donderdag 23 juli 2009

Allah Poem


Everything Reminds Me of You

Every falling leaf,

Every budding flower,

Every single raindrop,

Just reminds me of you,



Every single breathe,

Every single heartbeat,

The warmth of the sunshine,

The beautiful smiles of children,

Just reminds me of you,



Stars,

The sun,

And the moon,

In the galaxy,

Just remind me of you,



How could I live without you?

If all these creations of Allah (swt),

Just remind me of you....



Allah (swt) destine me,

You,

Not any other

All I have is you.

So how could I deny you?



I lift my hands in dua and in prostration,

After the name of Allah (swt), Prophet (pbuh) and Ammi,

Comes your name,

So how could I forget you?



All but all,

You are in my thoughts,

How could I not miss you?

woensdag 22 juli 2009

Rumi Happiness Poem


If you can disentangle
yourself from your selfish self
all heavenly spirits
will stand ready to serve you

if you can finally hunt down
your own beastly self
you have the right
to claim Solomon's kingdom

you are that blessed soul who
belongs to the garden of paradise
is it fair to let yourself
fall apart in a shattered house

you are the bird of happiness
in the magic of existence
what a pity when you let
yourself be chained and caged

but if you can break free
from this dark prison named body
soon you will see
you are the sage and the fountain of life

Rumi Music Poem


'Tis said, the pipe and lute that charm our ears
Derive their melody from rolling spheres;
But Faith, o'erpassing speculation's bound,
Can see what sweetens every jangled sound.

We, who are parts of Adam, heard with him
The song of angels and of seraphim.
Out memory, though dull and sad, retains
Some echo still of those unearthly strains.

Oh, music is the meat of all who love,
Music uplifts the soul to realms above.
The ashes glow, the latent fires increase:
We listen and are fed with joy and peace.

Rumi Love Poem


If anyone asks you
how the perfect satisfaction
of all our sexual wanting
will look, lift your face
and say,

Like this.

When someone mentions the gracefulness
of the nightsky, climb up on the roof
and dance and say,

Like this.

If anyone wants to know what "spirit" is,
or what "God’s fragrance" means,
lean your head toward him or her.
Keep your face there close.

Like this.

When someone quotes the old poetic image
about clouds gradually uncovering the moon,
slowly loosen knot by knot the strings
of your robe.

Like this.

If anyone wonders how Jesus raised the dead,
don’t try to explain the miracle.
Kiss me on the lips.

Like this. Like this.

When someone asks what it means
to "die for love," point
here.

If someone asks how tall I am, frown
and measure with your fingers the space
between the creases on your forehead.

This tall.

The soul sometimes leaves the body, then returns.
When someone doesn’t believe that,
walk back into my house.

Like this.

When lovers moan,
they’re telling our story.

Like this.

I am a sky where spirits live.
Stare into this deepening blue,
while the breeze says a secret.

Like this.

When someone asks what there is to do,
light the candle in his hand.

Like this.

How did Joseph’s scent come to Jacob?

Huuuuu.

How did Jacob’s sight return?

Huuuu.

A little wind cleans the eyes.

Like this.

When Shams comes back from Tabriz,
he’ll put just his head around the edge
of the door to surprise us 

Like this.

Who are the Muslims?


Who are the Muslims?

One and a half billion people (more than one fifth of the world's population) from a vast range of nationalities and cultures across the globe - from the southern Philippines to the western coast of Africa - are united by the common Islamic faith. Of these, about 15-18 percent live in the Arab world. The world's largest Muslim community is in Indonesia, and substantial parts of Asia and much of Africa are Muslim, while significant minorities are to be found in what used to be called the Soviet Union, as well as China, North and South America, Europe and Oceania. For Muslims, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life.

What do Muslims believe?

Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, in the angels created by Him, in the prophets through whom His revelations were brought to mankind, in the Day of judgement and individual accountability for actions, in God's complete authority over human destiny, and in life after death.

Islam teaches that human diversity is a sign of the richness of God's mercy. God has willed that human beings compete with each other in righteousness in order to test who is the best in deeds, and this is the reason for the creation of the universe. God alone is the judge of human righteousness, and it is God alone who rewards and punishes in this life and in the Hereafter.

