The Harvest of Thought

654,965 Dead

2007-02-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

The February 2007 edition of the Johns Hopkins Magazine has a simple black cover with the text :
654,965 in gray and in white underneath: Could this many Iraqis have died? The article is about a study published in the Lancet done by two JHU researchers of epidemiology. The study which is novel in its approach was to use methodologies from epidemiology to determine how many people have been killed by violence since the beginning of the war. The method they used was to pose a survey to ordinary citizens in different Iraqi cities and neighborhoods. The survey was designed to best assess how many Iraqis had family members killed by violence. So after the study was completed they published findings. It was a startling number of 654,965 Iraqis killed.

At the movies ...

I saw a great movie this weekend. Breach the movie about Robert Hanessen's espionage against the US for the Russians. The movie was very interesting and had a lot of drama. The movie was probably one the most interesting I have seen in the last 3-4 months.

College Hoops:

Well Maryland has won its third straight game (all conference wins). This is really a good direction for the Terps with only 4 games left before the beginning of the ACC tournament. There next game is against Florida State. The Terps lost their last game to them so this is a very big game for Maryland.

Catching Up

2007-02-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

Wow I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks. I have been so swamped at work that I just haven't had time to think about posting. I figured I better post or I might just lose interest and never post again.

Well first off Maryland beat Duke yesterday by 12. Go Terps!!!!! I know that Duke hasn't been their usual dominating self this season but a conference win is always huge. Also, a win against a rival like Duke is also huge. So maybe this will be the beginning of the turn around of the Terps that will them into March. Keep your fingers crossed.

I also have been reading a book ( I know I just said I haven't had much free time. So sue me:-)titled The Great Theft by Dr. El Fadl. This book is a must read for anyone who considers themselves moderates but deeply faithful. Dr. El Fadl seems to be highly esteemed individual in the field of Islamic jurisprudence. This book sets the tone for any discussion on radical (or puritan as Dr. El Fadl calls them) Muslims and where their origins and beliefs stem from. In recent discussions with my friends I drew much of the same conclusions that Dr. El Fadhl does. So it is kind of rewarding to see that my ideas and that of an esteemed scholar agree almost in 90% of what the books says.

I just also saw the movie Norbit. It was funny but not as funny as I thought it would be. I think my expectations were to high. Also, I think Eddie Murphy movies should be watched at home. They are not worth the $9.50 admission cost. So to anyone who hasn't seen it yet, wait for the DVD.

Finally, I have continued watching Little Mosque on the Prairie and I must say at first I thought it was just plain bad but actually it is turning into a somewhat funny show.

Looking back at this post I think I figure out why I haven't been posting as much. It has less to do with work and more to do with all the extraneous tv and movies I watch.

Ziarat Ashura

2007-01-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

Ziarat Ashura audio

The above link is to an audio file for ziarat ashura.

Ziarat Ashura text

The above link is to a PDF file of the arabic textg of ziarat ashura.

May all your prayers be accepted. Please keep us in your thoughts as you pray.

Ya Hussein! "Qala Rasallulah, 'Ana Min Hussein. Husseina miny'."

Israeli connection to 9/11

2007-01-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

This is a clip from youtube.com that exposes at least some of Israels connections to the events of 9/11. It seems to be several clips from different days compiled into one long clip. What is astonishing to me is that the reporting is from Fox News. They usually follow the far right mantra of never blemishing the image of Israel. Of course listen carefully and you here the correspondent and host go to all lengths to distance the Israeli government from any blame.

Hossein Hossein Hossein -- Ya Hossein

2007-01-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

Helali (2006) 3 Muharam

Blogging about .... well blogging

2007-01-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

Ok so I haven't blogged in a little a while so just to keep things going I thought this would be appropriate.

I have been so busy lately. Mainly worrying about work. But that is not something I want to talk about now.

I just finished watching the end of the Maryland vs Virginia game. I was deeply disappointed. This means Maryland is 1-3 in the ACC that is just not a good start. Since I didn't really get to see the game. I am not going to speculate what went wrong. Well the next game is against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg at 7:30pm on 1/21/2007.

