three month break from writing in order to concentrate on my studies as well as a few other things. Alhamdulillah, I am now able to enjoy what’s left of the summer holidays and concentrate on writing monthly articles. There have been a few changes regarding the blog, main one being the colour scheme. I have opted for a more professional but yet appealing style and have also included a few gadgets including a ‘Follow by email’ gadget which enables you to follow my blog. Every time the blog is updated, you shall automatically receive an email informing you of the update. Another one of the gadgets is a ‘Share it’ gadget which enables you Facebook or tweet a particular blog post. My blog is called ‘A Muslimah’s Blog’ and can be found at: www.a-muslimahs-blog.blogspot.com so visit, read and follow :)

The subject for this article was prompted by the documentary ‘The Ground Zero mosque’ that was broad casted on channel 4 on the 5th September 2011 at 9pm. When the controversy of building a ‘mosque’ near The World Trade Centre Site after the 9/11 attack first arose, like many, I struggled to separate fact from fiction. It wasn’t until I watched the documentary did I then obtain a much better understanding of the for/against argument regarding the Ground Zero ‘mosque’.

What many people failed to understand, most specifically relatives of victims of the 9/11 attack was that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf intentions were sincere: To build a cultural centre allowing people of all faiths and cultures to come together. The first two floors were to be used as a prayer room and the rest of the building to act as a community centre which was to include a basketball court, restaurant and a swimming pool. But surprise surprise these other uses seemed irrelevant and were ignored by the media who instead focused on the 2 floor prayer room. Another thing that the media conveniently forgot to mention was the actual size of this building; 5,600 ft tall making it five times bigger than the tallest building on Earth. Bearing this incredible size in mind, 2 floors is nothing!

I think that it is fair to say that the millions of Americans who opposed the Ground Zero ‘mosque’ were mislead into believing that an ACTUAL mosque was to be built. Writer Charlie Brooker stated that Americans aren’t to be blamed for having such opinionated minds regarding the Ground Zero ‘mosque’ and that in actual fact, the media are to be blamed and I for one agree.

According to a recent poll, one in five Americans believes Barack Obama is a Muslim, even though he isn't. A quarter of those who believe he's a Muslim also claimed he talks about his faith too much. Americans aren't dumb. Clearly these particular Americans have either gone insane or been seriously misled. Where are they getting their information?
Sixty per cent said they learned it from the media. Which means it's time for the media to give up. (Charlie Brooker)

Just because a building has a prayer room, that doesn’t necessarily make it a mosque. I mean, you don’t call St Marys hospital a church just because it has a chapel inside it? You don’t call a university a mosque just because it has prayer facilities? I personally believe that it is just another attempt by the media and a majority of Americans to make yet another ‘dig’ at Muslims.

However, I can sort of understand why many Americans would take offence to having a ‘mosque’ (even though it’s not a mosque but a community centre) built on Ground Zero (even though it’s not on Ground Zero ground’) To many, it is a constant reminder of the 9/11 attacks which was supposedly carried out by Muslims and so to have a Muslim facility so nearby would be offensive.

Many have said that it is ‘too close’ and that ‘any location in lower Manhattan is too close for a Muslim structure’. Having done my research I can tell you that near the Ground Zero ‘mosque’ in the centre of the world trade centre is a is a halal meat shop. Now some would say that this seems irrelevant and that there is a great difference between a mosque and a halal meat shop but the principle is the same. Maybe the meat shop should be a few blocks away as it’s too close? The point of the matter is that 9/11 terrorists have given Islam a permanent label and has portrayed what is such a beautiful religion as being a violent and discriminating religion. Because of these terrorists, it now is a serious ‘crime’ to build a ‘mosque’ near Ground Zero. Well I’m sorry, but Christianity’s past isn’t exactly a clean slate but you don’t see anyone saying that churches shouldn’t be built in America.

Until next time stay safe, remember me in your duas and keep smiling! Asalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu.

