Another rant

Okay, so the Hep vaccination was used as a cover to locate and target OBL, but when you KNOW, tangibly and irrefutably, that the number of those with polio has gone up, on what frigging basis are you risking the lives of children because 'it might be a way for those against us to spy on us'?!

Let them spy on you!

Of course, some will say something along the lines of 'it's not us, it's the West trying to make us look bad', but that's just excusing the situation.  Turn it around on its head.  Give the workers the protection they need.

No, I'm not referring to the Pakistani government/army giving protection; I'm suggesting the Taliban and other gangs give the protection.

I know, a shocking suggestion.

Embrace the fact that those being directly affected by polio are a part of the potential Pakistan holds.  Recognise that they need nurturing and protecting, not used as shields or 'collateral damage'.

If it's not 'you' (Taliban) conducting the attacks, then step up and protect those you were supposed to be protecting.  Stop being the self-serving hypocrites you currently are.

If it is 'you' (Taliban) doing this, then wake up to the fact that you (according to your beliefs) will be brought before your Lord to account for what you did, what you encouraged, and what you allowed to do.  Ponder the consequences your actions and inaction holds.

Stop tearing things down, blowing things up and preventing the enhancement of life, and help build!  Nurture, learn and develop.

Power of Fear

Fear is a powerful motivator.

Often it is only considered in an immediate situation – ‘fight or flight’ – but it’s the prolonged and lasting fear that can affect long-term responses and initiate lasting change.

On an individual level, we have people buying and carrying ‘panic alarms’ in response to an assault in the local area; we have a heightened awareness of ‘strangers’ in response to the abduction of a child; people install security systems in their homes in response to a home-invasion…and so on.

Then there are the wider responses, the community responses – some of which are extensions to the ones outlined above.  These responses sometimes have an extra ‘energy source’: outrage.  The combination of fear and outrage is powerful on an emotional level, but it needs to be directed in a useful way, otherwise it becomes overwhelming, emotionally draining and oppressive and, eventually, impotent.

The danger is the impotency – when people strive to change things for the better and it all comes tumbling down when ‘the system’ blocks them.  Some, like Susana Trimarco (who has survived two murder attempts, her house being burnt down, and countless death threats over the last 10 years as she tried to find her missing daughter) have this ‘well of determination’, the drive to keep going.  An amazing woman whose efforts have led to the rescue of dozens of women who were being sexually exploited, and hundreds more after establishing her foundation…but received a blow recently when the judges in a recent hearing said that ‘we could not establish what really happened…but it was not a case of people trafficking’.

In another part of the world, known for the deaths of people through bombs and shootings on an almost daily basis, at least 9 girls were killed while collecting firewood.  A landmine went off.  Although organisations such as The Halo Trust and MAG are hard at work, there is still so much more to do.  According to researchers at Manchester University, ‘there are at least 110 million active landmines in place across the world’ and ‘it is estimated it would take $30bn (£19bn) and more than 1,000 years to clear them using current technologies’.  Despite the dangers and oppression where they lived, those girls were determined to work for the general betterment of all in their region; they had dreams and aspirations – may their determination inspire others and spark new dreams.

Across the border we have another country known for its numerous car bombings and suicide bombings, with a recent bombing killing at least 17 and injuring at least 70.  The people there are also determined to make things better…they’re just trying to figure out how.

In the US, now, after repeatedly being put on the backburner, the bid to bring in stronger gun control has a renewed momentum.  After the tragedy on Friday, and the theft of the lives of 20 children and 6 adults, people are once more seeking change.

And, once more, being countered.

I hope the fear and outrage can be married with (dogged) determination and progress is made in making things safer (in the US) overall – whether it be compulsory psych analysis, increase in waiting time, registration and tracking…

I hope the determination and efforts of countless others across the world striving to bring about a safer world continues, and continues to succeed...even if it's one small unnoticed step at a time...

Female Genital Mutilation (and Islam - a non-scholary approach)

The general flexibility in basic Islamic law is that if something is not directly forbidden (prohibited) then it is allowed.  As harsh as many people consider Islamic law to be, this openness of the law allows for a lot of tolerance overall.  However, it can be misconstrued, too, as it is in the case of female genital mutilation (‘FGM’) and how certain Muslims and non-Muslims consider Islam's stance on it to be.

Islamic law states that a woman can divorce her husband if he does not provide sexual satisfaction (we’ll ignore the fact that the egos of most men would not be comfortable, let alone accepting, of this being a reason for divorce, but that’s a matter for another day (maybe)).  This means that the sexual satisfaction of a woman is her right, Islamically.  (Does that really surprise some people?)

Now, going back to the ‘general flexibility’ outlined above, because there is no direct prohibition within the Qur’an or the Hadith regarding FGM there are those who would use that ‘silence’ as proof of its permissiveness.  Some will refer to one hadith where the Prophet (saw) said to a woman who used to perform such circumcisions in Medina ‘Do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband’.  This hadith, found in Sunan Abu Dawud, is classified as ‘weak’ but it does, of itself, make clear that any FGM done should be minimal and should not have an adverse affect on the pleasures of either the woman or her husband.

It’s at this point, as grim as it is, that I think one should consider (without going into detail (sorry)) the different types of FGM.  The World Health Organization lists four major types of female genital mutilation:

1. Clitoridectomy
2. Excision
3. Infibulation
4. Other: all other harmful procedures to the genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g. pricking, piercing (yes, those who have their clitoris pierced ‘for fun, etc’ here in the West have undergone female genital mutilation), incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area

Now, in light of the harm the types of FGM bring about to the girl/woman (urinary tract infections, childbirth complications, infertility) they cannot be considered to be permitted Islamically.  Sure, I’m not a scholar but a key aspect of Islam (contrary to a lot non-Muslim assertion) is common sense.  Whether people exercise or recognize such sense, though, is a different matter, unfortunately.

