I have accidentally deleted my very long review on Ishmael Reed’s book; Mumbo Jumbo, which I finshed two weeks ago and along with some commentaries on Robinson’s Black Marxism. You can’t imagine how angry I am, but you, the reader, can help me easing my anger by telling what is your opinion on the passage about the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) in Mumbo Jumbo. Do you think it is blasphemous?
I have decided finally to buy the book and it was delivered to me last Saturday by post. Once I got it on my hands, I started right away to read and just could not lay it down. The first chapter (The inventions of the Negro) was fantastic! The problem faced by White racists on what to do with Shakespeare’s Othello (I can’t believe Wikipedia today questions his race and skin colour) and the translation of the Bible into English (King James’ version) and Karl Marx’s affection for ancient Greek (”he queried how two societies separated by more than two millennia, by different cultures, by the appearance of a new civilization (Christians), and by untold changes in the forms of productions could share criteria of physical beauty and literary artistry-CJP”)
I leave this quote:
The purpose of racism is to control the behaviour of white people, not Black people. For Blacks, guns and tanks are sufficient.
Otis Madison, “Confronting Racism”, January 1997
As’salamu Aleikum all,
First I do have an important question and I hope to get an answer as soon as possible. I had an argument with my aunt whether it is permissible to say in the middle of daily prayers: “A’udo Billah Minah-Shaytani Rajiim” (cursing the devil). I said to her whence you started the prayer, it is not permissible to mention the name of devil, even when you are distracted and want to come ‘back’ and concentrate, and the person who prays should imagine that he stands front of Allah(swt). I like to know if it is true, and my aunt disagrees with me. Jazak Allah Khair .
Now to blogging.
I really don’t like the contents of my blog. Too much negative on what is going on in the world, and always on defensive position. It reached a point where it started to have an effect on me. I began blogging because I wanted to pass on things I felt so passionate about , and to be honest, I do not care if it is one or ten persons who read my blog. If you go through the archives, I started with research papers, mostly about debunking popular Western perspectives on Africa and Islam, and slowly turned into something I did not expected, like who cares if Chomsky is a gatekeeper?
I’ll, sooner or later reduce my activity when I’ll start to seek a job, and Insha’Allh, this autumn will be the beginning of my travel to overseas in several countries.
So a new survey among “feinschmeckere” (connoisseurs; because they can’t trust common people or afriad to ask them when your tax rate is 50%) shows that Copenhagen is the best city to live in the world! (not in Europe or Northern hemisphere, but in the World!!). Maybe they confuse with another city in another planet, and shows how desperate the elites and the government are to cleanse off the bad reputation the country got after the Cartoon Crisis, and not to forget the billions they lost in business mainly in the Middle East, but I had no idea it was that desperate; even to take that step to bribe foreign ad agencies, wow. I wonder how much it costed of taxpayers’ money.
If you look at the list, it confirms that prejudiced views of 1800s and racist are well and alive. None of the cities are from outside…or as Henry Kissinger said:
History has never been produced in the South. The axis of history starts in Moscow, goes to Bonn, crosses over to Washington, and then goes to Tokyo. What happens in the South is of no importance. You’re wasting your time
But when you have computer specialists who can turn a duck pond into a castle, then you do have an enormous power!
How powerful these photoshops are? Well, some young Muslim girls find it cool to participate “Miss headscarf 2008” After all, as the winner of the competition said:
“The woman is like a diamond and you don’t show it to everyone.”
And here I thought women have soul and not an object.
PS. And what about men? Are they not valuable?
When English Team is not qualified to any of these tournaments 
It is not only that they can’t play football, but we will have peace and quiet from endless coverages about what hair colour and design outfits a player has, or even what their players’ wifes are spending on their free times.
Let’s hope they will not be there in the world cup 2010 in South Africa.
[Note from gess: I'll be back in the end of this week, Insha'Allah. If you comment, please know that your comment will be approved when I return. Enjoy the games ]
I got an invitation by my friend to visit China during the Olympic Games this August. It will be my first trip to the country and I think I need a visa to enter the country.
