Outlines Review: Women In Black Episode 2

I’ve just watched the latest episode of Women In Black.

It was set in Dubai. Subhana Allah it was dreadful. Lots of shopping, lots and lots and lots of it.

Any spirituality? Insight has to how being interested in fashion fits into your religious life?
No. There were shots of the outsides of mosques but nothing more then that. They might as well have just been pretty buildings.

Which is odd when you consider that if I had a pound for everytime she said “Muslim women”, I would be able to do quite a bit of shopping myself.

Of all the various women she interviewed she didn’t ask a single question related to Islam. Sure the wearing of the abaya and shayla were touched upon, but that is just seen a ‘culture thing’. Besides we were shown lots of sparkly abayas and how to attract attention while wearing them. As that is such a noble quality in Islam. Likewise dating via bluetooth and Brazilian waxes (we are told again that body hair removal is an obsession for Muslim women).

In my last review I mentioned that a lot of Arab culture was on show. This episode, we find out that Arab culture is bad and Arab traditions too. They hold you back and stop you being liberated and making lots of money like Western people. As those are the ideals we should be following and all of the Middle East should be like Dubai. In fact the presenter states that “Dubai might come as a shock if you’ve come from the drabber parts of the Middle East”.

After viewing endless upper class excess during the programme, drab doesn’t seem too bad to me. I’d rather go to the Ummayyd Mosque then any shopping mall. To me that’s what being a Muslim women is about. Alhamdulilah, I can enjoy the halal things in life but I know that is not the purpose of my existence, worshipping Allah the Almighty is, and that really is a Muslim thing.

Outlines Review: Women in Black BBC2

I wrote a big long review of this and Worpress ate it. This has never happened to me before and frankly, it’s just not cool. I’m already having to write this in IE as for some reason WP isn’t working properly in Firefox.

Here is a summary of my previous review.

The programmes starts by saying that Muslim women now comprise 10% of the world’s population. Yet they are seen by many as “Shapeless blobs in black”. Anyway this programmes aims to challenge that view by going, where else but, underneath the veil. Who would have guessed that under veil exploration would become more popular then undersea exploration, but with added exoticism.

Arab and Muslim are not interchangeable. Consult any dictionary for proof. Yet throughout this programme the terms are mixed and matched with little apparent thought to actual definition of either.

When the presenter (an Arab Yemeni raised in the UK) changes from jeans and a t-shirt into a black abaya and shayla half way through her flight to Yemen, she describes it as something many Muslim women do. Maybe so, yet many more have the same concept of modest clothing whether they are in Anchorage or Ankhara.

So the programme continues with showing how Yemeni women live, with a strong emphasis on how they shop and party. The male female segregation is presented as an Islamic act, despite that behaviours surrounding this segregation are often far from Islamic in intention and practice.

Irritation of a milder form, when the presenter describes sugaring as a must for Muslim women, although it is actually a practice of Arab (and Desi) women, regardless of religion.

If this programme marketed itself as an insight into the lives of Arab women, I would have no complaint. However, it is specifically presented as an ‘under the veil’ (groan) look at Muslim women, yet sadly Islam barely makes a cameo appearance. This is typified by a lingering shot of a niqabi woman drinking a glass of juice, which clearly shows her face. Such a shot is extremely intrusive and disrespectful of that women’s beliefs and boundaries. If a programme cannot respect these boundaries, how can it describe not only the beliefs that create them, but the people who hold those beliefs?

Just like many women, Muslim women like to look good, they like to have fun with their friends, they have hobbies and just like every woman, Muslim women are more then their pastimes. Is that so hard to understand?

Scribbles not Outlines 4

I’m having WordPress Issues so this post is seriously lacking in links. My apologies.

Firstly, some wonderful news.

Sami Al Hajj has been freed after six years in Guantanamo Bay. No charges were ever brought against him.

Hijab flutter and link to Sunni Sisters, where you can see him greet his son who he hasn’t seen since he was 4 months old. May Allah Subhana Wa T’Ala reward them for their sabr and insha Allah bring and end to the ordeal of all those who have been unjustly incarcerated.

Red Ken lost. The new Mayor of London is not only a Tory *clutches soldily working class necklace (pearls are too sloaney)*, but one with a history of Islamophobic comments. My sympathies for the Muslims of London and for Londoners generally. Yusuf Smith has written further on this. (Click Indigo Jo on my Blogroll.

On to more trivial matters now.