(As an important aside, it should be noted that there's no record (as far as I'm aware) of any of the Prophet's (saw) wives (ra) or daughters (ra) ever being circumcised.)

So it’s not endorsed within Islam (even if some Muslims and non-Muslims think it is), and it’s something being practiced by people of numerous faiths, which then begs the question: why is it done?  When 3 million girls annually in Africa alone are at risk, it’s not an issue to be ignored.

Some of the ‘whys’:

-         reduction in female libido which, in turn, keeps her ‘pure’

-         a (invasive and gross) form of peer and social pressure (‘so-and-so had their daughter circumcised and so should we, otherwise the community will shame us’)

-         a much more invasive and painful way of safeguarding chastity (a ‘chastity belt’ utilizing flesh)

-         social control

Now, going back to the aforementioned ‘pleasure’ which, Islamically, is a right of both spouses – since it has been medically established that the removal of the clitoris, the prepuce (the most sensitive parts of the human body (thought to have more than 70,000 nerve endings!), and so forth reduce or eliminate the pleasures a woman can experience then, other than when it is a medical necessity, it’s haram.

If you think the West is ‘super-advanced’ with regards to FGM, then you need to take on board the fact that even in the early 80s, in the United States, there was promotion of female circumcision (Playgirl had an article called Circumcision for Women: The Kindest Cut of All (that was in the late 70s, but still)), and it was only in 1997 that it became a federal crime to make any non-medically necessary cutting upon the genitals of a minor girl for any reason, whether religious or otherwise, and to any degree. 

That’s barely 15 years ago!

So how about a different approach – instead of hurling abuse and accusations and so forth at those who are ‘practicing’ FGM, educate them.  Through education and understanding you’ll take away the overbearing social conformity aspect, you’ll give women the courage to step up and stop what they went through from happening to their daughters, you’ll give men an awareness that what they’ve been allowing to happen is wrong, you'll give boys the courage to protect their sisters...

Allah (swt) admonishes those who blindly follow and do the things their forefathers did (2:170, 5:104, for example) and, to a large degree, that’s the crux of the problem here: the practitioners are continuing with this because it’s what their forefathers did.  Insha’Allah, through education and understanding, this abuse and debilitating practice can be brought to an end – but, considering the fact it hasn’t even been two decades since the West ‘ended’ the practice, there’s no real moral high ground for them at this point in time.

Is it frustrating and horrifying to those of us who are against the practice?  Sure.  Patience and perseverance, though, will lead to awareness, change, and better things (Insha'Allah).

Living Under Drones (Pakistan and her civilians)

Living Under Drones: Death, Injury and Trauma to Civilians from US Drone Practices in Pakistan

(The site ( livingunderdrones.org ) keeps hanging at the moment but you can find articles on sites such as the UK’s Guardian, The Telegraph and Daily Mail, the LA Times, CNN etc)

‘In the United States, the dominant narrative about the use of drones in Pakistan is of a surgically precise and effective tool that makes the US safer by enabling 'targeted killings' of terrorists, with minimal downsides or collateral impacts.

‘This narrative is false.’

The report says that the US government rarely acknowledges civilian casualties, though there is significant evidence that civilians are being injured and killed.
The report highlights the impact of drone attacks on civilians in Pakistan's tribal regions. Citing ‘extensive interviews with the local population’ (more than 130 interviews), the authors say:

• children are being taken out of school out of fear of a drone-strike or to compensate for income lost from a dead or wounded relative [which means the knock-on effect is an increase in child labour and a decrease in child education]
• there is ‘significant evidence’ of the practice of ‘double-tap’ strikes in which rescuers arriving at the scene are targeted in follow-up attacks (which is a key terrorist approach [the US government has previously said it’s a ‘hallmark’ of Hamas, but, well, it seems to be ‘okay’ if the US is doing it…hypocrisy much?)]
• the ‘double-tap’ strikes are estimated to kill an average of 49 civilians for every one ‘known terrorist’
• drones flying overhead have led to "substantial levels of fear and stress... in the civilian communities" [in other words, they are terrified and the drones are an act of terrorism]
• as well as injury or death, the attacks cause property damage, severe economic hardship and emotional trauma for the injured and their families
• people are afraid to attend gatherings such as funerals for fear of attack

No doubt there are those who justify all this, with ‘excuses’ such as ‘well, they’re the ones harbouring the terrorists’ and so forth.  Sure, the neighbours and family of the Aurora shooter knew what he was going to do, the neighbours and family of Timothy McVeigh knew he was going to put together and use a truck bomb?

Problem is, that’s exactly the kind of double-standard which feeds the animosity and frustration.  It’s fodder for those who want to incite others to acts of violence, they use it as form of justification.

I can understand the use of precision strikes (the general idea is a good one) and if they were working (and effective) in getting to the higher levels of terrorist organisations without killing civilians then, frankly, more people would be rooting for them.  Take, for example, the incident last year when there was a tribal gathering who were wholly aware that there was to be a drone attack (they had been notified in advance) and could hear the drones overhead, but considered themselves safe because they weren’t the target.  42 people were killed.  That is not a ‘precision strike’.

When (lower estimates) 140,000 to (higher estimates) 1,200,000 civilians have been killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan over the past decade, and the people on the ground have a constant reminder and a constant fear about it, is it really surprising that there’s animosity towards those who are, with no misinterpretation of the word, terrorising them?

Although a strange analogy, it’s kind of like the US is ‘Kanye West’ and Pakistan et al are keep getting interrupted whenever they ‘voice their protestations’:

Pakistan: Innocent people are being killed in order to -

US: Yo, Pakistan, I think you’re a cool ally now and then and I’mma let you finish, but [insert ‘justification’ here]

It’s not as if the higher-ups in the US don’t know about the civilian loss and the effect it has, overall they just don’t care.

