been a while…

What up Ah-Kees and Ah-Kettes?! What the dilly yo’? Whats the word on the street (or the masjid)? How ya’ll livin’? Whuts good ya’ll? What’s poppin‘? What’s crack-a-lackin’? (don’t worry … its out of my system now)

Well, it appears that I’ve been away for a while. Yep. I know. The two of you who actually bother to visit this pathetic-excuse-for-a-blog might have actually noticed. The rest of you likely don’t care - and I don’t blame you one bit! To put it in a nutshell … this blog sucks. I really mean that. I hate it. Sometimes I hate this blog with a passion. Actually, I’ve even come to hate blogging and bloggers to be quite honest.

As far as this steaming piece-o-crap blog is concerned … I suppose that I have simply lost focus and direction. Blogging no longer means what it once did for me (at least I think it meant something). I actually used it as a release mechanism of sorts - an eOutlet if you will. I think I began blogging either because I felt that I actually had an opinion that mattered (I was obviously way off the mark on that), or perhaps that I could actually “make a difference” (what a bunch of pie in the sky BS that was), or I simply could have been bored (and therefore lacked anything else better to do … yes … I am aware that makes me a loser).

I don’t know if I want to blog anymore. Seriously, what’s the point? There are simply too many damn bloggers out there - especially in the Muslim blogosphere - and I jumped on the bandwagon too damn late. My sheer laziness is also a likely reason why I am not actively blogging at the moment. When I commit to something I usually go all our … or I just give up (which is often the case). I’m an all or nothing kinda guy I suppose.

What has really perturbed me as of late is my disappointment and disgust toward the entire damn Muslim blogosphere. Yep, you read that correctly. The entire damn Muslim blogosphere (with the exception of a couple of you out there - and you know who you are)! There is a profound and overwhelming ignorance about our Deen that has become a reality and has exploded onto the internet. When takes a moment to consider the impact of the digital revolution - the blog (and the net in general)- has become the new battle ground.  Or maybe it’s no longer new.

Muslims seem to care more about slogans and senseless campaigns these days - rather than dealing with issues of any substance. I recently came across such nonsense in the form of a misguided campaign titled “Wear Your Keffiyah Day” that intended to send some kind of message to Dunkin Donuts for its corporate decision to pull an ad with Rachel Ray. In the advertisement, Ray wore what appeared to be an Arab head scarf (Keffiyah or Kuffiyah) and far right-wing bloggers took notice.

What the hell? Are you sh**ing me? Are you people really being serious with this stick-it-to-the-man kinda crap? Frankly, I’d still rather put my support behind Dunkin Donuts instead of this ridiculous campaign.  If this is the kind of mindless drivel that we are going to promote on the Muslim blogosphere…then I want no part of it!  At least Dunkin Donuts provides society with a real service in the form of DONUTS!   You campaign organizers can keep your nationalism and cultural mumbo-jumbo to your damn selves! 

So that is where I am at the moment.  Disgusted with everything.

yep.  disgusted.  that’s about it.

…hmmm…

still disgusted…

p.s.    I forgot to mention that my disgust also includes the following:  self proclaimed “moderate” Muslims, Innovators of any description, Sufis, Shia, Hamzah Yusuf Hanson, Nuh Keller, the whole Zaytuna gang, Habib Ali Jiffri, Yusuf “the Cat” Stevens, nationalistic Muslims, Ikhwaanees, Neo-Salafees (Madakhilaah - SPUBS/TROID), secular Muslims (whatever the hell that means), media whores, MAS, ISNA, ICNA, Dar al Hijrah, ADAMS,  Deobandees, Asharees, Maturidees, Muslim boy bands, Muslim comedians, etc.

I hope I didn’t forget anyone…

9/11: a day of mourning…

Today is a day like no other. It is a day that I will be in mourning. To be quite honest, I don’t know how to express the grief and pain that I feel today. Anyway, here it is in a nutshell: We have mithai in the house and I am on a diet … so I cannot eat it. Dammit! I know the nation feels my pain. Let us all bow our heads for a moment of silence…

 

slightly amusing…

Authorities in Israel recently arrested this group for involvement in a number of crimes as well as membership in a Neo-Nazi group. Oh the irony of it all. Besides having Neo-Nazis to contend with…I found it particularly amusing that these guys got to Israel through the “law of return” which enables just about ANYONE (it seems) with even remote Jewish ancestry to legally reside in Israel. I suppose importing Russian Jews in droves kinda came back to bite ‘em in the latka this time…

interesting…

A historical look at the intersection between mental instability and true religious fanaticism. Ivan Vasilyevich IV, or “Ivan the Terrible” as he later came to be known, plunged Russia into one of its darkest periods in history. Ivan IV gained notoriety, and infamy, for being Russia’s first Czar (Tsar) as well as one of the most brutal rulers in its history. Ivan’s cruelty toward his enemies, and his own people, almost seems something of legend. After all, history is indeed full of countless dictators and ruthless leaders.

