Al-Bayan
Fall 2010 Volume 13, Issue 1
The Muslim Student Publication at The University of California, Berkeley
Cover Photo: Islamic travels across Africa Racism within the Muslim community Fair trade and purchasing power Undermining American Values “Ground Zero� Controversy Visit our Website albayanmag.com
“Verily, we belong to Allah and to Him shall we return” [The Holy Qur’an 2:156]
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In loving memory of Khadijabibi Azam, also known as, Shaheda Azam
“Hero number zero, don’t take tension. Stop worrying, everything will be okay.” - Misha Dawood
Editor’s Note As-Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Baraktuhu! Welcome to the latest edition of Al-Bayan Magazine! Alhamdulillah, there was a significant effort made to further establish the magazine as a cornerstone of the Muslim community here at UC Berkeley. We have expanded Al-Bayan as an organization now to not just an elite print magazine, but also an online forum as well. Check it out at www.albayanmag.com! The theme for this semester’s Al-Bayan is hidden crises. These topics could be manifest in our daily lives in ways we wouldn’t usually think about. The hope for this topic is for you, the reader, to think about the topics presented in a way you haven’t thought of before. We want Al-Bayan to promote critical thought and discussion, and so the topics were picked to be not only interesting to read but relevant to current trends and issues. You may even find you don’t agree with the arguments presented in one or even many of the articles, which is actually healthy for the community. An article presented in Al-Bayan is not the official position of the Muslim community, but rather simply one of the many diverse opinions that exists within our fellow brothers and sisters. The bedrock for unity is respectful disagreement, and indeed there is nothing more patriotic here in the U.S. than dissent. If you’d like to contribute to Al-Bayan, either on the website or in print, feel free to contact the Executive Board at al-bayan@msa.berkeley.edu. We are also very open to constructive criticism, comments, and even responses to the articles. Our whole enterprise is to stimulate discussion, so please do not hesitate to contact us. With that, on behalf of the Executive Board, we proudly present the Fall 2010 edition of Al-Bayan Magazine! Omer Ali Khan Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief Omer Ali Khan
Managing Editor Afshan Qureshi
Advisor Sohir Albgal
Layout Designers: Maliha Ahmed, Asnavy Sari, Lameese Eldesouky
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CONTENTS. Fall10
Trade and The Day of Judgement 04 ByFairZienab Abdelgany Drain and Developing Nations 06 ByBrainZahra Murtaza
05
within the Muslim Community 08 ByRacism Asnavy Sari
10
Violence against Ahmadiyya Muslims By Osaama Saifi
Lack of Vision in Bollywood 12 ByTheHasan Shah
07
Women and Body Image 14 Muslim By Kifah Shah Consequences of Consumerism 16 ByTheLameese Eldesouky
15
18 Communications Amani Jadallah
17
Controversy of “Ground Zero Mosque” By Omar Rehmane
18
Cover Photo: Travels across Africa By Ahmad Billal Samady
Photo Editor Yusuf Chao
Finance Manager Mariyam Azam
Photographers Farhana Jahan, Zainab Khan, Majid Khan, Hinhanska Haney
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Coffee,Fair Trade and the Day of Judgement By
Zienab Abdelgany
I
t’s a Tuesday evening during midterm season. Your eyes are joined in holy matrimony to the lines of your Math 1A book. Midnight passes. Your sense of alertness begins to dwindle. You take another Facebook break as your eyes begin to droop... You decide that caffeine is the command of the hour, so you head over to the only Starbucks that’s still open after midnight. The warm blend of espresso and chocolate satisfy the senses and put you back on track as you prepare for the looming exam. Life as a Berkeley student is difficult indeed… But thankfully, somewhere on the Ivory coast, a coffee farmer is planting the tree that will provide you with the next tall mocha for your next big midterm. Perhaps he’s a middle-
aged Nigerian among 2.7 billion others in the world forced to support his family on less than $2 a day. Or perhaps he’s one of the 284,000 child laborers whose health is endangered by the hazardous working conditions on West African cocoa farms. For every $3 latte you drink, that farmer gets only 2 cents in return for his/ her labor. Though we’re told imperialism ended in the 20th century, today we still see patterns of mass resource extraction from the Global South with working conditions that are nearly unlivable. We still see children sold into bondage to cultivate land. This mass extraction of raw materials which are sold on the global market has done little if anything to benefit the local populations which produce the things we buy and consume. And we’re not just talking about coffee and chocolate. Take any consumer good that
is regularly purchased in our day-to-day lives, whether it is jewelry, clothing, fresh produce, processed foods – and you can likely trace its production back to the Third World. More likely than not, somewhere in the process, someone in the Third World was oppressed by the banana you ate on your way to class, or the latte you drank at Peet’s, or the basketball jersey you bought from Sports Chalet. The question remains, why is this so and what can you do about it? The global system today, whereby Third World countries produce raw materials that are extracted and manufactured by firms either located in the West or built and controlled by the West (in Third World countries), has its roots in the history of colonialism, which lead to globalization, and effectively destroyed local manufacturing and any prospect of a diversified and independent economy. These materials were of course
