Wednesday, November 30, 2005
and in other news...
Nick and Jessica finally broke up. How sad that I am posting about this. I have no life.
- Naiema
- Naiema
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
TI Camp
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Seerah Conference
The alst two days were the ISNA West Seerah Conference at the masjid. It was very nice. The last speech by Hamza Yosuf was off the hook. It didn't really have a coherent message, but none the less brilliant. Everything seems so clear after he talks about it.
- Naiema
- Naiema
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Sunday, November 20, 2005
What did I do today?
I did not do much really. I went to an Al-Maghrib class, then came home for lunch and didn't go back because I did De Anza homework. Now I am going to my friend Hebba's wedding.
- Naiema
By the way, there is a bowl of dahl (lentil soup) sitting on the computer desk in front of me. It is Alina'a and she hasn't picked it up. What a slob.
- Naiema
By the way, there is a bowl of dahl (lentil soup) sitting on the computer desk in front of me. It is Alina'a and she hasn't picked it up. What a slob.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Check it out:
The US isn't all candy canes and gumdrops. So much for freedom of rights and democracy...
Wasington Post Article
- Naiema
By the way, I feel like my posts may be getting too politicaly-charged. But hey! It's my blog, and they're not about politcs, they're about human experiances and righting wrongs.
Wasington Post Article
- Naiema
By the way, I feel like my posts may be getting too politicaly-charged. But hey! It's my blog, and they're not about politcs, they're about human experiances and righting wrongs.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Coverage of De Anza protest continued...
Police Beat College Students in Violent Protests against Powell
By AMAN MEHRZAI
Eight people were arrested, mostly college students in a violent protest against former Secretary of State Colin Powell in the San Francisco Bay Area, Friday night.
Protesters gathered at De Anza College in the South Bay starting Wednesday, to kick off a three day rally with visitors such as Cindy Sheehan and Yuri Kochiyama present.
Chants such as; "Whose College? - Our College. You get out," and "This is what democracy looks like, this is what a police state looks like," were heard while police attacked and beat certain protesters.
Police have been accused of using racial profiling and excessive force while arresting activists during the demonstrations.
Friday nights protest gained most attention when certain groups and individuals joined the rally that left destruction to police vehicles and school property. Police car windows were smashed and Anarchy symbols were spray painted on the back of some local media outlet vans. A message that said "Paris Rising" was tagged on the back of one police buss.
In order to disperse the crowd, fully armed riot police in multiple groups of 15 to 20 spread out and chased anyone who was present including reporters and legal observers. One group of riot police moved the remaining crowd down the campus pushing them through bushes and assaulting them with their gear. Another group of troops crossed the street into commercial property forcing a corridor around the block, in order to peruse and arrest certain protesters they had spotted earlier in the crowd, who were on their way to their cars.
Some of the protesters went inside a local coffee shop across campus out of fear of the riot police who were quickly approaching them. "At one point, the riot police surrounded the coffee shop and one undercover officer with an earpiece came inside and waited outside the bathroom door and was staring at me when I was going in," said protester Susan Barrientos. Barrientos is a Muslim convert who was dressed in Islamic attire.
Some protesters who were arrested were previously refused access to their cars when they wanted to leave, and were later beaten and captured in plain view of many eyewitnesses and legal observers.
Out of seven of the protesters who were arrested outside of the Flint Center, six were Muslims of Arabic and African descent, some members of the Student Muslim Association. "They [police] saw that we had the most energy and were not afraid of them and were riling up the crowd," said De Anza student Hanni Zaki, 22, who was hospitalized for receiving injury to the head from police who stepped on his face and beat him with their batons. "They couldn't stand that we were dressed in Palestinian and Arabic clothes and weren't afraid of them. They wanted revenge so they chased down, every one of us who were Muslim, until they could beat and arrest us, that's what they were waiting for, that's why they wouldn't let me go to my car." De Anza's Students for Justice Member, Mark Anthony Medeiras, asked police to go to his car and was allowed to leave, minutes before Zaki was beaten and arrested. Zaki, who parked in the same garage as Medeiras, was refused access to his vehicle and when he asked how he was supposed to leave, was told, "You should of thought of that earlier," by one of the riot police who leaned over with his baton to start the attack by multiple officers.