However, Ivan the Terrible’s “iron fisted” rule seemed to take tyranny and human savagery to rarely (before) seen depths in early modern times. With disturbing precision, Ivan personally oversaw the torture and execution of tens of thousands of Russians that he percieved as his enemies. Ivan’s bloodthirstiness only grew with each day of his nightmarish reign and the executions he participated in turned more and more into sadistic orgies of violence, torture and brutal inhumanity. Ivan’s “purges” of Russia were cruel, yet calculated, and were designed to instill the utmost level of fear into his subjects. Enemies weren’t simply slated for execution by the Czar…but they were to be tortured and so violated that Ivan would forever be regarded as something more than a mere despot or iron fisted ruler. Ivan would ultimately be regarded — by many of his terrified subjects & political rivals — as the bringer of death for 16th century Russia.

His enemies, which included an enormous list of nearly every cross section of 16th century Russia, were eliminated in some of the most horrendous ways. Ivan’s tortures seemed to be rooted in his obsessive reading of the Bible. One might even argue that, in a strange way, his Biblical tortures were an affront to the very religion he claimed devout adherence to. In that sense, Ivan the Terrible’s awful reign presents us with a number of contradictions. What is certain though is that Russia was never to be the same after the death of Ivan Vasilyevich IV.

A few thoughts I was left with after watching these videos:

1. Ivan the Terrible comes across as more than histories “usual” despot. Rather he seems more like what we might describe today as a serial killer. Only this serial killer had the legitimacy of political rule.

2. Ivan’s seige of Kazan marks one of Russia’s earliest campaigns against Muslims. I could be wrong here.. and I probably am. However, I am correct in stating that Ivan IV was the first Czar to have ever fought against Muslims in any territory.

3. The striking similarities of Ivan’s reign compared with the brutal grip on power held by the Communists during the Cold War. While there are similarities that I will briefly mention in a moment…there is at least one basic difference (I think). Ivan IV’s reign of terror over his subjects reflected, to some degree, his sadistic personal desires. Ivan, after all, was known to not only have personally participated in the gruesome torture and execution of his victims — but he was known to take pleasure and delight out of it as well. The Communists on the other hand, though equally as ruthless and brutal as Ivan, saw executions as something more political and routine in nature. Theirs was a job that involved the elimination/extermination of any, and all, enemies of the state as part of a national duty (or broader national strategy) and not necessarily as part of any personal agenda (this may be a point of contention for some who will raise the spector of Joseph Stalin whose paranoia and ruthlessness seems to have rivaled that of Ivan). Communists’s saw their role in forever silencing all opposition as part of a noble goal — the establishment of a utopian Socialist society in Russia (formerly USSR) and beyond. ANYWAY…I could ramble on…here are the possible similarities:

a. The employment of a secret force to eliminate political opposition…

b. The use of “purges” to eliminate any, and all, opposition…

c. Paranoid leadership…

d. “Iron fisted” rule…

 

Ivan the Terrible - Part 1

 

Ivan the Terribe - Part 2

 

Ivan the Terrible - Part 3

 

there goes the neighborhood…

It seems that (C)rap music is taking Morocco over by storm. Great. Just what the world needed…Moroccan rappers. Maybe they can rap about kabobs and shawarma — with an occasional riff (no pun intended) thrown in about Palestine or something. I wonder if Akon is going to be on DJ Shawarma’s first album?

 

its just a hand gesture, right?

DOH! When is a hand gesture merely a hand gesture and when is it a distinct gang symbol? Well, it seems there is a fine line that Virginia tourism authorities just crossed…or gestured. Perhaps, Virginia failed to realize that gangs don’t exactly make for the best tourists in a new public ad campaign (designed to boost tourism statewide). They must not have asked the right focus group for feedback I suppose…LOL…

By the way, I thought Virginia was still “for Lovers”…

So where did all of the love go? I’m sure not going to ask the Black Disciples …

 

the story of Xenu…

This following is SouthPark’s humorous take on the beliefs of Scientology, a religion cult founded created by L. Ron Hubbard. While the the creators of SouthPark have relied on the use of humor, to expose some of the obsurd beliefs held by Scientology, they are 100% correct in their presentation of the facts. This is exactly what members the brainwashed zombie masses who adhere to Scientology actually believe! Anyone who follows SouthPark (and believe-it-or-not I do not follow the program and neither would I recommend anyone else watch it) will also remember that Issac Hayes, a member zombie in the Cult of Scientology, left the animated series over a dispute with the creators of the popular series. Basically, the creators of SouthPark have repeatedly mocked Scientology (since they know so much about it) … this angered Hayes who eventually chose to leave the program.

