Tuesday, September 06, 2005

No Football Please- Unislamic!

Hey all,

How many of you read this fatwa issued by one scholar in Saudi claiming that playing football is unIslamic? I read it and I was appalled. I was shocked. Here are some of the arguments as proposed by scholar:

"1. That players should not wear T-shirts with numbers on them, trousers, or shorts, and only play with their sleeping clothes, as wearing the previously mentioned items would be copying the infidels." [sleeping clothes...right, let's all wear our pajamas and play the championships!]

2. That there be three periods instead of two, so that it would not comply with the international standards of soccer set by the infidels. [right, so when Saudi team is playing matches in foreign countries, only the Saudi should be split into thirds....]

3. That players should spit in the face of the striker if he rejoices in scoring a goal in the opposing team's net, as the purpose of the game is to be fit only, not for rejoicing in scoring. [ok, mr. striker, be prepared to be spit on...]

4. The utterance of all words such as "foul", "penalty", "out", and others is sinful since they are made up by the infidels who set soccer rules. There should also not be a crowd watching or cheering the game. " [ok, let me look for other words for these sinful words, and we might as well play in our backyards away from the crowds...]

The article goes on: "Instead of those three Saudi players enjoying themselves and making use of their leisure time in something that would benefit them, they have now been brainwashed by a fatwa and have gone to the extreme. From being good citizens they have now become the worst of humanity: Sleeping suicide bombers."

I mean, what is this? You have scholars like these issuing such kind of fatwa, and brainwashing these youngsters to go to Iraq instead of playing football. Ok, if you want to encourage them to go to Iraq, by all means do it, I have no problem there. But to tell them to stop playing football because it is "copying the infidels" is baseless, unfounded and totally childish. I wonder what the logic was behind this fatwa? What about basketball? Swimming?

Well, THANKFULLY TODAY, the grand Saudi Mufti has started to look over such kind of fatwas being issued in the country. Thankfully there is someone sane out there to go against such kind of religious rulings. There should be a system where only one main person can issue a legal fatwa, instead of having many different scholars issuing fatwas on their own. Well done Grand Saudi Mufti-- you've brought some sanity into this insanity!

Mansur

Naif Panthers

Hey friend,

Ok, I don't know whether to commend the Dubai Police for this or take this piece of news with skepticism. In Naif, a certain part of Dubai, the police have decided to have policemen on roller blades, so they can catch the culprits in narrow passages and alleyways. I saw the picture of the policeman, and I am looking at how his roller-blades are not even well balanced. I wonder how well and how fast will they be able to catch the thieves. Coming up with a name like Naif Panthers brought a huge grin to my face. I wish them all the good luck.... and remember, next time you see a policeman whizzing on his roller blades, keep in mind he is just doing his job of making Dubai a safer place. (On a side note, the Naif area of Dubai is a high-crime area, so be aware and alert when you are there!)

Mansur

Life's Natural Highs

Hey all,

Think about these one at a time BEFORE going on to the next one...IT DOES MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD....and if you have another one to add...feel free to do so....

LIFE'S NATURAL HIGHS

1. Being in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No queues at the supermarket.
5. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
6. Hearing your favourite song on the radio.
7. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
8. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
9. Chocolate milkshake ... (or vanilla ... or strawberry!)
10. A bubble bath.
11. Giggling.
12. A good conversation.
13. Finding a dhs.100 note in your drawer from last year.
14. Running through sprinklers.
15. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
16. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
17. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
18. Waking up and realising you still have a few hours left to sleep.
19. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
20. Sweet dreams.
21. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
22. Holding hands with someone you care about.
23. Running into an old friend and realising that some things (good or bad) never change.
24. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you.
25. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
26. Knowing that somebody misses you.
27. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
28. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

---Mansur

Miss Muslim-Liverpool

Hey friends,

I don't know how far reaching this news has been, but I don't hear any of the Muslim population making a hue and cry about this situation, at least not as much as they did when Miss World was scheduled to be held in Nigeria. Does it mean they are softening to the idea? She is an 18 year old Uzbekistani, speaking six languages and will be going on to compete in Miss World in China. I wish her all the luck, and hope that she is able to achieve her dreams and goals in her life.

Mansur


(Taken from Telegraph, UK)
Student is first Muslim crowned Miss England
By Frances Booth
(Filed: 05/09/2005)

An 18-year-old student who was born in Uzbekistan has become the first Muslim to be crowned Miss England.

Hammasa Kohistani, who has divided the Islamic community, beat 39 other competitors in a two-day final at Liverpool's Olympia Theatre.