I also watched Rome last night. It was a good season opener. If anyone who hasn't seen the first season of Rome, this one great show for people who like a little history lesson along with a lot of action and drama. The first season dealt mainly with the rule of Ceaser and ends with his assassination. The second season has picked up from there. The story includes the story of Ceaser's niece, her son and his heir, his mistress, and her son the senator. It also includes the story of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra (briefly-- with Ptolemy). There is also a significant part of the story that deals with the personal lives of two regular army guys. Its a good show.

Little Mosque on the Prairie Season 1 Episode 1

2007-01-11T20:03:00.001-08:00


A small prairie Muslim community butts heads with locals when their new spiritual leader arrives.

Here is the first of episode of the new show from Canada. Its not that funny but its it quaint. Give it a whirl you might like it.

White Christmas?

2007-01-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

Rockville Homeowner Covers House With Snow

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- If you're looking for snow, a home in Rockville, Md., has a front yard full of it. The homeowner rented a snow-blowing machine and covered the front of the home with snow.
I guess some one was a little miffed at not having a white Christmas. It has been unnaturally warm on the east coast but I guess this guy has figured it out.

Olbermann vs. Riveraat

2007-01-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen tonight we have a special match up for you: In this corner we have at 5'9" Geraldo "I've been married five times" Rivera and in this corner we have at 6'3" Keith "I'm a funny guy" Olbermann. Ding! Ding! Ding!

So apparently Rivera has called out Keith Olbermann to dual :

On Orlando Sentinel Blog:

Geraldo wants to whoop up on Olbermann

So here's one I missed over the holidays -- Geraldo Rivera coming to town and threatening to beat up on Keith Olbermann.

Apparently Geraldo was visiting with 104.1 FM's Monsters just before Christmas, when they asked him about the time he made international headline for disclosing too much information about troops in Iraq. Geraldo claimed the incident was blown out of proportion, largely by NBC -- and specifically Olbermann. Geraldo then began mumbling semi-audible names, seemingly meant to describe Olbermann: "midget ... punk ... slimeball."

But then, with the Monsters helpful prodding, Geraldo went a step further, leaving no doubt about what he was saying. He called Olbermann a coward -- specifically a "pussy who wouldn't walk across the street against the red light." He then said he was ready to fight him, saying: "I would make a pizza out of him."

Oh, and before leaving the topic, Geraldo offered an example of a TV talker who's a "real man" ... that would apparently be Montel Williams.

No word yet on whether Olbermann even knows Geraldo called him out. (Maybe we'll see.)

UPDATE 1/9: Yes, Olbermann does know now. On his MSNBC show last night, he cited this blog and then recounted the story. He said the "midget" remark confused him, claiming: "I'm about 7 inches taller than he is." And after describing Geraldo's desire to fight him, he said: "Geraldo, you should not give me a hard time. I can still remember when you were a big deal ... back when I was a kid."

Well I couldn't find the clip in the article but I found this and its just as funny.

Middle East borders and Imam Ali

2007-01-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting article....

How a better Middle East would look
By Ralph Peters

International borders are never completely just. But the degree of injustice they inflict upon those whom frontiers force together or separate makes an enormous difference — often the difference between freedom and oppression, tolerance and atrocity, the rule of law and terrorism, or even peace and war.

The most arbitrary and distorted borders in the world are in Africa and the Middle East. Drawn by self-interested Europeans (who have had sufficient trouble defining their own frontiers), Africa's borders continue to provoke the deaths of millions of local inhabitants. But the unjust borders in the Middle East — to borrow from Churchill — generate more trouble than can be consumed locally.

While the Middle East has far more problems than dysfunctional borders alone — from cultural stagnation through scandalous inequality to deadly religious extremism — the greatest taboo in striving to understand the region's comprehensive failure isn't Islam but the awful-but-sacrosanct international boundaries worshipped by our own diplomats.

Blood Border

A Poem ...

Ya Ali!

Maulana Rumi in the Mathnawi (Nicholson translation, pg. 509) says:
For this reason the Prophet, who labored with the utmost zeal (in devotion) applied the name “protector” (mawla) to himself and to Ali

He said, “My cousin Ali is the protector and friend of every one who is under my protection.”

