Al-Bayan Spring 2015 by Al-Bayan

al-bayan Spring 2015

THE MUSLIM STUDENT PUBLICATION AT UC BERKELEY VOLUME 17: ISSUE 2

Editor-in-Chief: Uzma Amin Managing Editor: Hana Ghanim Layout Editors: Sarah Alsamman Layout Designers: Zahra Abadin Yasmeen Ahmed Alaa Elshahawi Photography Editor: Husna Hadi

letter from the

Photographers: Alia Anwar Tian S. Sana Saifuddin

editor

Web Manager: Aman Sufi Web Editors: Kulsum Abdali Ammar Uz-Zaman Spring Writers: Khwaja Ahmed Salam Awwad Ali Palla Anam Siddiqui Hurmat Siddiqui Alina Zaki Finance Manager: Basma Memon External Affairs: Deena Abdelhalim Guest Contributors: Manal Ahmed Omar Fawzy Kisae Husain Fayyaz Mukarram Al-Bayan means “The Clarification” in contemporary Arabic and “Eloquent Speech” in classical Arabic. The goal of this magazine is a convergence of both, to clarify issues pertinent to the Muslim community in the most eloquent of speech. Befitting the dynamic Muslim community in one of the world’s premiere intellectual hotspots that Berkeley is, Al-Bayan continues to grow and expand. We ask for your duas and your feedback! Insha’allah, we serve our purpose to the best of our ability with the help of the Almighty. Published with support from the ASUC CONTACT AL-BAYAN: albayanmag@gmail.com VISIT OUR WEBSITE: albayanmag.org

Dear Reader, This is not an objective magazine. Each and every word, photo, and brushstroke is deliberate and boldly subjective. We always strive for objectivity, favoring a kind of cold neutrality - as if distancing ourselves from something will actually help us to understand it better. We are always planning responses to questions, seeking validation, following a script. We have lost the ability to think and feel freely. Why does everything have to be reactive? Thoughts should be able to stand on their own. Thoughts should be subjective, tinted by experience and emotion. It is a testament to our humanity. I am confident in saying that every contribution to this magazine is individual, vulnerable, and above all - alive. All the artists have highlighted issues that are deeply personal to them - tackling questions of social expectation, identity, modernity, and integrity of faith. Their work is intimate and meaningful, and most importantly - artistic. Art is what evokes emotion; a poem or a picture can stick with us, stay with us, and inspire us. We have forgotten that art, too, can be revolutionary. I am proud to share with you Al-Bayan’s Spring 2015 issue. I hope these pieces speak to you, and in turn, you speak for yourself. Assalamu Alaikum (peace and blessings be upon you), Uzma Amin Editor-in-Chief

Modernity, Identity, & the Migrant Experience Khwaja Ahmed

contents spring 2015 Anam Siddiqui

Rootless

Alina Zaki

Trinity: Love, Materialism, & Perfection

Hurmat Siddiqui

Stereotypes

Manal Ahmed

Muslims in America

04 06 06 08 12

AL-BAYAN

rootless.

By Anam Siddiqui Photo by Tian S.

The deafening din of the concert-goers at San Jose State Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Event Center faded into the distance as a young South Asian man with a broom appeared at the gate of the parking lot. Cans and wrappers rustled at his feet. Steadfast, with his face set with a graceful patience, he began to sweep up after the revelers. As the last car darted out of the parking lot, my father remained, his solitary silhouette outlined by the fiery hues of the setting sun. Like many immigrants, my beloved father arrived in America with a minimal amount of money, the clothes on his back, and a dream. Despite their humble beginnings, our parents have established themselves in our country, painstakingly laying down the foundation for future generations brick by brick. Now, as the first generation of Muslim-Americans come of age (including myself), we face a variety of challenges that bombard us from every direction.