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Fair traded olive oil from Palestine exported to the colonial powers for free or at highly unfavorable terms of trade, depending on the form of colonialism in the region. To add insult to injury, local resources were then packaged in the West and graciously sold back to the colonized peoples in their manufactured form. What resulted from this were economies that were heavily dependent on one or few resources for national revenue. These Third World economies were also inextricably dependent on imports from the West for manufactured goods. After gaining independence from colonizing powers, many countries became nominally independent, but remained economically enslaved to the West because economic structures from colonization were left intact. The problems of economic injustice in the Third World are therefore deeply structural, and have a lot to do with the system imposed on the world by globalization. We may think ourselves powerless in this respect, for how can we as Muslims, as individuals, and as a society
Photos by Majid Khan combat the seemingly indomitable force of globalization? The power that we have is purchasing power. We as consumers can and must demand that the corporations are using fair labor practices and ensure that Third World producers get their share of the pie. When we consume carelessly we are destroying the social fabric of communities around the world as well as the environmental sustainability of their lands. When we pay for that Starbucks coffee during midterms week, we must recognize that we may well be paying for abusive child labor practices on the Ivory Coast. We must recognize that the methods employed to cultivate the land for the extraction of these coffee beans, as dictated by private firms, are unsustainable and hazardous to the health of farmers and the agricultural integrity of the land. We must realize that those coffee beans are being planted in the place of food for the people who live on the land, and with a meager income, they have no way of feeding their families. You will eat, and they
will go hungry at your convenience. Thus, one way in which we can strive to become more conscientious consumers is to ‘go fair trade.’ It’s not a perfect system. With an underdeveloped regulatory institution for fair trade, there is considerable exploitation of the label. But for the most part, a fair trade label ensures that safe and equitable labor practices have been observed, and revenues are going back to the producers themselves rather than a corporate contractor. Often, the product is delivered directly from Third World producers to the consumer base. The argument for fair trade stands for itself. On Judgment Day you’ll be asked whether or not you lived by halaal (permissible) means. On that Day, Allah promises to reveal to us the full truth of our actions and to judge us accordingly. Your choice as a consumer is apparent: don’t wait until the Day of Judgment to find out whose blood and bondage produced your tall mocha frappacino.
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Brain Drain “Immigrants from developing countries are often pulled by opportunity or pushed by poverty, persecution, and oppression. Some who see their countries’ conditions deteriorating rapidly are driven by patriotism, guilt, or other factors to put their skills to use and return home...” By
Zahra Murtaza
“W
here do you want to live when you grow up?” I asked myself casually in another one of those reality check moments. I had just finished taking a road trip around Pakistan’s four provinces in the summer of 2010, pretty elated at having touched the soil and met the machar (fleas) of diverse regions of my parents’ homeland of Pakistan. Sure, I had asked myself what I wanted to do since I was in pre-school, but location was something I hardly thought about. Should I continue to serve Allah by serving society locally here in America, where I was born and raised, my home, or should I return ‘home’ and serve the country of my roots, Pakistan, whose city of Karachi I call my second home? I’m not sure. Where am I needed more? What’s really home? Is it selfish of me to even ask this question considering the fact that people are starving and dying back home? “Think more about geopolitics of location later…” the nervous voice in my head added that unanswerable question to my longgrowing mental to-do list. “Brain Drain” is a term used to describe the migration of highly educated people from mostly developing nations to developed nations. It tends to have a negative effect for countries already torn apart by years of postcolonial, political and economic turmoil to also lose their intellectual class. Immigrants from developing countries are often pulled by opportunity or pushed by poverty, persecution, and oppression. Some who see their countries’ conditions deteriorating rapidly are driven by patriotism, guilt, or other factors to put their skills to use and return home; others remain in the new country and work tirelessly to provide a good future for their children and give charity to the development of their home