Alima
www.a-muslimahs-blog.blogspot.com

Watch this space ;)

Salaam all! A late Eid mubarak from me (better late than never) For those who are following and reading my blog, I just wanted to say watch this space as I shall Inshallah be returning to writing my monthly articles as well as posting updates and excerpts from my book 'It's just a fairy tale'. If you wanna holla, follow the arrow ---------------------->
Alima

Quote from 'It's Just a Fairy Tale'

Salam all. This is a little quote from my book 'It's Just a Fairy Tale' - Enjoy

Before I could ponder the memory any further, my mother suddenly stumbled her way into the living room, her face streamed with tears of happiness followed by my older sister who was grinning from ear to ear and giving me a knowing look as if to say ‘Now it’s your turn’

Article No 38: Love Vs Infatuation, Marriage Proposals (do’s and don’ts) and the importance of R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Salam All. I pray that you are in the best of health. This article is long overdue and I apologize for the delay. There are a number of topics that I want to discuss first one being a topic that was suggested by a fellow reader. This sister emailed me and requested whether it would be possible for me to distinguish the difference between love and infatuation. Many have tried and failed when it comes to defining love and I for one am not going to attempt to come with a definition for the word as in my eyes, it simply doesn’t have one – Well it does but its definition varies.

Love is commonly mistaken for infatuation. Infatuation is ‘a foolish and usually extravagant passion or admiration’ that is usually felt quite early on. You ever heard someone talk about how they’ve got the butterfly feeling in their stomach every time they see someone of the opposite gender whether it is a famous person such as Johnny Depp or whether it is the popular guy who never seems to notice your presence. Well that isn’t love – That is infatuation and also nerves. But when you’re in love, you don’t feel nerves at least you shouldn’t feel them as when you’re with or around that person, you’re at ease and as cliché it sounds, you feel safe. Love is a slow and gradual process that usually grows and develops over a period of time. Sister, I hoped that I answered your question

Ok. Imagine this. The day has finally arrived. and n, it’s not your wedding day – It’s the day where you are about to meet your first ever possible suitor that has been arranged by your parents. You haven’t met/seen this person before and know very little about them. So, what do you do? Well here is my Dos and Don’ts list:

Do: Communicate with the possible suitor! You’d be surprised at the number of times people avoid any form of eye contact or avoid speaking to the person because they are afraid they’ll end up saying something stupid or that they’ll be an awkward silence. It automatically becomes awkward if both of you are relying on each other to start off the conversation and plus, how are you meant to find out answers to the 1001 questions that are running through your head if your refusing to talk?

Do: Give a positive first impression. If you haven’t met the suitor before, then first impressions are most definitely important. Be polite, dress sophisticated and just be you. If the person doesn’t like you for who you are, then it’s their loss.

Do: Talk to the suitors parents. In an Asian marriage you usually end up marrying not only him/her, but also their parents as well as the rest of the family so again, it’s important for you to communicate with the possible in-laws and that means no glaring or giving them the daggers or being sarcastic!

Do: Be prepared. You don’t know when you might next see the suitor so ask everything you want to know. You’ve got nothing to lose and possibly a lot to gain. Prepare a list of questions and no, that does not mean sitting there with an A4 sheet of paper saying aloud ‘Question number 1’. Have a set of questions in mind and then just go for it! You rather find out everything that you want to know right at the beginning as opposed to being presented with an unpleasant surprise just after the rishta has been finalised. And try and make sure that they are suitable questions, questions that will help you in making the final decision. Such a question to avoid is ‘How many people have asked for your rishta’ It would seem more appropriate for your parents to ask his/her parents as it would seem kind of rude for you to ask them yourself directly so try and avoid such a question. A more appropriate question will be ‘What are your interests?’ That way you can identify whether you share the same interests and if so, build up a conversation.

Don’t: Bring up the ‘The weather is nice/miserable’ line because that just shows that your are clueless as to what to ask which also creates an awkward atmosphere.

Don’t: Jump to conclusions and form an overall impression of the suitor based on what you have already ‘heard’. Some people do a bit of background research on the possible suitor in an attempt to find out some information about them. A majority of the time what they hear is just gossip and if it’s bad gossip, they automatically form a negative opinion of the suitor so in other words, have already made up their mind without having seen or spoken to the suitor first.

And finally don’t: Talk unnecessarily. Its best that you only talk if you’re directly addressed to either by the suitor or by the suitor’s parents as it is otherwise seen as being disrespectful.
Whatever the end result may be, just remember that Allah (swt) knows best.

