Canadian: Kids can Free the Children

What is our problem?

Either we ask too much, or we don't ask at all. We can't seem to find a balance. A friend who's been having trouble praying at work (and losing her values) was talking to me, and she said, "you know, it'll be great if you can get a degree from Harvard. That way, you'll have no problems at all".
Had it not been towards the end of our conversation, I would have lashed out a defensive, in a positive style.
I said to her, "inshallah I won't have problems even otherwise", and I know she had a skeptical look on her face.

I spent 5 years in Toronto. I can't say that I didn't face challenges with practicing Islam, but I can say for sure that there wasn't a problem that didn't have a solution. One of the best examples was the way I was able to handle the issue of praying during exams especially in winter with the help of the MSA, some students with like minds and my faculty. There were professors who said no to me on my face. Others asked me to make a "silent" prayer at my desk, and so on. But in every situation, I did not miss a prayer because of conflict with exam timings. There were times when the exam ended at 4:30pm. With Maghrib setting in at 4:40pm, that gave us less than 10 minutes to get through the crowd and find a spot to pray, and then open our fasts. This was a situation when we weren't accommodated because of our own oversight of approaching the faculty too close to exams.
The best arrangement I found was praying right outside the door, with a TA watching me, as well as the students inside the room. We would take turns. I always carried a compass on me so I always knew the direction of the Qiblah). And sometimes, some of the brothers who availed of these opportunities even did a jama'a in low voices during the exam!

So, why do we lose out? Why does my friend think that a degree from Harvard will pave way for me in the most difficult of times which I might face because I come across as a visible Muslim?

Being a visible Muslim
A person can use any situation to their advantage, or disadvantage. Most people tend to feel weak and wary as soon as they're faced with a difficult situation that compromises their beliefs. As a visible Muslim, instinctively I want to be able to portray a good image because I know that Islam is the right way, and by opening up people to Islam, I'm introducing them to a better way of life. Now, I might have a degree from Harvard, but people will first see me as a Muslim always because I don't think for the rest of my life I intend to walk around with the degree stuck to me. So much for the degree.

It's important to be in a mindset that hijab is great, and my hijab will help me. I still remember my first year in Canada. I was new to the hijab and didn't know how to pin it properly, but I never failed to notice the way guys differentiated in their treatment towards me and towards other girls. I was always given more respect. This same "respect" can be very easily labelled as "cold shoulder" by other people. In their efforts to "integrate", especially girls, they often forget that it's better not to be associated with people of the opposite gender if they are not able to respect you.
In particular, I remember a guy called Trevor. A classmate decided to study at my place, and in the hallway, we ran into him. I'm not sure how, but the conversation steered towards the topic of the reality of hellfire. Trevor resolved to become a better person.

It is so much easier for people to ask me what I'd like rather than for me to tell them, and being a visible Muslim makes it so much easier. I worked as a student assistant for a quadriplegic student for a summer and we became really good friends. I never needed to mention that I'm a Muslim to him. He once invited me to his party, and left me a very long voice mail message before he began his preparation. He wanted to know if I had any dietary restrictions, and then chanted off a list of ingredients in the different food items he was planning to use, and, "do you eat onions?".

It's true that you'll not always people who are accommodating and friendly. Sometimes my friend and I ventured to go jogging in the mornings. And at one time, someone did shout something awful at her. This incident was easy to ignore. What's not easy to ignore is the case of my friend, who's colleague with whom she shared her office, told her not to pray there because she felt uncomfortable. Even that situation has a solution.

Another friend, 19 year old revert to Islam, simply couldn't get herself to wear the hijab because she worked at a jewellery store. Everyday her story was the same- She felt horrible about the way she dressed, but she needed the job.

What a lot of people fail to understand that, when you place your values and religious responsibilities before everything else, Allah (swt) raises the ranks of such people in a very different way. They don't necessarily have to become CEOs or begin earning 6 digit salaries (there are examples of such people as well) but at least their hearts and minds do not possess the guilt that comes with selling out their values.

For sure if you want prosperity, you will achieve it through hard work, whether you wear the hijab/keep a beard or not. The comparison doesn't exist because you cannot compare the position of a person in this world, with his position with Allah (swt).

Perspective & creativity
We might think that Islam is foreign to most people around us in Western societies, and a scary religion as well. Yet, the bigger reality of this life is that there are millions of people groping in the darkness, looking for a guiding light. People in search of inner peace because nothing in their search, nothing else has satisfied them. So many people who are thirsty for the truth, but they just don't know that it all lies in Islam, because it's not within human comprehension to view the major benefits of being a Muslim right away. I'm still growing in my faith and discovering new paths.

My exposure hasn't been too wide, but I feel that we can always find a solution if we don't blow things out of proportion. There were people who would insist that if they want to pray during an exam, it has to be in a separate room on a "clean" floor. I found that to be so unnecessary. I wish in our training system we introduce a course titled "Foresightedness". Everything has to be done in steps. What is the bigger goal? Every time I walked into the registrar's office with the intention of making arrangements to pray during my exam, the thought that if I succeed, it's going to make it easier for Muslim students after me, was always there. So, stop being selfish.
Our salah is so beautiful that it has no attachments to material requirements. It is so pure that even with hundreds of eyes on you, you can pray if you really want to.

Also, if we weren't accommodated for, it was because we didn't ask for it early enough. There's hardly anything in life that wont go well if you don't plan it well. And planning ahead is an important part of the creative process.
The decision in this case, to allow students to pray, is not taken by just one person, but rather, it's propagated up/down several levels because they also have to choose the best possible solution. Don't forget to thank them later. Little gestures like these really go a long way. It's so easy for us to be aggressive and create so much drama every time something goes wrong in our community, but we are not quick and constant in our relationships with others.