Enjoy…

 

sweeeeet…

I saw this quite some time ago. O-60mph in 2.9sec … I want the Atom …

(Notice how the hosts face freakishly stretches as a result of air/wind pressure in the middle of the clip)

i [heart] New York…whatever

Well….I got back from New York City on Tuesday morning around 12:15am. The trip was long and I hadn’t slept at all when we embarked on our perilous journey (lol) at 1:30am Monday morning. This was my first actual on-the-ground experience in NYC — Manhattan to be exact. On past trips I have driven to NYC, through NYC, and flown out of NYC … but that was about it. This experience was quite different on the other hand. This experience turned out to be a quest for specific commercial-grade machinery. Yeah, yeah, I know. Most people who go to NYC go there for shopping, “whacking” someone, or sight-seeing … you know … the usual touristy things. I, on the other hand, wasn’t much of a tourist. I just wanted to leave.

Don’t get me wrong though. New York has gone a long way to clean up its image since the days when crime and squeegee-men threatened to overrun the city — but that didn’t do much for me. I am sure that NYC means a lot to its millions, and millions, and millions, and millions of residents. Then again, I am (thankfully) not one of those millions — but you know what they say — beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I am sure that the city has its own kind of charm. I probably failed to see it since I wear prescription eyeglasses.  I suppose opportunity can be found around every corner. Tell that to the shabbily dressed guy with a nervous tic walking down the street.

Immigrants who came to New York City in the 1900’s believed that the streets were paved with gold…

Sinatra sang about about New York…

Some guy got rich by making stupid t-shirts that say, “I love New York” (the world love represented w/ a heart shape)

I, on the other hand, didn’t see any single street paved in gold. I don’t feeling like singing about New York. I also do not “heart” New York…

One of the things that I found interesting, and somewhat peculiar, about New York City were its seeming contradictions… The haves vs. the have nots, the patriotic vs. the radical, the old (historic) vs. the new (modern & contemporary) the legal vs. the illegal, immigrant vs. non-immigrant, etc. Yet, despite all of these differenes and contradictions … New York (and New Yorkers in particular) have dealt with them better than nearly every other city of similar size. NYC and its millions of residents have learned how to deal with and even manage chaos (I am sure that many might disagree with such an assertion). Organized chaos … a contradiction in terms … but that is somewhat how New York seemed to me.

Jumuah…

Just came back from the Masjid and it was … well … uhhhhhhh…..

What more can I say? At least I found parking this time. Yep. That’s about it. All I can honestly say that I enjoyed about going to Masjid for salat al Jumuah was the parking.

Parking.

you got Beef?

Beef?

No…not this kind..(way tooo rare!)

Nope. Not this kind either … still toooo rare …

 

Still … not completely done …

 

 

Yep. That’s more like it. “Beef” … kinda like this …

 

 

Beef – [beef] noun, plural beeves [beevz]

–noun

1.	the flesh of a cow, steer, or bull raised and killed for its meat.

2.	an adult cow, steer, or bull raised for its meat.

3.	Informal. a. brawn; muscular strength. b. strength; power. c. weight, as of a person. d. human flesh.

4.	Slang. a. a complaint. b. an argument or dispute.

–verb (used without object)

5.	Slang. to complain; grumble.

Beef? Beef? Who got Beef? Well it seems that a certain blogger, earlier this week, fired what may have been the opening salvo — if you will — in a tit-for-tat internet brawl that only the creators of Myspace and “Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire” could have have come up with. This is a “beef” … but not the kind that is for dinner … more like the kind that has the potential to result in internet jaw-jockeying and a whole lot of “he-said, he-said” nonsense. No, this isn’t an “East Coast / West Coast” thing. It isn’t a Biggie vs. Pac thing (actually if it was…Umar would have to be Tupac and I would have to be the Notorious BIG since I’m packin’ the pounds if you know what I saying).