So I had a family wedding a few days ago, the first day being the woman’s side in Manchester and mashallah it was an amazing wedding. The Nikkah took place and the Imam did a speech (Something that I have never seen at a Nikkah) and despite him speaking in Urdu, I understood the basics of what he was saying and later asked a family relative to translate.

He talked about not only the importance of marriage, but also the importance of respect and how the younger generation no longer know and understand the meaning of the word and what he said really made me question myself. Do I follow the meaning of the word R.E.S.P.E.C.T? We’ve all heard the saying ‘Treat others how you would like to be treated’ so, why do a number of us (Including myself) overlook it? These days you tend to hear ‘Well you’ve got to earn the respect’ but I disagree with this statement. As Muslims, we believe that respect should be given to everything, as everything has been created for a purpose and that we should show kindness and gratitude towards our fellow brothers and sisters regardless of their faith or gender. As difficult it may be, we shouldn’t judge nor should we look down upon people as we are all equal regardless.

I would like you to stop what you’re doing and think –Think about your behaviour towards those around you. Do you really treat them with respect, regardless of whether they deserve it or not? If you find yourself thinking ‘No’, then set yourself a target on how you are going to change yourself so that you are following and applying the meaning of respect which in turn, will make you a better person Inshallah!

I would like to leave you with a short poem that Sister Amrana forwarded to me not long ago. Until next time stay safe, remember me in your duas and keep smiling! Asalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu.

Alima

www.a-muslimahs-blog.blogspot.com

I asked for strength
And God gave me difficulties to make me strong
I asked for wisdom
And God gave me problems to solve
I asked for prosperity
And God gave me brain and brawn to work
I asked for courage
And God gave me dangers to overcome
I asked for love
And God gave me troubled people to help
I asked for favours
And God gave me opportunities
I received nothing I wanted
I received everything I needed

Apology for the delay in article =)

Salam All. I pray that you are in the best of health. I should have sent this email a long time ago but me and time aren’t really the best of friends. I know I said that I’d write an article about the stages involved within a Nikkah from a woman’s POV and I haven’t BUT I have a good excuse so please, hear me out. A few weeks ago, I got in contact with a Publishing company who proof read part of my book and....have agreed to publish it once complete! This is BIG news and mashallah AMAZING news. I am determined to get the book finished by the New Year and so, have been trying to write as much of it as I can whenever I can which means that my articles have been affected. That’s not to say that I have given up on writing articles altogether. It is difficult to balance out the two alongside the stress of sixth form but I shall Inshallah begin writing the article soon. I will continue to keep you updated with the progress of the book and pray that Allah swt makes it easy for me – for us all. If you’re wondering how far I have gotten with the book, I have almost finished chapter 5. Here is a little excerpt from the book for you to enjoy (I hope)

I’m 21 years of age and in no hurry to marry although my grandma seems to think otherwise. Without fail one o clock sharp on a Saturday afternoon, she’d be ringing the door bell and claiming that she has been knocking for twenty minutes when in actual fact it has been two. She would then make herself comfortable on the sofa, demand for a traditional Pakistani cup of tea before staring at me through her rather odd looking spectacles and grinning like a Cheshire cat. This can only mean one thing and one thing only – She has been busy exchanging photographs with her match making partners in crime in an attempt to hitch me up with some freshy from back home.

Until next time stay safe, remember me in your duas and keep smiling! Asalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu. Alima

Of Valentine’s Day and arranged marriages (part 2) - By Alima Ali

Salam All! I pray that you are in the best of health. My break from writing was a slightly extended one but also a much needed one. Nevertheless, I am back with many more ideas for upcoming articles and topics to discuss. The first topic of this article is Valentine’s Day. Enjoy!
The 14th of February is seen by many as being an iconic day. Valentines Days goes back to the Roman Empire where the 14th of February was a holiday to honour Juno who was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. Juno was otherwise known as the Goddess of women and marriage.

Anywho, there were strict rules and guidelines to the mixing of the two sexes. However, there was a tradition where on the eve of Valentine’s Day, the girls would write their name on a piece of paper and place it in a jar. A guy would come and pick a jar and the two would dance together on the eve of Valentine’s Day and eventually fall in love etc. (So much for the strict guidelines)

So where did Valentine come from? Well, he was a priest (who went by the name Valentine) He hated the emperor of Rome as he wanted to build up a large army but no-one wanted to join as they wanted to be with their loved ones and so a rule was made, banning all marriages from taking place.