When I was working as a research assistant on campus, in my lunch breaks, I would run downstairs to the Alumni office and help them prepare for the upcoming alumni dinner for those who graduated in the 40s and 50s. I would barely have 20-30 minutes because I had to eat and pray as well. However, this was an excellent opportunity to network (because I was hoping I'd be allowed to attend the dinner!) at the same time, I had made a place for myself that people would remember. To explain further, I did quite mundane tasks such as photocopying and cutting out old class pictures and sticking them up on boards, or making phone calls for RSVPs. But in that little time I had, I maintained a great relationship with the employees working in that office. One lady was from Cyprus and she told me about how in Cyprus, there's a major focus on family values. It was raining heavily one day and she decided to drop me to my place (I had to leave my bike on campus).

The problem does not lie in asking for time off for Friday prayers when you negotiate your job offer. The problem lies in how you ask for it. There are several factors operating at different levels. Study the person you are going to ask. Know your workplace. Prepare your case well, don't just blurt it out. Make an impressive statement about yourself. Be friendly. And my most important advice would be, ask for what you need after you have created a relationship of trust with your colleagues and immediate managers.

I've been to several fundraising events in Muslim communities- fundraising dinners for their own organisation, relief, masjid, etc. And over the years, I've seen a great improvement the way the it's done. We cannot expect to do things in the same way for the rest of our lives and expect impact in our society. Look at what children do in order to earn a few bucks- car wash, painting, window cleaning, etc. This work requires a lot of creativity.
I've seen congregations dwindle because of the mosque's fundraising techniques. Being creative is in other words, growing with society.

There was a time when mosques did not have loud speaker systems, and now they do (after much fiqh debate of course). Creativity is key. Be different. If you're asking for something, ask in the best possible manner. Definitely it is your right, but when you are setting a precedence, excellence and creativity are key.

I had worked at a startup company for a really short time and there was a really cool Muslim guy in his late 30s who had a prayer mat in his drawer. He showed me the room where he used to pray- a room full of pipes and cleaning supplies. He had an amazing attitude towards dealing with his religion. He had started working there a week before me, and I remember on one Friday, he walks into the CEO's office and goes, "Hey Daniel, I'm stepping out for an hour for the prayer. Will see you later. Have a great lunch."

If you feel troubled by asking for religious accommodation, then trouble is what you will get. Again, I'll stress that I'm not perfect. I faced problems and several times I made decisions that affected me adversely. And at the end, I always reminded myself, I need to be stronger.

Jumping at delusive opportunities
We have an interesting habit of rejoicing at small "successes" and then forgetting all about it. Just because someone asked me about whether their list of ingredients is halal, does not mean I'm calling up the guy and telling him I'm coming over with a Qur'an for him and start preaching Islam.
We really know how to torture people with our ways of communicating our very profound thoughts on Islam without checking if the other person is listening or even cares.
Islam is best spread by action. Get your own act right before you start preaching. We so easily forget that action is not just salah (in public) or making a grand statement of not drinking alcohol, but action is also your honesty, your hard work, your demeanor, your professionalism, and very importantly- your outlook and your treatment of others!

Note: This post was originally titled, "The trouble with not wearing Hijab".

Join Us - January 11 to Shut Down Guantanamo!

Friday, January 11, 2008: The 6 year anniversary of the first prisoners being brought to Guantánamo.

Last year on January 11th, after 500 people processed from the Supreme Court to the Federal court, 150 people risked arrest on behalf of the men in Guantanamo, with 88 being arrested inside the Federal Court in DC. Many of those arrested withheld their identification and took the names of men at Guantanamo. It was a very powerful day, made possible by the contributions of many in the extended Catholic Worker family.

This year, we again are working with many groups on a demonstration in Washington, D.C. The day will begin with a press conference at the White House led by Amnesty International followed by a “prisoner procession” to the Supreme Court.

Come to DC or organize a vigil, demonstration or speaker in your own community!

Additionally, and as a recruiting mechanism for Jan. 11th, we are asking people to participate in a 24 hour fast for justice on December 5th, the day the Supreme Court will hear two cases related to Guantanamo prisoners. [Download flier]

• ENDORSE the Jan 11 Day of Action
• DOWNLOAD flyers, web buttons, adaptable press release, and more.
• FIND housing, food, transportation, legal and other logistical info.
• POST your event to our calendar.
• DONATE and support the Jan 11th mobilization




International Day to Shut Down Guantánamo

“If it were up to me I would close Guantánamo not tomorrow but thisafternoon…We don't need it and it is causing us far more damage than any good we get for it.”–Colin Powell, June 10, 2007, Former Secretary of State

“The Guantánamo camp was created on a myth…It was built on a lie…And it was organized around a fiction…It is time to get rid of it.” –New York Times Editorial “Gitmo: A National Disgrace,” June 6, 2007

Guantánamo is “a stain on the character of the United States.” –Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“Immediately close the detention center for at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and either release its inmates or bring them before an impartial tribunal.”–United Nations Human Rights Commission


• Find resources for action, order T-shirts and jumpsuits, and get complete and up-to- date details about the day’s events on our website: www.witnesstorture.org
  
  Prisoners of Guantánamo march to the Supreme Court:
  A provocative street theater performance involving people wearing orange jumpsuits and black hoods. We will march in an orderly, silent procession, hauntingly evoking the moral disgrace that is Guantánamo.
  • All participants are strongly encouraged to attend a final planning meeting and training on Thursday (January 10th), 4–6pm.
  
  After dinner, there will be a public program on Guantánamo from 7–9 pm. Location: St. Stephens and the Incarnation Church,
  1525 Newton Street NW, at 16th Street.
  
  For more information or if you have any questions, please email Matt Daloisio (Daloisio@earthlink.net) or Frida Berrigan at (Frida.berrigan@gmail.com).
  