Who is the “protector”? He that sets you free and removes the fetters of servitude from your feet

Since prophethood is the guide to freedom, freedom is bestowed on true believers by the prophets.

Rejoice, O community of true believers: show yourselves to be “free” as the cypress and lily.

But, like the garden, at every moment give unspoken thanks to the Water.

The cypresses and green orchard mutely thank the water (that nourishes them) and show (silent) gratitude for the justice of Spring

Just another day

2007-01-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

So here is a cool trailer for a new show that is premiering in Canada on Tuesday. Its called The Little Mosque on a Prairie. Check out the preview. To bad it is not going to be shown in the US.

Also, check the official website: http://www.littlemosque.ca

Also in the news ...

Keith Ellison did it. He took his ceremonial oath on the Quran. In fact he took it on the Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

The Jesus Tree

It seems that some residents in Jacksonville, Fl see the image of Jesus in a tree trunk.
Ok, so I see the face. Here is the thing I have thought about every time some one claims to see the face of Jesus or Mary is how do they know. I mean no one knows what either looks like. That face could be an image of any guy. Its not like there was a photographer during Jesus' time to compare pictures. I am not even sure if there is a written description of him. Anyways, its something that has gnawed at me for a while.

Villians and Gentlemen

2007-01-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

In the news...

There was a very interesting poll posted online today conducted by AP-AOL news:

Top Villains of 2006

President Bush……………...25%
Osama Bin Laden………..….8%
Saddam Hussein……….…...6%
Pres. Ahmadinejad, Iran.......5%
Kim Jong ll, No. Korea….…..2%
Satan……………………….....1%

I can't say I was not amused. I mean Bush ran away with this contest. Anyway the number 3 guy has been in the news quite a bit.

I am amazed but at the same time not that shocked. The reaction of Arab Sunni's to the execution of Saddam is unbelievable. They are groaning about the timing of his execution, the fact that he was taunted, and even the motive behind his execution. Lets set one thing straight there did not need to be one second of trial for his execution to be justified. Yet unlike his innocent victims he was given one. The fact that he was given the chance to die with dignity and the name of Allah and Prophet Muhammad on his lips was more than he permitted those he oppressed. Where was this level of disgust by Arab Sunnis when there fellow Arabs where massacred and dumped into mass graves. Where was this repugnance when Saddam used chemical weapons on his fellow Sunni Iraqis. Did they protest his continued aggression against another Muslim nation through 8 Holy months of Ramadan? Of course not. Did they complain that the Shia majority amongst them had no representation? No, but now they cry about not having enough representation in the new government (not to mention that they were begged to participate). They are aghast at the idea of his execution having been taped and shown publicly. Did they stand up when their fellow Sunni's in Afghanistan (Taliban) publicly beat women and executed "apostates"? Of course not the Taliban, the Sunni justified, where acting in accordance with "Shariah Law". So I am not shocked that such hypocrites would have no empathy for the guards who finally saw the moment that they would avenge the oppression they saw at the hands of the tyrant. These men who had brothers, fathers, and uncles tortured and murdered in prison (while it is said Saddam was allowed to tend to a garden while in captivity) and lived with mothers, aunts, and sisters raped and beaten are expected to hold their tongues. I will stand against that level of unprofessional ism but I can empathize with their outburst. I think this is a clear showing that Arabs have not yet let go of their arrogant nationalism. They hold their national identity above their religious associations. In fact their only reason for caring for Islam is that it is the religion born in Arab lands. To that I say shame on you Arab people for not standing strong and un-ambivalently against zulm (oppression) and tyranny. And the day will come when the tyrants of all the Arab states will taste the same fate as Saddam.

