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Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah - the empire strikes back...
2007. All Rights Reserved.
Posted by abu ameerah on Friday, September 14, 2007
A new French book is aimed at Muslims fasting during the month of Ramadan. The purpose of this book is to encourage healthy eating so that Ramadan, the month of fasting, does not become the month of feasting (and unnecessary weight gain). I think this book is brilliant! There should be similar books written and distributed by medical professionals throughout the Muslim world. I should be the first person in line to buy this book…
Posted by abu ameerah on Tuesday, September 11, 2007
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…
In honor of our recent celebrations, Let us hold a moment of silence to remember all of the brave hotdogs that were sacrificed yesterday so that proud Americans could enjoy some down-home barbeque. Let us not forget the sacrifice of the cattle who died yesterday so that America could enjoy steak and ribs. Let us not forget the many chickens that lost their lives so that Americans could eat fried chicken (or BBQ) to their hearts desire.
moving right along…
I thought this clip is kinda important around these times when patriotic sentiment is so high. Here is Bush a few months ago on the lecture circuit, one of the rare times that he isn’t playing golf, likely trying to sell his Iraq war policy (I don’t think the “surge” was fully in effect around the time of this speech).
After the speech concludes, at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced and Internatioal Studies (SAIS), the President then allows time for a Q & A session. Only, in typical “W” (Dubya) fashion — he can take a question — he just can’t answer it. Seems like a familiar theme with this administration. Anyway, notice how he “dodges” (his own word) the question…by trying to make a subtle, yet awkward, joke. He then pretends that he is thoughtfully listening to the question posed to him (as if he going to follow with some kind of legitimate response) and then completely plays it off by repeating the same failed joke only to move on to the next question.
I heard about this on the news the other day…and it was weird then…but it seems even more strange upon further inspection. Forget the Simpsons movie folks — this is the Simpsons in “real life” or at least it seems that way. I don’t know, but I think this media studnt may prove to be the bane of the rather well manicured existence that Indian-Americans have carved out for themselves in this “great land of opportunity”. Nonetheless, why is it that the character who is the owner/manager of the Kwik-E-Mart on the Simpsons cartoon, Apu Nahasapeemahpehtilon, resembles nearly every aspiring Indian Computer Science/Medical/Engineering student that I have ever encountered in my life? Anyway, without further ado, the real-life Kwik-E-Mart…
The reader may notice that my spelling of Apu’s last name differs from what others take as the more conventional spelling. This is because I believe my spelling of Apu’s last name is more accurate. Apu is also married and has eight children (octuplets). His wife goes by the name Manjula.
Note to Self: Avoid 7-11’s with KWIK-E-MART theme for the next few weeks months. Also, urge those of South Asian descent Desi FoB-ishness (who fit the Apu profile) to avoid these convenient stores as well. If you, or someone you know, fit this profile than I beseech you not to go to the 7-11 KWIK-E-MARTs. If you are not aware of the Apu profile, here it is in all its Desi glory:
The fat on your belly may be there because of stress in your everyday life, and researchers think they may know how to get rid of it.Studies of mice and monkeys show that repeated stress — and a high-fat, high-sugar diet — release a hormone, neuropeptide Y, that causes a buildup of abdominal fat, researchers from Georgetown University reported Sunday.
Manipulating levels of that hormone could melt fat from areas where it is not desired and accumulate it where it is needed, the researchers say in the journal Nature Medicine.
“These are eye-opening findings,” said neuroscientist Arshad Khan of USC, who was not involved in the research.
Yesterday was a rather eventful day, I think. I did things, I think. I got things accomplished, I think. Let’s see, hmmm…
I went to a class this morning…
I got gas in the car & had the tires rotated. No, actually I really wanted to get that done — but I didn’t.
I got a haircut, finally! This was a somewhat positive experience. The barber recognized me, I think, and treated me like a normal customer. I miss just being a normal customer. My Father goes to the same barber from time to time — so the barber (who is also the owner of this particular establishment) made the connection. He commented that I apparently have “coarse hair.” I mean…I am starting to lose my hair go bald…but I don’t think that my hair follicles are in any way/shape/form — coarse. Anyway, the reason I brought up the whole normal customer thing is that the last few years have been shall we say difficult damned frustrating when it comes to me as a consumer. Basically, I go to a store and either get no service whatsoever, based on my appearance, or the snooty sales associate behind the cash register assumes that I can’t speak english — so comments of varying degrees of offense are thrown around left and right. All this while I stand in the checkout line.
Reviewed what I learned in class this morning. No, once again. However, I thought about studying and as we all know - “It’s the thought that counts…”
Organized my books and the bookshelf area. A big NO to that as well. My heart was in it though.
Was invited to a brother’s bunny rabbit’s home for a special BBQ! Mashallah, it was very nice to sit under the trees and just enjoy the outdoors. Ah, the simple pleasures of life. JazakallahKhair Cute Bunny for having us over for dinner!
Saw friends/brothers that I hadn’t seen in quite a while.
Yeah…so…uh…got back not too long ago from a picnic hosted by a brother and fellow co-worker of mine (who shall remain anonymous). We arrived to the picnic quite late and some guests had already left. However, people were constantly coming and going so I don’t think it mattered so much that we were late.
I saw people that I hadn’t seen in quite some time so that was good. I also got to see ExEx Blogger’s BBQ skills. Man! That guy is quite the chef, mashallah. I mean, he knows how to rotate meat on a grill and everything (note a small dose of sarcasm). At one point I thought he was going to set Picnic Area #1 on fire — but it’s all good. No forest fires, alhamdulillah. Smokey The Bear would have been proud of us.
The gathering was nice and there was loads of fun and merrymaking. A good time was had by all, alhamdulillah. What this occasion did show me, however, was that I need to get out more — especially with my family. I would go out more…it’s just that I’m not that get-up-and-go kind of person. Perhaps I was at one time in my life…or maybe in the not so distant past but these days going out just ain’t my thang if you catch my drift.
Going out with my family often involves some kind of trauma. These days it is usually centered around the fact that we are Muslim in a society that otherwise hates us or views us as completely alien. Nothing will likely change that. No matter how much dawah we make, how much we try to assimilate, and how “white” we sound — people will still turn their heads to gawk and others will continue to pass comments to their friends. That part doesn’t bother me too much. It’s when my wife is openly taunted or verbally harassed by some punk kid who thinks he going to be on American Idol or his aging baby boomer midlife crisis father — that pisses me off.
I have lost count of the time that she has been insulted by customers, store clerks, or random passersby because of her appearance. Just because she dresses in Islamic clothing and wears the niqab she is deemed a worthy target for the ignorant. The interesting thing is that when I’m around — nobody says a damn thing.
Yesterday is a day that will live on in history as one of the great days in all of Western Civilization. Calendars will be marked, legends will be told, and holidays will be announced. This great day I speak of is not merely a day — it was a lunch. A lunch that will live for all time. This grand occassion was attended by Amad Shaikh (www.muslimmatters.org) and ExEx Blogger (Student of Knowledge Extraordinaire) …not to mention yours truly.
The lunch involved fine Iranian cuisine and lots of friendly chatting. Our time together was short however it wasn’t short on comradery and brotherhood, inshallah. A good time was had by all, alhamdulillah!