  • Organize a vigil, speaker or demonstration in your own community if you cannot come to Washington, DC.
  
  In December 2005, a group of twenty four friends, following the nonviolent tradition of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker walked to Guantánamo to visit the prisoners, calling themselves
  “Witness Against Torture.” When they returned, they launched the “Campaign to Shut Down Guantánamo,” which consists of public education and community outreach, networking and resource
  sharing, and acts of nonviolent civil resistance to draw attention to the plight of prisoners in Guantánamo, and victims of the war on terrorism everywhere.
  
  Friday, January 11, 2008
  
  Marks Six Years of Torture, Detention and Abuse at Guantánamo
  
  10:00am– Gather at Lafayette Park for Orientation to Prisoner March (1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW)
  
  11:00 am – Amnesty International and National Religious Campaign Against Torture demonstration in Lafayette Park
  
  Noon – Guantánamo Prisoner Procession from the White House to the Supreme Court (2 plus miles)
  
  1:30 pm – Funeral Ceremony at the Supreme Court remembering the four men who died in custody at Guantánamo and mourning the death of Habeas Corpus

From: Of course, Cageprisoners.com

Build a Masjid

This is a really nice piece!
I wonder if Sh Amienoellah has similar stories to share from his ancestors?

Virtues of Building a Masjid: Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Discourses on the Islamic Way of Life)
On At-Talib's blog:

Allah decreed that the Dutch attacked Cape Town seize it. The Britishers had known that the Malaysian were very good fighters and warriors. They were very brave. So, they asked them to drive away the Dutch but the Malaysians said that it made them no difference whether the Britishers had authority of the Dutch, for they were slaves any way. However, they were willing to fight the Dutch on condition that they be permitted to offer prayers in Cape Town and allowed to build a mosque.

ONLY THE DEMAND TO BUILD A MOSQUE

We must heed this fact- these people did not demand monetary remuneration. They did not ask to be set free, and they did not put forth any material condition. Their only demand was that they be allowed to build a mosque. Accordingly, they fought the Dutch very bravely and compelled them to retreat. The Malaysians then reminded the Britishers of their demand and were allowed to build a mosque. These poor people built the first mosque in Cape Town in very trying conditions. They lacked proper tools and material and money. They even could not determine the Qiblah [ The direction in which Muslims Pray, facing the Ka’bah at Makkah} with the result that it is off the mark by 20 degree or 25 degree. Today, the prayer mats are spread at the proper angle which leaves disalligned with the walls.

These brave people did not ask for a house to live in and they did not demand money. They did not seize the opportunity to demand proper food and drink. Their demand was that they should be allowed to construct a mosque. This is the history of the Muslim people. They preferred a mosque over everything else and did not omit the duty of building it in their pitiable condition, too.
...

May Allah (swt) enable us to be from those who are able to build mosques for the people. May Allah make all the mosques a source of goodness and blessing for the people of the neighbourhood. May He cause these people to fulfill their obligations and may they inhabit their mosques and keep them occupied. Ameen.

Today is Blog Action Day!

Imam Zaid Shakir's event on SunniPath less than 12 hours ago, was one of the best lectures I've heard by him. Inshallah the recording will be posted, and I'll link to that when it's up. I recommend anyone who is even slightly interested in global world changes listen to it.

Here's a bit of summary from my notes:
Environmental Degredation

• Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea because of what the hands of humans have brought about [Qur'an].
• By 2050- 90% of the sea species could be gone. Water polluted with carcinogens, poison, heavy metals, pollutions. The VAST oceans are receiving annually 20 billion tonnes of waste and pollution from our lakes and rivers. Causes alteration of the salinity, pH balance
• The life in the sea has been hotwired by Allah (swt) over millions of years. If the plankton dies, no oxygen. Plankton produces most of the oxygen we breathe.
• Disappearance of low-lying coastal areas, home to 200million people
  =>Northern people such as inuits have had to abandon villages
• Polar bears and other ice animals are threatened with extinction
• They're talking about an open passages between the North Pole in 10 years
• Uranium: Babies born with no eyes, no limbs in Iraq
  

Deforestation reasons

• Conscious human activity, towards sustaining a wasteful lifestyle:
  -> Millions of acres converted to cattle farms so that we can eat our burgers and meat.
  -> Cultivating vital fuels such as sugarcane, corn- so that sugar can be converted into ethanol to power our cars- so that we can drive hummers and SUVs to feel "empowered" because of the lack of spirituality in our lives.
  

[And this is the part I love]

• When the Prophet pbuh passed Uhud, he said, this is a mountain that loves us, and we love it.
• Moaning of the stump on the pain of the separation with the Prophet (pbuh)

Trees, birds, beasts, flowers: all beautify the world we live in, they are all our friends. We all worship together.

Hunger- Reflections Ramadan 24

A few days into Ramadan I stuck a paper on the fridge to keep track of daily food wastage- leftovers that no one wants to eat, tea that went cold, fruits or veges that went bad lying in the fridge, food that tasted awful because it was prepared in a state of fasting, etc.

I don't think anyone @ home realises the list is up. It's been a great personal exercise. I've been encouraged to eat leftovers all the time, and I personally don't mind it at all.

We seem to have lost all humility when eating food. The Prophet (pbuh) would eat his meals with great humility, almost as if it was a ritual. His intention wasn't enjoyment. Once Umar (ra) found someone eating and buying lots of grapes(?) in the market. Umar asked him, "what's this?" To which the man responded, "my family asked for some..", Umar (ra) said, "Is that everything you desire, you will buy?"

Is that, everything we desire, we will eat and indulge in? How controlled are our eating habits?
We need to think what are we being nourished by- Is it from the remembrance of Allah, or is it from food? Over-eating is another disease of the heart.