Out of sight, out of mind – not on the homeland so not of much (if any) concern and any retaliatory response is an act of aggression and terrorism against the US…

The good old ‘two rule world’.

(Am I coming across too cynical and ‘bitter’?)

Bat-rant!

One of the things which set apart the Bat-clan from most other 'human-heroes' was their intensive training.  For example, Batman once said to Dick, with regards to the kind of physical training he would have to do: 'triple it (Dick's acrobatic training in the circus) and then triple it again'.

I remember when I read that years ago, my mouth fell wide open and I just thought 'dang...'.

Those of us who have done gymnastics or (most forms of) martial arts are readily aware of how intense the training is, and to crank it up to what Bruce was outlining...well, it's no wonder the Bat-clan were 'the best of the best of the best'.

Barbara donned the cape and cowl without training from The Bat, but that didn't last long.  She, too, underwent the intense physical training the job she was aspiring to do required.

Nowadays, though...it seems all one needs is a couple of months (sure, Jason says 6 but that includes the other disciplines the Bat-clan embrace and he was nowhere near Dick's base-level (and neither is Tim, even with his 'Olympic-scout-attracting' level of gymnastics (Teen Titans #0))) and they're 'ready'.

Is this an attempt to make them 'relatable'?

Is this something people feel works?

Back in Blind Justice, when Bruce used someone else's body while his own healed from various injuries, the 'fit' person was nowhere near Bruce's level, now a few Crossfit, P90X and Insanity sessions and 'regular'-folk, too, could do Bat-clan stuff?

oh dear...



(yes, yes, I'm 'underselling' but so are the current writers...)


I'm all for having them have a 'base level' and for Tim to have a certain 'just above base level proficiency' in certain things but, personally, when Tim and Jason are shown to be more 'physically able' than Dick there's a part of me that just rejects that portrayal.

Their deductive skills are different (Tim, for example, doesn't have Bruce's 'blindspot' (or, rather, reluctance to acknowledge), Dick is more immediately intuitive, Jason's able to mingle with the underbelly) but they're all smart.

Personally, I'm hoping for something in the upcoming Bat-arc that showcases these differences - a scene similar to the Robin #0 one, for example, would be great.

They are 'the best of the best of the best', but they're different - and there are no Mary Sues!!


(rant over)

Information and Misinformation

The 'Information Age' has given us almost immediate access to information and MISinformation - the problem now is that many don't seem to bother to distinguish one from the other.  It's almost an 'if it's online and on the first page of the search results then it must be true' situation.

Back in the day, research required a person to actively and decisively sift through a wealth of information.  Nowadays, it's a few keyboard strokes and barely any attempt at verification :(

We can't forget visual misdirection - when 9/11 happened there was 'footage' of 'celebrations' in the Middle East being broadcast by some news stations; the footage turned out to be stuff they had pulled from their archives, but they didn't tell anyone that and, to this day, more than a decade later, many believe the footage to be 'real'.  The seeds were sowed and millions were demonised within moments.

Similarly with the riots in Pakistan – the media showed the chaos (that’s ‘newsworthy’) but no the peace.  Even the Pakistani media didn’t put forward any of the many peaceful protests, so how were those outside of the country to know there were peaceful gathers occurring, too?

Millions demonised again (and I’m a party to that demonisation because, as much as I searched, I couldn’t find anything (initially) which showed the peaceful protests).

Information and Misinformation.

Now, apparently, Iran wants to put together its own ‘internet’ – as dangerous as the MISinformation that is currently out there, online, is…this could be even more so.  Although countries like China have various firewalls etc set up blocking certain sites and information sources, that information can still be accessed…but what could be the position a couple of generations down the line?  What happens when information is restricted?  What happens when half-truths and lies are being touted as ‘truth’? (Hello ‘Dark Ages’, it’s been a while)

‘Knowledge is power’, we know that, but ignorance and false-knowledge is dangerous (we know this, too, but some people are still uber-keen in promoting it however they can :( )

Time to step up

‘Nothing is heavier in the scales of a believer on the Day of Judgment than his good behaviour.  Allah (swt) detests a person who is obscene and shameless.’ (Tirmidhi)

Across the world we keep being exposed to ‘the two faces of Islam’:

-         death-chanting, aggressive, violent and ‘out of control’

-         peaceful, praying and calling for calm

The ‘second face’ is often ignored, side-lined and quickly forgotten (it’s not really ‘newsworthy’, especially when you can show images and footage of rampaging flag-burners), but there’s a problem within that ‘second-face’ – they keep shying away.

We need that ‘second-face’ to be out there and not back down.

We need the scholars and speakers to keep preaching and speaking and teaching.

And praying.

When the people of Taif pelted the Prophet (saw) with stones and chased him out of the city, he didn’t seek their deaths.  He prayed for them and their children.

When the woman who hurled abuse at him, daily, as he walked for the morning prayer wasn’t there one morning, he asked about her wellbeing and, hearing she was ill, went to see her.  He even addressed her as ‘mother’.

When the woman who ordered the assassination of the Prophet’s (saw) uncle and later mutilated his body and chewed his liver, was brought before the Prophet (saw) years later…he forgave her.

With regards to the man who assaulted Zainab (ra), the Prophet’s (saw) daughter, causing her to miscarry…the Prophet (saw) forgave him.

Time and time again, he forgave those who abused and oppressed him.

Time and time again, he forgave those who abused and oppressed those dear to him.

Time and time again, he warned against becoming one of the oppressors.