SPRING 2015 Among these challenges, the development of our identity is without a doubt the most pressing. As the first generation of Muslim-Americans, we are forced to handpick facets of tradition from two or more radically different cultures. As we develop, we endure the unspoken pressure of being expected to seamlessly combine these incongruous elements into a compound. Unfortunately, these elements are often as incompatible as oil and water. Furthermore, we face the social repercussions of this extraordinarily personal choice on a daily basis. This dilemma becomes undeniably prominent as we progress through adolescence, instigated by the cognitive dissonance that occurs when we compare the traditions of our parents and grandparents to those preached by the society that we grow and learn in. Assimilation seems almost inevitable for the sake of sheer survival. Sadly, the concept of assimilation is just as socially untenable as the handpicking dilemma. The lack of justified paths to the development of a healthy identity has caused a rift among generations, a vast divide that simply appears to grow larger with time. As more and more elements from Western culture bleed into the customs of our homelands, tensions rise and the divide widens, both of which are disturbing phenomena that are continuing to perpetuate among the Muslim-American community. One way to begin to tackle this identity crisis that strikes both the parent and offspring generations is by recognizing identity as a fluid spectrum, on which we constantly ebb and flow. The beauty of our existence lies in the fact that we are always in flux, incapable of being tied down to a single moment of time. By integrating this perspective, we are better able to deflect the paradoxes of the first-generation Muslim-American identity crisis, because this perspective allows us to reflect upon the stories of our parents and grandparents and make them a crucial part of our personal narrative. In my heart, there is no doubt that this tribulation of identity consolidation is a divine test meant to strengthen our faith. In my heart, there is no doubt that there is a way to reconcile these extremes and construct an amicable balance. As the children of dreamers who were captured by the honorable enthrall of a brighter future, it is our duty to extract pride from our hyphenation. Many of us have identities composed of multiple layers of hyphenation, which adds a separate dimension of complexity to our development process; for example, I consider myself to be Pakistani-American-Muslim. For far too long, this hyphenation has been associated with weakness, for it is inevitably accompanied by a sense of rootlessness: we’re not entirely one thing, nor the other. This connotation was

drummed into us before we were even able to comprehend such subtle grammatical nuances.

“As the children of dreamers who were captured by the honorable enthrall of a brighter future, it is our duty to extract pride from our hyphenation.” Tracing back through time, I have come to realize that my rootlessness is accompanied by ruthlessness - a ruthlessness towards injustice and apathy, a quality I revere in my parents and grandparents. When I face blatant, unapologetic, “random” security checks at the airport, I will invoke my father’s patience as a student parking attendant, graciously dealing with his impatient peers while constantly radiating a beautiful humility. When the cataclysm of finals season begins to advance ominously at the end of every semester, I will draw upon the effervescent geyser of light, strength, and determination that is my mother; may her soul be elevated amongst the mothers of the prophets. Two decades ago, she endured two difficult finalities in the span of twenty-four hours: the loss of a parent, and the loss of a degree of autonomy as a new parent. On November 17, 1995, my mother was in the throes of labor thousands of miles away from her homeland when her father passed away. The next day, I was born. All of a sudden, she was fatherless, a new mother, and completely alone with no family members and barely any close friends in a foreign land that she’d lived in for hardly a year. Any trial that I have ever faced in my life pales in comparison. Rationally, I know that this situation was completely out of infantile control, but every once in a while, dark tendrils of guilt will slither their way into my heart. Although this truth was incredibly difficult for me to swallow, I’ve learned to see beauty in it as well: it is one of the purest examples of the circle of life. By delving deep into my parents’ hardships, I’ve come to realize that one of the most powerful ways to honor my heritage is to embrace my hyphenation; by doing so, I fight to make sure that their hardships were not suffered in vain. By accumulating a miscellany of my parents’ stories of sacrifice, hardship, nostalgia, and victory, the stinging ache of my rootlessness has begun to subside. I once thought that one of my most profound vulnerabilities was the fact that my roots are not deeply entrenched in a single country. Now, I take pride in the fact that I possess connections to many lands, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Within my collective heritage, there are traces of New York, where my father resided for a significant portion of