Some things have been irritating me a lot. Pakistanis watching Pakistani politics nowadays. Ask them, and they'll tell you exactly what's going on- how it's all wrong. They'll tell you about all the propagandas, and about why a certain politician is stupid, and why the other one is an idiot. Oh, and they're excellent also in immitating and mocking them. How everyone's just after power and they're so dumb that they don't realise people can see through their tactics, so on and so forth.
BUT ask a Pakistani about the hunger problem in Pakistan. Ask them about the flood or earthquake victims. Ask them how many people didn't have food to eat for iftar. Ask them how many people suffer because of the extreme weather in certain places. You can't ask them. They don't know.
I'm upset.

From Time.com:


Breidjing Refugee Camp, Chad: Stirring the Pot
Sudanese refugee D'jimia Souleymane prepares a pot of aiysh, a thick porridge which she and her family eat three times a day.
Breidjing Refugee Camp, Chad: Water Bearers
A woman and child carry drinking and cooking water from a distribution point back to their tent.

Breidjing Refugee Camp, Chad: United Nations Food Distribution Center
A refugee woman sifts through sand in order to pluck out any bits of grain which might have dropped to the ground during the previous day's ration disbursement.

Tunnel Trade on Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera is real news! I wish I had more time to watch it.
Last week on People and Power, Al Jazeera broadcasted a video on tunnel trade between the Gaza-Egypt border.
One of the tunnel traders talked about how he found medicine in the bag he was transporting through the tunnel for heart disease. He said how can he be doing something wrong, when he sells the medicine for a third of the price?
These people really have no choice. May Allah (swt) help them.

This film was made by Laila El-Haddad and Saeed Taji Farouky. Please visit their site and leave your comments.

Read the article here- Tunnel Trade.

Part I

Part II

Is your car here?

Watch out for MyBikeLane Toronto!

I never knew that cars stopping or parking in bike lanes was an offense.

A bit on who really built this country

The world is all too familiar with craze around the spectacular development in UAE, specifically in Dubai. People talk about "walking on the streets barefeet", "streets being made of gold", and what not. A lot of it is not just myth. The rulers of UAE have been pushing for innovative, record-breaking, near-perfection designs in everything the contractors build. The country has extremely high levels of fine on littering. People living in high-rise buildings aren't allowed to "hang their clothes outside to dry" because it spoils the view of the city.

Behind all this glamour is the sad reality of the down-trodden, overworked, badly paid labour class. Cheap labour that UAE gets from countries like Phillipines, India, Pakistan, and other places.

In Al Ain, it's all too common to notice every Arab family has a maid accompanying them- either holding the groceries, carrying a child or pushing the shopping cart. Sometimes, if the Arab man goes shopping alone, the maid accompanies him too. I see this as modern day slavery, which human rights commissions across the Middle East have been condemning.
And here is where the awfully structured Kafala System come in.

What is the Kafala System?
Basically, the sponsorship system means that expatriate workers can only enter, work, and leave certain countries with the assistance or explicit permission of their sponsor or employer, who is a local in the country. This is basis upon which visas are issued.
Because of the domain in which they work - households – domestic workers also do not fall under any other national laws, and are essentially not legally classified as workers. Because their work is basically legally unrecognised and they are unrecognised as workers, they are explicitly unable to exercise the rights and freedoms afforded to workers.
Also because of their 'unrecognised' status, and even their unrecognised work, it is difficult to scrutinise and regulate their working and living conditions.

Human Rights Violation

"... they wake up to help their employer make suhoor (pre dawn meal) then the day begins with the children going to school in the morning, in the afternoon they prepare the futoor with their employer, and they stay up at night till the family goes to sleep – this includes all other duties of caring for the house and children – and the next day it begins again. They work for undefined hours, they are not able to practice their own religion freely, they are not given days off, there are cases of non-payment of salaries.They have controlled and limited freedom of movement - they are not free to move outside the sponsor's home and they are not free to receive visitors or have partners. Their passports are withheld. They have problems with living conditions, being fed, medical provisions - and these are the day to day sufferings that we do not hear about. And then comes the psychological, verbal, physical and sexual abuse which we have received cases of in Bahrain and seen minimal coverage of in the regional media in these cases the abusers have been the employers or sponsors but also their children or relatives"

Abuse
In Bahrain the average number of hours worked per week was 108, in Kuwait 101, in the UAE 105. These women had an average of 1 day off per month. They all spoke of control on their freedom of movement. Every single one interviewed reported that their passport was held by their employer. None of them were given renumeration for working overtime. In each country, more than 40% of the women interviewed reported physical, verbal or sexual abuse.

For two years now, Sri Lankan authorities have been trying to gain a pardon from the Saudi family who claim that their 17 year old maid a Sri Lankan girl, Rizana (sentenced to beheading in public), killed their 4 yr old infact. Fools. She obviously wasn't trained in childcare, and also she claims she didn't choke the baby. But I can't even call them fools because, most of these Arab families don't know any better. They don't know about human rights, about equal treatment, fairness, and most importantly, acquiring skilled labour.

Those are the women...

The men have an equally sad story. In a way, I admire these men- they work awfully long hours in the sun- more than 40 degree temperature on most days, hitting past 50- they sleep in cars, trunks, under the trees, trucks, anywhere. They do as they're told. All so that they can earn a few dirhams and send it to their families back home, whom they see once every few years.

• Imagine selling newspapers at intersections, and moving from place to place carrying a heavy load of papers on your bike for 8 hours a day, and not having enough cold water to keep you hydrated?
• Or, finding cars to sleep the night where you have to pay 5dhs for it?
• Or, collecting cans, pieces of metals, glass to sell for a few dirhams?