countries. Some who have no hope of returning back home to war-torn homes may even start organizations, create relief efforts, spread awareness, or volunteer locally. For many of these migrants from developing nations, life is a new promise and opportunity, which can be used to achieve much of what they couldn’t have dreamed of accomplishing in conditions back home. Some studies suggest the diaspora from the Arab world to the West alone to be at around 500,000 in the past 50 years, half of which are doctors and 10 to 15 percent are scientists. Each additional skilled person adds $10-20,000 of educational investment to the new nation, a human resource while benefiting these individuals and their families, but which undoubtedly also deprives the home country. The question is how do we use this brain drain in a positive way towards a brighter future? The immigrant generation had a physical connection to the countries– it was literally their home. For us as their children, this is home; we were either born or raised mostly here. Yes, we’ve seen, lived, tasted luxury as opposed to what many of our forefathers experienced. Would we one day perhaps throw that luxury away, maybe sacrifice it a little, go back one day and rebuild our forefathers’ countries? While there may be a few rare Mother Teresas amongst us, most of us feel we couldn’t survive in another place. Students do understand the local and global community has issues. Coming from multicultural backgrounds, we are able to relate to various issues of local and global severity. While some students may choose one identity over another or try to achieve the difficult task of balancing both, the issue of human suffering
cannot be denied by anyone, regardless of location or what one considers home. Especially for students who understand that one of Islam’s goals is to establish justice and mercy for the oppressed, alleviating human suffering in any part of the world is a priority. Thus, it’s a matter of stepping up to the responsibility and finding our niche, without having to provide a cookie cutter solution for each person’s role in the ummah. So what can we do to reverse this? First, after educating ourselves about local and global issues and realizing our important God-given role towards fellow human beings and the earth, let’s ask ourselves: do we accept our role? Does our heart pain when we hear of sufferings locally and globally? Cynicism and apathy is the worst enemy. To feel, to hurt for others –
Photo by Aasim Khan and Zainab Khan that’s the start of change. Next, we must realize we cannot be ambassadors to the world if we haven’t helped our neighbors locally. A scholar once said Oakland is as much part of the ummah as Palestine or Kashmir is. We cannot ‘save the world’ if we haven’t started with ourselves, then our families, then our local communities. We need to purify our intentions, humble ourselves and serve our local neighbors first. Third, we can network. We need to find people with similar interests and work realistically towards our visions. For those who want to travel to the global arena or start local initiatives affecting the global arena, the problems we’ll want to take on are often daunting in size and scale. Networking and teamwork is a reflection of humility, a realization that we cannot save the world alone.
Strengthening our home countries should not be considered incongruent to our American Muslim identity. It’s a favor upon us from God that we can eat from these fruits of American privilege without which we wouldn’t be thinking these thoughts beyond ourselves to begin with. We need to make sure as much as possible that we don’t neglect either option. If someone finds themselves at a protest in San Francisco and notices a homeless person on the street, what should they do? Those who have only one focus might ignore this needy person. But for the one who believes in human equality, responsibility towards justice for all, providing a bag of lunch for the homeless is important too. None of us is superhuman. We have many identities and can hardly live up to all of
them. Some can do more than others because of their upbringing. However, trying and starting with a pure intention is the first step. We can grow from this post- “brain drain” world, eat the best fruits of our parents’ sacrifices in coming to this nation, educate ourselves and devote ourselves to human service wherever we identify with. And who better than the first generation – the generation that speaks both tongues, has greater access to the psychological viewpoints of both east and west- to create a more equitable world? By strengthening the countries of our roots, we are strengthening the world as a whole and doing our duty as our role was meant to be – a ‘vicegerent’ of exchange who responsibly takes care of the world for the brief time we are in it, hoping our great visions and yet minimal efforts will echo in Eternity.
Racism within the Muslim Community By
Asnavy Sari
“I
would never marry a black girl.” These shocking words have been said by many Muslim men. America is racist. Not even a college education can save most from that reality. However racism in the Muslim community isn’t always so blunt and ugly. Sometimes it is hidden, hard to define, and dangerous. Racism can creep around in the form of self denial while edging the lines of pride and prejudices. This article could analyze the nuances of strange stares African Americans, Whites or even Southeast Asian Muslims get walking into Arab dominated Mosques, although the mere fact that there are racially dominated mosques itself can serve as a testament. However it is much more tangible to look at a case that is widespread, easily understandable and sometimes quite ugly: young Muslims attempting to marry outside of their culture and race. Acceptance of interracial marriages is a litmus test for the level of racism and prejudice still hanging on for its dear life in the Muslim Community. “I would never marry a black girl.” Let’s be clear; marrying inside an individual’s race is by no means a form of racism. Pakistanis are going to gravitate towards Pakistanis. Arabs are going to gravitate towards Arabs. Parents sincerely want to preserve culture and language. Such inclinations are true and admirable. However the danger is in examples where brave Muslim men or women are turned away by parents not because of their character or piety, but because of their culture, tongue, or skin color. There is no problem with people seeking what is comfortable; there is a problem when people hear these stories, then comfortably turn a blind eye to the reality of pain caused by racism.