My team has been relegated. They are now at their lowest position ever. I am gutted like a fish about it, which is ironic as they have been as much use as a wig on fish all season, hence their demise.

It goes to show that I haven’t been blogging enough recently, as WordPress have monkeyed around with the buttons and now I don’t know which button to press to add links. Not impressed.

I’ve just finished reading ‘Scattered Pictures’ by Imam Zaid Shakir. It’s an excellent read and probably the next best thing to attending a lecture by the man himself. I am about to finally, finally read Martin Ling’s biography of the Prophet (peance and blessings be upon him). I started reading it before but then moving e.t.c got in the way.

To use an Iman Zaid quote, I’m realising that I need to “put more weight on the bar” and try and put more effort into my ibadat. It’s funny how you can always find time for that which doesn’t benefit you.

Does anyone have tips on improving your practice? Insha Allah, it would be nice if we could share them.

Talking of things which benefit, I’m going to mop the kitchen floor now.

NB
That’s football team btw for those not interested in the beautiful game. Those including Mr Outlines who did not know what relgation meant, or quite why I was looking so sad about it. I have a lot to teach him.

Mosiac

Work has been eating up the rest of my life like A Very Hungry Caterpillar, hence no posts here of late.

I often have ideas for posts fizzing in my head, but so rarely have the chance to sit down and write them.

Nafs. Mine are sadly sturdy and well-fed creatures, but lately, they’ve not just been running the show but wearing military uniform and having parades in their honour. As the summer light causes the prayer times to slide apart, opportunities for revolt abound.

Fajr is obedience. Not only awakening from the sweetest sleep, but getting up, splashing water then standing, bowing, sujood and sitting. I do this for me, but more then this, I do it for Him, to start the day with the right hand angel writing.

Tonight I came home wanting to eat and set my brain adrift from the comfort of the sofa, but it was time to pray. I made myself go and make wudu, then pray.

It was not the best prayer. My recitation was faster then it should be, concentration lacking, for I am a poor servant, easily distracted, eating bread at the circuses. Yet, by the end I am sitting feeling the honour of the prayer, the joy of the connection.

Al Halim, let my heart be Yours always

Cult Friction

At my old job, a while ago, we were sitting watching the tv in the staff room. The news was on, and one of the stories featured Sarkozy. Involuntarily, I grimace.
A colleague asks me, “So you’re not a fan of Sarkozy then?”.
“Definitely not. I’m just glad I’m not a French Muslim.”
“I can understand that”.
“Yeah, I have to say, the U.K is definitely a good place be Muslim, compared to most countries in Europe.”
“Then why do we have such violent extremists here?”
“I don’t know… I don’t understand it at all”.

I didn’t know what else to say. His question was a valid one and I did not know how to answer it.

I have to point out something that is very obvious, but rarely stated:

Violent extremists are just as frightening and perturbing to Muslims as they are to Non-Muslims, because they care as little for the lives of other Muslims as they do for anyone else. To them, we are either not true believers, or we should be happy to die.

Indeed, death will come to us all, as Allah the Almighty and Glorious wills it, but it’s fair to say that I don’t want to be blown to bits while sitting on a bus and I’m sure my coreligionists feel similarly.

So why do these people attempt or carry out such violent acts? Firstly, I do not accept U.K foreign policy as a valid excuse or justification. The vast majority of the U.K people are opposed to the Iraq and to intervention in Afghanistan. The 15/02/03 protect against the Iraq war was the largest in U.K history. I was there and can testify to how colossal it was.

I’m tired of whataboutery. We know our deen. Injustice in Iraq, Palestine or anywhere else will not be stopped by a burning car at Glasgow airport. Such acts are not just futile, they are gravely sinful. The vast, overwhelming majority of Muslims know this, so why are some deluded into thinking otherwise?

The key phrase here is deluded. Their mind has been deceived, twisted. How has this happened?

Brother Tariq Nelson and Brother Hood, both wrote excellent posts about the cult mentality of some Muslims and Muslim movements.

Recently, at a programme of presentations aimed at converts to Islam, I attended a talk by a charity called the Cult Information Centre (CIC). The talk focused on what a cult is and their techniques of psychological coercion. The congruence with cases of suicide/attempted suicide bombers were astounding.

CIC defines psychological coercion as having two basic principles:

1. If you can make a person BEHAVE the way you want, you can make that person BELIEVE the way you want.

2. Sudden, drastic changes in environment lead to heightened suggestibility and to drastic changes in attitudes and beliefs.