his bachelorhood. There are fragments of Nigeria, where my mother would accompany my grandfather on business trips. There are reminiscent traces of England, where members of my mother’s family began their lives anew. But, without a doubt, the three most important elements that compose my identity are “Pakistani,” “Californian,” and “Muslim.” Each label comes with a significant amount of baggage, but I will drag it around with a humble pride, a proud humility, because I can’t bear to forsake the stories and sacrifices of my parents, their parents, and the rest of my extended family members. I have barely scratched the surface of their collective narrative, but I intend to keep digging. I will take the seeds of their struggles, bury them in the unpredictable American soil, praying that the meager warmth of the American dream will be sufficient to help them develop into something beautiful, something that will survive. If these seeds are spurned, I’ll plant them in my heart instead, and pass them down to my own children, where the light of hope and the sustenance of a dream will keep these stories flowering. Although I am slowly and steadily coming to terms with the fragmentation of my identity, my heart aches for the splendidly decorated rickshaw buses that parade majestically down the crowded Pakistani streets like graceful brides, the enticing street food stalls that I would constantly be drawn to despite the alarmed warnings of my relatives who knew that my “Amreekan” stomach could not handle it, and the sheer symphony of scents and smells whose essence cannot possibly be captured with the meager tool of language. Even though I have only been to Pakistan a few times, it has become a crucial part of my identity through my parents’ narratives, though I find it difficult to speak the language or make sense of the traditional customs. I refuse to drop the “Pakistani,” “American,” or “Muslim”: all three elements play an integral role, although the balance amongst them is unequal. I now understand that my reverence for my parents and grandparents feeds my love for Pakistan, and vice versa: recognizing my heritage has made me more aware of the sacrifices that my parents have endured for the sake of my siblings and me. These stories have helped me understand that there is resilience in my heritage, and that ruthlessness towards apathy is intertwined with my rootlessness.

AL-BAYAN

trinity: love, materialism, & perfection by alina zaki photos by fayyaz mukarram

SPRING 2015

I grew up thinking that I was not materialistic because materialism meant being frantically obsessed with wealth, power, fame, and the like. I thought that it had to with revolving around material gains, while in the process, making others orbit us. But since I was never interested in the latest fashion trends of shoes and clothes, I did not consider myself materialistic. This was a misconception. We always think that materialism is being concerned with things, and although this is partially correct, it is incomplete. It is a one way window which only allows a limited view. When we rest our hopes in this world, whether in people or in things, we are being materialistic. When we define our happiness, tranquility, sorrow and our emotional cycles on the realms of this world, we are being materialistic. Materialism is not just the love of things, it is utter dependence upon things and people. It is about resting our hopes in this world. It is about expecting reward and appreciation. It is about giving this world our tears, blood and sweat to make it perfect. We forget a perfect world does not exist because humans by nature are not perfect. But the question is: was I wrong in searching for perfection in and around myself? I think not. Had we been perfect, we would have not had the desire to search for it. We might not have made tall glass skyscrapers and explored beautiful, majestic valleys hidden beneath the snow-capped peaks of mountains. But just like appreciation and happiness, we search for perfection where it is unlikely to be found -- in this world. It is like running after a mirage. Our entire lives we force ourselves into believing that we are close to our destiny, and our path will lead ‘somewhere’. But our paths don’t end. They meet, cross and diverge but they don’t end, and in the process our lives end. In trying to avoid the inevitable death of our bodies, we overlook the death of our most prized possession -- our hearts. Our heart is eventually our most important compass. It fuels the need for all this search, all this running to quench the thirst for peace, affection and perfection. Even though we track the desire to search for peace from our hearts, we don’t take the effective remedy. We diagnose the disease but don’t know the cure. We try everything and eventually fill this void that exists in our hearts with love for our careers, our homes, our clothes, and the list goes on. We disillusion ourselves into believing that becoming millionaires or falling in love will make us happy. The reason why I am using these examples is because I see them as parallels. While one rests his hopes in career, the other rests her hopes in Prince Charming. But in real life there is no hero. No one is going to cure us because no one contains the capac-

ity to do this. No one can love us unconditionally because we have changing moods and our capricious natures differ. Here lies my ultimate realization: if we put our trust in something or someone that is temporary, not omnipotent and constant, we can never free ourselves from the sinusoidal curve of heart rise and heart fall. Only if we realize that the only being who completes us is not our prince, but God, do we find peace. So reverting to my mistake, I have found my source of love: Allah. The Creator who loves us without any bounds, unconditionally. Who thinks we are beautiful. Who tells us it’s okay when we fall and most importantly who is always there for us even when no one else is. He is the one with whom we can place dependencies, trust, hopes, and expectations because we know that He will never disappoint us as long as we don’t disappoint Him. His love is the only example I find of unconditional love that transgresses all examples of ‘passionate’ lovers namely Romeo and Juliet, Heer Ranjha, and Laila Majnu, because all these stories had a rise and a fall. God’s love does not fall. Secondly, we must transfer this love from its source to others around us without expecting the same in return: that is, loving without putting our dependencies and our hopes on them. That is loving without limiting our moods upon our relationships, and most importantly, that is loving without being materialistic.