No one bothers educating these men- Setting up English/Arabic language conversational programs for them, health insurance, hygienic accommodations, and everything else. As was mentioned on the UAE community blog, if labour wasn't dirt cheap, how would Dubai be where it is today?

Or, as a Vice President of an investment bank in Dubai was telling me a few months back, "Shouldn't the money be going to these people who're working day in and out? But no, the money goes to the rich companies. What are the Islamic banks doing?"

One of the emails Al Jazeera received on this issue read: "It's about time the country sets high standards by fair treatment of people, than by building scyscrapers".

But, perhaps, the saddest part of this whole ordeal is that... people, who watch everything and know everything turn a blind eye to it, since of course, they are benefitting from the fruits of these labours indirectly. Are we superior, just because we are educated? We've become so used to comfort and luxury and too desensitised to the point that we've just...stopped noticing.

Some reading:

1. Female domestic workers living under the Kafala system in GCC states
2. Seeking Pardon for Rizana

My Life Without My Dad

Lines written by Johaina Aamer, the 9-year old daughter of Shaker Aamer, 29 June 2007.

After school, when I have reached home,
“I have a surprise for you,” says my mum.

I get excited. What if my dad has returned?
It would be the best thing that ever happened.

“A chocolate cake and some games for fun.”
How can I say, “Thanks mum, but I want none.”

I run to my room with my heart broken.
My dad in a cage, locked up in a prison.

He was sold to the people with no hearts or emotions.
Where is the justice, for my dad is innocent’?

A long, long waiting but no sign of return.
Each day is same for my brothers, me and mum.

I miss you everyday, you are never forgotten.
I wish to say goodbye to the world of corruption

So we can be together and rejoice in heaven.
I hide my tears and smile for this reason.

---

Read more [Shaker Aamer, A South London Man in Guantánamo: The Children Speak]

The leadership vision

A lot of my readers may have heard of CAMP- Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals.
Most people think that CAMP is a "pick-up joint", "marriage organisation", "inter-mixing social club" etc. Perhaps its true that people may join it for that intention.

I wanted to share my "version" of the CAMP's vision. Good role-players in any organisation come with their goals. They have to fulfill their responsibilities keeping in mind their goals- what they want to achieve. The Leader of the organisation is responsible for getting all the leaders on the same platform- One vision for all.

In the last few years, I've been in the scene of many organisations. To list a few: CAIR Can Toronto, CIC, MSA @ UofT St George, ICNA Relief, FMW, CAMP Toronto, CAMP Intl, MAC, MAC Youth Give, Antiwar, ISNA, IRFAN, MAP, IMAP IT, DawaNet, YM, YM Academics, TorontoMuslims, RIS, NAMF, UM.
I'm a big fan of evaluation reports. The evaluation report of the biggest event I had led and organised was 15 pages long. And through my volunteer work, I analyse leadership structures, people dynamics and learning curves.

If it wasn't so late in the night, I'd go into how I got involved with CAMP, but I'll just stick to the vision inshallah. I've been part of CAMP for 2 years now, initially serving as their leadership development coordinator.

First, I'll state what is required for the CAMP ideology to work:

1. Modelling the way
2. Inspiring a shared vision
3. Enable others to act
4. Challenging the process
5. Encouraging the heart

[By the way, these 5 points are what makes school teachers and principals good leaders]

CAMP has grown marvelously, with full-fledged chapters spread across North America. They organise events- socials, sports, recreational, book clubs, dinners, and much more. CAMP now also has a sister organisation called CAMP Cares, which is the community/charitable wing, to give CAMP members recognition for their community work under the banner of CAMP. I attribute the growth of CAMP to 2-3 leaders who are extremely outgoing, committed and visionaries. CAMP also works with the policy of "mutual benefit" with most organisations. And this is what the organisers of, for example, MuslimFest are learning- The importance of mutual cooperation.
A lot of organisations have collapsible structures. They have problems such as: the older uncles not giving up, ethnic conflicts, finger-pointing, stretched-out resources, short-sightedness, etc. Such organisations are like weeds. They wont last long, they're wasting good resources, they're depleting their people, etc.
CAMP members are qualified professionals. These are the people who are run the economy, make political decisions, manage people, invent technology, etc. MAC, Muslim Association of Canada is an organisation that's devoted to "training" Muslims. If MAC is a wise organisation, it would train the CAMP professionals. However, some key players in MAC think that they should focus on training the younger group because that has far-reaching effects. True, but what about people who're already out there, they just need some orientation, but they are in a position to make decisions that would positively effect the society?
The problem in our (Toronto) community is that we're stretched out on resources and we lack good leadership. Everyone knows this. At any given time I work with several organisations so I know it. And I've also built foundations for several projects that people were dreaming about, but couldn't to launch them.

My vision for CAMP:
I believe CAMP is going to continue growing very fast. So far, the backbone has been these 2-3 people. (I wish I could name them here, but I dont want to reduce their award). If for the next few years we continue to have an influx of good quality leaders, CAMP will be more than just an organisation of Muslim professionals- It will be a training centre, the largest network of Muslims, established in community services, perhaps even with a rich philanthropic wing...

The 5 points I mentioned about, I have seen them in CAMP's leaders. These current CAMP leaders need to continue training the incoming leaders. CAMP leaders do a good job of identifying committed people from their members. There's no agreement, deal, commitment- people join in easily. Unlike in some organisations where you feel a lot of pressure, or even dont have the option of quitting once you're in. Now, it's true that not everything CAMP does can be classified as 100% halal. All their events are mixed. I consider it a big issue. A book club or even a movie night could pass, but perhaps rafting wont. So, which way is CAMP headed? In order to fix that, CAMP needs to get good scholars on an advisory board. And that's where a training wing is extremely important- train Muslims to realise their position in the community, their relationship with Allah (swt) and the importance of personal development.
On Friday congregations.. all sorts of Muslims assemble. Most of them don't even pay attention to what the Imam is saying. It's the same type of thing with CAMP. It's a big crowd of a mix of people- from the most religious to the least. Through wisdom and communication in various forms, the leaders are shaping their members for a better society.