Anyway, it seems that brother Umar Lee had a conniption earlier this week after reading a post that I had written in reference to the whole Lal Masjid fiasco in Pakistan. Well, wouldn’t you know, after reading the post (and focusing only upon a small portion toward the end) Brother Umar had to respond and…well…um…he GAVE-IT! He gave it FULL FORCE … without warning … without any hesitation … without any reservations whatsoever. He didn’t alert the townspeople of his assault. He didn’t bother giving the women and children time to disembark from the ship. He didn’t even allow the elderly & physically handicapped the time needed to don lifejackets and safely board lifeboats. No, instead he just GAVE IT! He literally gave it Godzilla style. Only in this case … he (Umar Lee) represents Bloggerzilla and I am merely the helpless nation of Japan trying to flee from impending doom.

Well Umar Lee, it seems that you’ve achieved your goal of doing what amounts to a digital drive-by (or an uppercut at the very least) … how ’bout I respond now that some of the hype (or something to that effect) has died down? Actually, I will simply be responding for the sake of clarification Inshallah, and not in the “in-your-face”/accusatory kind of manner, the way you did. There are two reasons for my taking a different approach: 1) I have no desire to be pulled down any further into the mud … as it appears that this is where you and a select cadre made up some of your most rabid supporters and fellow Muslim blog leaders seem to fester 2) I don’t want to add much more “noise” to a situation that could have otherwise (had you chosen) been handled much differently.

So, one might ask, what makes a leading Muslim blogger like Umar Lee with a Technorati ranking of 37,274 come all the way down (to create some mess) to the level of a novice like myself boasting a pathetic an atrocious/disgusting/offensive Technorati ranking of 218,155?

Could it be:

a) Anger

b) Revenge

c) Ignorance of the Islamic etiquette in dealing with others when one believes that he/she has been wronged

d) All of the above.

Allah (Azza wa’Jall) knows best, and I would rather not speculate, yet it may be that an online culture of shooting-off at the mouth (to personally attack and denigrate others) and ego may have a lot to do with it. In other words, perceived self-importance at its very worst, if you will. Nonetheless, I was called a number of names and personally attacked by brother Umar Lee, albeit in grade school fashion. I could have simply chosen to keep my mouth shut … allowed the accusations to stand … and just let the big-bad Muslim blog leader get away with it. But, why should I? Am I somehow bound not to respond according to the sacred Law of our Creator (AWJ)? If Umar Lee can hold opinions (and make them known in such a public manner) … why shouldn’t I be able to express my opinions or at least respond to such an attack? What to do? Oh, what to do?

The fact of the matter is that I do intend to respond, inshallah. And away we go…

Umar Lee writes:

“This is what I was thinking about before brother Abu Ameerah, someone who has been repeatedly critical of my writing and written in a pretentious way of the kind of religious “know it all guy” everyone hates to be around, tried to covertly attack Tariq Nelson and myself. In other words, more pompous than pious in his writing.”

“He did not mention either of us by name but anyone who has read what we have written knows who he is talking about and he should have been a man and showed a little courage and just came out and said it instead of doing what is the equivalent to punching a guy in the back and then running before he can turn around and that is the difference between Abu Ameerah and myself; I do not hide behind false pieties and I say what I mean and mean what I say and if I think something I come right out and say it.”

“There may be some truth in this that American-Muslims are often promoted to be a public face for Muslims in America; but more often than not you will find masjids in America ran by people who cannot clearly speak the English language, do not understand the society they live in, and have a whole host of cultural baggage they try and pass off as Islam.”

“There is a saying in English “attack the message not then messenger” and I think that is what Abu Ameerah is doing with Tariq and myself and what is the root of his anger? The root of this that this brother adheres to a “back home” mentality of ignoring problems and not speaking of them and hoping they will go away and if they cannot go away then making a conspiracy to explain them away and that is his cultural baggage. He is more than happy to point out the faluts in others but as soon as someone points a finger and those near to him he gets this mentality.”

“This was first on display when he, along with a few others, accused me of being a Sufi, with no evidence to the claim, during my Rise and Fall of the Salafi Dwah series, and then AA himself basically accused me of being a liar and saying I did not see what I did see but was too cowardly to come right out and say it and the root of his anger was that I was talking about things which he felt should have been ignored and not discussed. Well, sorry akh, I am not shutting up, and your little Internet rants do not impress me, and if you want to shut me up you will have to kill me and I think all of your homeboys who could do the killing are busy doing stupid stuff in Kashmir and blowing themselves up in Pakistan in order to overthrow the corrupt ruler of a falied state created more than a half-century ago by a British puppet.”