“our heart is eventually our most important compass”

BY HURMAT SIDDIQUI

PHOTOS BY SANA SAIFUDDIN

stereotypes

08 AL-BAYAN

SPRING 2015 “If you’re Muslim why don’t you wear that thing on your head too?” The Caucasian woman who had asked me this stood there expectantly as I tried to come up with an answer to her question.

whether she wears a hijab or not, should be dressed and how she should behave. This girl needs to be dressed nicely and appropriately, have a proper understanding of her culture and religion, not be loud in public places, and have perfect manners and a posiThe only thing my 11-year-old brain could tive demeanor. And while most people try to come up with was that maybe I don’t wear deny this, there is a subconscious image in that ‘thing’ on my head because I don’t believe their mind of what this girl should be like. there is an obligation for me to do so. Maybe I believe that covering my hair does not define the strength of my faith in God. Maybe because I was raised thinking that a hijab doesn’t necessarily make me a good or bad Muslim, rather that it is my actions that do so. One of my Muslim friend grew up in a houseGrowing up, people projected a lot of stereo- hold where she was not expected to wear a hitypes towards me. For most of these, people jab, although she was always dressed modestthought I didn’t really ‘look’ Muslim and didn’t ly. This girl attended parties, had friends who fit into their mold of a young Muslim girl. were guys, was loud and didn’t really fit into When they found out I am Muslim, most of the stereotypical mold of a good girl. Many their reactions were of disbelief. people, including me, thought that she was not a good Muslim, that she didn’t really care “Seriously? I would’ve never guessed you were for the rules of the religion and her faith was Muslim!” or some variation of that statement weak, assumptions based purely on her physiis something I’ve heard countless times. Oddly cal appearance and behavior. However, last fall enough, most of the time, this statement has she started wearing the hijab and took a lot of come from fellow Muslims. They take one look people by surprise. Most people were shocked at my many piercings and my style of clothing at this incredible change and wondered what and automatically assume I’m not Muslim, but had happened in her life that made her into a to their credit, it’s hard to tell a person’s reli- better Muslim, but nothing had really changed. gion by their appearance. She was still the same person.

“Seriously? I would’ve never guessed you were Muslim!”

However, the next assumption they make is that I’m not a ‘good’ Muslim -- that I do not know how to pray and that I don’t follow the fundamental ways of Islam. This assumption is based purely on the stereotypical mold they’ve created in their minds of how a Muslim girl,

She dressed the same way, talked the same way, her beliefs were still the same. The only thing that had changed was that now her hair was covered. That one change led to how people perceived her. It made them view her as a completely different person although her per-

sonality remained the same. Society perceives girls who wear the hijab to be extremely religious and devoted. They think these girls follow all the rules and laws set by Islam and most of the time these girls are expected to live up to these assumptions. When I asked a few hijab-wearing girls about the most common stereotype they face from other Muslims, their answer was that people think they are too religious. They are expected to behave and act a certain way and when they don’t, they are faced with a lot of prejudice and discrimination. Most people don’t allow them to be individuals and would rather have them act in a certain specific way that serves to please their preconceived notions. Their hijab is supposed to define them, but this definition is already established for them by others. Every individual faces certain stereotypes, but when these stereotypes come from those with the same belief system, it makes it worse. Instead of understanding and allowing ourselves to view people as individuals, who have their own beliefs and values, we judge them and try to fit them in the mold we’ve created for them in our minds. As a society it is our responsibility to welcome everyone without any discrimination and as Muslims we have the responsibility to give everyone the benefit of doubt. So the next time we see a girl who has a lot of piercings and a guy who is clean shaven, we shouldn’t assume that they are not especially religious. And when we see a girl wearing a hijab and a guy with a full beard, we shouldn’t assume they are extremely devoted and should instead allow them the opportunity to be able to express their true beliefs and create their own images.