Photos by Farhana Jahan, Inas Hyatt and Asnavy Sari
===Using race to evaluate if someone is worthy of marriage is pre-Islamic and intolerable in our Deen. The gravity of this issue in Islam will shock many Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing be upon him, reiterated that God’s criterion for assessing human beings is piety, not race or skin color; furthermore, he “took concrete measures to ensure that social practices that displayed racist attitudes were broken down by public policy. One of the largely unmentioned examples is his active work to undermine the stigma that many aristocratic Arabs in his time attached to marrying black men: he ordered several Arab families to allow the marriage of their daughters to black companions” (Imam Zaid Shakir). Some examples given are those of the black companions Julaybib and S’ad al-Aswad. In both cases
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there was a parent who refused the offer against the request of the Prophet, peace be upon him. In both cases the daughters protested recognizing the Prophet’s authority, and the marriages proceeded. While the Prophet, peace be upon him, sought to uproot racist mindsets and erase the stigma of interracial marriages, many Muslims today still cling tightly to pre-Islamic sentiments, in the name of preserving culture. People take pride in their nationalities, their origins, their culture, and their language. These are things people should be proud of, but they should never become objects of arrogance. Be proud to be Paki, but don’t think that makes others inferior or less worthy. In the bigger picture Islam teaches that all of humankind is from one pair of people, that we all stem from a common lineage. Someone’s culture and race are what they are. In the larger perspective, we will all be dead. Everyone reading this will likely be buried in the ground becoming dust within 80 years. If lineage is so important still, realize that it too for the most part is already dead. God says in the Quran that “… the basis for virtue with Him is piety; not tribe, race, or national origin” (49:13) In Islam it is piety that has true, perpetual worth and elevates us in the sight of God. Racism, like all falsehoods, will die. It’s baseless in its nature. Take concrete steps to kill it or resist it as it tries to take as many as it can with it.
What does a Muslim really look like?
Racism’s true ugliness lies in its exclusion of beauty. We know the Muslim community is diverse, but are we ready to celebrate this diversity? It’s a person’s loss if they “would never marry a black girl” or black guy, because they are missing out on something potentially beautiful, someone that is beautiful. The Muslim community is a plethora of cultures, ethnicities, languages, talents and personalities, but it is bounded together by a beautiful commonality: bearing witness that there is no God but Allah, and that his Messenger is Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
“O Mankind, We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous of you” (Quran 49:13)
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Violence in the Ahmadiyya commu
By
Osaama Saifi
O
rdinance XX of Pakistan states if an Ahmadi “directly or indirectly, poses himself as Muslim” they are viable for a fine and penalty in prison for up to three years. Pakistan is one of the only countries to have created a definition for “Muslim.” Not only that, but Pakistan violates basic human rights of practicing religion. Ordinance XX contradicts their preamble, where provisions and equality are vouchsafed for minorities. How can a gov-
ernment use Islam to demonstrate un-Islamic principles? When Islam first began to spread, Christians and Jews experienced hardships with the new Muslim rule. Because of this, the Holy Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessing of God be upon him) composed many letters to various Kings to show his commitment to peace and harmony among various religions. One letter, The Charter of Privileges, was sent to the monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai. This charter guaranteed Christians the freedom of worship, the right to keep their own judges, protection of property, exemption from military service, and protection during
war. The Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessing of God be upon him) stated that the nation would maintain this charter until the end of time. Today, Muslim nations persecute their own Muslim brothers and sisters. Not only Pakistan, but countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine, Indonesia, and Bangladesh persecute the Ahmadi Muslim Community. In Pakistan, Ahmadi Muslims are even forbidden to give a salutation of peace to another Muslim. Whereas the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace and blessing of God be upon him) protected Christian monasteries, Pakistan’s Ordinance XX prohibits Ahmadi’s from calling their “places of worship” as “mosques” or “masjids.” The persecution of the Ahmadi Muslim Community is an affliction to the Muslim world. There are countless examples of Ahmadi Muslims targeted and murdered in Pakistan; unlike other victims of murder in Pakistan however, Ahmadi Muslims are not given justice. Ordinance XX justifies the cold-blooded murder of Ahmadis. Anytime a person is murdered for their religion, the soul cries out. Yet who hears the crying soul of an Ahmadi when they have been stripped of fundamental human rights? Despite the coordinated attacks upon and lack of civil protection, there is yet to be a case where Ahmadi Muslims violently repelled. The slogan
of this community is “Love for All, Hatred for None.” Ahmadi Muslims are unified by a Caliphate system; the Caliph provides leadership and guidance for all Ahmadis. When Ahmadis were murdered during the May 28th Mosque attacks in Lahore, Pakistan, the Caliph directed the community. Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the current Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Community, instructed in his Friday Sermon in regards to the Lahore Mosque attacks, “The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at is a peace loving true Muslim
Photos by Ahmad Chaudhry
unity undermines basic tenets of Islam
Ahmadiyya Community Flag Jama’at. Thus there will be no improper reaction from any Ahmadi.” This peacefulness and perseverance is not unique to Ahmadiyyat;
What does it take for the Muslim world to accept the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community as a sect of Islam? Why is a peaceful commu-
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sects, targeted more heavily in comparison to other minority religious communities in Muslim nations? Even with such heavy persecution, how is the Ahmadi Muslim Community able to still grow, with presence in over 195 countries and membership exceeding in the tens of millions? These questions make the Ahmadi Muslim Community a very peculiar community in the Muslim world; despite the persecution, they still persevere. When Jesus was born into Judaism, it was divided into some 72 sects. He faced persecution from the Israelites, yet he peacefully persevered. Today the “72 sects of Islam” marginalize the Ahmadiyyat; we have forgotten the beauty and meaning of unity. We need to follow the example of our Beloved Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings
“The hate-driven violence seen in Muslim countries is a phenomenon all Muslims should be concerned about. If we can’t give religious freedom to those who call themselves Muslims, then what safety is there for any Muslim? “
this is the defining characteristic of Islam. The peacefulness of Islam can cure our beautiful religion of the extremism that has tainted it. The hate-driven violence seen in Muslim countries is a phenomenon all Muslims should be concerned about. If we can’t give religious freedom to those who call themselves Muslims, then what safety is there for any Muslim? Islam as a way of life calls for moderation and prohibits irrational, senseless violence. Muslims may disagree with each other, but such differences can never warrant bloodshed. The indifference of governments of Muslim countries to extremist acts is shameful. If we do not condemn persecution, then we are the silent majority who allow such extremist actions to occur. Many questions are left unsolved in regards to the Ahmadi Muslim Community.
nity persecuted against so savagely for the past few decades? Why is a community, that shares the basic Islamic teaching with other Muslim
of God be upon him) in order to act justly and establish a heaven on earth in our ever dynamic and diverse world. Insh’Allah.
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Bollywood: Regressing from Magic to a Lack of Vision Just how much has it changed? By
Hasan Shah
I
recall sauntering into Big Cinemas in Fremont with my mom a couple days after finals ended in May to check out the much-hyped Bollywood flick Kites. I had just come back home after my first semester at Cal and looked forward to bonding with my mom over a quintessential, masala-filled Bollywood movie – something we hadn’t done since Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam released in 1999. Unfortunately, what we were greeted with seemed to be more of a raunchy skinfest about two individuals who refused to keep themselves off of each other. Having my gaze lowered for 2 hours 45 minutes of the 3 hour long movie, I began asking myself: what happened to Bollywood? Back in the day, Bollywood had the magical ability to draw its viewers into its fantasy world. There was something about the intensity in the climax of the 1995 blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge that made people sprint to
the theater for repeated viewing. To this day, I feel a chill down my spine when I think of Baoji letting go of Simran’s hand right before she lifted helehnga off her feet and darted towards the moving train. The Bollywood today lacks that intensity, that passion, that devotion between
als – the same morals that motivated Bollywood fans to flock to the cinemas in the first place. Hum Aapke Hain Kaun released in 1994 with little hype and a limited number of prints but the traditions and morals included in the film made it spread like wildfire. Audiences en-
“The generous use of skin show coupled with stunning visuals proves only one thing about modernday Bollywood directors; they give importance to every aspect of the film but the script.” its lead couple that made every woman wish she had a Raj, and every man a Simran. In a vain attempt to imitate the westernstyle of cinema, Bollywood directors have sacrificed their mor-
joyed watching young lovers make sacrifices for their families. The movie preached exactly what our culture teaches – to give up our own desires for the greater good and to listen to our baraas,
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for they know what’s right. Bollywood now revolves around characters that remain estranged from their families. Akash from Anjaana Anjaani and Sanjana from Main Hoon Na are just a couple examples of characters from contemporary Bollywood cinema who take pride in being alienated from their parents. What happened to all the Prem’s who would happily dance at their lover’s wedding to keep their family happy, or all the Raj’s and Rahul’s who would not marry without Baoji’s aashirwaad? “Rajshri needs to get back on their happy-golucky bandwagon and wave their magic wand to produce movies with family traditions. People like mushy family gore,” said UC Berkeley senior Naveen Habib. Rajshri’s style of movie making revolved around morals, culture, and tradition; unfortunately, it is no longer being exercised in India’s film industry because the media is giving much importance to the western elements in the latest Bollywood movies. The first thing we find out about a movie nowadays is which heroine is going to be sporting a bikini
or what two actors will share a lip-lock. Audiences today don’t wish to squirm in their seat when they go with their family to the cinema. The generous use of skin show coupled with stunning visuals proves only one thing about modern-day Bollywood directors; they give importance to every aspect of the film but the script. They lack a vision. Bollywood films used to be a platform for innovative storytellers to reach out to audiences of all kinds; currently, storytellers seem to be as confused as the lifeless characters in the movies they make. 2009 witnessed the release of the debacle Kambakkht Ishq – a prime example of everything that could possibly go wrong with a movie. The film lacked a story, morals, and clothes. Moviemakers today wrongly believe that by incorporating superficial elements such as sex appeal, foreign locations, and Hollywood actors into Bollywood – an industry which once represented elegance – they have won half the battle. What they forget is that audiences today still expect to be entertained and that can
only happen if the characters and their situations can entice us enough to enter their world. Whether we like it or not, the quality of Bollywood movies has changed. Clubs are the new khet; beer is the new bahu ka prasad. Characters have lost their innocence, naivety, and simplicity. Simran went from being the innocent dreamer in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge who wouldn’t marry against her parents’ wishes to the confused, lost soul who doesn’t want Mr. Right but Mr. Right Now in I Hate Luv Storys. Say hello to Bollywood’s latest item girls Neha Dhupia, Mallika Sherawat and Rakhi Sawant because gone are the elegant Meena Kumari, Madhubala, and Jaya Bhaduri. The only way we could get them back is if Bollywood directors keep their target audience in mind: the 1 billion individuals in the subcontinent who cannot relate to actresses wearing skimpy outfits or actors without any izat or sharam. The day moviemakers start making movies for movie watchers, Bollywood will start churning out flicks that we could watch comfortably.