Small Change big Difference

This is one of the best changes ever.. towards creating environmentally aware citizens. I'm so happy, Alhamdulillah and I bought my first bag as well!

In a push to reduce the millions of plastic bags that pollute the UAE's ecosystem every year, MAF Hypermarkets (Carrefour) today introduced reusable bags at their checkout counters as an alternative to plastic bags.Shoppers will be encouraged to purchase their own big reusable bags from Carrefour at the checkout for 2 Dirhams (cost price). If damaged at any point, the bags can be replaced at any Carrefour outlet free of charge.

The Eradication of Polio

As there is for smallpox, an immunization thechnology is also available to achieve global eradication of polio.
...
Only 784 cases were reported worldwide in 2003, compared with 350,000 in 1988. As estimated two billion children have been immunized since 1988, with the cooperation of twenty million volunteers and international funding on the order of $3 billion.

- The End of Poverty, Jeffrey D. Sachs

20 million volunteers. We're a 6 billion people.
We can change the face of the world if we cooperate.
We can end poverty if each one of us takes it as a personal cause.
We can turn dreams into reality if we put others first.

Technology around Stephen Hawking

Hawking is severely disabled by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS (a type of motor neuron disease.)
When he was young, he enjoyed riding horses and playing with the other children. At Oxford, he coxed a rowing team, which, he stated, helped relieve his immense boredom at university. Symptoms of the disorder first appeared while he was enrolled at Cambridge. He lost balance and fell downstairs, hitting his head. Worried of losing his genius, he took the Mensa International test to verify that his intellectual abilities were intact. Diagnosis came when Hawking was 21, shortly before his first marriage, and doctors said he would not survive more than two or three years. He battled the odds and has survived much longer than any other known ALS patient[3], although he has become increasingly disabled by the gradual progress of the disease.
He gradually lost the use of his arms, legs, and voice, and is now almost completely paralyzed. The computer system attached to his wheelchair is operated by Hawking via an infra-red 'blink switch' clipped onto his glasses. By scrunching his right cheek up, he is able to talk, compose speeches, research papers, browse the World Wide Web and write e-mail. The system also uses radio transmission to provide control over doors in his home and office.
During a visit to the research center CERN in Geneva in 1985, Hawking contracted pneumonia, which in his condition was life-threatening. It resulted in acute difficulty of breathing, which could only be overcome through a tracheotomy by which Stephen Hawking lost his natural speech ability. He has since used an electronic voice synthesizer to communicate. The voice synthesizer, which has an American accent, is of a model that is no longer produced. Asked why he has still kept it after so many years, Hawking mentioned that he has not heard a voice he likes better and because he identifies with it. Hawking is said to be looking for a replacement since, other than being obsolete, the synthesizer, a DECtalk DTC01 is now considered large and fragile but as of present, finding a software alternative has been difficult. During a lecture in Hong Kong in June 2006, he joked that if he got a new one with a French accent, his wife would divorce him.
When Hawking (then using a wheelchair and unable to dress himself) and his wife were first living together, they received no outside assistance other than from physics students who helped in exchange for extra attention with their work. As his condition worsened, Hawking needed a team of nurses to provide round-the-clock care. He also needed a wheelchair for mobility.
Despite his disease, he describes himself as "lucky" — not only has the slow progress of his disease provided time to make influential discoveries, it has also afforded time to have, in his own words, "a very attractive family"[4]. When Jane was asked why she decided to marry a man with a 3-year life expectancy, she responded: "These were the days of atomic gloom and doom, so we all had rather a short life expectancy."

Source: Wikipedia

The 16 Decisions of Grameen Bank

In the 9 years of Grameen Bank, Muhammad Yunus has established 16 decisions that the loanees have to make before they get the money. These are some of the most-well thought out issues you could ever bring out in a developing country.
To think that 6.74 million borrowers, 97 percent of whom are women have actually committed themselves to do away with dowry- The concept is simply unbelievable.
In the CNN report on Muhammad Yunus receiving the Nobel Peace Award, upon being asked that Islam prohibits interest, and "you are a Muslim, most of your borrowers are Muslim, then how does this work?" He replied that most (religious) people who had issues with his bank were concerned with that the loans went to women, and NOT that he asked for interest...

1. We shall follow and advance the four principles of Grameen Bank --- Discipline, Unity, Courage and Hard work – in all walks of our lives.
2. Prosperity we shall bring to our families.
3. We shall not live in dilapidated houses. We shall repair our houses and work towards constructing new houses at the earliest.
4. We shall grow vegetables all the year round. We shall eat plenty of them and sell the surplus.
5. During the plantation seasons, we shall plant as many seedlings as possible.
6. We shall plan to keep our families small. We shall minimize our expenditures. We shall look after our health.
7. We shall educate our children and ensure that they can earn to pay for their education.
8. We shall always keep our children and the environment clean.
9. We shall build and use pit-latrines.
10. We shall drink water from tubewells. If it is not available, we shall boil water or use alum.
11. We shall not take any dowry at our sons' weddings, neither shall we give any dowry at our daughters wedding. We shall keep our centre free from the curse of dowry. We shall not practice child marriage.
12. We shall not inflict any injustice on anyone, neither shall we allow anyone to do so.
13. We shall collectively undertake bigger investments for higher incomes.
14. We shall always be ready to help each other. If anyone is in difficulty, we shall all help him or her.
15. If we come to know of any breach of discipline in any centre, we shall all go there and help restore discipline.
16. We shall take part in all social activities collectively.