De Anza student Abdul Kareem Al-Hayiek, 19, was chased by two officers on their dirt bikes until they knocked him down and pepper sprayed him in the face. Al-Heyiek began choking while officers jumped on top of him; he soon after lost consciousness. Another De Anza student Aiman Eltilib, 17, who just got out of class that night pleaded for the officer to get off of Al-Hayiek and was also pepper sprayed in the face and told by an officer, "Do you want to end up like him?" Eltilib responded by asking the officers to let Al-Hayiek go and that "he didn't do anything." The officer then put his left arm around the minor's neck and choked his Adams apple with the fingertips of his right hand until he collapsed to the ground. Shakir Eljurf, 19, who attended the same night class with Eltilib walked towards his classmate in concern, with books still under his right arm, when a third officer from behind twisted his left arm behind his back without warning, but was alarmed to find an angry mob pursuing them from behind. All three were then quickly released as the officers retreated to take cover from the approaching mob.
Two other Muslim students, Mohammad Abdo, 23, and Adonnis Graves, 22, ran towards the local media vans for safe haven after riot police hit Graves in the face with a baton and forced him through a high bush, only to be rescued by Abdo who pulled him to safety.The two nearly made it to the news reporters, but were blocked off by officers on motorcycles who told them to get off campus. They crossed the street and walked through a public park to get to their cars where officers apprehended and arrested them both.
Elgrie Hurd, 24, an African American student from San Jose State University was asked by officers to back off the edge of a street. Although Hurd was complying, officers dragged him forward by his shirt and arrested in plain view. Many photographers took footage of the incident. He was charged with Battery on a Peace Officer and False report of a bomb.
Protester, Brian Helmle, was the first to be arrested inside the Flint Center earlier that night, during Powell's speech and was charged for Disturbing the Peace and Resisting Arrest. Helmle, who is 27, stood up while Powell was speaking about the virtues of American kindness and yelled out "Liar - liar, murderer – murderer," and blew his whistle until officers carried him across the stands to arrest him.
Helmle, who later met with other arrestees, was shocked to find that they were treated with such harshness and brutality and that he was the only Caucasian to be arrested that night. "I think that this is all about white privilege," said Helmle. "I wasn't treated in any harshness whatsoever by the police. The fact is that the eyes of the white crowd were on a white male doing strange things inside. What happened to those outside in the protest is ridiculous and racist. All they were trying to do was leave and get to their cars. I was intentionally trying to get arrested."
Police released Helmle by 1 a.m. that same night without taking him into custody. The seven others who were arrested outside the Flint Center were taken into custody, including the minor Eltilib, and detained overnight in harsh conditions. Al-Hayiek is the only one to still be in custody awaiting an arraignment for bond.
In 1984 the Santa Calra County was sued by the law offices of Carpenter and Mayfield when police sweeped a large number of protesters on De Anza College and illegally detained them on a parking lot during a demonstration against Ronald Reagan.
One officer, who was at the protests on Friday night said, "Although profiling shouldn't happen, when certain people dress the way they do they become a target. It shouldn't happen, but the reality is that when most officers see someone dressed in that kind of clothes [Middle Eastern], they associate that with terrorism." The officer said that they regularly attend terrorism training classes, and that many officers associate such garb to terrorists because of the training videos they see in which "terrorists prepare themselves for Jihad and martyrdom."
Multiple legal organizations are investigating the allegations that police singled out the Middle Eastern and African American protesters, although the majority of the violence was conducted by others. Excessive force allegations will also be a focus of the investigations.
- Naiema
By AMAN MEHRZAI
Eight people were arrested, mostly college students in a violent protest against former Secretary of State Colin Powell in the San Francisco Bay Area, Friday night.
Protesters gathered at De Anza College in the South Bay starting Wednesday, to kick off a three day rally with visitors such as Cindy Sheehan and Yuri Kochiyama present.