If you thought all of the people of the world had gone mad there was this ray of hope:

Congressman to be sworn in using Quran

"Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, D-Minn., decided to use the centuries-old Quran during his ceremonial swearing-in on Thursday after he learned that it is kept at the The Library of Congress. Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, D-Minn., decided to use the centuries-old Quran during his ceremonial swearing-in on Thursday after he learned that it is kept at the Library of Congress. Jefferson, the nation's third president and a collector of books in all topics and languages, sold the book to Congress in 1815 as part of a collection." Jefferson, the nation's third president and a collector of books in all topics and languages, sold the book to Congress in 1815 as part of a collection.'It demonstrates that from the very beginning of our country, we had people who were visionary, who were religiously tolerant, who believed that knowledge and wisdom could be gleaned from any number of sources, including the Quran,' Ellison said in a telephone interview Wednesday."

Hajj Part 4

2007-01-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hajj continued...

The day after Eid Al-Adha the pilgrims return to Jamarat (generally after noon prayers) and stone the pillars again. First Jamarat al-Ula seven times, then Jamarat al-Wasat seven times, and finally Jamarat al-Aqabah seven times. After this the pilgrims make their way back to Mecca by foot. Many head back to their hotel/boarding-rooms for a shower and rest. At some point during that day the pilgrim heads to Masjid al-Haram to perform their Tawaf (circling the Kabaa) and their Say (walking back and forth between Safa and Marwa). Kaaba was thought to have been built by Ibrahim and Prophet Ishmael by order of God on the site of the first house of worship of built by Prophet Adam. The Tawaf is begins from the eastern corner of the structure where Hajar al-Aswat is placed in the wall. Hajae al-Aswat is a black stone thought to be a meteorite sent by Allah during the time of Prophet Adam and Eve. The stone is encased in silver because of the damage it had sustained during an attempted robbery. So the pilgrim begins his Tawaf by saying Allahu Akbar and walking around the Kaaba without allowing his circle extending outside the circle of Maqam Ibrahim. Maqam Ibrahim is a site where it is believed that Prophet Ibrahim was building the Kaaba and put pressure on a stone to stabilize his footing and his feet left an imprint in the stone. The pilgrim makes the Tawaf seven times each time reaching Hajar al-Aswat saying Allahu Akbar. Once complete the pilgrim finds a place anywhere behind Maqam Ibrahim and makes two rakats salat (prayer). Then the pilgrims makes his way to Safa to make say. The pilgrim walks the distance of Safa to Marwa seven times ending at Marwa. This is in reverence to Hajar Prophet Ishmaels mother who between the mountains of Safa and Marwa over and over looking to find water for her infant son. Many follow this with taking a drink some water from the well of zamzam. This is the spring that caming bubbling out at the feet of the baby Ishmael after Hajar had looked and prayed to Allah for help. These steps are repeated the next day and the hajj is completed.

Hajj part 3 (EID MUBARAK)

2006-12-31T13:13:00.000-08:00

EID Mubarak

On the third day after having traveled from Muzdalifa to Mina the pilgrims make there way to Jamarat at the most western end of Mina. At Jamarat there are the three stone pillars that represent the Devil (Shaytan) who would tempt Prophet Abraham to disobey God and not sacrafice his son. The three pillars represent at each point where the devil tempted him and he was instructed by the Arch-angel Gabriel to stone him seven times. In reverence to this action the pilgrims also stone the pillars. The pillars stand several meters apart approximately a hundred to 200 hundred. The extend high into the sky a bridge was built that extends the distance of the three pillars and allows for pilgrims to stone the devil from atop the bridge or from below the bridge. Before 2004 the pillars were relatively narrow by 2005 the pillars where expanded to large walls for safety reasons. At reaching Jamarat the pilgrims stone Jamarat al-Aqabah (the one closest to Mecca) seven times. Once this is done the pilgrims go the there tents and wait for word that their animal has been sacrificed. The sacrifice is done by all Muslims around the world on this day the Day of Eid Al-Adha to remember the sacrifice Prophet Abraham was willing to make of his son (Ishmael) to God. Only to have Ishmael spared at the last minute and a ram sacrificed in his place. Following the sacrifice the pilgrim shaves his head and he is allowed to come out of ihram. That is most people that take off their two piece of cloth and take a shower and put on there regular clothes. Later that day the pilgrims return to Jamarat. This time starting with Jamarat al-ula (the one furthest from Mecca) they stone it seven times, them Jamarat al-wast is stoned seven times and finally Jamarat al-Aqabah is stoned seven times. After this the pilgrims again head back to the tents and spend the night in Mina.