She was crowned Miss England on Saturday night and will travel to China for the final in December, when she could win £55,000.

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Miss Kohistani, of Uxbridge, west London, said: "I'm making history and I'm very happy. Hopefully I won't be the last Muslim girl to take home the title." Before the Miss England final Islamic leaders in the North-West urged all four Muslim entrants to withdraw from the contest as they would be compromising the teachings of the Koran by showing naked flesh.

Miss Kohistani said in response to the criticism: "I don't think I have done anything wrong. I have the utmost respect for the strong beliefs of the religious leaders."However, she said other people also had the right to their own views and she hoped people would respect her for her decisions.

During the contest the girls took part in a fashion show, in which they modelled sportswear and evening gowns. Each contestant also gave a performance of singing or dancing.

Miss Kohistani, known in the contest as Miss Maya after the Asian fashion house that sponsored her, said her family was proud of her.

"As long as they're happy, then my conscience is clear that I have done nothing wrong," she said.

Miss Kohistani has 11 GCSEs at grade A* to C, and speaks six languages including Russian, Persian and French. She is now studying to take A-levels and hopes to go to university to do a degree in advertising.

She was born in Tashkent, central Uzbekistan, after her parents were forced to flee Afghanistan, and moved to England at the age of nine.

Miss Kohistani has now been offered a part in a Bollywood movie.

She said after the contest: "Hopefully I can bring the Miss World title home with me."

Monday, September 05, 2005

Count Your Blessings!

Hey friends,

One thing my dad would always tell me is: Count Your Blessings. He has been saying this to me every time I would be down or depressed. Sometimes, he would tell this to me at times when things would be going well for him. When I was young, I would not grasp the meaning of these three words, but as I grow older, I realize how deep these words are.

My dad was born in India, and he was not even five years old when he and his family had to migrate to Pakistan because of the Partition. His family had to leave their house, and come into Pakistan. Then she started his work in Pakistan and eventually moved to Jeddah. He started small, and mashallah he has come a long way now.

While I won’t get into the intricate details of his life, his achievements and all, he has always lived with his motto of Count Your Blessings. He gives credit to God for all the things he has achieved in his life, and he tells people again and again that his success is because of God. He doesn’t take any credit for himself. I find that very humbling.

Even I give credit to God for any of my successes today. I give my thanks to God for all the wonderful blessings He has given me. Even in my times of depression, I choose to Count My Blessings, because things could be worse. Watching the Hurricane Katrina batter Louisiana, causing devastation and destruction in the people’s lives, one thing I noticed was that people were realizing how they had taken a lot of things for granted. For a natural disaster to hit the richest country in the world, creating refugees amongst its own population serves as a reminder to me that life is unpredictable. It’s the little things that I am thankful for: my life, food, water, air, my body, clothes, a place to live, education, and decent comforts in life.

Even though I wish I were born without any hearing loss, I still choose to Count My Blessings, for the blessings in my life far outweigh the sufferings. It’s very easy for me to start moaning and whining about my life that is going nowhere, but then, if I take the time out to Count My Blessings, I come to realize that my life is perfect the way it is.

So, I am going to pass on to you my father’s wisdom. Remember, whatever your situation you are in, good or bad, Count Your Blessings.

Counting-My-Blessings,

Mansur

Google Earth!!!

Hey friends,

I am so EXCITED to share this with you. Ever since a friend told me about it, I have been addicted to it. A program called Google Earth is the culprit. Google Earth is a 3D interface, for you to look at places around the world. You can zoom right into the city where you live in. It is very precise and accurate. I have already located my home in Jeddah right down to the rooftop. I have located my house in Sharjah. I have located my house in Pakistan right down to the road it is on.

I also checked out my brother's place in London, where the satellite image is so amazingly clear. I also saw the Sainsbury and the high street close to his house. I also checked out my dorm building in Texas at the university I was at. It's just so unbelievable and so precise.....I need to go on it again....

Mansur

The Black-Eyed Peas Concert

Hey friends,

Tomorrow is a day Dubai is extremely proud of. It is a day which Dubai thinks will get it the international fame and recognition it so deserves. Are you asking me what's happening tomrrow? Well, its the concert by the hip-hop group The Black-Eyed Peas.

It's been a while since I have heard of a prominent artist performing in Dubai. Most often, you get to hear from the lesser known boy bands, or classical artists. The last concert I went to was Bryan Adams, and no doubt he was amazing, Adams is a regular concert player in Dubai. Luciano Pavarotti's concert was a major disaster. Westlife and Blue, the British boybands, are the best Dubai can offer. Whitney Houston's concert was so-so, as she was not at her best.

