The Day America Changed a Little

I wish he could have seen it. I think of everything my grandfather went through and lost to make us "American" and all I could think of was him on inauguration day. Every day since my grandfather died, I have thought about him. My decision to wear the hijab was inspired by him even though in reality he wouldn't have understood why I put it on in the first place. I put it on in part because today is different from yesterday and inshallah tomorrow will be different from today. My grandfather lived in a time where being faithful was looked down upon not only in western countries but in the east as well. He was no different from the men of his time. With the conversations of abandonment, reform, or going back to the first Muslim community circling around his head...I was going to say he picked reform but in reality I do not know. Honestly, he picked survival by any means necessary.

I have written of my grandparents and a time I never knew except for in collective memory before. On Monday, all I could think of was him. I think of my great grandmother and my grandmother typing up all of those resumes because he couldn't get job being an immigrant with an accent. The job he got discriminated against him so much that he turned to the stock market to secure his American dream. As I look at our new president, there is still so much we have to do, but at least we have taken this step forward.

I have never watched an inauguration unless you count the time I was forced to watch Bill Clinton's in the first grade. All I remember from that was being bored and something about a saxophone. This time around, knowing my world in such a different way than when I was a child, this inauguration day I was glued to my TV like never before. I wish he could have seen it! I wish he could have seen that through it all, it was worth it. That we are here, even though some do not want us to be, and all that we have struggled for has come to fruition. (Maybe not in all ways, but just a little) That Monday gave me pride and hope. Inshallah we are on the right path again.

Packing is a Pain in the Teez!!!

I'm moving this coming Friday and I will probably not be able to make any posts that weekend due to no internet, but bare with me I will be back!!

P.S. Let me know what you think of my blog make over!!

photo was taken by blogger.

Did you hear about this?

I was watching another video random video about what was going on in Gaza when I came upon The Real News. The Real News is a non for profit that supplies news that will never be allowed to be in the American mainstream news. This news station says it will be totally funded on donations and will not take money from advertisers therefore bypassing the way to be corrupted. What do you think? Can their promise become a reality?

Alive In Gaza

Alive In Gaza is a relatively new website that is trying to get news straight from Gaza. Sameh Habeeb and Muhammed Al Ja'bawi are their main journalists in the field. The nice thing about this site is that there is audio feed from the journalists and the audience are able to ask questions about Gaza. The site is blog style and is trying to post something everday about the crisis. However, due to it being an active war (you can hear bombs/shots in the background) as well as Israel trying to shut down all media sources inside and outside of Gaza trying to show the other side the sit sometimes has trouble obtaining content. Just the same this a great source for people who want to keep up to date on the crisis.

Apparently, there is also a sister site called Alive in Baghdad as well.

Islamic Relief: Gaza Emergency Fundraising Dinner

Saturday, 24 January 2009

6:00PM to 10:00PM

Islamic Foundation

300 W. Highridge Road

Villa Park, IL

This is just one of many ways to take action!

I listened to a khutbah on IslamOnline.net today and the khateeb said the cause of the war was not the rockets set into Israel but the Israeli imposed blockade on Gaza that was a punishment for Palestine's democracy (i.e. electing Hamas to power). This then led some Palestinians out of desperation to launch rockets which have killed 25 Israelis since 2005. The death toll has risen to 1,310 killed and 5600 wounded at least a quarter of which are children and not so called Hamas fighters.

If Not Now, Then When?

I sit here typing on my laptop thinking about how active I have been in protesting against the siege in Gaza and that I have never been this active before. Yet, I believe I have not done enough. I think about other people that are my age like Sameh A. Habeeb who risks life and limb to post on his blog about the tragedy that faces Palestinians of Gaza everyday. I have always admired activists and have always wanted to be one myself but my pessimism and to be frank my laziness has always gotten in the way of speaking out.

For some reason this crisis of all the ones that Palestine has faced has gotten to me the most. It has made me think that if this would ever happen to my family I would want everyone to speak out against it since I would be prevented from doing it myself. Israel has been trying to silence the people of Gaza by not allowing journalists into the strip therefore no one can see the true atrocities happening there. That is why this is the second time I have written about Sameh on my blog because the truth is not allowed to get out.

Yesterday, I went to Cafe Intifada at Quenect 4 and the organizers of the invent talked to Sameh on the phone. We could here the the gun shots in the background as he talked. He said that a quarter of all that were killed in Gaza are children. He said that the Israelis had gone into Gaza City and were sectioning the strip off piece by piece. In Gaza City, where he lives, you cannot freely travel through the city. Israel has surrounded Gaza and is only committing a war against civilians and NOT Hamas.

It hurts me to hear what Gaza is going through and I have been keeping up with the news ever since the massacres started on 27 December 2008. However, that is not enough. We must not only be informed but take some sort of action. Sameh said that people around the world have been protesting like never before. Let's not stop now! There is still so much to fight for! LET'S NOT HAVE ANYONE FORGET PALESTINE!

In the words of Desmond Tutu, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." Entonces, do something whether it takes you 5 seconds or 5 hours whatever little you can give will count in the long run!

First Photo is from blogger
Profile Photo of Sameh A. Habeeb was posted on his blog which is linked to the first mentioning of his name.

Sit-In for Gaza

Wednesday, 14 January 2009

11:30am to 1:30pm

DePaul Student Center Atrium

2250 N. Sheffield

Chicago, IL

The organziers of the event ask that if you come to please wear black!