Extremists at home

I don't know whether this report on Saudi mufti statement, is true or not .
Saying that extremists must be kept out of Mosques, it is very strong .
But definitely sheikh al Sudais praising security forces, is an important step .

Often non Muslims ask why our muftis and imams do not excommunicate extremists .
And it is difficult to let them understand that we do not create or modify rulings just like that .
There has always been strong condemnation against terrorism, but of course it was not highlighted by Western press .

There were always speculations on the reason why bin laden, never brought attacks on Arab lands, and many thought this happened cause he had been given money from local rulers .
In my humble opinion, he was just smart enough to understand, that bringing blood on Muslim soil, that would have turned people against him .
Touching with their own hands, the cruelty of his jihad, would have surely kept them away from him .

Egoistically speaking, it is good if they have a taste of the sufferance and discomfort that extremism has on our lives, same as it happens here in the West .
That should push our brothers and sisters in Muslim lands, to speak and act in more an effective way against those who hijack Islam.

Why I will not read Matt Bissonette book

I am not sure anybody out there is interested, but I just want to make my point .

After I converted to Islam, I started to have problems with my family .
It was issues I hadn't seen coming, because of the way religion is lived, here in Italy .
True that very few are practicing Catholics, and even less know exactly what's being taught to them at schools and churches, but Catholicism is a sort of talisman, something each national is born with, without asking .
So cutting with it, for an Italian, often means also to cut with roots, a part of them at least .
It became so uncomfortable to live with my family, that I decided to move to the M.E.
There things unfolded also worse, because for how much one loves the culture, he or she will never be part of it .
And Islam is only a part of Arab culture, important but just a part .
There in the Gulf, I had the opportunity to challenge myself, to know different people, to appreciate other aspects of life .
But all in all, it was an awful adventure .
My local sponsor cheated me, a guy stole all my money, most of the people I thought to be friends, just turned their back, and I had to rush back home .
I had gone there with a bunch of money and dreams .
Had to go, also blacklisted for three years, because a dishonest person asked me for money, big money, left me without visa and ran away .
I entered like a princess and went out like a beggar, all this because a bastard took advantage of my silly good heart .
After two years I am back home, I'm still missing the place and people and trying to go there again but with no positive outcome .
I rejoined my family also sewing fractures there had been between us in the past .
Actually I am not happy, but at least I'm alive and that's a lot .

In all these years and carrying on with tribulations, I've always thought that my disgraces had been caused by only one person : Osama bin Laden .
If he hadn't done what he did, I was thinking, I would not have even tried to go out .
In reality bin Laden was just a symptom .

The real disease is that Italians are not used to deal with differences .
Multiculturalism is an unknown word to them .
They cannot come to terms with the fact, that despite being raised in this culture, one can be perfectly happy by adding to his/her interests another inclination, like a different religion, or also can come from a mixed background .
In Arab lands instead, they haven't realized that Arabs are just leaving aside their religion, they behave as if they were not Muslims.
They cheat, they lie, they misbehave as if they had no morals .
These were the real causes of my troubles, other than the fact that I was not good in making choices .

Along with the years I've been pondering on the happenings of my life and on how they were related to the world events .
In the same way that, I was telling to myself the tale that bin Laden was responsible for my tribulations, on the other hand, I was listening to political and police experts, sociologists and media persons and understanding that OBL was the root of all evils .
And also, every time there was some story or details around him and his family, the way he started, the way he was thinking or speaking, I was just listening .
I listened to each kind of theory about his life and misfits  and about his capture .
I learned about his background, his evolution (if it can be defined thus), his wives and children, his habits, everything .
When he was captured and killed I spent hours in front of television and computer to know details .
So I was thinking it was finally finished .

But the next day I woke up and realized it was not .
People in my country are still racists and bigots (many not all), Arab Muslims still prefer beer to prayer (many as well, not all) and Obama is still there blabbering about terrorism and launching drones, specially at elections time .

So I realized that the problem was not Osama bin Laden .
He was just a tool in the hands of God, to let us understand we have problems and we must solve them, following His way .

I don't think this book either, will change anything .
And I will not buy it, despite being passionate of police operations .
Also the true name of the author, reminds more of a baguette than a war hero .
And last but not least, Penguin is the editor of books which I used to read when I was at school .
My school memories are not that good .

So here are three good reasons not to read mr. Bissonette, or Mark Owen book .
No easy day is more the story of my life, than that of a chap who killed a coward in a hole .
With due respect .