One night Valentine got caught secretly marrying a couple and got thrown into jail and was later killed. To cut a long story short, the emperors daughter amongst other people regularly visited the priest to tell him that they too ‘believed in love’ and it is from this where the whole love letter writing tradition begun.
There are many different interpretations behind the meaning of Valentine’s Day but the purpose of this iconic day is simple – It is a day where loved ones express their love to each other through gifts and chocolates. But hang on, Valentine’s Day only happens once a year so what do couples do for the other 364 days? Many Muslims have embraced this cultural traditions and I would like to look at the reasons behind why we feel that we should be embracing such a cultural tradition that goes against many of the values and teachings of Islam.

A few days ago i went to the card factory and before i even walked into the shop, i was literally bombarded with posters, teddy bears, wrapping paper and balloons, all in the name of Valentine’s Day. By the time i had gotten into the shop, i had been transported from reality to what can only be described as being a fantasy of love. I say fantasy as it’s all fake. Don’t get me wrong, the teddy bears are so adorable and the A1 cards are massive but I personally think that it is an incentive for Muslims to commit haram. If you’re married or engaged, then that’s a total different matter but if you have got a boyfriend or girlfriend, and are celebrating and encouraging the rituals of Valentine’s Day, then that’s simply wrong.

Married/engaged couples should be ‘celebrating’ their love for each other every day and not just on February 14th. It can at times be difficult living in a Western society as we are constantly surrounded by temptation. Nevertheless, we must never forget our religion and our purpose(s) in life.

If you don’t receive a Valentines present of some sort, nobody likes you – If nobody likes you, you’re not likeable and known to be ‘ugly’ one which in turn, lowers your self confidence. And it works both ways. If you receive loads of valentine’s gifts, loads of members of the opposite sex ‘like’ you which means that you’re very popular which increases your confidence to the point where your ego is the size of a balloon.

I have nothing against Valentine’s Day but when it reaches the stage where we are tempted by its traditions to commit haram that is when it becomes a problem.

A few fellow readers asked me to discuss arranged marriages. When i asked them what part of arranged marriages that they wanted me to discuss, their response was that they wanted to my opinions on the whole issue. My views on arranged marriages have drastically changed over the last few months, most particularly after reading the book ‘Love in a headscarf’ by shelina zahra janmohamed. Before reading this book, i wasn’t very keen on arranged marriages and was quite closed minded about them. However, from the moment i began to read ‘Love in a headscarf’ i found myself within the company of a woman who had chose the ‘arranged marriage’ route and it wasn’t long before i was in hysterics and re-reading certain parts that really brought a smile to my face. Only now have i realised that arranged marriages aren’t that bad and almost the better option as opposed to searching for a marriage partner yourself. What really made me stop and think ‘O.M.G’ was that it took Shelina 10 years to find her perfect spouse but no doubt it was worth the wait. I would most definitely recommend this book so what you’re waiting for? Go and buy it!

So what do i now think of arranged marriages? I think that they aren’t that bad. After all parents know best and what’s the worst they can do? *shifty eyes* If you don’t agree with their choice, you can always decline so either way, you don’t lose out. Just make sure that you make it clear to your parents, aunties or other match making assistants what you are looking for in a spouse. The last thing you want is to have a Borat look alike sitting in your living room sipping a cup of tea saying ‘Hello. My name is Borat’

In some cases, an arranged marriage is a bit like a blind date, just without the date. You don’t really know the possible suitor until they have arrived on your doorstep. What you have to remember is that with an arranged marriage, you are not only marrying the guy/girl but you are also marrying their whole family so first impressions really do count.

The advantage to an arranged marriage is that the parents, aunties and everyone else involved are able to find out about the possible suitors family background to find out if they are marriage material – This isn’t possible with a love marriage but hey, they say that love grows and develops within the marriage.

And.... I have reached the end of the article. A very late Happy New Year and i pray that Allah (swt) fills this year with happiness and joy! Until next time stay safe, remember me in your duas and keep smiling!

Asalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu.

Alima