The Black-Eyed Peas are no doubt a major group, and I was somewhat surprised they were coming to Dubai. What I don't like then is how Dubai seems to act like as if its the next London or Paris, when it clearly isnt. I don't like this attitude coming out from here of condemning the US, and then hosting groups like these. I mean, when Michael Jackson was here recently, Dubaians acted like as if he were their best friends or something. I mean, the media here had gone on and on about how weird and wacko Jackson is, making fun of his plastic surgeries and his pedophiliac nature. When Michael was here, suddenly, the media were painting him as a normal, better than other humans, kind of person. It was just mere hypocrisy.

Mansur

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Tagged!

Hello friends,

I was tagged by Hibbalicious while I was away. I can tag all my fellow bloggers, but they have been tagged already, so the only person left is Xena! (Xena, jaldi karo aur apna blog shuru karo!)


10 years ago- 4th Sept. 1995
(High School, Pakistan) In 12th grade. SATs! TOEFL! ACT! College application essays! Uff!

5years ago- 4th Sept. 2000
(University) Brand new semester. Crappy professor making life miserable for us architecture students. Uff!

1 year ago- 4th Sept 2004
(Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) Working in Jeddah. Loving every moment of it. God, I miss my time there!

Tomorrow- 5th Sept. 2005
(Dubai) Typical day as usual. Going to dinner with friends in the evening (haven’t decided where!)

5 Snacks I enjoy
> Chocolates in all shapes and sizes (Hershey’s, Twix, Lion Bar etc etc)
> Nachos
> Jelly Sweets
> Licorice
> Popcorn (only the sweet kind)


5 Bands/ Artists That I Know The Lyrics To Most Of Their Sings
> Michael W Smith
> Garth Brooks
> Norah Jones
> Other stuff I listen to is instrumental music like Buddha Bar, or movie soundtracks
> No other artist who I would know so well


5 Things I’d Do With $100,000,000
> Give enough to my parents to enable them to retire and live peacefully and happily in a brand new house
> Pay my brother and sister enough so they can live successfully and happily
> Buy a house for myself in Spain so I can move there
> Charity, of course, in particular to children who are victim of abuse and to children who are hearing impaired---Set up the orphanage/ center for abused children/ center for handicapped children/ center for hearing impaired children and see to it they get the treatment they so deserve.
> Buy all those things I have been meaning to for myself: clothes, shoes, and books.


5 Locations I’d Like To Run Away To
> Lubbock, Texas (The most relaxed place I have ever been to)
> London, UK (controversial choice, but I love London)
> Spain (amazing culture and people!)
> Cedar Point, Ohio (roller coaster capital of the world)
> Jeddah (seriously!)

5 Bad Habits I Have
> Procrastination
> Gulping chocolate milk by the gallon
> Not calling people up on a regular basis who I should be calling up
> Lazy to do my follow-up work
> Bad sleeping hours, and poor food choices

5 TV Shows I Like
> The Apprentice
> The Amazing Race
> Survivor
> Seinfeld
> Wheel of Fortune

5 Movies I Like
> The Shawshank Redemption
> Misery
> Phenomenon
> Stand By Me
> The Blair Witch Project

5 People I’d Like To Meet
> My grandfather from my mom’s side (who had passed away when my mom was 13)
> Prophet Jesus
> My friend in Texas- its been 8 years now!
> Xena (friend in Riyadh who I need to meet up with)
> My nephew who I have not seen in person since he was born last month.

5 Biggest Joys At The Moment
> Being single and independent
> Being an uncle to my nephew
> Having friends who love me
> Being photographed by a professional photographer recently
> Losing 2 kilos

5 Favorite Toys
> iPod Mini
> Nokia cell phone 2650
> Apple Powerbook
> My Dvd player
> My stuffed teddy bear

----Mansur

Women= Problems

Hey friends,

According to this calculation, women=problems....

Women= Problems

Mansur

Back...!!!

Hello friends,

Wow! So I have been away for like a week and it feels like ages. I was fasting all of last week for personal reasons, and it has been very rewarding—fasting always is. I have also somehow received answers to some of the issues that were facing me.

All the while, I was tempted to blog as well, and I had to control myself to not blog. Mid week I was about to post some articles, and a friend managed to convince me to stay away from blogging while I was fasting.

I have loads of things to talk about, loads of stories to share, and so from today, I shall be active once again. You may have noticed how I tried playing around with the blog templates and all, and I still haven’t found what I feel would be a template that would represent me. Thanks to those people who checked in on my blog daily even though I had mentioned I was away for a week.

With much love,

Mansur
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