A pretty entertaining ride indeed!!!!

Traveling on Saudi Airlines is always an experience and a half.. Either the trip is super smooth sailing or its a disaster.Having a plane load of South African Muslims on board is an even more interesting experience. My trip yesterday was super smooth sailing with just a hiccup or two along the way. Not really a train smash. On arriving at the airport check in counter we were instantly upgraded to business class due to my Al Fursan membership. However, once we boarded the flight in Jeddah, we realised that my seat was double booked. The confusion started when an agent from South Africa block booked the whole plane the day before and issued boarding passes randomly. This led to double booked seats and also families scattered in the plane with the husband, wife and the kids all sitting miles apart. This created lots of problems and of course bikkering. As for me I made mom take the business class seat and I simply moved to the back. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I landed up sitting next to a Bangladeshi lady who was disabled after falling from the roof of her double storey home in Bangladesh. She was unable to have full use of her hands and so whilst sitting next to her I had the opportunity of assisting her with her meals thereby taking her duaas and prayers in return. Whilst moving to the back of the plane I noticed a group of men quarrelling over a wiindow seat and then I noticed two women quarrelling over an aisle seat with the one claiming that her ticket was more expensive and thus she deserved the aisle seat.Please take note that these were Muslims returning from Umra who should be returning with better character and qualities...If you ever visit a plane toilet to find that it is flooded with water to the extent that the toilet paper is also drenched, the person before you was definitely a MUSLIM...Cleanliness is half of faith and yet in any function where there are MUSLIMS you would find dirty flooded toilets.I guess some people feel that its not their property so its very much ok to use and abuse other peoples property...and the most interesting part of the trip was the gang of gossiping women who sat a row away from the lavatory. You would think that if you gossiping about someone that you will be a little soft and secretive about it but they were so loud that I heard everything they said. In typical South African Indian Muslim fashion they were perturbed about me wearing make up whilst assuming that I was returning from Umra...So its a case of how dare she wears make up after pilgrimage...Errrr excuse me....For a start where is it written that a woman can not adorn make up after pilgrimage and even if I'm wearing make up its pretty much my own business. It shouldn't be bothering anyone else... On returning from the horrific toilet experience, I went up to the women, greeted them and then said instead of talking about me you can ask me questions directly....Please do not assume that I am returning from Umra....I am traveling from another city and simply using Jeddah as a transit airport.....Their faces turned red with embarrassment...To top it up all on returning to my seat I noticed two "holy" men back mouthing the air hostess for she could not serve them sandwiches or tea due to turbulence as everyone needed to be seated..At the end of the plane ride one thought ran through my mind, what is the purpose of performing a hundred and one pilgrimages if there is no change in character. Have we lost the purpose and the aim of a pilgrimage. Has it not become more of a holiday and shopping expedition with one family being more dramatic than the other one regarding the amount of goods they purchased....I must say though it was a pretty entertaining ride....!!!!!!

ARE WE STILL LIVING IN THE TIME OF JAHILIYYA?

This shocking story just wiped the smile right off my face.  Until the entire world reacts against governments who have no respect for women, such attacks will go on and on and on.  Her husband should have acid thrown on him to feel for himself how his wife suffered. 

By Chris Parsons
A Pakistani former dancing girl left fighting for life by a ‘horrific’ acid attack has committed suicide a decade after being heavily facially disfigured.
Fakhra Younus, 33, leapt to her death from a sixth floor building in Rome 12 years after the acid attack which she said left her looking ‘not human’.
At the time of her attack in May 2000, her ex-husband Bilal Khar was the man accused of entering her mother’s house and pouring acid over Younus’s face as she slept.

 Life-changing: Fakhra Younus, pictured left before the horrific acid attack in May 2000, was left heavily facially disfigured after having acid thrown in her face

The attack, which took place in front of Younus’s then five-year-old son, left her unable to breathe and fighting for life.Her nose was almost completely melted and she has since undergone 39 separate surgical procedures to repair her disfigured face over the past decade.


The horrific attack also burned off her hair, fused her lips, blinded her in one eye, destroyed her left ear and melted her breasts.After being rushed to hospital she said, ‘My face is a prison to me’, while her distraught young son said at the time, ‘This is not my mother’.

 Disfigured: Younus, left, pictured with supporter Tehmina Durrani, has undergone 39 separate surgical operations to repair the damage done to her face
The mother-of-one moved to Italy after the incident to live in Rome and continue her treatment.
But on March 17 she took her own life, after leaving a message saying she was committing suicide over the silence of law on the atrocities and the insensitivity of Pakistani rulers.