Eid Mubarak

Not exactly a great Ramadan , to be honest .
Outside of Muslim lands and alone, without friends or a community, it is a bit difficult .
But God wanted so, that means is fine .
My best wishes of a blessed Eid to all Muslims out there .
May Allah guide us all, through and to His path .

Jailing the hearts

“Putting  offenders behind bars for 24 hours and confiscating their driver’s license for a week would be the ideal punishment. I have discussed these points with ROP and Muscat Municipality officials but nothing has been done so far. I also want people to come forward and fight for rights of the disabled rather than misusing them. People need to change the way they behave.”
Jail those who use disabled parking illegally, says activist - Muscat Daily|Oman Newspaper

Here in the West, anti-Islamic groups job, is made easier when speaking of Sharia .
Many think that Sharia is just a set of repressing laws, which will destroy our democratic system .
Few understood that Islamic law, is seriously part of that way of life we try to practice .
And so it is meant to strengthen morals and values , which is why Sharia applied to a Western system, just doesn't make sense .
I see that also in Arab countries now, people start to see repression as the solution to problems .
I understand the frustration, but it is all about education and going back to the origins, namely Islam and the good part of Arab culture .

Hate

“Unfortunately, that’s exactly what has happened. But the fire has been under the Gulf sands much longer than your time away. This region has been under attack in many ways. The Israeli axis tried indirect control, and that wasn’t enough. They tried invasion and occupation and failed. But what they always succeed at, is what worked for them during the colonial era — divide and rule. So here we are, quarreling over issues that were dead 1,400 years ago, while the neocolonialists enjoy the show, waiting for the right moment to take us by surprise.”
Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi


One of the most difficult tasks to accomplish for a Muslim convert of non Arab descent, or also for a Muslim of second/third generation living in the West with the family, is to match the religion with the culture .
Islam is very much compatible with cultures which are not Arab, but of course it takes time and committment, to find the points of contact .
Being in touch with Arab Muslims, specially if one lives in the Gulf area, will give a taste of this dichotomy between traditions and the religion just embraced .
One issue is that for them, Islam belongs to Arabs, and the other, is that modern culture in a western context, is just corrupted .
This is another consequence, of the hate atmosphere in which many Arabs live, and hate speech is definitely part of it .
Also many who went abroad for studies or work, fall in this trap .
They can't understand that the more they indulge in it, the more they will be at loss .
Complaining without acting, is counterproductive .
And some outsiders, very well know how to take advantage of this .
Scholars up to now, didn't do much .
I think that if rulers, in such an important venue like that of the Islamic conference, did a strong statement against this attitude, then people would start considering to go for a change .

Halal/Haram

Living outside of Muslim lands (even though I personally follow the school of thougt according to which, land of Islam is wherever Muslims are free to live) can be challenging at times .
And this happens not because our religion is so hard to practice, rather some places and people are stuck into a mentality which doesn't cope much with diversity and minorities .
One might argue that the same happens in countries like Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, where they are known to follow a very orthodox version of the religion .
I usually answer that in places where religion is source of law, then the issue must be seen in this perspective .
On the other hand, nations calling themselves modern and democratic, and where religion and state are kept separated, or where religion is kept in no account whatsoever, then everybody is entitled to have a say, with his political and civil rights .
In some countries minorities are just of a certain ethnicity and customs, so everything new coming up needs its time .

So for example the issue of pork in medications for Muslims in the West is cause of great concern since long time .
It is also in Muslim lands, because medicines come from Europe and America mainly, and scholars suggest to take them if no other alternative available or to take them because pig tissues are not to be considered as pork anymore, after chemical transformation .
Most follow this advice, though reluctantly, others just do not take the cure .
Same goes to alcohol in mouthwash .
So it is important that Arab American pharmacists, found a way, as said in the article .
But in case no solution is available, then the scholar is still fundamental .

This is the main problem for today's Islam .
Scholars should do more ijtihad , which doesn't mean to change the religion as we want it .
It means to find a proper interpretation for modern days .
And it is feasible as Islam is universal in time and space .
Just people of knowledge should dedicate more time and efforts to this .

العريفي Superstar

Mohammad al-Arifi, a popular televangelist who has more than two million followers on Twitter, posted comments Friday criticizing Saudi minister of social affairs Yousef al-Uthaymeen who was quoted by al-Yaum daily in 2009 as saying there are only 600 families under the poverty line in the country.

“Either the newspaper is lying to the minister or the minister is lying to us,” al-Arifi said. “The country is full of poor people.”