Those out there seeking ‘violent retribution’ need to take a few moments to consider what it is that they’re actually doing.  Are they truly and absolutely ‘fighting’ for Allah and His Prophet…or are they giving way to their own frustrations?  On one occasion, when Ali (ra) was fighting in a jihad, he had his opponent ‘on the ropes’ when his opponent then spat on him.  Ali (ra), to the astonishment of the others there and his opponent, threw down his sword walked away, leaving his opponent alive.  Why?  Ali (ra) later said that he knew that if he had delivered the killing blow at that point it would not have been in a fight for God but because of the anger at being spat on, rendering him a murderer instead of a noble warrior.

So, in light of all this, those encouraging violence and those doing violence in response to the ‘movie’ need to re-assess their actions and motives.

It’s easy for me to say these things, ‘hiding’ behind this platform – but I’m not a scholar.  I’m not the kind of person others will listen to and adhere to and follow.  Those people, noted scholars and speakers, are out there…but they only seem to come forward for brief moments.  They need to step up and do more.

It doesn’t matter if their words aren’t receiving the ‘right press’, they just need to keep doing it.

Insha’Allah, they will.

Protesting is fine, rioting is wrong.

Allah (swt) warns us against becoming ‘transgressors’, going ‘beyond limits’ but, time and time again, Muslims across the world are shown ‘transgressing’ and ‘going beyond limits’.  They keep crossing the line and, for the most part, are unashamed in doing so.  They feel justified.

Their anger over the Prophet (saw) being slandered is righteous and is justified, but their targeting of people who have nothing to do with any slanderous comments made or the movies, etc, is neither righteous nor justified.

Frankly, the producers, director etc are lying when they claim they ‘didn’t expect this kind of reaction’.  It’s exactly the reaction they were looking; it’s exactly why they were so disappointed when no one paid any attention to the ‘movie’ months ago; it’s exactly why they ‘anonymously’ dubbed the trailer into Arabic, reposted and directed attention towards it.

The riots are exactly what they wanted so they could sit back and say ‘see?  We told you the Muslims are a murderous and bloodthirsty lot’.

The initial protest in Egypt was done ‘right’, so to speak.  Sure, it was aggressive but there was also unity – there were Muslims and Christians in attendance, both protesting the ‘movie’.  The Libyan one, though…certain people clearly had ulterior motives – why else would they turn up with RPGs and other weapons?

There’s also another thing these so-called ‘Christians’ enjoy ‘lauding’ and (whether wittingly or not) enjoy taking advantage of – the lack of slander and vitriol on the part of Muslims towards Jesus (as).  Yes, they’re ‘outraged’ when Muslims assert that Jesus (as) is not God and is not His son, but they take comfort in the fact that no Muslim will ever claim Jesus (as) was a paedophile or a womanizer or consorted with women of ill-repute.  It’s not because the texts, narratives, beliefs and so forth regarding Christ across the spectrum of Christianity are so ‘clean’ or beyond reproach, but that we, Muslims, love and revere him so much that we cannot and will not say anything slanderous about him.  For any one of us to do so would render us non-Muslim.  (so it's best left to their own scholars and writers to sully Jesus' (as) name, but when they do we, Muslims, must protest such things, too!)

It’s really that simple.

Going back to the protests: demonstrations commanding (encouraging) good and forbidding (condemning) evil are right and permissible; willfully and intentional inciting violence, however, is not.  Yes, some demonstrations will descend into conflict, but to go there with the intention of harming others…that is wrong.

The true purpose beyond protests and demonstrations is dawah – to bring awareness to others and to show them the truth through words and actions.  The words?  Lectures and narrations refuting, for example, allegations made against the Prophet (saw).  The actions?  Salaat (prayer).

If some of the protestors are ‘antsy’, they should drink some water and calm down.  If that’s not sufficient, they should sit down.  If that’s not enough, they should lie down.  Throughout it all, though, they should perform dhikr – remembrance of Allah (swt).

Do all this and we would truly provide a slap in the faces of all those inciting Muslims to violence.

Do all this and we would truly be upholding the honour of our beloved leader, the best of mankind, the mercy from Allah (swt) – our beloved Prophet (saw).

Alternative ending to Lincoln March's encounter with Batman

This should have ended with issue 10 (if not sooner), as soon as March made his 'reveal' - and long before he put on the suit.

'If not Lincoln March, then who am I?'

'You're a traitor,' the netting snaps, 'and a thief.' Batman pulls the netting off himself as March steps back, readying the snare-gun again in case he needed to 'buy time'.

'You were a member of the Court of Owls, but you betrayed them,' says Batman, stepping forward...smiling. 'You only killed a handful of them, though, and the others will come after you.'

'Let them come. I'm pretty damned hard to kill, now.' Lincoln steps back.

'The serum doesn't give you much of an advantage, Lincoln, especially not against those who know how it works.'

'Wha-?'

'I did what you dared me to do. I found the truth inside the lie.'

'A truth inside the lie. Exactly, just like with you. Like when I saw you fight that Talon when we had our meeting in the tower. You were supposed to die then, and I was going to watch.'

'You didn't know the Talon was going to attack you. I reviewed the footage of the attack. You didn't know.'

'They said the Talon attacked me by accident. That he made a mistake.'

'They lied. They lied about a lot of things, Lincoln.'

'Stop calling me that! You found the truth, tell me who I am!' He fires the snare-gun again, and turns to open the storage cabinet behind him. A batarang pins his left hand to the door of the cabinet and Lincoln roars with anger, pulling his hand free as he turns to face Batman.

'You were a patient here during the time my parents were patrons of the hospital. You were admitted soon after a car accident that occurred on the junction of Lincoln and March. The Court lied to you, Lincoln, you're not who you think you are.'

Lincoln throws the snare-gun at him and again tries to open the cabinet. Batman catches the gun and fires it at Lincoln, pinning him, draped over the cabinet, to the wall.

'WHO AM I?! Say it, Bruce! Who. Am. I?'

Batman leans in and says, softly, 'You're not my brother.'

In a rage, Lincoln roars and tears the net off himself and strikes out at Batman, who parries and kicks him back into the wall.