See the images here: The 16 Decisions of Grameen Bank

Please save water

I'm reposting this, as my information was incomplete the first time. I was waiting for my friend Anup to do the research for me :P

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“Consider the water which you drink. Was it you that brought it down from the rain cloud or We? If We had pleased, We could make it bitter” [Qur'an 56:68-70].

Please please save water. It's an easy thing to do. Save water when you turn on taps, when you use the dishwasher, when you wash your clothes and dishes, and when you water your garden.
Please do not exploit this miraculous blessing from Allah (swt). Please follow the sunnah. Save each drop, and thank Allah for this bountiful blessing.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):
- Performed ablution using one mudd [i.e. a measure equal to a handful of water] (Al-Tirmidhi)
- Took a shower using one sa` [four handfuls].
- said "Do not waste water even if performing ablution on the bank of a fast-flowing (large) river.

Why should we conserve water?
Think of what happens @ the end of the pipe. Where does tap water come from?
From surface water, including reservoirs, lakes and rivers, and the rest from ground waters. The latter come from aquifers, which are underground geological formations that store rainwater. The rainwater seeps through porous strata such as sandstone and chalk. Water companies drill wells or bore holes into aquifers and draw water from them.
Major cities are usually supplied from the larger volume surface waters, whereas ground waters supply smaller populations, although this is not always the case. There are also areas that receive water from a mixture of sources.
Water is treated at water treatment works before flowing through water mains, sometimes over considerable distances, to arrive at your home. Samples are taken at each stage of treatment and distribution along the way, and tested by the water company to make sure that you receive high quality water.
- Dams cause loss and destruction of habitat
- Removal of surface water causes erosion
- Increase in saltwater intrusion can cause change

The major problem with water today is it's commercialisation. And what this is doing is making water expensive for poor people, even in rich countries.
From the United Nations Human Development Report:
- Access to piped water into the household averages about 85% for the wealthiest 20% of the population, compared with 25% for the poorest 20%
- “Already, corporations own or operate water systems across the globe that bring in about $200 billion a year. Yet they serve only about 7 percent of the world’s population, leaving a potentially vast market untapped.” (John Tagliabue, As Multinationals Run the Taps, Anger Rises Over Water for Profit, New York Times, August 26, 2002)
An amazing resource is: Water Conserve

Here are some water saving tips from American Water and Energy Savers:

1. Create an awareness of the need for water conservation among your children. Avoid the purchase of recreational water toys which require a constant stream of water.
2. Be aware of and follow all water conservation and water shortage rules and restrictions which may be in effect in your area.
3. Encourage your employer to promote water conservation at the workplace. Suggest that water conservation be put in the employee orientation manual and training program.
4. Patronize businesses which practice and promote water conservation.
5. Report all significant water losses (broken pipes, open hydrants, errant sprinklers, abandoned free-flowing wells, etc.) to the property owner, local authorities or your Water Management District.
6. Encourage your school system and local government to help develop and promote a water conservation ethic among children and adults.
7. Support projects that will lead to an increased use of reclaimed waste water for irrigation and other uses.
8. Support efforts and programs to create a concern for water conservation among tourists and visitors to our state. Make sure your visitors understand the need for, and benefits of, water conservation.
9. Encourage your friends and neighbors to be part of a water conscious community. Promote water conservation in community newsletters, on bulletin boards and by example.
10. Conserve water because it is the right thing to do. Don't waste water just because someone else is footing the bill such as when you are staying at a hotel.
11. Try to do one thing each day that will result in a savings of water. Don't worry if the savings is minimal. Every drop counts. And every person can make a difference. So tell your friends, neighbors and co-workers to "Turn it Off" and "Keep it Off".

Death is certain

It wasn't the first time that I had to deal with an emergency @ the Hospital for Sick Children as the Muslim Chaplain Assistant. But it's one of those incidents that you can never forget. Subhanallah. May Allah (swt) protect us, and give us good health. Life's trial can be very extreme for some people. And can change their lives forever.
And I hope that I never forget it.
The last thing I was expecting within a week of Eid was an emergency @ the hospital. My friends and I had just finished giving out some gifts to the kids in the hospital, when one of them expressed that she'd like to go home...
"But there's one more baby to visit...", I said. This was on Sunday afternoon, after Eid... on October 29th. But she expressed that she was tired, and wanted to go home and change.
I walked by myself to the NICU, thinking about what to say. I wasn't quite prepared- I didn't know the family, or the case, all that I had done was dropped off the baby's gift with the nurse on the day of Eid.
I explained who I was, and the nurse let me know. I was familiar with this ward... so many machines... the family care room, the incubators, my first emergency case earlier in the year... Subhanallah, I felt scared. The nurses of the baby were very confused to see me.
"How did you know?"
"Know what?"
"That we're going to remove the feeding tube?"
My heart skipped a beat. Here I was, to see the beautiful baby, and to wish the family Eid Mubarak, and spend some good time with them, and the nurses tell me that the baby is going to die really soon! I really wasn't prepared for this. Incidentally, I didn't have my Qur'an on me, or my reference book either. The next few hours, as I witnessed the tragedy the family went through, my mind was so confused. I felt very lonely, and at a loss for words. I'm not even sure if I asked Allah (swt) for strength. And personally, that time in my life was so difficult, I was being lashed out at like a leaf in an angry storm.
"A chaplain! You must be sent by God". And the other nurse repeated the same.
When the whole ordeal was over, I realised definitely I was sent by Allah (swt), to learn some very important lessons of life.
The nurses updated me on the case. It was really sad. The mother only spoke Urdu, and thankfully that's one of the languages I speak. The baby was about a month old, a girl and she could not survive on her own due to a congenital defect.
I sat with the mother for a long time. She didn't look much older than me, but had 3 other children, who were watching TV next to us. I can't imagine how it must have been for them to spend their days like this @ the hospital. Her husband was on EI. They didn't have any relatives. She said some things to me, that really made me reflect.
"Why did Allah give her to me, if He had to take her away?"