AL-BAYAN

B Y

O M A R

F A W Z Y

Allah loves you.

hen you read this sentence you will experience one of two emotions: happiness or confusion. If you are experiencing the latter, it could be because of recent hardships that Allah has written for you. Furthermore, it could be that the hardships you are enduring or have endured are giving you the feeling that Allah is upset with you. However, after our discussion, we will understand that this is not the case. Rather, if Allah is testing you, it is for your own personal benefit. That said, it is of great importance that we overcome this victim mentality and understand why we are being tested with such rigorous trials and tribulations so we can adopt a positive outlook towards Allah’s commands. In the Holy Quran, Allah talks about the hardships believers will face when he says, “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.’ Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who

are the [rightly] guided” (Quran 2:155-157). In other words, Allah isn’t solely testing you, rather he is testing all the believers for various reasons. Therefore, don’t believe that Allah has it out for you in particular or that you’re being dealt a more difficult hand because “Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity” (Quran 2:286). Looking at the importance of trials and tribulations outside the scope of our religion, it’s easy to understand that as long as you are in good situations, you will never know your true character. It is only when a trial or difficulty comes upon you, then you will go to your reality. If you are a believer you will run to your religion and if you are a hypocrite, you’ll run to your hypocrisy. Without being tried, you won’t know if the claim on your tongue is the same reality as that which is in your heart. However, the beauty of this is not that it separates those who practice and don’t practice into public groups, rather it helps you get an idea of where you stand with yourself and Allah so that you can change, and in turn, grow. While hardships are inevitable, “Do the people think that they will be left to say, ‘We believe’ and they will not be tested? But We have certainly tested those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars,” and they are written for every believer, we often do not understand the reasons why we must face this reality (Quran 29:2-3). The ultimate reason why we must undergo hardships is because Allah wants us all to attain the gift of Paradise. Hardships relieve people of their sins as underscored by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when he said, “Whatever befalls a Muslim of exhaustion, illness, worry, grief, nuisance or trouble, even though it may be no more than a prick of a thorn, earns him forgiveness by Allah of some of his sins” [Bukhari]. Furthermore, “Whenever Allah wills good for a person, He subjects him to adversity” [Bukhari]. On the surface, it seems confusing that Allah grants hardships to those He wants to help. However, Abu Hurayrah (RA) also reports that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Hardships continue to befall a believing man and

SPRING 2015

woman in their body, family, and property, until they meet Allah burdened with no sins.” And the reason that is the case is because in order to enter Paradise, our good deeds must outweigh our bad. So in short, Allah is actually helping us from many different angles: achieving Paradise, developing qualities such as patience, optimism, and perseverance, and increasing our imaan, because we realize through our hardships that we are dependent upon Allah’s comfort and mercy. The angles are limitless as you shift your perspective to notice the underlying beauty in things rather than on the bleak surface. As we begin to understand that our hardships are nothing short of love and compassion that are bestowed upon us from Allah, it still does not change the fact that we all struggle. Thus, we must create some action steps to ensure that our current and future hardships become less troubling. 1.

Understand that if you are are dealing with what seems to be the most difficult trial in the world, that you are actually much stronger than you give yourself credit for, so believe that you are capable: “So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers” (3:139).

Use your struggles as a way to increase your imaan and get closer to Allah.

Don’t complain to the people as they have no power to change your current state. Make lots of dua’a and perform prayers to put your heart

at ease: “O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient” (2:153). 4.

Remember your end goal and understand that your struggles are bringing you that much closer to it: “So be patient with gracious patience” (70:5).

Change your perspectives to more healthy and positive ones.

Don’t compare your struggles to others’ because we are all tested in respect to what we can handle.

Always give thanks to Allah as your situation can always be worse: “Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured” (13:28).

But most importantly remember, “For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease” (94:5).

1 2

Imaan = faith dua’a = to make a request to Allah

AL-BAYAN

muslims in

america

photos by manal ahmed

SPRING 2015

perhaps there is a

home

for us here.