'My brother died as a result of that accident.'

'No. I lived.'

'Thomas lived for 12 hours after the accident, but his injuries were too severe.'

'I. LIVED!' Lincoln rushes at Batman, who dodges each blow (moving backwards) with a sad look on his face.

'I wish he had lived. I think about him sometimes...how things might have been. I thought about him a lot when I was younger, joking to myself that he would be my Kato or Tonto.'

'I am...Thomas...Wayne....' exclaims Lincoln as he throws kicks and punches at Batman, steamy air drifting as they both move around the room Batman has led him in to.

Lincoln lunges at Batman in an attempt to grapple him to the ground, but Batman leaps over him, landing softly.

'There's a willow tree near my parents' graves. My mother planted it with my father, in my brother's memory.'

'Lies! She visited me every day! I remember!'

'No, you only remember what you think you're supposed to. What you were told to. I'm sorry, Lincoln.'

'THOMAS WAYNE JU-' Enough! Batman's punch knocks out several of Lincoln's teeth and breaks his jaw.

'This sick fantasy is over. Your delusions are just that.'

Lincoln writhes around trying to get up, steamy breath escaping his clenched mouth.

'I told you, Lincoln, the serum doesn't give you an advantage over those who know how it works.'

End with the external scene of the cold storage room, leaving the opportunity for someone else to play with the March and Talon toys later on down the line – if they’re so inclined.

The Women and Children

 

I’m not a violent or aggressive person – sure, I can get angry and my being ‘slow to anger’ can make me come across as ‘very angry’ when I’m pushed to that point, but I’m not, generally, angry or aggressive.  However, there are two ‘types’ of people I fear I would lose control against:

-         rapists; and

-         paedophiles

Woe to the person I come across as they are…interfering…with a child, let alone raping or attempting to rape them.

Woe to the person I come across as they are raping or attempting to rape someone.

I honestly don’t know if I would be able to stop myself from killing them…

Ramadan outrage

Anger and outrage.

Most likely, that will end up being a common ‘theme’ when I post.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19280339

We’re nearing the end of Ramadan and murders happen.  It makes me wonder if these murderers even took part in the Blessed Month.  Whether they had fasted and helped those they could help.

Perhaps, for them, the fast only resulted in hunger…

There are far too many misguided, ill-educated and misinformed people around, and not just with regards to the Sunni-Shia divide/differences.  The S-S differences, however, shed blood.  Lots of it.

A lot of what we’ve been seeing over the years is through various ‘leaders’ within Muslim communities inciting and encouraging such…animosity.

There’s no need for that.

Yes, we have our differences but at the base level (and on this numerous scholars agree) we’re Muslim.  Are there deviants out there?  Yes.  Are we ‘supposed’ to kill them?  Generally, no.  Why ‘generally’?  Well, if they’re creating mischief in the land, inciting, killing, etc, then the onus is on us to fight back; we, however, are not meant to oppress or transgress.

(I'm going to avoid a rant...for now...)

To Allah (swt) we belong and to Him we return.

A supplication to Allah (swt)

Oh Allah
 
Help me to speak words of truth in the face of adversity, to stand up for what is right and good and fight back against what is wrong and evil...
 
Help me to refrain from speaking or thinking ill of others, or to lie in order to gain the admiration of others...
 
Help me to be loyal and steadfast to those around me.
 
Oh Allah
 
Should You bless me by giving me wealth, do not take away my happiness...
 
Encourage my hands (and heart) to be open and giving and allow me to be a benefit to others, near and far.
 
And should You bless me by giving me strength and might, do not take away the wisdom You have graced me to have...
 
Permit me to help others shoulder their burdens and to be a good example, and draw me away from being oppressive or transgressing on the rights of others (because I know You do not love those who oppress or transgress).
 
Oh Allah
 
Should You give me success, great or small, do not take away my humility...
 
Shy me away from arrogance and open my eyes and heart to the plight of others, and use me as a source of comfort for them.
 
Oh Allah
 
Should You give me modesty and lower my gaze and soften my voice, do not take away my sense of dignity...
 
Help me uphold the dignity of those around me by hand and by mouth.
 
Oh Allah...
 
Help me to love others as I love myself; to want the best for those nearest and dearest to me and those around me.
 
And teach me to be firm and to judge myself as I judge others...
 
May any such judgment not be wanton and aggressive and be through understanding and based on righteousness (and not self-righteousness).
 
Oh Allah
 
Teach me that forgiveness is one of the greatest steps toward strength, and one of the greatest gifts You have given us...
 
(Allow me to follow the example of Prophet Muhammad (saw), who forgave those who were the cause of such torment - including forgiving those who had killed his beloved uncle and mutilated his body).
 
Oh Allah
 
Do not curse me with arrogance should I be successful, or fill me with despair and hopelessness should I fail. Permit me to be humble (and aware that all success is from You) yet willing to step up and use the gifts You have bestowed upon me in grateful and proper ways...
 
Oh Allah
 
Remind me always that failure is the trial that comes before success...
 
For both success and failure allow me to be aware of the fact that 'this time, too, shall pass'.
 
Oh Allah
 
Should You take away the wealth You have given me, allow me keep my hopefulness and trust in You...
 
And should I fail, please let me keep the power of determination...
 
Grant me steadfastness and perseverance that I may embrace any trials You put me through and do my utmost at working through them
 
And should You take away the blessing of good health, please permit me keep the blessing of faith that You have Graciously bestowed on me...
 
Please strengthen my Iman through adversity and comfort, and increase my appreciation and awareness of You.
 
Oh Allah...if I have harmed others, or ever do harm to others, give me the courage to swallow or cast away any pride and to apologise...
 
And if others harm me, then I beseech You to bless me with the strength and compassion to forgive them...
 
