'You can't live a positive life with a negative mind'

The Veil

Firstly I would just like to say that this debate is ridiculous, we live in a 'free country' so why is what people choose to wear in a 'free country' even being debated.  Is it because we are really not in a 'free country' and if the system doesn't like it, they will have a mass media campaign demonizing it so they can pass a law.

I just don't understand why a woman who is covering her face is such a big issue, women have been wearing this veil for decades in the UK so why now.  This veil for many Muslim women is a way to live their strong faith and belief and express it.  Why should they be forced not to follow their faith in the way that they choose to.

Also for all those people who think that Muslim women are forced into wearing them.  Can I just say please do not undermine our women and think that they are not able to think for themselves.  Please do not question their faith or think that they are weak, instead look how strong and brave these women are that in these times where our religion is questioned and many have hostility towards it they still walk proudly showing how their faith is unquestionable.

Feminists also have had a opinion that they think it is forcing women to be covered up to stop men from being aroused.  The reason they cover up is because they want to follow their religion.  Also why is being covered seen as weak, it should be seen as strong because people have to judge them by their intellect and personality, not their appearance.  One of the most feminist pro newspapers (excuse my sarcasm) is pro 'ban the veil' because they feel it affects women's rights.  What should be more of a concern to them is Page 3 and how the affects women's rights, displaying women as objects of sexual desire for men.  If women are free to wear as little as they choose they should be free to wear as much they like also.

I really don't see why the judge needed to see the ladies face to hear her evidence as a witness, did he need to lip read, could he and the jury not hear what she was saying.  I really cant comprehend what difference her facial expressions would have made.

"The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice.  Ironically, the virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed."

'It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are'

NEVER JUDGE SOMEONE BY THE OPINION OF ANOTHER

Changes

Was just thinking the other day how my blog has changed.

When I started this blog I was very into urban music and this was to share music that I appreciate with a wider audience of people.  It was created to speak about artists and my favorite music as well as TV and cinema. I have always been a opinionated person and they were also meant to be added into my blog.

But as I have grown, I felt my blog has grown with me.  Music no longer has that importance in my life that it once did and I don't think music is what it was when I was younger.  It no longer has any meaning it did when I was younger, it is now just a way to make money and I don't really see any artists that are trying to educate you.  Hip Hop has been hijacked by pop culture killing its roots, so has soul music and artists trying to make it seem to sell their souls which I do not appreciate.

 As I have grown and moved on with my life I have understood there is much more to life than partying every night of the week and living for the weekend.  Music I feel sells you a material lifestyle and gets you to think that material wealth is far more important that the beautiful souls around you.

Life has so much more to offer and the lifestyle that is sold to us via TV and celebrities which is not achievable and stops us from educating ourselves.  There is so much history, current affairs and life lessons that we can learn from, actual interaction with people and being in places where you can actually hear each other when you speak.

My blog is now covered with quotes that I have read and current issues that I have felt passionate about.  I feel trying to increase my knowledge of my faith has helped me become a better person.

I am not being judge-mental of peoples lives because everyone is different, I am speaking from my personal opinion.

Ramadan Diaries

I love this show, I know they are just 2 min clips but it is so nice to see what other Muslims do during Ramadan.  I love seeing the wide group of people who are all doing the same stuff as me.  I feel its nice having a little insight into their lives and it I feel its a good way to educate non-Muslims of what we do and what Ramadan is about.

I have always loved Ramadan and the fact that almost the whole Muslim community in England is eating at roughly the same time.  Also we are all waking up at the same time all to please Allah and better ourselves as Muslims.

Ramadan

This Ramadan I have really realised the importance of water. 

We have had a hot British summer and at work the air con has been broken. I work as a manager in a retail store so we are always running around and  in this heat it has been tiring. So I have really realised how important water, something we take for granted is. 

Then I thought about those millions of people who are fasting in countries which are always hot.  How hard it must be for them and how much they must crave water.  Millions of them will never get clean water to drink and will quench their thirst with dirty water. 

I know I will get food and water after the sun goes down but many of them may not have eaten in the morning for sheri and have nothing to eat at Iftar.  They have to live without food all day everyday through out the year. They may have a meal twice a week and the inequalities of this world go through your mind. 

Surely there must be something wrong with the system.  I know the zakat I pay will help some people but is it really enough.  We need a change - the immensely rich have enough money to share, do they really need a mansion in every country in the world. 

I don't have the answers but it makes me sad to think we live in a world where the rich get richer and the poor get ignored. 

Sometimes the strongest people are the ones who love beyond all faults, cry behind closed doors and fight battles that nobody knows about.

The Poor and The Rich

How our lives are different!

POLICE RACISM

POLICE RACISM -

This Video is awesome!

Naimeh Shakur

A beautiful journey - inspirational young lady.

Love the ending part with her mother.