Yes, why does Allah (swt) give us people we love in our lives and then take them away, whether it's because of a death, a separation, divorce, misunderstanding?

The nurses would come every now and then, to take the baby away from her. Of course, one of the nurse said, "there's never a good time. Waiting is not going to help much".
I looked at the mother in front of me, a tiny figure, her face wet with tears, her scarf and clothes all ruffled- she had the baby in her arms.
So much love, I thought to myself. Even though the baby is deformed, and has caused the entire family to spend the month in the hospital. Her hands and feet were deformed and twisted. But her face was so beautiful... They loved her so much that they wanted this little life to live, even though she wasn't perfect... Just pure, simple, beautiful love.

"They've been asking me to give her to them. How can I do that? How can a mother do that?"

I didn't realise what a profound action it would be for the mother. Basically you're giving your own daughter, whom you delivered from your womb, with a lot of pain, to death. They would take off her tubes, and that would be the end of her life. But wasn't it Musa's mother, who cast him into the river in a basket? And all the strong women of the past, who made greater sacrifices? Mother's are tested the most in this world. Look at all the mothers in Iraq and Palestine.
Her husband was so supportive. I had to contain myself, and be strong for all of them. He said, "she was only meant to be with us for this short time. Say Allah's name and let her go".
I recited Yasin softly. They waited for me until I was done with my duas.

May Allah bless Musarrat and Aunty... they showed up a bit later, and were an awesome awesome support. Musarrat made sure all the children had food, and she even cleaned up everything. She sat with the mother and hugged her, and comforted her a lot.
In front of me, I witnessed an action so powerful and compassionate- what one Muslim does for another truly for the sake of Allah (swt). And there are people in this world who find it so easy to be unjust.
It was getting late in the night.
I did go home, but the nurse called me back saying the mother really needed support. I got onto the bike, and was back @ the hospital.
The baby had died. I spoke with the two boys. Mashallah, what strong young little boys, the oldest being in grade 8. They had sober expressions on their face. I can't believe these kids were witnessing something like this @ such a young age. For sure this would shoot up their maturity, and change their perception of life. I wished that I could've talked to the 2 boys longer.

The nurses informed me that they better take the baby away soon, because she's going to turn blue, cold and hard, and it's not good for the parents to have that as the last memory. And true, in front of me, the baby had begun to turn blue. Her brother touched her and said she was very cold. Yet, she was wrapped in blankets, and her soft, silky hair were slightly visible. Her mother looked stunned, she was quiet, and crying silently. Her husband sat on the chair next to her.
A while later, I started a conversation. She said, "I was convinced Allah would cure her. In Pakistan my relatives said that the doctors have been able to cure several such cases".
What do you do when your conviction in something fails you? It's the affair of the believer. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "Strange is the affair of the mu'min (the believer). Verily, all his affairs are good for him. If something pleasing befalls him he thanks (Allah) and it becomes better for him. And if something harmful befalls him he is patient (saabir) and it becomes better for him. And this is only for the mu'min." But if it were in the hands of the doctor... this world doesn't work this way.
I couldn't stress enough how important it was for the mother to be patient through this. I repeated again and again, and again. For there's nothing better than beautiful patience.
I'll stop the narration here.
That day I realised that, anything can happen to anyone, and at any time. Doesn't matter if you're rich or poor. If you have a lot of iman or not. Allah will surely test you. You will be hurled around in this world. You will be forced to hold on to hope. And sometimes, you'll have to let go of hope. But your troubles will never be greater than the ones of the one in front of you, and you can never fully understand what the one in front of you goes through. Your deeds are your own deeds. Your pain is your own pain. And this is just a temporarily world, and Allah's promise is true.

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Related link: Chaplaincy-The beginnings

What is 1325?

1325 brought a lot of expectations and hopes for women around the the world, regardless of the fact that most were, and still are unaware of this resolution.
This was the first time in history that the United Nations addressed the role and experience of women in armed conflict.
so, what is it really?
A watershed political framework that makes gender perspectives and women relevant to negotiating peace agreements, planning humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, and rebuilding war-torn communities. It makes the pursuit of gender equality relevant to every single Security Council action, ranging from elections to disarmament efforts. The resolution is a broad blueprint, calling for change in how the international community approaches peace and security issues. By adopting SCR1325, the UN commits to including references to women and a gender perspective in all Security Resolutions, UN mission mandates and reports.
Read the entire resolution here.

As Sir Emyr Jones Parry, President of the Security Council said on OCtober 28, 2005:
"If we want to do justice to peace, we must do justice to resolution 1325"

I'm quite pressed for time, so more later...

From Local to Global: Making Peace Work for Women

"Leadership of women is not just a matter of mandate. Women's leadership has to be bought with a clear vision, fired by commitment, nourished by credibility, galvanised by performance, and cradled incessantly in the bosom of power. It should stand in the bed rock of a politicized constituency, and a platform of results that would benefit not only women, but everyone in society."

- Dr Massouda Jalal, Minister for Women's Affairs, Afghanistan

In the next few weeks, I'm going to spend a few posts on the Security Council resolution 1325. It's been 6 years since this resolution, and I wanted to write about:
- UN's progress and responsibility
- UN System-Wide Action Plan
- Different departments/committees that merged
- Their recommendations
- The global leaders behind this
- Advocacy and awareness
- Resources: where to go for more

The Wall Must Fall

http://thewallmustfall.ca/
Sign and send the campaign postcard to the Prime Minister. Insist the Canadian government publicly work to uphold the decision of the International Court of Justice.