Body By
Kifah Shah
S
Standards of
and the
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Image
itting in front of the floor-toceiling closet door mirrors, reflecting everything but reality in the bedroom, a six-yearold mumbled to me all the reasons she finds herself ugly. Hamnah, after watching the recording of my college graduation speech, in which I admitted I grew up thinking I was ugly, asked me: “But why? You’re so pretty.” Before attempting to unpack the political and emotional baggage of living in a “picturesque” suburbia where your next birthday present was a trip to the plastic surgeon, I gave her a simple answer: “Because I didn’t look like anyone around me and I didn’t look like the women in the magazines. Is that why you think you should straighten your hair every day?” Forcing down the stubborn waves that swept across her face, she slowly said, “Yes. Because it’s ugly when it’s not straight.” Last spring, sisters Zahra Murtaza and Asiyah Abdul-Mu’min distributed a survey to MSA sisters at Cal, titled “Muslim Women and Body Image.” Of the 42 responses, 5 women
said they were completely happy with their bodies, and 8 said Islam heavily impacted the way they view their bodies. An overwhelming majority of respondents related their body image to their weight, their relationship to food, and their eating habits. The conclusion was clear that, indeed, Muslim women have body image issues. After reading through the responses, I was disheartened to say the least. I kept reading statements like, “Muslim women often care less about their appearance than non-Muslims. It is for this reason that they let their bodies become overweight and unhealthy because of a stronger emphasis on inner beauty than outer beauty;” or “I could be more beautiful;” or “I’m still 5 pounds under weight but I hate having fat on me;” and “... even the brothers (I feel like) are part of the American society, where they talk about looks and thinness and a nice body.” Muslimahs are wrestling with more issues than other American women, for they have
difficult and competing standards of beauty, which include being modest in an immodest society as well as being attractive. Thus, Muslimahs are confronting their own contradictory expectations of beauty, oftentimes without being critically conscious of their own complexes. One sister admitted, “A lot of the MSA sisters always compliment me, ‘Oh you’re so skinny,’ or ‘I love your outfit’ and that re-
“Oh Allah, we ask you by Your beautiful names to make us beauiful to You”
Imposed
Beauty
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Photos by Farhana Jahan
ally brings my self-esteem up. But I can’t help it when I see other girls around that are much prettier, and then I feel down again.” We begin seeking others’ validation before realizing the only validation we should strive for is Allah’s. Ask yourself, when you get dressed in the morning, who is it you aim to please? It is common thought among Muslimahs that our bodies are sacred, which they
Muslim on Women
are. One sister states: “As a Muslim I think that our bodies are only ‘loaned’ to us and it is my religious duty to take care of my body by eating well and exercising.” It is imperative to remind ourselves our bodies are a means to worship Allah, and not an end. It is not this body that needs to be perfected or a number on the scale that must be met or maintained. Rather, it is the worship that we conduct using these bodies which needs to be perfected. Nevertheless, there were many encouraging statements sisters made throughout the survey: “Beauty is in your akhlaq (virtues)” ; “I LOVE MY BODY! Allah (swt) made me this way for a reason;” “I know that I am beautiful in every sense of the word and that no one, and I mean NO ONE, has the power to tell me anything different;” “Beauty is the noor (light). The goodness that radiates off of you. Inner or outer beauty;” and “I think my mama’s relationship with Allah (swt) is beautiful.” “Okay, Hamnah, now repeat after me:
I’M PRETTY!” “I’m... pr... pretty....” She stammered in front of her mirror image. “No! Say it like you mean it! You can tell I mean it: I’M PRETTY!” “I’M PRETTY!!!!!!” When I visit Hamnah, I ask her if she still says “I’m pretty” to herself in the mirror every morning like we practiced, and I remind her that she is not simply saying it to feel better but because it is fact. She is beautiful because Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala made her. So before subjecting your body to someone else’s standards, realize that it is already subjected to Allah’s standards. Before counting the calories we consumed, we should count the blessings He azawajal has honored in our very forms. When we speak about becoming thinner, we must speak of wearing ourselves thin trying to do good deeds for the sake of Allah. Now, repeat after me...