Chants such as; "Whose College? - Our College. You get out," and "This is what democracy looks like, this is what a police state looks like," were heard while police attacked and beat certain protesters.
Police have been accused of using racial profiling and excessive force while arresting activists during the demonstrations.
Friday nights protest gained most attention when certain groups and individuals joined the rally that left destruction to police vehicles and school property. Police car windows were smashed and Anarchy symbols were spray painted on the back of some local media outlet vans. A message that said "Paris Rising" was tagged on the back of one police buss.
In order to disperse the crowd, fully armed riot police in multiple groups of 15 to 20 spread out and chased anyone who was present including reporters and legal observers. One group of riot police moved the remaining crowd down the campus pushing them through bushes and assaulting them with their gear. Another group of troops crossed the street into commercial property forcing a corridor around the block, in order to peruse and arrest certain protesters they had spotted earlier in the crowd, who were on their way to their cars.
Some of the protesters went inside a local coffee shop across campus out of fear of the riot police who were quickly approaching them. "At one point, the riot police surrounded the coffee shop and one undercover officer with an earpiece came inside and waited outside the bathroom door and was staring at me when I was going in," said protester Susan Barrientos. Barrientos is a Muslim convert who was dressed in Islamic attire.
Some protesters who were arrested were previously refused access to their cars when they wanted to leave, and were later beaten and captured in plain view of many eyewitnesses and legal observers.
Out of seven of the protesters who were arrested outside of the Flint Center, six were Muslims of Arabic and African descent, some members of the Student Muslim Association. "They [police] saw that we had the most energy and were not afraid of them and were riling up the crowd," said De Anza student Hanni Zaki, 22, who was hospitalized for receiving injury to the head from police who stepped on his face and beat him with their batons. "They couldn't stand that we were dressed in Palestinian and Arabic clothes and weren't afraid of them. They wanted revenge so they chased down, every one of us who were Muslim, until they could beat and arrest us, that's what they were waiting for, that's why they wouldn't let me go to my car." De Anza's Students for Justice Member, Mark Anthony Medeiras, asked police to go to his car and was allowed to leave, minutes before Zaki was beaten and arrested. Zaki, who parked in the same garage as Medeiras, was refused access to his vehicle and when he asked how he was supposed to leave, was told, "You should of thought of that earlier," by one of the riot police who leaned over with his baton to start the attack by multiple officers.
De Anza student Abdul Kareem Al-Hayiek, 19, was chased by two officers on their dirt bikes until they knocked him down and pepper sprayed him in the face. Al-Heyiek began choking while officers jumped on top of him; he soon after lost consciousness. Another De Anza student Aiman Eltilib, 17, who just got out of class that night pleaded for the officer to get off of Al-Hayiek and was also pepper sprayed in the face and told by an officer, "Do you want to end up like him?" Eltilib responded by asking the officers to let Al-Hayiek go and that "he didn't do anything." The officer then put his left arm around the minor's neck and choked his Adams apple with the fingertips of his right hand until he collapsed to the ground. Shakir Eljurf, 19, who attended the same night class with Eltilib walked towards his classmate in concern, with books still under his right arm, when a third officer from behind twisted his left arm behind his back without warning, but was alarmed to find an angry mob pursuing them from behind. All three were then quickly released as the officers retreated to take cover from the approaching mob.
Two other Muslim students, Mohammad Abdo, 23, and Adonnis Graves, 22, ran towards the local media vans for safe haven after riot police hit Graves in the face with a baton and forced him through a high bush, only to be rescued by Abdo who pulled him to safety.The two nearly made it to the news reporters, but were blocked off by officers on motorcycles who told them to get off campus. They crossed the street and walked through a public park to get to their cars where officers apprehended and arrested them both.
Elgrie Hurd, 24, an African American student from San Jose State University was asked by officers to back off the edge of a street. Although Hurd was complying, officers dragged him forward by his shirt and arrested in plain view. Many photographers took footage of the incident. He was charged with Battery on a Peace Officer and False report of a bomb.