You have decreed that Your Mercy shall surpass Your Wrath, please allow me to be the same regardless of my impotence and minuteness compared to Your Majesty and Grandeur
 
And... should I, somehow, forget You and the blessings You have bestowed upon me and those around me... Ya Allah, I beg that You should not turn away from me and exclude me from Your great Compassion and Clemency, for You alone are the Greatest, the All Powerful. The Ruler, The Sustainer, The Nourisher, The Provider, The Guider, The Light on all things that were, are and ever will be.
 
Ameen.

After Ramadan...

For Muslims, one of the hopes of Ramadan is that they will be able to carry the drive and 'increase' they experienced through the blessed month forward into the year.  That they will:

- pray more;

- read the Qur'an more;

- learn more

That's all well and good, and commendable goals, but what about the other aspects of Ramadan?

- to reach out to those less fortunate?

- to provide food to those who would otherwise be hungry?

- to be a source of comfort (even if it's just momentary) to those in need?

These are also important (and fundamental) parts of Ramadan and being a Muslim, and are supposed to be a major aspect of our everyday lives.  For many of us, however, they only seem to be important at certain times of the year.

Many of us consider 'charity' to be 'giving some money or clothing I can spare'.  There are other ways of being charitable, the prime one being:

- volunteering a few hours of your time.

Instead of, for example, going to the cinema you could (schedule) to pop in to the local shelter and lend a hand.

You could help hand out food to impoverished children (London-folk, there are a lot of kids who are below the poverty line and don't get nutritious meals, especially during school holidays).

You could visit an elderly person.

Spend time with an ill person.

It doesn't have to 'cost' you anything other than a few hours of your time.

70,000 people volunteered to help out at the Olympics - imagine the change 70,000 people could make each week by merely giving 4 hours of their time...

A suppressed rant

Below is what I was initially going to post after hearing about the shooting at a screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Colorado, but I held off.  I figured it wouldn’t be read anyway (yes, that same stance again).  A few days ago there was the shooting of six Sikhs at a gurdwara in Wisconsin and recently another shooting was, apparently, averted – a copycat of the TDKR one…

As some say: ‘better out than in’ so, rather than holding the rant back…I’m going to let it out…

As news of what can only be described as the ‘actions of a mad man’ (no, I’m not referring to events in the Middle East) filter through, I just can’t help wondering what it is that this person’s friends and family missed…or dismissed.

I’m in no way saying that we should critique the behaviour of everyone we know, or be paranoid about things, but there has to be a certain level of awareness…and inquiry.  The warning signs are almost always there…

With the Columbine shootings, for example, there were numerous signs about Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold and their intentions:

-         website stating pipe bombs were being made; naming people they wanted to kill (they had a hitlist)

-         they already had a criminal file for breaking into a van

-         police warning the school but no action taken (a year before the shooting)

-         showing the weapons to friends

-         the story Klebold wrote mere months before the shooting

Then there’s the aspect of none of their parents having any idea that there was an arsenal in their respective houses.  Sure, there’s respecting the privacy of one’s offspring…but, personally, this ‘ignorance’ of what was going on under their own roofs is disturbing…

Here, so far, we have someone who started buying numerous firearms over a short period of time (from May), but that didn’t cause any eyebrows to be raised (apparently).  I’m not going to call it an ‘arsenal’ because that’s exaggerating and distorting, but he had a good amount of firepower.

Then we find out that a psychiatrist at the university he was attended had identified him to the university’s ‘threat-assessment team’, but they decided not to do anything about it.

This seems to happen often, generally speaking – those in a position to do something, who are provided the information needed…not acting upon the information.  Whether it be football coaches, social services workers, etc…action has to be taken.  Yes, it’s time consuming but rather that than ‘uh oh, we knew about such-and-such.  Sorry.’

And now…the new shootings…

Which has hardly been in the news…

Six Sikhs shot dead.

Why?  Because someone didn’t like them, wanted to make an example of them, and hoped his actions would encourage others to do the same…

Thing is…just as we’ve had potential copy-cats after the TDKR shooting…we’re going to have the same here.

Over in Nigeria we have ‘Islamic militants’ murdering 19 Christian worshippers.  They expect to establish Islamic law in Nigeria by going against Islamic teachings and Islamic laws?!

The Unwanted Minority

Below is a repost of my recent Facebook 'status update'.

'Three of our children were burned to death in Burma,' said the female refugee, 'another two died in the boat getting here...'

Another refugee said:

'They slashed our children, and put a sharp sword on the ground. They held infants above the sword and let the infants fall on it...they killed the babies that way...'

Aung San Suu Kyi chose NOT to speak up for these people...she said she didn't know if they were Burmese...(is that REALLY supposed to make a difference?!)

NGOs have pulled their people out on the basis of the situation being too dangerous, and the Burmese government won't let outsiders in.

Usually my 'status updates' are jokey, or refer to movies or superheroes...

Now I'd like YOU (whoever's reading this and is moved by what they see and hear) to be 'a hero/heroine' and do what you can to bring this to the attention of those who can make a difference. It is said that there's strength in numbers...perhaps we can pull ourselves together enough to put an end to the waves of genocide and hatred...and bloodlust...that keeps erupting across our world...

http://www.vidjin.com/burman-muslims-being-burned-killed-slugged-where-is-un-recent-video.html

Go beyond the physical

Ramadan’s almost here!

 

Alhumdulillah.

 

One of the beautiful gifts bestowed on mankind is the art of cooking (some call it a science, but, whatever ;) ).  It’s something which, generally speaking, is often overlooked.  Yes, we have dozens of cooking shows, celebrity chefs, awesome parents etc, but the blessing we’ve been given in being able to do the things with food, spices and so forth, is…well…beautiful.

 

Those of us who will be fasting for the month ahead should bear in mind (and spare a thought for, at the very least) those of the Family of Man whose stomachs stay empty for days on end.