AL-BAYAN

MODERNITY

IDENTITY and the Migrant Experience S

tagnation no longer serves as viable platform in our lives; every situation moves us in new directions in uncharted territories beyond the tether of familiarity. The newness breeds dissimilarity with the current and past. Modernity makes itself highly apparent in commonplace action by agitating the differences of every passing moment. This feature of reality is all the more apparent by those who are no longer bound to their generational homes, those who have been thrust into two new frameworks that had previously been non-existent: modernity and new locality. They are troubled with finding themselves among areas not before seen coupled with the constant changing of the new home. Previously held notions of society helped one find a sense of belonging not only in a communal setting but also with the delicacy of one’s internal nature. These no longer suffice as the sole bearing to define a person’s sense of

Article by Khawaja Ahmed Photos by Manal Ahmed and Husna Hadi

To understand the sea of change migrants to the West, specifically to the United States, are thrown in, one cannot separate modernity from the migration, not only because the movement at such large scales is prompted by modernization, but also due to the arriving culture being one greatly influenced by modernity. This is not to say that where the immigrants originated from is before modern times, but that the destination’s infrastructure shares a greater link with classical understanding of modernity--rapid change. Once arriving to the United States, the differences that once lay only in media self since they no longer can attest to complete spring up into physical reality. Weighty shifts in relevancy with the advent of modernization values and technology harshly affect the senses and shift of location. Conventional confines of of the new arrivals; many times what they held identity seem to disintegrate, given these new as principal truths come under question by axioms. Preservation of the culture still stands a multitude of avenues. Two routes become in demand, but the means fail to define a set evident to people, adopting their host’s culture structure for accomplishing them, and thus new and rejecting their own or avoiding assimilation means of self-definition must come into play. while holding fast to their old culture.

“Two routes become evident to people, adopting their host’s culture and rejecting their own or avoiding assimiliation [...]”

SPRING 2015 The first way of dealing with this change, adoption of Western values, is the one generally equated with progress and having a forward looking outlook. It’s praised for its detachment of what was held prior to their arrival and the adherents are painted as models for others to adopt. Despite the accolade this avenue comes with setbacks as well. By taking on a new identity one executes their inherited past and veils themselves from the reality of their experiences. Constructing a false persona of who they are, trying their best to fit into skin not meant for them. For them the question of identity becomes one answered by the location, not by heritage. Though this way allows for great growth and potential involvement in the community is takes away the value of one’s home. Turning away so rapidly from the nation of origin results in turning their back who they are and their community. This shift is based on

Exploring the second route of total rejection of Western values upon arrival to the region and strict adherence to traditional frameworks. Viewing oneself as an outsider to the west despite habitation there leads to problems as well. To say we have reached an era of globalised society wherein keeping a value system untouched by modernity is also an issue. Upon arrival the goal of this group is to transplant their culture to the their new home. Taken again at face value this may not seem like a bad notion, keeping true to one’s roots is a powerful tool of community building and making life easier. But a glance and deeper elements reveals that not many view originating from the land where one lives carries an anchor which weighs down travellers even after docking. This attempt at creating a stagnation in culture is also folly since it too is predicate on modernity being tied to westernisation. Yet this time this precept is taken unfavourably. To modernise means to lose

“Not taking part in the new society is just as damaging as not realising one’s orgins.” flimsy footing. Another result of this mentality is the formation of a paradox where in the baseline for what it means to be Western and modern keeps moving forward beyond the grasp of what can be attained by the seeker. A well known propagator of this strategy, Bobby Jindal, does everything in his power to attain the approval of his white peers. Recently a portrait emerged of him with pale skin and blue eyes, this is evidence enough that this method comes at great costs without real results.

oneself to western value sets, to halt this they pull the brakes hard on assimilation, many times taking harsh form. Setting up institutions geared to reviving what they see the only acceptable form of living. Arriving in this environment may be wonderful to those who migrate at a later age since it parallels with never leaving home culturally, but it hinders growth from the later generations to come. By making it incumbent for the emerging generation to adopt this mindset creates a rift between young and old. Not taking part in the new society is just as damaging as not realising one’s origins.

“[...] identity lay not with superficial preservation of culture but with its fluidity [...]” The two means of coping with migration in the modern age work to either halt assimilation of make it the only viable route. Both of these come with inherit problems, especially since there seems to be a binary in what a community can do. Stemming from the idea that modernity is somehow westernisation, to follow an effective means on how to establish a community in changing times on can turn to various examples from previous immigrant communities like the Jewish community, nations such as Malaysia to see how they blend change with cultural legacy or thinkers who’ve wrestled with these notions from the early stages of modernity. I personally find solace with the works and thoughts of Natsume Soseki, a Japanese thinker from the late 18 hundreds. To him identity lay not with superficial preservation of culture but with its fluidity, for him to be a true Japanese man one had to be lettered in the emerging modern lifestyle along with knowing the history of one’s self. Mixing Japanese culture with the rapid industrial change but also realising that it did mean taking Western values, Soseki lay the foundation for the Japan we see today. For us as people who carry both a legacy from our parents while living in lands distant from theirs we must heed his words. Understand the mechanics of our new homelands but do not forget the place of origin that we come from. This is who we are, this is how we will form our identity.

