A CHAOTIC 10 DAYS

The first 10 days of Ramadan are almost over. Yup, they’ve gone by real quick. However, maybe it’s just me, but it seems these 10 days have been some of the most intense and busiest when it comes to Muslims in the news. So far during these 10 days we’ve had (in no particular order):

• David Cameron asking all Muslims in the UK not to quietly condone groups like ISIS and the subjugation of women (here’s a rebuttal from Baroness Warsi)
• The Saudis continuing with air strikes in Yemen, no doubt trying to carpet bomb Yemen back to the medieval age
• Dzhokhar Tsarnaev apologising to families of the victims for detonating bombs at the Boston Marathon (listen to Reza Aslan talk about forgiveness in relation to Tsarnaev and Charleston)
• The Taliban trying unsuccessfully to storm the Afghani government building in Kabul
• The Sind province of Pakistan experiencing a 45 degree heat wave that has killed over 1000 so far (resulting in some clerics issuing a special fatwa to break the fast early)
• Boko Haram killing dozens of civilians in Nigeria
• The Abu Sayaf group in the Philippines also killing civilians and threatening to behead coast guards
• The Dutch shwoing cartoons of the Prophet (S), with Al Azhar condemning them
• China bans Ramadan, allegedly
• Kurds fighting ISIS in the Syrian border town of Kobani
• Three deadly attacks in one day, at a holiday beach in Tunisia, a Shia mosque in Kuwait, and a factory in France, with no on really sure if they were coordinated
• Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri launching a ‘counter terrorism curriculum‘
• Nazi obsessed loner Zackery Davies getting revenge for Lee Rigby by attacking a Sikh dentist
• Palestinian Foreign Ministry presenting documents to the International Criminal Court in The Hague over Israeli war crimes last summer
• Damian Collins, a British Conservative MP, writes an article about the Rohingya Muslims called The Most Persecuted Minority In The World
• Tesco says ‘Ramadan Mubarak‘ with smokey bacon flavoured Pringles

I know a lot more has happened during these 10 days, but the above lists just a few things. Allah only knows what the remainder of the month will bring!

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5 QUOTES 5 LINKS

Please find below links to articles about Ramadhaan, the Chapel Hill murders, and selfie sticks. There’s also a comedy clip about fruit and technology, as well as the usual mix of quotes. Enjoy!

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Quotes…

• Don’t run with the herd. That’s where the enemy will fire. – from the movie Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
• If a small situation has the power to enrage us, then that says a lot about the size of our patience. – Anon
• If you want the rainbow then you have to put up with the rain, and if you want the rain then you have to put up with the mud. – Anon
• He has so many creations and yet He never forgets me, but I only have One Creator and I’ve forgotten Him countless of times. – Shaykh saadi
• It’s only when we stop and step out of our lives that we can take stock of our lives and find out how happy we really are. It’s only when we step back from the canvas that we can see the larger picture…What gives you lasting happiness is not the stuff you have but the use you make of it. – Pico Iyer

[Quick comment about the quote above from Pico Iyer: when the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to seclude himself from the hustle and bustle of Meccan city life, he used to go to a cave on the outskirts of Mecca, sometimes for days. Here he was alone with his thoughts, alone to contemplate the feelings in his heart, alone to try and find purpose to his life. In our very busy 24-hour lives, when was the last time we truly secluded ourselves in such a manner? When was the last time we went for a day without iPhones and Facebook? Just a thought…]

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Links…

• Article about Ramadhaan times: How Long The Ramadan Fast Lasts For Muslims Around The World
• In depth article about the Chapel Hill murders: The Story Of A Hate Crime
• Humorous article about Ramadhaan: It’s Ramadan! Here Is The Conversation Muslims And Non-Muslims Will Be Having In The Coming Days…
• A really funny article about our awesome society: Coca-Cola Selfie Stick No More Than Our Civilization Deserves
• Comedy clip starring about modern technology: My Blackberry Is Not Working

LINKS, QUOTES, AND A RATHER FUNNY CARTOON

Below are links to three articles (one about pre-Ramadhaan shopping, one about Muslim neighbours, and one about Bollywood).

There is also a link to a video about Islam and fashion.

For those of us who are fasting, there is a link to a PDF file of the Ramadhaan ashra duas.

There are also five quotes and, as if that were not enough, a really funny cartoon I came across from the always brilliant Ted Rall. Enjoy!

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LINKS…

• Article: How Fashion Is Courting The Muslim Pound
• Article: A Story About An Elderly Jewish Lady And Her Muslim Neighbours Who Cared
• Article: Why India’s Finest Film Composer Converted To Islam
• Video: What Does It Mean To Be Fashionably Modest?
• PDF file: Ramadhaan Ashra Duas

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QUOTES…

• Nothing truly good was every easy. – from the movie One Day (2011)
• You never say no until you’re too busy to say yes. – from the movie The Wrecking Crew (2015)
• You will not be able to enjoy material wealth if you are lacking in spiritual wealth. – Abdulbary Yahya
• Our ears are sensitive to the beeps of mobile phones, but almost deaf to the call of salah. – Anon
• If there’s one thing family does, it is to believe, against all odds, in the best of each other. – from the movie The Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past (2009)

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