 

 Cleared: Younus’s ex-husband Bilal Khar, the son of a wealthy Pakistani governor, was cleared in 2003 of charges relating to the attack

Bilal Khar was arrested in 2002 and charged with attempted murder following the attack, only to be released on bail after five months.Khar, an ex-parliamentarian and son of a wealthy Pakistani governor, was eventually cleared of the attack, though many believe he could have used his family connections to escape conviction.
After Younus’s tragic suicide emerged earlier this month, Khar continued to deny having any part in the attack – claiming in a television interview a different man with the same name had carried out the crime.Khar claimed his ex-wife killed herself because she didn’t have enough money, not because of her horrific injuries.More than 8,500 acid attacks, forced marriages and other forms of violence against women were reported in Pakistan in 2011, according to The Aurat Foundation, a women’s rights organization.The Pakistani government introduced new laws last year criminalizing acid attacks and stating that convicted attacks would serve at least 14 years in jail.
Tehmina Durrani, the ex-wife of Bilal Khar’s father, had become an advocate for Younus after the attack, and said the acid attack victim had pledged to bring her attacker to justice when she had recovered.

Mourning: Fakhra Younus’s body is carried through Karachi airport in her native Pakistan after her body was returned to the country from Italy

Durrani said: ‘She said, ‘When I come back, I will reopen the case, and I’ll fight myself,” and she was a fighter.’

Durrani said Younus’ case should be a reminder that the Pakistani government needs to do much more to prevent acid attacks and other forms of violence against women, and also help the victims.
‘I think this whole country should be extremely embarrassed that a foreign country took responsibility for a Pakistani citizen for 13 years because we could give her nothing, not justice, not security,’ said Durrani.

Further reading:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17676542

ARE YOU A SUCKER FOR BRANDED CLOTHING???

(http://ruqia-n.blogspot.com/2011/02/magazine-spreads.html - picture )

Ever so often I come across women who brag about their endless collection of branded items."I only wear Levi's jeans and no no no, only a designer branded handbag will do for me."said Mrs. M whilst at the dinner table.I simply nodded my head with a grin on my face and wondered how can anyone be so gullible to purchase a handbag for a few thousand riyals or a jeans for a few hundred riyals considering that most of the worlds branded items are manufactured in China, Greece and India and then returned to Paris or America where a stamp or logo is simply placed on all the items and then marketed to the silly public with a hefty price tag.Whilst Mrs. M was bragging about her Levis jeans that she had purchased for probably US$40 which is equivalent to Rs2100...I on the other hand adorned the exact same jeans that was purchased directly from the manufacturing plant in India for Rs250 (US$3). The only difference was that my jeans did not have the logo on it....
Whilst visiting India a few years ago I had the opportunity of visiting the manufacturing plant for Levis jeans. I was quite shocked and perturbed to see teenagers and many, many poor people working at the plant and earning less than US$1 a day.So it is pretty obvious that these branded companies are making huge profits at the expense of these poor labourers. Of course these branded companies then utilize excellent marketing and advertising tools to make the product an item of prestige and before you know it every Tom, Dick and Harry in town is trying to snap up the item. After all if Tom Cruise wears it, I must have it too.Right????

This has a happy ending Sadly, Many Drug Addiction Stories Don't

So last night whilst on duty I was elated and overjoyed to see one of my patients on the road to recovery from drug addiction.He hails from a well educated influential family but due to peer pressure and wrong company he became addicted to all types of drugs including narcotics.Despite having lots of wealth he has never had a good upbringing.He was never happy inside. He always felt that there was something lacking in his life and perhaps that was his parents love and affection. His parents were never around for him or his siblings. They were always left in the company of maids or drivers. He told me once that he can not recall eating a plate of food prepared by his mom and that he actually envied me. Whilst relating his story to me a while back, I recall tears rolling down my cheeks. He use to travel from a neighbouring city to the hospital on a weekly basis for his narcotic fix. There were many times when he fought with me, cursed me and swore at me for refusing to give him the medication despite him having a legitimate prescription. A few months ago, whilst on a high, he had an accident and two people were critically injured. Thanks to God Almighty, they survived.Luckily for my patient the family forgave him and he paid them a certain amount of money as compensation for the damage caused. When he came to the hospital after the accident accompanied by two policemen, I sat him down and told him that he is destroying his life but that he has no right to destroy the life of another human being. I pleaded with him and his family to send him in for rehabilitation and he agreed. Last night, after a few months he came by the pharmacy to collect his dads medication. I couldn't believe that it was the same person.He always looked haggard, with red blood shot eyes. He use to always be aggressive and loud. Last night I felt as though I was meeting him for the first time. A totally changed person indeed. He looked bright and bubbly.He was kind and courteous with a positive, happy energy around him. I swear, inside my heart I felt really happy for him. May God Almighty keep him this way and guide him on the straight path always!!This story certainly has a happy ending. Sadly, many drug addiction stories DON'T!!!!

(http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/gallery/before-and-after-drug-abuse/celebrity/pete-doherty.htm - picture)

(http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/gallery/before-and-after-drug-abuse/celebrity/amy-winehouse.htm - picture)

Sects in Islam - United we stand, Divided we fall!!!