God (whose name is "Allah" swt in Arabic) is the creator and sustainer of this universe, Since man cannot know his Creator through the physical senses, God has revealed Himself through a series of messengers or prophets. We are familiar with some of them through earlier scriptures such as the Torah and the [Injeel] Gospel. Every people on earth was at some time sent a messenger from God, but with the passing of generations men tended to deviate from the true religion, often replacing it with alien ideas and practices. Each prophet was sent to reform his people and turn them back to the worship of God alone. The last of these prophets was Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him), through whom God's message was completed. God promised that this final message would be preserved for all mankind. And the words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel (pbuh) to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have indeed been passed down to us in their original Arabic text, unchanged since the time of revelation. This scripture is called the Qur'an.

The essence of God's message through all of the prophets was:

"O mankind, worship God. You have no other deity but Him."[Qur'an: Surah al-A'raf 7:59, 65, 73, 85; Surah Hud 11:50, 61, 84; and Surah al-Muminun 23:23, 32].

Nothing is worthy of worship except Him who created you - not stone idols or fire, not heavenly bodies such as the sun and moon, not animals, not angels, and not other men (including prophets) - for all of these are His creations.

Allah (swt) says in the Qur'an Sourate N°2 The Cow (al-Baqqara) verse n° 285'THE APOSTLE ( Muhammad ), and the believers with him, believe in what has been bestowed upon him from on high by his Sustainer: they all believe in God, and His angels, and His revelations, and His apostles, making no distinction between any of His apostles; and they say: "We have heard, and we pay heed. Grant us Thy forgiveness, O our Sustainer, for with Thee is all journeys' end!'

God is one. His unity is evident in the order, arrangement and symmetry of the universe. He is all-knowing and all- powerful. He is completely just and merciful. God has revealed certain names and descriptions of Himself so that we may have a limited understanding of His qualities and therefore love, and at the same time, fear Him.

This universe was not formed by chance, nor is it left to chance. God created it for a purpose and subjected it to physical laws for an appointed period of time. Man was created for a purpose as well - to serve God on earth and live according to His law. This is the essence of Islam, , a word which means literally: submission to the will of God. It is God alone (who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves) who has the right to govern our lives. And His law means justice for all people regardless of nationality, color or social status. Human beings are judged only on the basis of righteousness.

Man has been given a free will and has been left the choice of whether or not he will follow the way of God. Furthermore, he has been given a mind with which he is able to reason and choose wisely. One may, by his own efforts, gain knowledge that enables him to recognize the evidence of God in His creation. By contemplation one may weigh, measure and learn from all situations. And finally, because the human mind and experience is limited, God has revealed the guidance we need through prophets.

After making available the information necessary for one to choose His way, God informs us in the Qur'an that after passing through a temporary stage of death man will bear the consequences of his choice in a greater life to come. Every individual is personally responsible for his own deeds - both good and evil. No one else can carry the burden of his sins.

On the other hand, God is always prepared to accept and forgive any servant who has gone astray and then repents and turns back to Him. The compensation for evil will be exact justice, but the compensation for good will be much greater - complete satisfaction and happiness.

This last message revealed by God to mankind through Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the final and complete religion and legal code for mankind. Just as a new revised law supersedes and invalidates what came before it, Islam now nullifies all former religions on earth. It corrects the deviations that had crept into religion previously, in the realm of both belief and practice. The text of the Qur'an has been preserved by God in order that humanity may no longer have an excuse to deviate and that there may always be men who keep the true religion.

The final prophet sent by the Creator to mankind was an example to be followed and obeyed. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) patterned his life on the teachings of the Qur'an, which were revealed to him by God. True Muslims try to follow this noble example. A high moral standard is clearly the goal of Islam. It is the duty of every Muslim to learn and put into practice all that he can of his religion in order to earn the pleasure of God before returning to Him.

Muslims have two distinct advantages to help them in the practice of Islam as their way of life:

The sacred scripture, the Qur'an, which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the seventh century, still remains authentic in its original Arabic text. This language is used and understood by millions of people in the world today. The Qur'an contains God's guidance in teachings and commandments, which are valid for all times and places and which encompass all spheres of human life.

The example of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) lives on as well. There is a complete and authentic record showing how he exemplified the teachings and commandments of God and elaborated the principles laid down in the Qur'an - all in order to provide sure guidance for their interpretation and application for all later times and societies.

Source

The Hijab or Islamic dress code for men and women


Question:
Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?
Answer:
The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijab’, let us first study the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam

1. In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust.

The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity:

a.Babylonian Civilization:
The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death.

b.Greek Civilization:
Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights andwere looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.

c.Roman Civilization:
When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans.

d.Egyptian Civilization:
The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.

e.Pre-Islamic Arabia:
Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive. 

2. Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and expects them to maintain their status. Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years ago. 

Hijab for men
People usually only discuss ‘hijab’ in the context of women. However, in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijab’ for men before ‘hijab’ for the women. The Qur’an mentions in Chapter 24 The Light / Surah An-Noor:
“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard
their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah iswell acquainted with all that they do.”
[Al-Qur’an 24:30] 


The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thoughtcomes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.

3. Hijab for women.

The next verse of Chapter 24 The Light/ Surah 24 An-Noor, says:
“ And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty andornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that theyshould draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beautyexcept to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, theirsons…”
[Al-Qur’an 24:31]


Six criteria for Hijab.

According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observing hijab:

1.Extent:The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the maleis to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body. All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.

2.The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.

3.The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through them.

4.The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.

5.The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.

6.The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. they should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of the unbelievers’ religions.

4. Hijab includes conduct and behaviour among other thing.

Complete ‘hijab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes the moral conduct, behaviour, attitude and intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijab’ of the clothes is observing ‘hijab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijab’ of the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijab’ of the eyes, ‘hijab’ of the heart, ‘hijab’ of thought and ‘hijab’ of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way a person talks, the way he behaves, etc.

5. Hijab prevents molestation

The reason why Hijab is prescribed for women is mentioned in the Qur’an in the following verses of Surah 33 Al-Ahzab:“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing womenthat they should cast their outer garments over their persons (whenabroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such)and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
[Al-Qur’an 33:59] 

6. Example of twin sisters

Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are equally beautiful, walk down the street. One of them is attired in the Islamic hijab i.e. the complete body is covered, except for the face and the hands up to the wrists. The other sister iswearing western clothes, a mini skirt or shorts. Just around the corner there is a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for a catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the skirt or the mini? Naturally he will tease the girl wearing the skirt or the mini. Such dresses are an indirect invitation to the opposite sex for teasing and molestation. The Qur’an rightly says that hijab prevents women from being molested.

7. Capital punishment for the rapists

Under the Islamic shariah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, is given capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some even say that Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion! I have asked a simple question to many non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid, someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are made the judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said they would put him to death. Some went to the extent of saying they would torture him to death. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put him to death. But if the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or daughter you say capital punishment is barbaric. Why should there be double standards?

8. Western society falsely claims to have uplifted women.

Western talk of women’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honour.Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contrary it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketeers, hidden behind the colourful screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’. With the media telling you what to wear and what not to wear. Most teenagers these days aren't happy with the way they look. Whereas 50 years ago they were much happier with themselves.  

9. USA has one of the highest rates of rape

United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape in any country in the world. According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in U.S.A alone. Later another report saidthat on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are committed in USA. The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. May be the Americans got ‘bolder’ in the following years. 

Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijab is followed in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to hismind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic hijab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands up to the wrist. After this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment. I ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate of rape in America increase, 
will it remain the same, or will it decrease?

10. Implementation of Islamic Shariah will reduce the rate of rapes

Naturally as soon as Islamic Shariah is implemented positive results will be inevitable. If Islamic Shariah is implemented in any part of the world, whether it is America or Europe, society will breathe easier. Hijab does not degrade awoman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity. The Qur’an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women judged by their character and this will also prevent them from being molested.

Source

Top 10 Misconceptions About Islam

In the words of Swiss journalist and author, Roger Du Pasquier “The West, whether Christian or dechristianised, has never really known Islam. Ever since they watched it appear on the world stage, Christians never ceased to insult and slander it in order to find justification for waging war on it. It has been subjected to grotesque distortions the traces of which still endure in the European mind. Even today there are many Westerners for whom Islam can be reduced to three ideas: fanaticism, fatalism and polygamy. Of course, there does exist a more cultivated public whose ideas about Islam are less deformed; there are still precious few who know that the word islam signifies nothing other than ’submission to God’. One symptom of this ignorance is the fact that in the imagination of most Europeans, Allah refers to the divinity of the Muslims, not the God of the Christians and Jews; they are all surprised to hear, when one takes the trouble to explain things to them, that ‘Allah’ means ‘God’, and that even the 12 million Arab Christians in the Middle East know Him by no other name. “

Misconception: All Muslims are Arabs

The common image of a Muslim is a turbaned dark Arab man with a long beard. However this image is part of the minority of Muslims. Arabs make only 15% of the world’s Muslim population. As a matter of fact the Middle East comes in third with East Asia coming in at first (69%) and Africa (27%) coming in at second. Another common misconception is that all Arabs are Muslims. While the vast majority of Arabs are Muslims (75%), there are many other religions that Arabs practice including Christianity and Judaism. Did you know Indonesia is the number one country when it comes to the Muslim population? ( around 200 million). No Muslim army has ever set foot into that country. The locals converted over time due to commerce and exchange of ideas.