Protester, Brian Helmle, was the first to be arrested inside the Flint Center earlier that night, during Powell's speech and was charged for Disturbing the Peace and Resisting Arrest. Helmle, who is 27, stood up while Powell was speaking about the virtues of American kindness and yelled out "Liar - liar, murderer – murderer," and blew his whistle until officers carried him across the stands to arrest him.
Helmle, who later met with other arrestees, was shocked to find that they were treated with such harshness and brutality and that he was the only Caucasian to be arrested that night. "I think that this is all about white privilege," said Helmle. "I wasn't treated in any harshness whatsoever by the police. The fact is that the eyes of the white crowd were on a white male doing strange things inside. What happened to those outside in the protest is ridiculous and racist. All they were trying to do was leave and get to their cars. I was intentionally trying to get arrested."
Police released Helmle by 1 a.m. that same night without taking him into custody. The seven others who were arrested outside the Flint Center were taken into custody, including the minor Eltilib, and detained overnight in harsh conditions. Al-Hayiek is the only one to still be in custody awaiting an arraignment for bond.
In 1984 the Santa Calra County was sued by the law offices of Carpenter and Mayfield when police sweeped a large number of protesters on De Anza College and illegally detained them on a parking lot during a demonstration against Ronald Reagan.
One officer, who was at the protests on Friday night said, "Although profiling shouldn't happen, when certain people dress the way they do they become a target. It shouldn't happen, but the reality is that when most officers see someone dressed in that kind of clothes [Middle Eastern], they associate that with terrorism." The officer said that they regularly attend terrorism training classes, and that many officers associate such garb to terrorists because of the training videos they see in which "terrorists prepare themselves for Jihad and martyrdom."
Multiple legal organizations are investigating the allegations that police singled out the Middle Eastern and African American protesters, although the majority of the violence was conducted by others. Excessive force allegations will also be a focus of the investigations.
- Naiema
DemocracyNow! Coverage of De Anza Protest
This is a superb article:
Students Arrested at Powell Speech Protest Accuse Police of Racial Profiling
Racial profiling does happen.
- Naiema
Students Arrested at Powell Speech Protest Accuse Police of Racial Profiling
Racial profiling does happen.
- Naiema
Monday, November 14, 2005
This note was found in my empty cereal box after I hid it in a cupboard from my hungry siblings
"You should not hide cereal boxes from your family. It is not nice either. Sincerely, the Devil"
- Naiema
- Naiema
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Protest at De Anza
Last night, I went to De Anza for a class. There was a protest against Collin Powell speaking at our school. It was pretty peaceful in the beginning, but became became very aggressive. Policemen in SWAT suites were brought in! People started yelling at the policemen - which didn't make sense because it's not the police who are controlling the occupation. Poeple even wnet across the street and started looting stores, which made me angry. I have to admit, I was a little scared.
The best thing though, were our Muslim brothers. They dressed up very traditionally and all of them were wearing kifayaas (Palestinian scarves). Of course, people knew who the Muslim sisters were because of our headscarves. I was in class most of the time, but when I got out, there was major chaos going on. I think most of it was started by the Anarchists. But the Muslims were getting most of the aggression from the police - probably because they were so easy to spot and because the policemen were racist.
It was so nice to see most of the people's compassion against the war. But the Muslims making statements about Palestine and ending occupation was amazing!
- Naiema
The best thing though, were our Muslim brothers. They dressed up very traditionally and all of them were wearing kifayaas (Palestinian scarves). Of course, people knew who the Muslim sisters were because of our headscarves. I was in class most of the time, but when I got out, there was major chaos going on. I think most of it was started by the Anarchists. But the Muslims were getting most of the aggression from the police - probably because they were so easy to spot and because the policemen were racist.
It was so nice to see most of the people's compassion against the war. But the Muslims making statements about Palestine and ending occupation was amazing!
- Naiema
Friday, November 11, 2005
This was in an email sent to my dad:
Mustafa Al-Aqqad died today in Amman at Al-Arabi Medical Center after he
had several surgeries to treat his injuries from the terrorist attack on
his hotel. His daughter died in the blast at age 33.