I just want to ask my readers if you have any advice; things to avoid — things to do – sightseeing — etc. I’d appreciate your comments.
My biggest concern right now is that I might not get a visa ; probably it is too late to apply for one.
Anyway, if that will not work, I got another invitation to visit India this December; also from a friend who knows the country very well. She has been there couple of times and has contact to major Buddhist temples in North India.
Tibetan girls from a Nakchu Primary Education Project partner school in Driru county hide shyly behind their books.
I have joined for three weeks ago a fitness centre for women only, the first of its kind here in Denmark. The owner of the place is a 33 years old male and he came up with the idea from a research in the USA that showed women feel comfortable working out in the gym with other women. Why are we surprised about that?
Insha’Allah, if I have more time tomorrow, I’ll do my best to write the latest public debate (and very ugly) on Islamic headscarf.
To my readers, believe me or not, all my entries on this site were written or posted during work hours — meaning I have maximum 20 min to write a post or a comment, and no, I don’t take my laptop at home unless it is very urgent.
Yesterday I had my lunch break with an old lady (65 years old) and a friend. She finished her Master degree in history and she told that there were possibilities that she would get a PhD degree based on three articles she published. Well, I was very happy for her and she seemed very proud of herself and relieved for coming out of the shadow of her siblings. She is the oldest daughter of very respectful family here in Denmark. Her father was the first person who conducted brain surgery, and one of her brothers is a famous film director. Despite all of their successes, all the family members are down to earth people and participate various humanitarian organisations.
Some how our conversation turned into cultural education and we discussed if it was reasonable to expect an African child in Africa to learn first a European tongue before he even mastered his mother tongue, and I know some places in Africa have changed this old fashioned colonial system. My friend, on the other hand, saw no problem at all and thought it was justifiable, and gave me an example of her colleague who is also a historian. After her colleague fished her study, she sought a position to teach in Zambia, and since the country has no history (she is telling that to my friend) the only thing she could do was to teach the children the history of non other than the famous German Chancellor, Bismarck! Well, I honestly did not know what to say. I was beyond shocked. How do you respond to that? My initial thought was, how can someone give a PhD degree to a person who believes that countries in south of Sahara have no history, and I was particularly shocked that it was my friend. I mean, what have she read all the years? It was indeed an reminder to me that title and wealth are not similitude with knowledge.
And our conversation turned into sadness. My friend continued how important for her was to get the PhD degree and to able to publish articles to see her name written on, because since she has no children it would be something she will left behind after her death. I thought this was much worse than what she said before. As a Muslim, our faith is based on that the Life in Hereafter is better than the present [Qur'an 93:4]; a Hereafter where you will not get older and never die, SubhanaAllah, May Allah (swt) Have Mercey on us, ameen. Certainly, we Muslims don’t believe that we should neglect the present Life, but it is an opportunity to prepare ourself to do good deeds, because when you will stand front of your Creator that Day, your thoughts are not concentrated on titles,fame or a PhD degree. For many Muslims (rich and poor) when they get old, they are often generous to help the orphans, set up schools or build a mosque. There is a well known Hadith our beloved Prophet(PBUH) taught us:“When the son of Adam passes away, all of his deeds are stopped except for three. Some kind of charity that is continuous, or knowledge which the people are benefiting from, or a righteous child who is praying for him.”
SubhanaAllah.
Just 200 pages left to finish Invisible Man.
A brief note. I am convinced that this book is about the life of Richard Wright. Ok,granted, I am on chapter 15, but there are so many parallels we have seen already; childhood in the South (both characters came from poor families), the genuine thought and commitment to help the black working classes. Both of them; the Party chose them, and not the other way around. Both men are gifted; one is talented speaker, the other a brilliant writer, which is why the Party needs them. In Wright’s case, he left the Party, and something tells me that our character in the book will take the same path.
Someone out there who agrees with me, or is it nonsense?