 

All of us (and you can choose not to believe if you so wish, that’s up to you) will be brought to account on a number of things (including, but not limited to):

 

-         how we spent our time

-         how we spent our wealth

-         how we shared our knowledge

-         how we helped others

-         how we used our bodies

 

For Muslims, this month brings with it so many blessings that, for those of us who take the time to ponder, it’s awe-inspiring.  We can agree to disagree, but life in general is full of blessings (seen and unseen) that are, themselves, awesome when pondered, that the fact that Allah (swt) has magnified all that in the Blessed Month is just…breathtaking.

 

I know, I know – some will say I’m speaking in hyperbole.  Like I said earlier, you can choose not to believe if you so wish.

 

Hand in hand with belief, though, is action.  To take steps to promote positive change; to do things which enhance the lives of those around you; to be a good neighbour, friend, sibling, relative and so on.  Time and time again, Allah (swt) says: ‘Those who believe and do good deeds’…they go hand in hand.

 

I raise my hand and admit that I don’t do anywhere near as much as I should do – but I hope and pray that (Insha’Allah) I’ll be able to do more and, Insha’Allah, be able to encourage others.

 

Please try to make a difference for those around us who are in need.

 

Remember, ‘fasting is bestowed on us…that we may attain taqwa (God Consciousness/Awareness), so go beyond the physical.

Likes and Dislikes about 'The Amazing Spider-Man' movie

Likes

- Gwen being intelligent

- Gwen not being a damsel in distress

- Gwen and the ‘flamethrower’!

- Spidey’s combat acrobatics – especially in the school

- Flash’s growth

- Flaming car (a little like the cable car scene but with a very simple choice – and important here as it served to show Peter that there is more he can do with the abilities he now has)

- Vigilante Peter

- SWAT team taking Peter down

- The interactions between Gwen and Peter

- The girl who has a bit of a thing for Peter (silent crush)

- Peter standing up to Flash (prior to The Bite) was good to see

Dislikes

- Scenes from the trailers and teasers being cut from the movie (although the ‘doorman scene’ was too much like the Raimi stuff so that being cut is fine)

- The fight on the train was a tad messy (granted, it’s instinct kicking in, but the frame cuts, etc, were too jerky and some of the moves just didn’t ‘fit’)

- What happened to the ‘secret of his parents’ stuff?

- Vigilante Peter (yes, it falls in both categories)

- Captain Stacy dying

- Lizard’s uber-enhanced regeneration abilities – seemed better than Wolverine’s!

- Some of the ‘first person’ view CGI effects were…poor.

- No JJJ

Asides:

- There’s, potentially, a lizard-rat roaming around out there…

- I doubt the ‘guy in the shadows’ is Norman (it’s could be Professor Miles Warren)

- Peter (in the movie) designed the web shooters, not the actual webbing (with the amount of webbing out there, it would have been pretty straight forward for the police to trace it back to him)

- Although I don’t think it was their intent, Peter being unable to help Ben (for fear of compounding things and killing him) can be construed (yes, yes, he was dying/dead from the gunshot wound, but Peter tore a tap off without trying, administering some form of CPR on his uncle would have been wrong on his part)

- Why was Peter not as pro-active about his education and science future as Gwen?

Movie Talk (July 4 2012)

Finally got around to seeing Men in Black 3 on Saturday (and bought my advance ticket for Tuesday’s ‘late’ showing of The Amazing Spider-Man).

MiB3 was quite enjoyable, had a touch of Back to the Future in there and a nice way of by-passing the paradox.  I felt it was better than the second one, and provided an aspect of closure and understanding to the relationship between J and K.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World was enjoyable, too (saw it on Monday).  Generally ignoring the impact on the rest of the world and focussing on Dodge and Penny, it was well done.  The brief highlights on how different people were reacting to/dealing with/accepting ‘the end of the world’ was interesting – ranging from ‘keeping things normal’ through to riots and ‘who cares, let’s just sleep with someone’, whilst keeping far away from any religious aspects.  To a certain degree, those things are 'standard', but it was nice seeing them, anyway.

And now, The Amazing Spider-Man...

Although a ‘retread’ of the one from a decade ago, I felt this one worked out a lot better – it still had the ‘bad guy talking to himself’ scene, but it was a lot briefer than the first time around.

Some of the action sequences came off a little awkward, but Flash (Eugene) had a lot of growth in the short time he was in the movie.   

Other thoughts:

- Gwen often looked a lot older than her 17 years;

- the killer of Uncle Ben currently has a ‘Joe Chill’ aspect going for him;

- I’m not sure why Oscorp would sell the bio-cable to someone like Peter;

- I know there’s a lot of construction work going on in Manhattan, but is there really that much along that stretch of the city?

- The discovery of the powers was reasonably well done (especially in the bathroom) – alas, the Dick Grayson handstand-to-dive has now probably been denied us forever :( 

- The banter between Gwen and Peter worked really well and it was good to see that he got her attention before getting the powers;

- Peter was still a stalking photographer, though (first time round it was MJ, now it’s Gwen);

- The Lizard was variable; and

- I prefer Captain Stacy approving of Spider-Man, and of Gwen's relationship with Peter, and I think he should have lived through this movie (and the sequel, and died in the third).

I guess that's enough for now ;)

Batman (as at 29 June 2012)

One of the things which bugs me about the reveal of TWJ is that SS spent quite some time putting forward aspects of the Wayne family history, especially in the early issues of the ‘mega-arc’, but that was ‘ancient’ history – several generations before Bruce, or even Thomas S.  Personally, that would have been the opportune moment to slip in the tidbit of ‘the lost younger brother’.

Similarities and differences.  There were underlying threads of these ‘character facets’ in SS’s narrative and the loss of a brother of Alan Wayne, for example, could have served as a reflective moment for Bruce.  Would it have come across a little forced?  Perhaps – but, in light of the fact that we were starting a ‘new continuity’, I think it would have been somewhat more acceptable than what we have been (at the moment) presented with.