The tweet by al-Arifi was re-tweeted more than 5,000 times, causing a wave of strong criticism of the minister. al arabiya


One of the reasons I left Catholicism, which is also the same factor pushing Italians towards atheism, is the excessive role held by the Church in politics .
In a country where religion and state are split, the religious authority should limit its presence to the spiritual guidance of the citizens .
But the Vatican barely does that, as we can clearly acknowledge Italy's current moral decay .

In a Muslim country, where the religion is source of law, or at least its main reference, things do change .
Politics and religion are naturally interconnected : just, in my opinion the political leadership should be in a prominent position .
Religious authorities must not be submitted to political power, but they must exercise their role quietly .
They must give their advises and be a source of inspiration for the government .

Dr. Muhammad is very dear to my heart, but like all human beings, he is limited .
When he has these outbursts, that makes problems to himself and to the believers .
Often his lectures and statements are cut and pasted by anti-Islamic groups and used to prove Islam is a bad religion .
This is particularly detrimental for Muslims in the West .
It takes much effort, when colleagues or friends confront us with videos in which he says apparently odd things, to explain them what he meant .
We have to go back to Islamic history, to consider the context, to lay out the general principle first .
Yet people are not convinced .

In this particular case, given that many of his followers consider him as a demi-god (and that is wrong in Islam), he did a great damage to the cause .
Even if the statement had been true or just recent, all he obtained was sparking rage among his fans  .
That is not to raise awareness . That is simply to make a show .
I am sure he is in good faith when stumbling upon this sort of accidents, but since he is such a popular scholar, he should pay more attention to what he says and how .
Otherwise he will be remembered as a "televangelist", and he is much more than that .

May Allah forgive us our sins and guide us to and through His path .

Of decrees and stars

Yesterday San Lorenzo has started .
For a couple of nights or more, falling stars will be visible, so for those who believe in this stuff, that will be quite an enjoyable time for expressing wishes .

For us Muslims instead, the last ten nights of Ramadan have started .
It is a very important period, because in these nights, and precisely in one odd night whose exact date we do not know according to my studies (Laylatul Qadri, the night of decrees), the decisions regarding our lives in the next year, will come down and our destiny (which globally has already been established 40000 years before our birth) will be laid down .
This is something of our religion which I always found difficult to understand, and in fact prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, strongly recommended not to indulge in some reasonings so as not to get lost .
Coming from a religion (Catholicism) where free will is very much emphasized, speaking about qadar (predestination) can initially give the feeling to a convert, to have ended to another religious trap .

In reality, even though Christians somehow contradict themselves when they say that God rules on everything, free will is at times confusing, because it gives the idea of a God who is not fully in charge of His creation .
Not willing to offender those who believe in other religions, this sounds more of a lesser God .
The Islamic concept of God, which is often painted as cruel, is the decision maker for everything, so in His infinite wisdom, also things that are apparently bad, in the end are for our own good .
And the fact that we don't know what and how will  happen, must just push us to do our best, in the way of God .

In this situation, I feel more comfortable to know that God has already taken all the decisions for us, because I trust Him, rather than being given also just one atom of free will .

22 He is Allah besides Whom there is no god; the Knower of the unseen and the seen; He is the Beneficent, the Merciful 

23 He is Allah, besides Whom there is no god; the King, the Holy, the Giver of peace, the Granter of security, Guardian over all, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Possessor of every greatness Glory be to Allah from what they set up (with Him). 

24 He is Allah the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner; His are the most excellent names; whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares His glory; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.

Recitation Surah Al Hashr The Exile

Love in the middle of the East

Love is already a complicated affair, at least it is for me .
In the Arab world it can be also more .
And not for religious reasons as one may think, when reading certain media .

Things get ugly mainly when tribal issues and family members get mixed in the relation .
Usually, engagements and marriages happen within the same circle of families, that is a tribe .
There are exceptions though, depending on how open the mentality of the tribe one belongs to, is .
Islam in difficult cases, when the father doesn't want to grant permission for marriage, comes to help .
If a girl wants to marry a boy which is not liked by the family, she goes to court to present the case, and if everything is fine by the laws, they can get married with the sheikh acting as her wali (protector) .
It is not easy though, because the girl will be isolated from the rest of the family .
In some cases she runs away .
In worst scenario relatives will try to stage honour killing as well .
This is something people think happening only in Yemen or Pakistan, but they take place also in remote areas of other countries of the Persian gulf .
So, often girls follow their fathers desires, because they know their dreams are almost impossible to achieve and they don't want to lose the family of origin of course .
The average Western reader will think that the father permission is useless .
As every Islamic tenet, its logic is that of protecting the girl .
When it is abused, it becomes a burden .