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The Consequences of Consumerism Outweigh the Temporary Benefits Photo by Hinhanska Haney
By
Lameese Eldeouky
“I
work in a job I hate, to buy stuff that I don’t need, to impress people that I don’t like.” Those are the wise words of an intelligent American consumer. Consumerism’s glamour is challenging to avoid, particularly when on the surface, it appears to provide an optimal solution to our desires and our problems. Keynesian economics, the ideology our government turned to during the start of the global financial crisis in 2007, offer us a glimpse into the rewards and consequences of aggregate demand. According to The Keynesian Law of Consumption, governmental policies can lead to an increase in aggregate demand which can in turn increase economic spending and as a result, lead to a low unemployment rate, deflation, and expansion. The thought behind the Law of Consumption is that beneficial macroeconomic outcomes typically result from governmental spending on Social Capital. This includes education, housing, and nutrition, things which would virtually benefit everyone and promote progress in society. The idea of a low unemployment rate, lower prices on consumer goods, and no recession seems ideal for individuals and a nation as a whole. However, today it is evident that the consequences of consumerism and the direction which it has gone in has begun to outweigh the benefits, especially when society as well as the government have become disillusioned and only adhere to parts of this theory. Whether it is the government or the individual, it is difficult to pin point who exactly is to blame. People now purchase goods and services without paying much attention to their need, quality, or environmental effects. They say that ignorance is bliss, but for how long will the lack of consideration for these things not result in harm? Pointing out a need from a want affects society on vast levels and even manages to widen social gaps. “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer” certainly has an element of truth to it. According to a study conducted by the
Student clothed in the average amount of plastic bags used by one person in a year Helsinki-based World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations University, the richest 2% own half the wealth of the world and according to a study conducted by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 6.3% of the population is living in poverty, 1% is living in homelessness, and of those who are homeless, approximately 40% are children. The United States Conference of Mayors released a report stating that the primary causes for poverty and homelessness were low-paying jobs or unemployment, domestic violence, prison release, substance abuse, and mental illness. While we often intentionally or unintentionally tend to forget the seriousness of the difficult living states of those around us, it is evident that the social gap is widening. Aside from the various consequences it has on the social infrastructure, consumerism also leads into a whirlwind of environmental problems. The biggest environmental fact that people should keep in mind is that the environment has limited natural resources such as water, fossil fuels, wood, and ore. They will run out at some point, thereby affecting our needs as well as other living organisms. Waste and pollutants accumulate over time and these alone can also lead to harmful diseases affecting both humans and animals. The moral consequences which con-
sumption and consumerism have begun to have on us as individuals must be noted. People are driven by large amounts of spending in order to follow trends and ultimately create a self-reward system based on the number of possessions they acquire. Communication with family and friends turns into communications with gadgets. Does this seem extreme? Take a look around the next time you are at a social gathering and observe how many people are on their cell phones, their video game system, their computer, or using another electronic device. This is not to say that technology has not opened many doors for us or that entertainment is some sort of sin, but it is unfortunate that entertainment has become at the top of our priority list. Materialism tends to be one of the ends of consumerism and it becomes difficult to resist the advertisements which scream benefits of products that cause weight loss or flawless skin. How many of these products actually work is an entirely different issue, but essentially, these products begin to reflect the values that people wish to embody. It is important to note however, that when a person dies, they don’t take any material possessions with them, no matter how many they accumulate. If this is kept in mind, then the way people set up their priorities and led their lives would shift for the better.