1. “…someone who has been repeatedly critical of my writing…“

Hmmm…let’s see. How many times have I been “critical” of your writing? You could probably count the number of times on one hand (likely minus the thumb) if you wanted. In terms of your actual style of writing (grammar & mechanics) … I don’t see much of a problem. However, I think it wouldn’t hurt you to use the spellchecker that wordpress offers.

2. “…written in a pretentious way of the kind of religious “know it all guy” everyone hates to be around…“

I, too, could think of quite a few…shall we say…colorful adjectives to describe you and your blog right about now akhi. Also, today is Yawm al-Jumuah so I’ll do my best to refrain, inshallah. A”religious know-it-all guy” … Moi? I have usually refrained from getting into religious debates with you or your supporters as this ultimately serves no purpose. Also, I think others that actually take your blog seriously have gotten into it with you much worse (in terms of religious matters) akhi.

3. “…tried to covertly attack Tariq Nelson and myself.“

Wow! “Covertly” huh? Was this some kind of CIA sponsored black-op akhi? Get your mind out of conspiracy theory land and try writing something of substance for once. Allow me to be clear on this: When I sat down to write the original post I had no idea what your opinion on the Lal Masjid situation was (and neither would I have cared frankly). I know it is hard akhi … but I want you to keep in mind that THE WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND YOU! I realize that I have, unfortunately, commented on your blog in the past. Yet…both you and the blog are really of no consequence to the vast majority of Muslims who do not live for the “Jihad of Umar”. In other words…the world is full of so much more than simply your inane observations. Don’t take it too hard akhi…I tried to break it to you as gently as I could. Here’s a tissue.

4. “…more pompous than pious in his writing…“

My writing is “pompous” akhi? LOL… Have you taken a hard look at your own writing recently? Well, akhi, hate to break it to you … but … the overly opinionated and culturally chauvinistic tone that you have demonstrated in your writing is quite clearly on display and available for all of your many readers to see. The way in which you deal with (and obsess over) issues of race, ethnicity, nationality, and culture is rife with a sense of an “Us vs. Them” notion amongst fellow believers of all people. Well, I suppose that I would be a more pious individual if I did an analysis of The Sopranos … or if I wrote about the movie 300 … or if I made reference to a skanky model in my blog. Sound familiar? It’s that good ‘ole fashion moderate Muslim piety on display, right?! TASTY!

5. “…he should have been a man and showed a little courage and just came out and said it…“

I won’t attack your manhood akhi … but if attacking others and lacking adab in dealing with believers is in any way the mark of a man … then YOU DA’ MAN akhi! YOU DA’ MAN! Allow me to make mention, once again, that the original post was NOT directed toward you! I was merely recalling my own dealings with Muslims in organizations that I have been a part of. Also, as we will see later on … you accuse me of calling you are Sufi. How could I have the courage to do that (which I did not) and yet I would not have the courage to call you out on my own blog? Makes no sense if you ask me.

6. “I do not hide behind false pieties and I say what I mean and mean what I say and if I think something I come right out and say it.”

Nope! No sir! You don’t “hide”. You just rudely go on the attack without giving a brother the benefit of the doubt. I mean … you could have simply dropped me an email. However, I suppose that wouldn’t have garnered the attention and smack-down controversy you were looking for. I mean, if it is your intention to be the Don Imus of the Muslim blogosphere … then go ahead be my guest!

Hey Umar, am I hiding now?

7. “…I think that is what Abu Ameerah is doing with Tariq and myself and what is the root of his anger?”

Again…I go back to the point. How did you know that I was attacking either you or Br. Tariq Nelson? I suppose, you know what is in the hearts of the believers? How can you be sure that I was attacking you? If there was a doubt … couldn’t you have emailed me … or left a comment (in the Lal Masjid posting) for me to respond to?

8. “…this brother adheres to a “back home” mentality of ignoring problems and not speaking of them and hoping they will go away and if they cannot go away then making a conspiracy to explain them away and that is his cultural baggage.”

You have beaten the “back home mentality” point to death akhi. You seem to use it quite often. Particularly, when brothers/sisters disagree with you on a point or simply with the way in which you dealt with a particular issue. I don’t think this tactic works with me akhi. I hold the same citizenship and nationality as you akhi. My skin tone (and that of my parents) may differ from yours … but that doesn’t mean that I ascribe to some kind of convoluted “back home” mentality as you have asserted. See, akhi, my “back home” is right here … just like you … I have nowhere else to go at the moment. My point, akhi, i