It could also have served as a point of misdirection further down the line…

Disclaimer

The views expressed in these posts are subject to change as either new information is obtained and/or a different understanding is reached.

Just sayin'

The Revelations of The Bat (and The Alien ;) )

Prior to the start of the nu52 we were told that Batman, before the formation of the Justice League ‘five years ago’, had been active ‘for around 5 years’.  Later, this was adjusted to ‘around a year’.

We were also told that most of this history and stories from pre-nu52 were being carried over – which was later amended to ‘carried over and compressed’.

For many readers, it’s been a mess.  For many others, they’re just in it for the stories and don’t really care about the chronology.

Personally, the ‘everything kicked off 5 or 6 years ago’ approach just doesn’t work for me, especially when Dick, Jason and Tim are brought into the picture and Dick is now (supposedly) 16 when Bruce took him in. 

Meh

So, my ‘basic timeline of the nu52’ for the ‘age of heroes’ is:

17 years ago: ‘Superboy’ flits around (he’s around 10)

15 years ago: ‘Superboy’ meets ‘the friends from the future’
12 years ago: Batman starts (he's around 20); 'Superboy' is a 'country legend' (he's around 17); death of the Kents
11.5 years ago: Death of the Graysons
11 years ago: Dick is recruited (he's 11) (still not comfortable with his age being so close to Kal's, though, or the 'small' gap between him and Bruce); Bruce and Talia tango (this is either when Damien was conceived or when the mingled genetic material was obtained...)
7 years ago: Superman goes public; Jason begins training
6 years and 4 months ago: Superman saves Metropolis from The Collector
6 years ago: Aquaman is revealed; Dick is now Nightwing and Jason is Robin (The Anti-Superman Army steals the engine of Kal's ship); Kal investigates the rumours of 'The Batman'
5 years and 5 months ago: Barry becomes The Flash; Aquaman and The Others team up; Aquaman rescues Oliver Queen
5 years and 2 months ago: Diana comes to Man's World and Hal becomes Earth's Green Lantern; Barry and Hal meet and encounter Grodd
5 years ago: JLA is formed, Batman is no longer an 'urban legend' and Darkseid is defeated (oh, and Vic becomes 'Cyborg')

4 years and 11 months ago: the JLA defeats Starro
4 years and 10 months ago: Clark Kent ‘dies’, ‘returns’ and joins The Daily Planet

4.5 years ago: J'onn joins the JLA
4 years ago: Jason dies; J'onn 'tests' the JLA and finds them lacking; Barbara becomes Batgirl; Lois discovers The Secret
3.5 years ago: Tim is recruited (Bruce isn't keen on this)
3 years ago: Tim is Robin; Barbara is shot
2.5 years ago: Jason returns
2 years ago: Damien seeks out Bruce
1.8 years ago: Superman 'dies'
1.5 years ago: Bruce 'dies' and Dick becomes Batman
1 year ago: Superman returns (this one is hard to place as the indications are that it's relatively recent but also that he only recently returned to Metropolis..and we don't yet know where he had been, so it may be that he came back from the dead and then left Metropolis for a while)
0.5 years ago: Bruce returns and starts up Inc; split with Tim
Couple of months ago: Superboy awakes; Tim is behind 'NuWikiLeaks'; Batman encounters No-Man; Damien kills No-Man; Joker has his face removed
1 month ago: New Daily Planet building is unveiled, 'alien attack' in Metropolis; Superboy hunts down the Teens; JLA fights Amazo; Green Arrow tries to join the JLA
A few weeks ago: second 'alien attack'; Superboy 'escapes'; Green Arrow is still trying to join the JLA; Batman is in the Labyrinth
A couple of weeks ago: Batman escapes, punches Dick; Court of Owls attacks Gotham, JLA lend a hand and Green Arrow is still trying to join them
Over the course of the past week: Kara lands on Earth, is attacked, attacks Kal, finds out Krypton is gone, is lured into a trap, exposed to Kryptonite, escapes, destroys a multi-billion dollar satellite and unwittingly leaves some of her blood behind, finds Argo, encounters Reign, is left for dead, returns to Earth and saves it from a team of (incompetent) Worldkillers, attacked by humans, meets Siobhan, flees with her, goes to a bar and 'meets' Siobhan's dad (insert parts yet untold); Superman is 'replaced' and starts exercising a firm hand on Metropolis; Kara spots Superboy, talks to him and then smacks him around a little, tells him he's going to be a killer, heads to Metropolis, catches McCoy and encounters doppelgänger of Kal-El, gets smacked around, is saved by the real Kal-El (insert parts yet untold)

Also, members of the Court of Owls are killed and a ‘secret’ is revealed
A couple of days ago: Clark agrees to pick up Lucy from the station on Lois' behalf and that Jimmy can stay at his place for a while, ends up tangoing with Helspont and getting in Lucy's bad book
Dr Sivana starts his hunt

I've left out the JLI and JLD stuff and it seems the Captain Ma...Shazam stuff hasn't happened yet as it's not yet Christmas...the recent ‘Culling’ is also left out and it’s unclear as to when Hal-using-a-ring-given-to-him-by-Sinestro occurs (at the moment).

Oh, and Knightfall (I'm not sure if that's still in continuity)

And people say ‘comic books are for kids’ ;)

But, here's the kicker:

We were also told that The Bat's continuity was to remain intact, just in a somewhat 'compressed' form (timeline-wise).  And then, 10 months in, they (apparently) threw a curve-ball.

Why 'apparently'?  Well, I'm still waiting for issue 11 to come out so that the 'revelation' put forward in issue 10 can be either 'cemented' or discarded (personally, I'm hoping for the latter).