Al-Aqqad is a movie producer who produced Hollywood quality Islamic movies
in Arabic and English. He is Syrian. His famous three movies in both
languages are:
The Message (Anthony Quinn), Ar-Risalah (Abdullah Gaith),
Lion of the Desert (Anthony Quinn), Asad As-Sahraa
Salah Ad-Din.
This man as I said in one of my MCA Khutbas, made more Dawah to islam than
most contemporary scholars even though he had no mustache or beard. He
knew the way to people in the West and used it well to produce quality
movies that are shown often on PBS.
The strange thing is that they needed a long campaign and modification
when they came out till he got Al-Azhar approval. Of course, he was not
stupid to seek approval from Saudi scholars. His whole movie making is
Haram according to such school of Fiq since all pciture making and image
processing is banned.
May Allah bless his soul and make him among those who enter Jannah.
Many names come to mind that made Dawah more than so many scholars like
Maurice Buccaile and Rojeh Jarudi. People may not consider them strong
Muslims but they made so many people enter Islam.
Salam,
Hussein
So true.
- Naiema
Mustafa Al-Aqqad died today in Amman at Al-Arabi Medical Center after he
had several surgeries to treat his injuries from the terrorist attack on
his hotel. His daughter died in the blast at age 33.
Al-Aqqad is a movie producer who produced Hollywood quality Islamic movies
in Arabic and English. He is Syrian. His famous three movies in both
languages are:
The Message (Anthony Quinn), Ar-Risalah (Abdullah Gaith),
Lion of the Desert (Anthony Quinn), Asad As-Sahraa
Salah Ad-Din.
This man as I said in one of my MCA Khutbas, made more Dawah to islam than
most contemporary scholars even though he had no mustache or beard. He
knew the way to people in the West and used it well to produce quality
movies that are shown often on PBS.
The strange thing is that they needed a long campaign and modification
when they came out till he got Al-Azhar approval. Of course, he was not
stupid to seek approval from Saudi scholars. His whole movie making is
Haram according to such school of Fiq since all pciture making and image
processing is banned.
May Allah bless his soul and make him among those who enter Jannah.
Many names come to mind that made Dawah more than so many scholars like
Maurice Buccaile and Rojeh Jarudi. People may not consider them strong
Muslims but they made so many people enter Islam.
Salam,
Hussein
So true.
- Naiema
Check it out:
A very nice music video by Outlandish: Look into My Eyes
Selected Lyrics:
Look into my eyes
Tell me what you see
You don't see a damn thing
'cause you can't relate to me
You're blinded by our differences
My life makes no sense to you
I'm the persecuted one
You're the red, white and blue
Each day you wake in tranquility
No fears to cross your eyes
Each day I wake in gratitude
Thanking God He let me rise
You worry about your education
And the bills you have to pay
I worry about my vulnerable life
And if I'll survive another day
Your biggest fear is getting a ticket
As you cruise your Cadillac
My fear is that the tank that has just left
Will turn around and come back
Yet, do you know the truth of where your money goes?
Do you let your media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth nobody, nobody, nobody knows
Has our world gone all blind?
Ooohh, let's not cry tonight, I promise you one day it's through
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,
Ooohh, shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,
…
See I've known terror for quite some time
57 years so cruel
Terror breathes the air I breathe
It's the checkpoint on my way to school
Terror is the robbery of my land
And the torture of my mother
The imprisonment of my innocent father
The bullet in my baby brother
The bulldozers and the tanks
The gases and the guns
The bombs that fall outside my door
All due to your funds
You blame me for defending myself
Against the ways of my enemies
I'm terrorized in my own land
And I'm the terrorist?
…
America, do you realize that the taxes that you pay
Feed the forces that traumatize my every living day
So if I won't be here tomorrow
It's written in my fate
May the future bring a brighter day
The end of our wait
- Naiema
Selected Lyrics:
Look into my eyes
Tell me what you see
You don't see a damn thing
'cause you can't relate to me
You're blinded by our differences
My life makes no sense to you
I'm the persecuted one
You're the red, white and blue
Each day you wake in tranquility
No fears to cross your eyes
Each day I wake in gratitude
Thanking God He let me rise
You worry about your education
And the bills you have to pay
I worry about my vulnerable life
And if I'll survive another day
Your biggest fear is getting a ticket
As you cruise your Cadillac
My fear is that the tank that has just left
Will turn around and come back
Yet, do you know the truth of where your money goes?