Hamza Tzortzis

Hamza Tzortzis

Why He accepted Islam 

'She is my Heart and I am her legs'

This father is amazing please read the full story :) 

'She is my heart and I am her legs': Devoted dad runs triathlon carrying his teenager daughter with cerebral palsy because she loves being outdoors


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2188373/Rick-van-Beek-Devoted-dad-runs-triathlon-carrying-teenager-daughter-cerebral-palsy.html#ixzz2WOXb7dQA
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

We Live In A World

We live in a world which pushes fame on our youth rather than education

We live in world where we try to be individuals, yet we are not that different from one another

We live in a world where a controlled media loves the power it has over the masses.  It keeps them living in a state of fear to make it easier for the rich and powerful to control them

We live in a world where being immroal is the new moral

We live in a world where rather than trying to understand something we dismiss it as pointless

Racist?

So the below comment someone shared via Facebook - I found it quite racist and stated that to the person.  To me it seems like the most pointless comment but a few people I know agreed with it.  Racism is in all communities and I don’t think the below comment helps the situation it just widens the gap that so many are working hard at to close.

PROUD TO BE WHITE"

This is great. I have been wondering about why Whites are racists, and no other race is......

Michael Richards makes his point........................
Michael Richards better known as Kramer from TVs Seinfeld does make a good point.

This was his defense speech in court after making racial comments in his comedy act. He makes some very interesting points...

Someone finally said it. How many are actually paying attention to this? There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc.

And then there are just Americans.

You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you.. so why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?
You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin Luther King Day.

You have Black History Month. You have Cesar Chavez Day.

You have Yom Hashoah. You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi.

You have the NAACP. You have BET. If we had WET (White Entertainment Television), we'd be racists. If we had a White Pride Day, you would call us racists.

If we had White History Month, we'd be racists.

If we had any organization for only whites to 'advance' OUR lives, we'd be racists.

We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce. Wonder who pays for that??

A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American pageant, but any color can be in the Miss America pageant.

If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships... You know we'd be racists.

There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US ... Yet if there were 'White colleges', that would be a racist college.

In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights. If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us racists.

You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're not afraid to announce it. But when we announce our white pride, you call us racists.
You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. But, when a white police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug dealer running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist.

I am proud...... But you call me a racist.
Why is it that only whites can be racists??

There is nothing improper about this message.. Let's see which of you are proud enough to send it on. I sadly don't think many will. That's why we have LOST most of OUR RIGHTS in this country. We won't stand up for ourselves!

BE PROUD TO BE WHITE!

It's not a crime YET... but getting very close!

I think people don't realise that the above organisations are needed for the Black/ Hispanic communities to receive Equal Rights.

Also the comment about 'the Black history month’ its one month in the whole academic year for black history, which is a big part of the history of Black and White Americans, so why shouldn't it be taught?

That's just one comment there is so much of this that I could rip apart but people will have their views, all I can do is be a good human being and represent my Asian community to the best of my ability to remove peoples stereotypes.

Brown Skin

I was recently having a discussion with one of my friends about skin tone.

I have brown skin and I was trying to explain that I like to be a certain shade of brown - LIGHT BROWN.  Before you all jump at me its just how I feel myself I'm not trying to say about different people, everyone has different opinions.

It was a sunny day in England today, which if you are from England you will know is a blessing and I wrote a status saying 'hello sunshine please snow'.  I did this mainly as a joke and then I explained to my friend that I don't like it too sunny as my skin gets too dark and I like being light skin.

Now if I think about this, its a Asian community thing and I know lots of people from African and Caribbean communities who also say that they have the same thing in their communities.  Light skin is seen as beautiful and dark skin is seen as less beautiful; everyone famous in Bollywood is light skin, everyone famous in Pakistani communities is light skin.  Even if we look at our black superstars so many of them are light skin or a lighter skin tome and even dark skinned people are made to be light skin.

There were even rumors of the realest female singer India Arie having skin bleaching and she is the last person who I thought would fall to the pressures of the industry.  Then we have more blatant skin bleachers like Micheal Jackson and the rest of the Jackson clan who have had so much surgery that they have lost all their beautiful African features.  In our Asian communities skin bleach products are rife with so many wanting to be light skin as this in our communities is the definition of beauty.  The lighter you are the more beautiful you supposedly are.  Lightenex by pharma clinics and Fair and Lovely are two of the biggest brands and I'm sure its a multi-million pound business.

Me personally, which I was trying to explain to my friend, has fallen for this media and community pressure.  I am far from vain and far from the best looking person in the planet but I don't like it when I get too much of a tan.  I love the tan look of Mediterranean models and would love my skin to be that color but I'm  a whole different shade of brown.  I know there are plenty of beautiful dark skin people like Naomi Campbell, Tyrese, Brandy, Kajol, Kelly Rowland etc

But I dunno why I don't like my skin when i get too dark...

Is this showing the media control of defining what beauty is?

Is this because of the community views? (no one says it but we all know they are there)

Is this showing that the western image of beauty that was enforced on us for years, is still there at the back of our minds?

I know skin tone doesn't matter but this is a issue that not just me but so many people have about trying not to get too dark.  I would never bleach my skin or get surgery but I know people who have.

  I love people for who they are and the personalities that they bring to the table not there skin tone but when it comes to myself i like the shade of brown I am and secretly crave a lighter tone (not to light as I like being brown).  Is this wrong?