So what now? I think a key is to educate our young about the dangers of such groups and thinking. Just saying “These actions are haraam”, is not enough, we must equip our community to recognise the tactics of such groups and why they are dangerous.

Some people at the talk were unhappy that a non-Muslim was talking about such things to Muslims. It’s seen as dirty laundry. Well this ‘dirty laundry’ affects everyone and we need to fix it, without squeamishness or short cuts.

Three years + of being a Muslim….

… and I still can’t sit still on the floor for long periods of time. There are children in the mosque who fidget less then me. Legs crossed, legs folded, legs tucked underneath - pins and needles, must stretch legs, legs straight out in front. Hope no-one thinks I’m being rude by pointing my soles at them. Try to wangle feet so they point away. Feet get cramp from being at such an odd angle. Cross legs and repeat cycle.

Ah dear blog I have missed you. I have lots of ideas but very little time and what I want to write I feel like I need to sit down and take my time over and… see my sparkly crown? I wear it because I’m the queen of procrastination.

So in lieu of writing an actual post, I’m updating my blogroll.

New additions are:

# Abu Sinan
# Darvish
# Dictator Princess
# Impossibly Blue Skies
# Jamerican Muslimah
# Lucky Fatima
# Mama Mona
# Mother of One
# Multicultural Muslimah
# Muse
# Saudi Stepford Wife
# Sweep the Sunshine

I do love the islamiblogosphere. Masha Allah, there are some amazing writers and minds out there.

If you would like to be added to my blogroll, let me know. Note, everyone gets a comment by their link (hover the cursor over to read it). It generally involves alliteration, because I have a childlike fascination with it.

Scribbles not Outlines 3 plus blogging about blogging

My cable package now includes the FX channel which is about to show the new seasons of Dexter and NCIS. Woo-hoo!

Further on the trashy tv tip, We watched the first episode of Dirty, Sexy Money last night. It looks good and will probably fall into the category of “T.V I talk to my Mum about”.

Donald Sutherland plays one of the main characters in the above programme. The man is 72 and looks fantastic. I’ve googled ‘Donald Sutherland plastic surgery’ and nothing incriminating came up, so I will presume it’s natural. Time has given him such an interesting face. I’m tired of watching actresses whose faces don’t move. Such butchery makes me feel nauseous and sabotages any attempt at emoting.

Aging is an inevitable process, so I wish we could embrace it’s beauty rather then railing against it. Why fear getting older?

When asked if she was frightened about becoming 40, Elle MacPherson (yes, wisdom comes from all sources on this blog) stated, “Well the alternative is not turning 40 (i.e dying), and that’s far more frightening.” Indeed.

Sad news from the States, being nice about Muslims is not a vote winner - all candidates.

Gossip folks! No, this doesn’t involve any celebrities. To think, people see gossip as a female foible.

Help wanted - I want to add some items to my blog’s sidebar (new comments, recent posts, e.t.c). Anyone out there with WordPress savvy? Done! Jazak Allahu Khayran and hijab flutter to iMuslim

It would appear that British food is the Millwall of global cuisine.

Finally, I wrote this as a comment on Umar Lee’s blog, but I wanted to repost it here:

What it comes down to is that the Ummah is flowing with haterade and we can see this oh so clearly on the Muslim blogosphere.

It takes many forms. Outright insults, to digs in the guise of piety or enjoying the good. Some people cannot praise anything, without first insulting something else.

I’m sure everyone here reading this, knows already knows that we are meant to make 70 excuses for our brothers and sisters.

Words have power and that includes the power to hurt.

Blog constructively people. If you have a problem with what someone has written, either email them so you can relay your concerns in private or when you write your comment take care to critique the words and not the person. Alternatively, let it go. Is it really that important?
Do not write a ton of insults, or just as bad, write a thinly veiled denunciation on your own blog which is obviously about them. The Islamiblogosphere is small and everyone will know who you are talking about.

I address this advice to myself before anyone else.

I’ve seen and read a lot of hurt feelings on the interwebs and so much of it comes down to people not extending each other basic courtesy. Be nice folks.

Meme: Things better left unsaid.

Saw this on Ali’s blog and it resonated with a few things I’ve been thinking about lately. My list seems rather negative, but then I find positive things are easier to say.

1) I never realised until recently what it must have taken you to write that letter. I was the stupid one, not you, but I didn’t know that then.

2)I wish we had said goodbye properly. I appreciate everything you did and I hope that you are happy.

3)I admire you so much. You are still one of the people I look up to most. I try to tell you that, but I don’t think you really believe me.