Misconception: Muslims Hate Jesus (pbuh)

There are many similarities between the historical references of Christianity and Islam. Many people are amazed to find out that according to Muslim belief, Jesus ( peace be upon him) is one of the greatest messengers of God. One cannot be a Muslim without believing in the virgin birth and the many miracles of Jesus Christ (pbuh). Jesus(pbuh) is also mentioned in many verses of the Quran and is often used as an example of good virtue and character. His name is mentioned 25 times, whereas Mohammed (pbuh) is only mentioned 5 times. There is even a chapter in the Quran called Mary (in Arabic Maryam). However, the main difference between Christianity and Islam is that Muslims do not believe that Jesus (pbuh) was God. Pictured above is Jesus (pbuh) in an Islamic portrayal of the last judgement.

Misconception: Children have no rights

Children, according to Islamic law, have various rights. One of these is the right to be properly brought up, raised, and educated. Islam encourages children to be brought up well because it is the responsibility of an adult to raise his child to become a moral and ethical adult. Children must also be treated equally. When giving financial gifts they should all be the same amount and there should be no preference among them. Children are even permitted to take moderately from their parent’s wealth to sustain themselves if the parent declines to give them proper funds for living. A child is also not allowed to get hit in the face or hit by anything larger than a pencil.

Misconception: Islam is intolerable to other religions

‘Kill the infidel’ is the phrase many people believe is the ideology that Muslims have towards the non Muslims. This, though, is not a correct portrayal of Islamic law. Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all faiths. In the Quran it says “God does not forbid you, with regards to those who fight you not for religion nor drive you away out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them, for God loves those who are just.” There are many historical examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faith. One such example was when the caliph Umar was ruler of Jerusalem from 634 to 644 AD. He granted freedom to all religious communities and said that the inhabitants of his city were safe and that their places of worship would never be taken away from them. He also set up courts that were designated to the non Muslim minorities. Whenever he would visit holy areas he would ask for the Christian patriarch Sophronius (pictured above) to accompany him.

Misconception: Jihad means to fight for the sake of God

The true Arabic meaning of the word jihad is struggle. However in Islam it is often used to describe the striving in the way of god. There are many forms of jihad but the most important ones are Jihad al-nafs (jihad against ones self), jihad bil-lisan (jihad by being vocal), jihad bil yad (jihad by using action), and Jihad bis saif (jihad by using the sword). Each jihad is ranked differently and it was reported that Muhammad (pbuh) returned from a battle and said “We have returned from the lesser jihad (going into battle) to the greater jihad (the struggle of the soul).” This means that a Muslim struggling against himself and his soul is more important than the jihad of going into war. Another misconception is that only when a person dies in war does that person becomes a martyr. This is, however, false and it is believed that anyone doing anything for the sake of god and is killed becomes a martyr. A person who dies while performing pilgrimage in Mecca, a woman who dies while giving birth, or even someone who dies in a car crash while he was on his way to the mosque are all considered martyrs.

Misconception: The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a pedophile

While it is true that he married a girl that was at the age of nine that does not constitute pedophilia. Historically, the age at which a girl was considered ready to be married has been puberty. This was the case in Biblical times, and is still used today to determine the age of marriage in many parts of the world. This was part of the norm and is not something that Islam invented. The girl he got married to had reached puberty 3 years before marriage. It is upon reaching the age of puberty that a person, man or woman, becomes legally responsible for their actions under Islamic law. At this point, they are allowed to make their own decisions and are held accountable for their actions. It should also be mentioned that in Islam, it is unlawful to force someone to marry someone that they do not want to marry. There is no indication that the society at that time criticized this marriage due to the girl’s young age. On the contrary, the marriage was encouraged by the girl’s family and was welcomed by the community at large.