Lauren Booth

Her stories are beautiful!

Quote

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. 

Akeelah and the Bee

I am a sucker for a uplifting movie and this is one of them.

Also can i quickly say - SHAME ON YOU COACH CARTER for stealing this films quote :)!

I was watching this a few weeks back, I flicked over to film four and this film was on and I was hooked.  Films which have kids who are at the bottom and then they make it, fill me up with happiness and hope.  I love a happy ending and this film delivers everything and leaves you with a happy feeling.  If I was to analyse it into reality im sure some parts would not have worked but I choose not to and I recommend that everyone watches this film.

Our purpose of existence on earth is more meaningful than being slaves to worldly gains - words borrowed from blog.iloveallah.com 

Wedding Speach

I saw this on facebook, was a really nice gesture and me me laugh so I thought id share it with you blogger world.

the Prophet (peace be upon him) attributed what he said to Allah; for example, another sahabi, Abu Hurayrah, reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Allah, Most High, says, 'I am as My slave thinks of Me and I am with him when he remembers me. So if he remembers Me to himself, I will remember him to Myself and if he remembers Me in a group, I will remember him in a better group.' "

StOp LEaRninG FrOM yOUR PasT

StaRt LiViNG yOUr PrEsEnT

aNd PLaNinG fOr YouR fUturE

Christopher Robin

YOU ARE BRAVER THAN YOU BELIEVE

STRONGER THAN YOU SEEM

AND SMARTER THAN YOU THINK

Beautiful

This is the such a nice video of a brides father daughter dance, after her father has past away arranged by her brother.

:( 

Parents

And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your Parents. If one of them or both attain old age in your life, then do not say to them uff (a word of disrespect), nor shout at them, rather address them in terms of honour / And lower for them the wing of submission and humility through mercy. And say, “My Lord! Grant them Your Mercy as they brought me up when I was small.” 

#IF #tellamillion

Hi Blogger Land

I saw this new campaign by Save The Children on a blog I follow and I thought it was a amazing idea. Got me thinking:

Why should children starve to death?

How much food do we waste?

How much of our weekly shop goes in the bin?

How much food do our superstore throw away as waste?

With all this food going to waste in our developed countries, yet in our third world communities tiny innocent children who have not yet lived already dying because they have no food.

WE ARE ALL PEOPLE ON THE SAME PLANT

WE ARE ALL EQUAL

WE ARE ALL HUMAN

SO WHY CANT WE ALL SHARE!!!

I think this is a great petition to send to our governments and if they listen could be life changing to millions of people.

to sign the petition please click here: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/enoughfoodif

So click on the link below to see what you can do as bloggers and fellow humans to spread the word for Save the Children.

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/if/social-media-kit

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali's advice to his daughters..............Inspiring

An incident transpired when Muhammad Ali’s daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that were quite revealing.
Here is the story as told by one of his daughters:
“When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day.
My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to.
Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected.
Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell.
Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them.”
He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.”

Courtesy: Black Dads Rock.

New Music

Ok im a big Destiny's Child fan they have made some amazing music which showed of their vocal talent like; say my name, no no no, jumpin jumpin, bills bills bills, soldier, lose my breath and so many more.

Now they make a comeback single which they are rumored to perform at the Superbowl and I don't like it at all.  I just think its awful, at no point does it show off there amazing vocals which they all have.  The background music is far too loud and covers there voices and that is not for acts that can sing, its for acts that cant sing and need to cover there vocals with a good beat.  Just the whole production i feel is a mess and i don't know why they have released it. I am disappointed...

BBM

This post is about blackberry messenger if you didn't already guess by the title.

I love messenger, but there is this one little thing that bugs the life out of me.

That little 'D' that turns into the little 'R' after you have read the message.  Then you don't reply to that message because you were rushing to do something or just doing something and you cant reply and think ill reply later.  Then the sender of that message thinks that you are ignoring them as the little 'D' had turned into a little frikkin 'R'. 

I WILL REPLY TO WHEN I HAVE TIME!!!!!!

That 'R' has made it impossible to say no I didn't see that message or ignore someone you don't really want to have a conversation with at the precise minute.  Not because you don't like them, because if you didn't like them they would have never got hold of your BBM pin, but because you are doing something else.  

I always like to reply as fast as I can as this modern age has made everyone impatient and communication so easy. 

BUT sometimes you just don't want to reply straight away.  The other thing is what do you write when you run out of things to say, how do you actually end the conversation.  Mine usually come to a end with me writing 'lol', even if what they have said is not even funny.  One day this will backfire on me.

Just wanted to share my pain!!!

Happy New Year

I spent the last moments of 2012 and welcoming 2013 on Hampstead Heath (North London) with an amazing view of the London Skyline.  I saw the fireworks, participated in a countdown and cant wait for this fresh new year to begin among a lovely crowd of people from all colours, races and religion.

2012 disappeared really fast and I do not want 2013 to do the same.  So Happy New Year everyone and lets hope 2013 is a amazing, eventful year :)