Speaking about polygamy, another issue frowned upon in the West, it needs to be clarified that in Islam it takes place only when required and under conditions which are per se difficult to fullfill .
And still this practice is abused .
Many men get married again, to show off their wealth or to have a younger spouse .
They do not even respect the rule to be fair to all their wives and children, so often kids grow up very uncomfortably, with a sense of rage against their fathers and siblings .

When it comes to marrying from outside, this is still very difficult for women, while the men's task is relatively easier .
The logic behind these legal obstacles, is to keep alive local tradtions and heritage, and also to avoid a boys drain .
If all were free to marry from out, most ladies would stay unmarried .
There is many discussions about westerners getting married to Arabs .
In my opinion one has to be oriented toward diversity and be ready to compromise and sacrifice .
That is the key to avoid bad stories which we often read about devorces and children of mixed couples .
And of course the lady must pick an honest Arab guy who will not play tricks but rather inform her of all the laws of the country .

Another reason why girls nowdays do not marry very easily, other than the fact that now they prefer to work or study, is mahr, that is the amount of money asked by the father, to be given to the girl by the future husband .
In Islam it has the meaning of entering a new life provided by the man .
It is merely symbolic .
Prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings upon him, married girls who were gifted just a ring or a cloak, by their spouses .
But today's fathers are very greedy .
Depending on the country and the mentality, the request can be up to 30000 euros and more .
And of course it is difficult to find such rich men .
So girls just stay unmarried .
And if their family's thinking is very traditional, also their younger sisters do not get married, because the idea is that they can go married only after the eldest .

I know all this can sound quite backward and cruel, but also here in the West despite modernity, relations between men and women are not that good .

I fell in love with a man of the Gulf when I still was not much familiar with these issues .
And yet I was lucky, because he didn't play games with me .
Sometimes gulfians are not honest with foreign ladies .
We met on internet of course, as it often happens .
Then we met in real life, during one of my trips and we started a relation which became complicated when I moved there .
Real life is much more difficult than the virtual one .
Oddly enough, I was the conservative between the two, while he was very naive or bohemienne, let's call it so .
A writer very much Western oriented, in love with life and dreams, could not match the expectations of a woman who was fancying the Arab blue prince .
I was not patient enough to wait as one of his friends suggested, and so we lost each other .
I found him back a couple of years ago, married to a young smart lady .
They had a cute baby (he has already three from a previous marriage) and we all became friends .
They are actually also helping me to sort out some troubles .
She is younger than me but very wise . She accepted the way he is, while I wanted to change him .
I admire her a lot .
I understood also how love can finish .
When I was with him, I was thinking great loves do never end .
But when i met him again, I just felt a great affection and friendship for him .
I don't know if it is because it was not the love with the big L or just love, as every human happening, can finish all of a sudden .
In any case, it just was not meant to be .
Despite the age, I am in my forties, i am still waiting for the blue prince, but to be honest, I am not very positive about it .
I feel like I don't deserve it .

Loud

One of the things that maybe foreigners find annoying when living in a Muslim country, is the sound of the Adhan (call for prayer) done early morning for fajir (morning prayer, the first of the day) .
It can be between 3.30 am and 5.30am, depending on the month and the season and it definitely breaks the rythm of sleep . If one doesn't easily start to sleep again, it can be bad for health .
But for Muslims it is quite easy as they do it since early age .
It doesn't change much .
Rather it strengthens the spirit and makes us feel closer to God .
The sound of Adhan at any time of the day is a blessing for a Muslim .
It is one of the things I miss most and I must confess I rarely wake up for morning prayer in time, nowadays .

Its loud sound has been cause of concern also among Muslims, because for example some sects call for the same prayer at different times .
Some years ago in Bahrain there was a government proposal which stirred up controversies, on making it unified at the same time for all mosques .
Not sure whether it passed or not .

Now I was reading about Shaikh Sultan al Qassimi ordering a poll on loud speakers, which have become common quite a lot in modern times .
He asks if maybe better to abolish them, as it wakes children on which prayer is not yet obligatory, and who hardly fall back to sleep .
And this influences negatively their overall school performance .
In my opinion the speakers should be left at a middle tone, because sometimes they just make the sound unpleasant, like some church bells in Christian countries .
Children can learn to discipline themselves since early age .
And that is what Islam is all about : physical and spiritual self-discipline .