AL-BAYAN

DEAR AMERICA |

A POEM BY S A L A M A W W A D

My head hits the floor As I make contact with my Lord Heavy hearted, I ask for an answer, a reason, some sort of jbIn search of a safe haven See, the struggles of the world affect me more and more each day A tragedy on replay Atrocities that we will never be able to repay All the lies we are drowned in while the truth is kept at bay Like this idea that our nation is a democracy A thought that derives from the minds of men who thrive on idiocracy Taking the ideals of this country and ruling it in complete hypocrisy We are nothing but a nation built on stumbling blocks To the world, a mere laughing stock We thought a little color in the white house with Barack would put some power in our votes But they’re still grasping us by the throat Providing just enough to keep us afloat Listening to our voices only as an after note Taking more of our freedoms away in the name of security But “those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither” See they control us through fear Trying to make all these added regulations seem sincere Caring they appear Thick atmosphere They interfere Stalking our private lives as a career And isn’t it funny how those who catch on to their plans always seem to just disappear? And you know I’m not one to take conspiracy theory as fact But I refuse to sit back and act as though everything I’m told is an honest sealed pact Like it’s our minds they don’t try to hack Enable a lack of thinking The cease of abstract They distract With their fancy speech acts Shutting down riot acts when people finally decide to react And attack And now your name is added to a list where they’ll keep you tracked Land of the free Home of the brave What humor that is to call the nation that was built on the back of the slave A forced enslavement Name, culture, and religious displacement Bare faced, they were stripped from their homes and dragged across the pavement A community of people that permanently scarred to this day With the engravement of the inhuman placement And injustice still strives There’s still a battle of color Tell me segregation has ended, I’ll tell you it still targets the brothers “The New Jim Crow” is disguised as prison It should be a given That the whole system is complete barbarism Controlled by corporatism Our nation, compared to every other country in the world, has the biggest percentage of its population behind bars Yet they let a man walk free who killed a brother for playing loud music from his car…?

SPRING 2015 Or the man who murdered an innocent teenager, he was made into a superstar?! And the night when Fruitvale Station became an abattoir… How about all the innocent men who are entrapped in Guantanamo Bay For what crimes do they have to pay? Invading countries, ripping them apart With no solid evidence from the start How many more bodies do we have to see fill the death charts? Launching drones at wedding parties overseas from your base at home Is that not an act of terrorism?! And tell me, why I don’t get the privilege of not having to hyphenate my Americanism? We put so much value on the trivial Like how so many girls demand a diamond to affirm commitment Your love for her weighed by the rocks measurement “Shine bright like a diamond” But only if they knew that diamonds don’t shine, they reflect And if they looked close enough they’d be able to see the reflection of those who were deserted in neglection Their natural resources in constant dissection F****** them without lubrication A rampant exploitation of their nation With no compensation Or reparations These deadly operations silence any refutations And do we feel like we have no obligation to end the mutilations? The daily torture of these populations? And as I lift my head My vision blurred by tears I come to the realization That we are contributing to all the world’s devastations

“

I ASK FOR AN ANSWER A REASON SOME SORT OF

JUSTIFICATION .

AL-BAYAN

Degas: digital drawing This is my imitation of Degas sketch. Fabric is my absolute favorite drawing subject and there are various artists that have done a stunning job of capturing the highlights and folds of it, all of whom I hope to learn from.

Spring 2015

rtist Spotlight Kisae Husain Badshahi Masjid: ink, coffee, and watercolor on textured paper The Badshahi Masjid being one of the boldest symbols in Pakistan of the majesty of the Mughul Era is probably one of the sole reasons it inspired me and so many others. This was done using my favorite mediums: coffee (water down to make a wash) and ink (with a calligraphy pen).

Article and Photos by Omar El-Qoulaq

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