(click for higher resolution)

It is also worth noting that this is generally the ritual where so many incidents have occured during the hajj. One of the reasons is that almost 3 million people want to perform the same ritual at the same time. One thing that the clergy have done is that they have made fatwas allowing the rituals to be done somewhat staggered so as to reduce the numbers at Jamarat at any one time. Further because of the limited space there is a lot of pushing which causes people to fall and get trampled by the crowds. What the Saudi authorities have done to alleviate this is build the bridge and expanding the size of the pillars. This seems to have greatly reduced the numbers of people hurt during the rituals.

So tomorrow will be the next phase of the Hajj. Eid Mubarak to all.

Hajj part 2

2006-12-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

Well on the next step in the Hajj is the stay at the Plains of Arafat. This is were people are to stand during the day. Most people walk around and speak with others or sit in quite place and simply read the Quran. Every year it is at Arafat that the Islamic Republic of Iran makes some statement on the state of affairs in the Muslim world to the consternation of the Saudi authorities. Others will head over to Jabal ar-Rahma (Mountain of Mercy) and make the ascent to reach the pillar that sits atop the mountain. It is called a mountain however it is no more than a small hill. It is believed that it is at this place where and when all the pilgrims sins are forgiven. This is because it is believed that after Prophet Adam and his wife Eve were sent to earth for their disobedience they were separated for 200 years and reunited at the Jabal ar-Rahma.

(Click to see high resolution)

Sometime after night fall the pilgrims begin their journey towards Muzdalifa. The pilgrims are expected to reach Muzdalifa and stay the night there collecting stones (at least 49) for the next day's ceremony of stoning the devil. Most caravans however have their people collect stones before the Hajj starts so that there will be no need to stop in Muzdalifa and simply travel through. The reason is that the trip though short takes many hours because of the many tour buses and people on the same roads. Most people make the majority of the journey on foot. My personal experience was that we walked from just outside of the Plain of Arafat through Muzdalifa and onto Mina through the entire night with nothing more than a 30 minutes rest.

(Click to see high resolution)

Next blog will be about Mina and the day of Eid Al-Adha.

Congratulations Hajj'is

2006-12-28T17:34:00.000-08:00

Well Hajj has officially begun. I remember when I went a couple of years ago. All I could think about all day today was all the memories of my experience. Then I thought about the post I did a couple of days ago. So I thought why not give everyone a place where they can experience the Hajj along with the Hajj'is. So here goes: in Saudi Arabia its Friday morning around 5:00 am just before Fajr prayer(Morning prayer). At around there time last night they officially would have been staying in Mina before leaving for Arafat . However, because of the number of people most people running the caravans know the travel takes several hours. So, most people get into ihram (two piece white cloth) and then they simply travel through a part of Mina on there way to Arafat, only maybe pausing to meet the requirement of "staying" in Mina. They usually reach Arafat by morning the next day (that is about this time in Mecca). They will stay in Arafat until after sunset on this day. In Mina for those who actually spend the night, they pray their Maghrib and Isha prayer and the rest of their time they spend in personal supplication. Ok so I will explain what happens at each stage as the time arrives. But I also want to leave you with some pics to be able to visualize some of the ceremonies.

This is a satellite image of the area from the kaaba to Arafat (the entire hajj site). This is thanks to google maps and a little creativity from me:

(Click on the picture to get a high resolution image)

So Masijid Haram is on the left side next to the crossbar. The area boxed in blue is the tent city Mina and the area in yellow is the Plain of Arafat.

Ok coming up in my next post staying at Plain of Arafat and visiting Jabal ar-Rahma.

NBA Highlights

2006-12-27T18:59:00.000-08:00

Well the last couple of posts were kind of intense so how about something a little more on the lighter side. Here is a couple of videos of NBA highlights. The second video has some footage of some killer crossovers and has a great eminem song. Well enjoy....

We dont play with "Kafirs"

2006-12-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

In the news...