Ramadan

Ramadan in a Muslim country is a great experience not only for Muslims, but for other people as well .
It helps to understand both the culture and the religion .
It is of course also a very commercial event, same as it happens in the West with Christmas and new year's eve, but it keeps more its spiritual level .

First of all it is an event which evolves around family .
It is a time when people are together, not only for iftar (meal after sunset) or suhor (pre-dawn meal), but also during day , to spend more time with other members of the family and to teach children the Quranic meanings and recitation .
The fact that work places are closed in the afternoon, that makes the fasting easier, but it is actually so long that people are accustomed to it, that they could fast also at full rythm .
Children are required to fast when ready, but I met many who started since very early age .
These same children have already learned by heart the entire Quran by the age of 4 or 5 .
Recitation is something very easy for Arabs .

Usually food related shops are closed during day times and expats are asked not to eat in public .
They just close the doors of the office during break .
I am speaking of most Gulf countries .
Not sure if in Saudi Arabia, which is supposed to be very orthodox on such subjects, it is the same .
As I am a Muslim myself, I've been discussing this matter several times with other brothers and sisters, whether allowing restaurants or coffee shops to stay open for non Muslims .
And we came to the conclusion, that it wouldn't make such a difference to us .
Fasting is a state of mind and heart, a religious duty we do love to fullfill for God's pleasure .
We wouldn't be upset to see people eating in front of us, which is what happens here in the West anyway .
But I think this rule was made as a sign of respect toward Allah and the holy month .

To be completely honest, nowadays Ramadan lost somehow its spiritual dimension .
At least ten days before its start, families runs to supermarkets to buy tons of food : rice, sugar, meat .
Tables are full and nothing is wasted .
Much of it, is given to charities and to people who come at the door .
Charity is the most important part of fasting .
It helps purification from sins and opens the doors for God's forgiveness .
Also night cycles have changed .
Many people prefer to go malls or to gym, or also to watch Ramadan soaps rather then joining fellow Muslims at the mosque for night prayer .
Yet they remain attached to their duties to God .

Now that I am back to Europe, my Ramadan is a little bit sad .
I am all alone here .
Waking up in the morning or breaking up the fast alone with junk food, makes it feel less meaningful .
I know it is my fault and I should try something to fix it as we can be full Muslims everywhere .
But up to now I haven't found the solution yet .
Inshallah things will change .
Inshallah , God willing .

Wodjan and the others

Clerics and scholars, in the Arab Muslim world, are held in high esteem .
Despite Islam being the only religion, among the monotheists, relying solely on God and giving no divine power whatsoever, to human beings, the people of knowledge are often followed like demi-gods .
This is the reason why, rulers and governments, are highly dependent on them : they can be a strong gathering force and determine the destiny of countries .

One of the most influential in Saudi Arabia, and controversial abroad, is dr. Mohamed al Arefe .
He is known as a pillar of Wahabi Islam, assuming such movement really exists .
He is a very well educated man and a citizen of the world .
He often travels to Europe, confronting himself with people of different cultures and religions .
He holds tv shows and those who follow him, help him in orgasing his agenda and mediatic presence on the internet .
Last year, when I had understood that I can hardly re-adjust to the life out of the M.E., I contacted him, asking for help to find a way to go back .
And dr. al Arefe was so kind in reading and answering to my emails, but in the end, I had to surrender to the fact, that it is quite difficult nowadays to find a job in Arab lands .

I was reading his comments on the issue of the Saudi female athletes, which are Islamically very correct .
Muslim ladies must be covered to protect themselves and their bodies' shapes can't be revealed .
Moreover there can't be any type of contact with non-maharam males (from within their more direct family circle) .
And all this, is difficult to achieve in an Olympic competition .

But it is a fact, that many in this world are convinced that Muslim women, specially in the M.E., are oppressed by the veil first .
Those who are not familiar with the Arab world, would hardly believe that a girl is happy to wear her hijab to please God , and that this practice is not incompatible with the modern world .
This is what Wodjan and other girls participation to the games showed to the globe : that they are happy with their religion and culture .

Now I am not asking to dr. al Arefe to change a ruling .
In Islam it is not permissible and not necessary as well .
But I would like him to find a way for those girls to show their happiness .
That is why reforms in this religion are needed, whereas I am not calling for changes .
Reform means to adapt, to practice the universality in time and space of Islam .
It is the same concept we need outside of Muslim lands : we need an interpretation which help us to live a perfect life, a fully Islamic life .
This is where Arab scholars have failed, up to now .
But I am positive that enlightened minds like Sheikh al Arefe, will soon find a path .