Cover of the June 20, 2011 New Statesman edition on the Sunni and Shia power struggle in the Middle East. (New Statesman; www.newstatesman.com)

Khanqa verses tabligh jamaat, salafi verses salami, hanafi verses shafi, deobandi verses wahabi, barfi verses jelebi.......LOLOL

So  recently I was on a chat forum and someone posted a question enquiring as to what a salafi is.Who is a salafi and who is a wahabi and should a Muslim be speaking to salafis and allowing a
salafi to read in our masjids? A good few years ago whilst growing up I didn't come across this
concept of who is this and who is that. As far as I knew we were all Muslims who followed the
five pillars of Islam and read the kalima..The fact that we believed in the kalima and the shahaada
made us a Muslim. Nowadays in South Africa there is this disease that has spread, a disease of
labeling and branding Muslims into a certain category. Pretty ridiculous I think with one group
thinking that they are more superior over the other. I have also come across individuals who feel that
the Sheikh they follow is more powerful and learned over the other. To me its like one big circus.
Recently, South Africa played host to Sheikh Mahir bin Hamad al mu3ayqaly who is the Imaam of the haram in Makkatul Mukarrama. Whilst the Muslims of the country welcomed him with open arms there were religious scholars from within the country who made it a point to shout out loud and clear that he will be only allowed to perform the salaah prayers in the masjid but will not be allowed to give a talk in the masjid. Why is this? What do they have to fear? Are they more learned than he is?A few years ago, another Imaam of the haram in Makkah was not allowed to visit the Islamic Institute in Azaadvile, South Africa as he was branded a Salafi. The irony here is that these same religious clerics go to Makkah ten times a year and perform salaah behind these very same Imaams.This is definitely not the manner in which a guest is suppose to be treated in Islam.

How can Muslims unite when we have one scholar calling the other a reverend.There is no consensus on simple things like halaal and haraam. My personal opinion is this, whilst it is important to have religious clerics teaching our kids about Islam and the Islamic way of life, I do not believe in taking a pledge to any one sheikh or religious figure. They are also human beings at the end of the day with flaws and weaknesses. I think it is foolish to take pledges to religious clerics of this time when the greatest living example and person we should be pledging ourselves to is none other than the Prophet (saw). What better example could we possibly follow?

I will relate a story to you that brought tears to my eyes to the point where I felt ashamed of my way of thinking. Whilst I do not agree with many aspects of the Shia belief system, I do have many friends who are Shi3a and many of them are good human beings with good values and ethics. A few weeks ago I went by the office of a colleague of mine who is shi3a. I knocked the door but he did not hear me. So I stood at the door whilst listening to him recite the Quraan in the most beautiful voice with so much of feeling and passion. It brought tears to my eyes. And then I thought to myself, this man is reading the Quraan from deep within his heart. Won't God Almighty be pleased with him? Throughout history there are thousands of stories of Allah showing mercy and kindness to his creation. If Allah could grant a prostitute paradise for simply giving a thirsty dog water in her shoe then who are we to brand, label and judge other people. None of us knows what is deep inside the heart of the next human being.....

To these foolish religious clerics who are famous for judging, branding and labeling people, I honestly feel sorry for all of you, for you have missed your goal in life and that is to unite the Muslim Ummah. It is narrated in Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet (saw) said :"My ummah will be divided into seventy three sects. All of them will be in the Fire except one."Thus at present we can see that our very own religious scholars are causing our Muslim societies to divide into various sects and schools of thought. Islam is such a simple religion that can accommodate to the needs of any person irrespective of class, creed or nationality. All we need to do is follow the Sunnah and the Quraan. Everything else is absolute nonsense and baseless innovations in my opinion.

Body piercing trend rises among Saudi women

By Al Arabiya
Several trends seen as imported from Western cultures have invaded Saudi Arabia and encouraged women to seek change through them. While clothes and accessories seem like the most traditional influences, piercing is the latest and most outrageous fashion among Saudi women.

Piercing the lips, tongue and navel are the most popular with Saudi women, reported the Saudi edition of al-Hayat newspaper.

According to the paper, Saudi girls differ on the piercing trend. Some do not think this trend makes the girl more beautiful and in fact argue that it makes her look ugly. Some go as far as considering a girl who pierces any part of her face unfeminine. Several men agree with this point of view and say that they never get attracted to girls with piercings.

Others argue that piercing adds to their beauty and makes them look different.

Piercing is a problem for parents, too, for while some categorically refuse to allow their girls to pierce their faces because it is an unfamiliar sight that is strange to society, others give in to the pressure which intensifies when the girls want to imitate their friends.

For psychological and family councilor Zahra al-Maabi, piercing does not add to a girl’s beauty, instead it affects it negatively.

“God endowed girls with the gift of femininity and when they pierce their lips or eyebrows they are destroying that,” she said.

Maabi added that girls resort to piercing out of a desire to imitate other cultures and also as a means of expressing their frustration at other things.

“Piercing becomes an outlet for those girls who want to grab the attention to make up for the lack of purpose they suffer from.”

According to psychologist Elwi Attarji, blind imitation is a main motive behind girls’ love for piercing, but there are other factors, too.

“Some girls want to defy their parents and assert their independence by going against social norms,” he said.

It is important, he added, to examine the social reasons that lead to the prevalence of such phenomenon.

“Eliminating the phenomenon is not the solution since only dealing with the roots of the problem and looking into the reasons behind it makes a way out possible.”

Source:

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/05/03/211856.html