Opposition to building “Ground Zero Mosque” compromises fundamental American values
Al-Bayan Page 17
By
Omar Rehmane
H
ow can we in good conscience allow a mosque to be built at Ground Zero? This is an abomination, an affront to everything Americans hold dear. That’s right, my fellow Americans. Once again we see the dichotomy between the red-blooded patriot and the cold-blooded pinko poised at every moment to strike at our way of life. For is it not the Muslim who hates us for our freedoms, who defiles our nation with his bearded face or her scarf-covered head? It seems to this level-headed observer that should Muslims be allowed to worship in New York City today, tomorrow we will all be worshiping alongside them! For this mosque, my fellow citizens, is the insidious design of the Saracen, who -- having regarded our advanced western civilization with jealousy since time immemorial -- is finally hanging his turban on America’s hatrack. Well, to that I say no! What’s next, I ask you? Do we allow them to become citizens? To vote? To hold public office? Surely a Muslim in our sacred halls of power would be a threat on the level of the Kremlin of old. Nay, greater! For the Communist, while despising us for our superior way of life, at least had the decency to enter into proxy wars with us! These Muslims are cravenly entering our country and attempting to take advantage of our soft tolerance! You see, America, our country was founded on and continues to uphold strictly Christian values, thus our policies regarding gay marriage, abortion, and working on Sundays! As a nation of Christians, we tolerate every culture and lifestyle, no matter how insane it is. Some say this debate is about racism or bigotry. It is not. This is about making sure the next leader of the free world goes not by “Imam,” but “President”; enacts not Sharia (the most perverse and cruel system of law on the planet), but the Constitution! We should just waterboard those savages! It brings me to tears to see what is happening to our country. Germany sunk our ships with submarines, and we hit them right back. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, and we put their people in internment camps. That’s camps, with an “s,” people. Now, we’re supposed to believe that just one Guantanamo Bay is enough to hold all the Muslims in America? Now, I realize our socialized system of education may have left you all a little in the dark when it comes to my languid prose, philosophical entreaties, and photoelectronic loquaciousness, so allow me to summarize my point in colloquial vernacular. We are at war with a force more terrible than Communism, or Atheism, or the Democratic Party (or any of the three combined, for that matter). For killing the infidel is the responsibility of every good Muslim and their assault on our freedoms shall not be tolerated for a second longer. They want a mosque in New York? I say we expel this cancer from our country in the name of the Constitution!
Photo by Ryan Budhu
Islamic Travel Accross Africa Story and Photography By Ahmad Billal Samady I had an opportunity to embark on a trip a friend of mine was planning. It was a chance to grow spiritually and stay connected with the awliya (Islamic Saints), God willing. We were blessed to go to Touba, Senegal. Touba is not just a city, but a true Islamic state that is self sufficient. This city reveres akhlaq (virture, morality) and adab (good manners) and its agenda is khidma (pious acts of generosity). Not once did I see the Mourids have a bad temper; the people are always kind and smiling. Mourids in Touba literally give everything to their guests; food, drinks, clothing, bed, etc. No matter how young or old, poor or rich, no matter what circumstance, people in Touba yearn for ibadah (worship of Allah) and salvation. When someone is making dua for someone, hoards of people come flocking to get in on the dua. Above-left is the Masjid inside Shaykh Abdul Hakim’s property. We prayed every Maghrib and Isha prayer there with him.
Touba is all about Ibadah (worshiping Allah). People usually lay mats on the side of streets and sit doing dhikr (invokations remembering Allah), reciting Qur’an, or reciting poetry of Shaykh Ahmadou Bamba. It was a common site in Touba no matter where you were. Whether it was inside the masjid or the market place, ibadah was seen everywhere by everyone. May Allah continue to protect and bless the people of Touba.
Shaykh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacke was one of the greatest Scholars and Saints of his time. He was a huge influential figure in Senegal during the French occupation and as well as being a spiritual influence. The founder of the Mouridiya Tariqah, Shaykh Ahmadou Bamba envisioned and yearned for a city for his people that would be built on halaal ground and by halaal means. A city that would be built with one goal in mind; to remember Allah Subhanu wa Ta’ala and His Messenger Sallahu Alayhi wa Sallam (peace and blessing be upon him). The Shaykh used to do Istikhara for such a city and was given Touba, a place that no one ever lived on before.
Left: Children we met in Touba at the Masjid of Shaykh Abdul Hakim. They learn Qur’an during the day. On Thursday nights, the children gather in a circle and recite ‘La Ilaha Illah Allah.” We became good friends with these kids, especially the one on the left, Mustafa.
Top: In Dakar, one of the highlights for us, was the beach at the end of a graveyard. Here Torab Torabi relaxes and gazes across the Atlantic Ocean.
This is the grave of a great Saint and Scholar from Mauritania, Shaykh Turad in Dakar. He was on a travel to Dakar when he past away. While we were in Dakar, we would visit his grave everyday under the hot sun. One of the few great things about the city of Dakar was this grave. His grandsons come to visit his grave everyday and we were privileged to have met them.
Shaykh Abdul Hakim ibn Muhammadal Bachir ibn Ahmdadou Bamba Mbacke. From the first moment i saw him to the last, he reminded me of our beloved Rasulullah, Salallahu Alayhi wa Sallam. (The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him.)From the way he interacted with people to his dress to his mannerisms to his character and so forth, I was reminded of the sunnah, masha’Allah fa tabarakulallah. Upon our departure he told us that he was very sad that we were leaving and that he enjoyed our company, but words can’t describe how much we enjoyed his company. May Allah protect him and his children, Ameen.