Do you let your media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth nobody, nobody, nobody knows
Has our world gone all blind?
Ooohh, let's not cry tonight, I promise you one day it's through
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,
Ooohh, shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,
…
See I've known terror for quite some time
57 years so cruel
Terror breathes the air I breathe
It's the checkpoint on my way to school
Terror is the robbery of my land
And the torture of my mother
The imprisonment of my innocent father
The bullet in my baby brother
The bulldozers and the tanks
The gases and the guns
The bombs that fall outside my door
All due to your funds
You blame me for defending myself
Against the ways of my enemies
I'm terrorized in my own land
And I'm the terrorist?
…
America, do you realize that the taxes that you pay
Feed the forces that traumatize my every living day
So if I won't be here tomorrow
It's written in my fate
May the future bring a brighter day
The end of our wait
- Naiema
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Election day!
Remember to vote everyone! And then proudly sport your "I Voted" sticker; I sure am.
- Naiema
- Naiema
Interesting
It's kind of cool that high-end fashion retailers are marketing towards Muslim women. But it's also pretty bad that high-end fashion retailers are marketing towards Muslim women. I found this story on MSN.
Hijab Chic
Just remember,
Hijab Chic
Just remember,
"Everyday we see our Muslim sisters proudly displaying names and initials on their clothing. … What are they advertising? CD, YSL, D&G,"—as in Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Dolce & Gabbana—"How ironic that the most modest of dressing—the cloak and scarf—should become contaminated by advertising the names of some of the most shameless and perverted people in the world." - from the article
- Naiema
Monday, November 07, 2005
Time for a change
I've decided that I am going to dread my head; ie: put dreadlocks in my hair. I'll be looking real fly in about 3-5 weeks, ya man!
- Naiema
- Naiema
Get out!
So there's a blog out there witht he web address, rickshawdiaries.blogspot.com. And I must say, its pretty good. But I can't believe how simliar her blog address is to mine! [haa, or maybe mine to her's.]
- Naiema
- Naiema
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Other blogs...
I was on manicmuslim.com, and clicked on the blogs link. They are very well-written and I realized how beautiful all of our lives are.
- Naiema
- Naiema
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Delicious
I absolutley love Peanut Butter Captain Crunch cereal. In fact, if someone gave a box of Peanut Butter Captain Crunch cereal to me as a present, I would be delighted.
- Naiema
- Naiema
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Eid day: recap
Man, I'm tired. I really don't understand why I'm writing this. Today was Eid. I went to Eid prayer. Allhamdulilah, it was good. Everyone at Eid prayer looked very nice. It was mad crowded. It was the first time my sisters and I came back from Eid prayer when we wanted to; alone. When we arrived home, we helped my mother get the house ready for our open house. Out of 30 something invited families, around 10 showed up. Our freezer is filled with nihari, biryani, and all that good stuff. We'll be on a "Kabab and Curry" diet for the next 3 weeks.
I also found out some interesting news that my good friend is getting married! I am extremely happy for her, but also very surprised. Many people I know who are close to my age are getting married. It makes me want to get engaged. Haa and haa, I am totally kidding.
Ok, time for the night prayer and sleepy time.
- Naiema
Post Note: I absolutely love the after-scent of mehndi on my hand.
I also found out some interesting news that my good friend is getting married! I am extremely happy for her, but also very surprised. Many people I know who are close to my age are getting married. It makes me want to get engaged. Haa and haa, I am totally kidding.
Ok, time for the night prayer and sleepy time.
- Naiema
Post Note: I absolutely love the after-scent of mehndi on my hand.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
EID MUBARAK!!!
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Check this out:
Fact:
There is such a thing as apple soda.