4) Even though you are sincere and mean well, you are wrong in so many ways. I hope you realise that one day.

5)It’s such a shame you had to open your mouth and be so rude. It’s a shame for you though, not us.

6) I don’t know why you cannot be happy for me, but until then, I don’t want to be in contact with you.

7) I’m giving you a pat answer because it’s too personal to share with someone I hardly know and even if I did explain it, I don’t think you would understand. It was me. Something I ate is obviously disagreeing with me. Sorry.

Btw, none of these are addressed to Mr Outlines. Strange as it seems, I tell him everything. Even if I don’t want to, my mouth opens and the words spill out.

Outlines Review: White Girl 10/03/08 BBC2

White Girl begins with the desperate move of a mother and her three children to an Asian area of Bradford in order to escape her violent husband.

Leah (an outstanding performance by Holly Kenny), 11 years old and the eldest child is the titular white girl. Her mum is an alcoholic and she bears much of the responsibility for her younger brother and sister. Initially, she feels alienated within the community, but gradually she befriends her asian next door neighbour. As she does so, she discovers more about Islam, until she converts, an action which brings her into direct conflict with her family.

I absolutely loved this film. With realistic dialogue and performances, more then any other drama dealing with similar subject matter, it showed the solace and joy of faith.  To non-Muslims, it can be baffling to outsiders why people become Muslim and why, even in the face of opposition from their loved ones, coverts feel it’s a belief and a way of live that they cannot leave.

Minor quibbles would be that one character said ” Allah, Peace be upon him” which is obviously incorrect. The modern soundtrack was also a tad obtrusive at times (but then I have a Dogme 95 view of music in films) and there was some unnecessary nudity.

As a convert, although, Alhamdulilah, my personal circumstances were not nearly as dire as Leah’s, I definitely could relate to her feeling and actions. As the time period since conversion increases, it is easy to forget the struggles and often loneliness which initially follow conversion. White Girl was a reminder for me of all that had happened since my conversion and how thankful I am.

You can watch the film online here 

Scribbles not Outlines 2

It’s all about hair…

Um Outlines came to visit and of course we went shopping. While wandering around a posh department store, we spotted a threading booth. I have never had any threading done but I’d heard it’s good. Plus, my eyebrows were so unruly, they were on the verge of being slapped with an ASBO. So we both sat in a chair and let the therapists get to work. It’s a weird sensation, but bearable.

When she was finishing off my brows, the lady said, “Would you like your upper lip done too?”

“Is it that bad?”, I replied.

“Well… the hairs are quite long”.

I do attend to this area from time to time, but admittedly the last time I had done so, could only be described as long ago.

(Burning with shame) “Ok then”.

I’m not sure if I was being a big baby, but it was sore - My eyes were watering!

However, I was very pleased with the end result. I whisked my Mum away before she could be persuaded to shell out for an overpriced bottle of Aloe Vera gel. She also had to feel my top lip and feel how smooth it was:

“Very nice dear. Better then that time you bleached it, that looked awful”*.

One of the downsides of wearing hijab is the difficulty in getting a decent haircut.

Not to be too descriptive, but sans hijab, I was starting to look like a Fraggle. After an aborted trip to the hairdressers, I’d had enough.

I washed my hair, brushed it out and pointed to my husband how short I wanted it.

Mr Outlines is a meticulous sort anyway and the owner of a neatly-trimmed goatie, so I figured he’d be able to cut hair in a straight line.

Result! Job done in a few minutes and without all that hair-tugging hairdressers do.^

Can some decent films be released please? I’ve forgotten what the inside of a cinema looks like. There’s not even much I want to get out on dvd. Suggestions welcome.

Book suggestions are also always welcome.

Some of us Muslims are a tad cynical, thinking that there’s no bad stereotype that the media wouldn’t use.

Here’s a banned car advert: YouTube.
Worth getting a Yellow Card for:

Taken from ummahpulse
Donate, make du’a, educate yourself, educate others and remember that nothing is infinite except Allah Subhannahu wa ta’ala.

*Bleaching does look bad. I’m not sure why anyone does it. It always makes me think of Lanugo hair, especially when people bleach the hair on their arms. My excuse was that I was young, foolish and frightened. It wasn’t until I went into a beauty salon and saw the range of areas that they wax that I realised how much facial hair removal goes on.

^I have a microscopic pain threshold when it comes to my hair. I cannot bear for anyone else to brush it, except me. One of the main reasons I hate going to the hairdressers. Yes, I am odd.