Misconception: Muslims are savages and barbaric during war

Quite the contrary, when it comes to the conduct of war there are ten rules that every Muslim army must obey:

1. Do not commit treachery
2. Do not deviate from the right path
3. Do not mutilate dead bodies
4. Do not kill children
5. Do not kill women
6. Do not kill aged men
7. Do not harm or burn trees
8. Do not destroy buildings
9. Do not destroy an enemy’s flock, unless you use it for your food
10. When you pass people who have devoted their lives to monastic services leave them alone

During the crusades when Saladin defeated the franks he honored the defeated Frankish army and supplied them with food and during the third crusade when Saladin’s enemy king Richard fell sick, Saladin sent him a gift of fruits and horses.

Misconception: Women have no rights

The image of a woman wearing a veil from head to toe, a woman who gets unfair justice or a woman who is not allowed to drive is an all too familiar notion when it comes to women treatment in Islam. And while there are Muslim countries in the world that do implement many harsh rulings against women, this should not be portrayed as Islamic law. Many of these countries have cultural differences that go against the teachings of Islam. It should be noted that during pre-Islam Arabia women were used for fornication only and had no independence. The birth of a daughter in a family was considered humiliating and the practice of female infanticide was uncontrolled. When Islam came to being, verses in the Quran condemned the practice of female infanticide. Islam gave back many human rights to the woman and Muhammad (pbuh) was even reported saying that “women are the twin halves of men.” A Muslim woman is allowed to reject and accept any suitor for marriage and has the right to seek divorce. There is nothing in Islam that forbids a Muslim woman from exiting her house and is allowed to drive. Also in regards to education, a woman is obligated to seek knowledge and it is considered a sin if she refuses. The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said '' seek knowlegde, even if it leads you all the way to China''.

Misconception: Islam was spread by the sword

Historian De lacey O’Leary states “History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated.” There is no record in history that shows people being forced by sword point to convert to Islam. When Islam spread through countries they would set up private churches and synagogues for the non Muslims they were governing and because of the good treatment they had received they themselves would convert. If one considers the small number of Muslims who initially spread Islam to the West all the way from Spain and Morocco and into east from India and China one would realize that such a small group of people could not force others to be members of a religion against their will. It is also interesting to note that when the Mongols invaded and conquered large portions of the Islamic empire, instead of destroying the religion they adopted it!

Misconception: Muslims are terrorists

This is by far the biggest misconception of Islam, given unfairly by stereotyping and the public image that the media gives. Has anyone else noticed how when a specific group of people attack another group of people it is labeled as a ‘hate crime’, but when a Muslim opens fire on anybody it is quickly regarded as ‘terrorism’. Many political dictators and officials or extremist groups use the name of Islam as a strategy to garner followers and attention when many of their practices go against the true basis of Islam. The media has also portrayed Islam as a cult or a club where if you join you become a terrorist and that is now part of your agenda. However all over the world people practice Islam in the true form and use it as a way of life. There are many verses in the Quran that go against the idea of terrorism. Some of these verses include “fight in the way of Allah those that fight you but do not transgress limits for God does not love transgressors.” This basically means do not fight except in self defense and even in doing so do not go beyond defense. Another verse states “if they seek peace, then you seek peace,” which means do not attack people for no reason or kill innocent people. There is nowhere in Islam, whether it be in the Quran or the teachings of Muhammad (pbuh), that promotes the killing of innocent people.

Pictured above is a conference of Muslims against Terrorism. But of course this won't even make the headlines.

Source

What are your (mis)conceptions about Islam? And do you have any questions about it? Feel free to ask me.

Peace be upon you.

Welcome

Hi everyone,

I would like to introduce myself and tell you why I've decided to join this this blogsite.

My name is Abdirashid and I'm 22 years old. I'm a Somali Dutch student from Amsterdam. The reason why I've decided to join this site is to speak out my opinion on some world matters. I'll post articles about different subjects.

It seems that many people on the web have a lot of hatred in them, misunderstand a lot of things and are biased. I'm here to try my utmost to soften or to eradicate those opinions. For a lot of great thinkers, poets, philosophers and prophets have done great things for this world. We musn't forget our common legacy.

The main issues and topics I'll be talking about are in the categories such as, current events, people, religion, politics, poetry, cultures, languages, travel and music. Of course something may occur that I'll post about that typical subject.

My main interest these days is the relation between the West and Islam. As if they are two entities that cannot mix in any way. Many misconceptions excist in the West about Islam, but this is also the case for Muslims about the West. You can ask questions and I'd be happy to help you and reply.

I hope you will not be doubting to send me a message or to reply to any of my (video)blogs. I will discuss in a respectful manner and I hope you will do too.

Forgive me for my errors in English if I'll make them in the future. English is not my first language.

Peace be upon you