I don't even know if this counts as a news article. I have never heard of this website before but it seems to be some type of news website (http://www.aina.org/). Anyways, there is this article written in what seems to be a cynical attempt at showing Muslims that it is their isolationist philosophies that has lead to the misunderstanding and mistrust among the "civilized world", i.e. Judea-Christian West. Mr. Poole (the articles author) asserts that Christians openly celebrate and encourage others to participate in their religious holidays such as Christmas and Jews similarly do so when they invite non-Jews to participate in Passover seder. Of course he knows this to be prevalent practices because of personal experiences. However, the backwards Muslims are not like these civilized Westerners they wont allow non-Muslims to participate in their Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). This no doubt has led to the Wests lack of understanding of Islam and Muslims.

While I harbor no presumption that Mr. Poole's "finely" written article is truly meant to understand and Islam and Muslims and has more to do with the growing chorus of right-wing (i.e. Christian Fundamentalists) rantings against what they are ignorant of. So lets set the record straight. First, Mr. Poole obviously has never had Muslim acquaintances (I wouldn't even think he would consider a Muslim a friend) because my friends, family, and myself have all encouraged non-Muslim friends, classmates, and co-works to participate in fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. We have all encouraged them to join us at our Mosques for prayer and Eid celebrations (our holidays). And I can personally attest to the fact that I have had many of my colleagues happily join me in many of my religious experiences. In fact when I attended the Hajj a few years ago I explained in detail the rituals I would be performing before I left for Mecca and when I got back I showed them pictures I had taken. They told me they had followed the interactive program on cnn.com website. In fact one could also follow this year on their website (http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2006/hajj/). So if Mr. Poole is so interested in experiencing the Hajj here is a chance to do so on small level. Is he right that non-Muslims are forbidden to go to Mecca? Yes. This however has nothing to do with the Islamic religion and all to do with the authoritarian regime in Saudi Arabia. However, for the sake of argument lets say that Islam prohibits the entry of non-Muslims into Mecca, the Holy of Holies to Muslims. Is this any different than the old Jewish ban on the un-pure entering the holy of holies in the Jerusalem's Temple? Or what about the non-Mormons being banned from entering Mormon temples?

What about of the totally unrelated issue of members of other faiths in Muslim countries not being able to worship as Muslims in the west are. Muslims in the West are allowed to build Mosques where ever they want ( I could show newspaper articles just in the last couple of months that contradict that assertion) but you cant find a Church or Synagogue in the Muslim world. Apparently Mr. Poole doesn't think its his journalistic duty to do some research. He apparently hasn't seen the Armenian Churches in Tehran or the Synagogues. What about the Churches in Turkey, Indonesia (the most populous Muslim country), Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Morocco, etc.

So Mr. Poole I think the problem isn't with the Islam or Muslims. I think it is you Mr. Poole that maybe needs to expand your circle of friends. Maybe they can help you with your ignorance of 1.4 billion people around the world. As for your lack of journalistic abilities well maybe you just need a better editor. Then again thats probably why you will never write for a reputable (or even one that is even known) newspaper.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

So here we go...

In the news:

Well I saw an interesting article on the internet this morning. Apparently, a Kuwaiti fundamentalist is saying that Muslims shouldn't wish Christians a merry Christmas. Well I knew this was coming. Why? Because there are to many lunatics out there who think they speak with authority. They (as in this case of this Kuwaiti) speak out against other faiths even when they clearly don't understand their own. Through out history it has been documented that Muslim clergy have not only wished Christians a merry Christmas but have encouraged other Muslims to do so as well. Further, this goes against everything that Islam teaches about good will towards the People of the Book. By wishing people a merry Christmas as Muslims we affirm our respect for the Prophet Jesus and his virgin birth to his beloved mother Mary. So to all: Merry Christmas.

At the movies:

The best movie I saw this weekend was the Chow Young Fat movie "Curse of the Golden Flower". This movie revolved around the idea of loyalty and betrayal. The movie has a great action scenes as most of Chow Young Fat's movies do. It a was movie full of rich details and subtle nuances. This movie is definitely a movie worth seeing. I would give it 4 stars out of 5.