Yes We Can...

"This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing — Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons — because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America — the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves — if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time — to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth — that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can."

Ramadan and India/Pakistani History

A Pakistani uncle shared this story at the masjid and I wanted to share it as it is an interesting fact that I had no idea of (i'll try paraphrasing as best as I can).

"Sixty three Islamic years ago, I went to sleep in my country of India. The next morning I woke up, and my country was now called Pakistan. The date was the 27th of Ramadan, and was a Friday like it is today. A super super Friday if you will since it was both jummat al wida (farewell jumuah) and the 27th night of Ramadan. The leaders and politicians probably had no regard for the date being in Ramadan. Many Muslims probably had no idea as well. But it makes me think of how far we have come since then. It has been a painful 63 years for me. I look at India, I think of the tough times my Bangladeshi brothers have been through, and where Pakistan is now. I think of how the Prophet's life was 63 years long and how much he had accomplished during that time. Where do we go from here and what is the outlook for our countries, only Allah knows."

live life like you're on vacation 

Fed up

As an American Muslim, I am sick of defending myself. I'm tired of letting the media and those that know little about my faith judge me based on the acts of a few. I will not care if those that may have seen a DVD in the mail or read an article by a Islamophobic columnist determine what they think about me and a billion other people. If you want to think that way, go ahead. It is ludicrous to me in principle for someone to think in that matter, therefore, I will not encourage it by being baited into answering their mocking viewpoints.

If I formed my views of more than a billion Christians based on the KKK or Nazis, it would make no sense. I would have to question my methodology and figure how I could come to such a conclusion. I would challenge myself to meet more Christians personally, and not just stand from afar to judge a people. We may do that in reference to animals in the wild, but as humans, we should be willing to learn more.

Western minds have made this mistake time and time again. Framing the "orient", Africans, Indians to all be a certain way and these racist prototypes still linger in the minds of many today. As a people, we have come further than that, and as a nation, we are better than that. I challenge every one to break out of the mental slavery we have been shackled to and become more active learners in our assessment of humans.

Ramadan Email Fail

disorder --> order

energy or order has a tendency to head towards disorder. this is very similar to life. it's easier in life to fail, to do the wrong thing, to be a sloth. imagine holding something ~ 35 lbs in the air. using both your arms, you are able to maintain it in the air, but this takes effort. mentally, from your body, etc. not having any of those components will allow it to drop. succeeding takes effort. think of gravity. we have a tendency to be grounded to this earth. but only with some effort (jumping, going in a plane) can we be released from this pull of gravity. now imagine if you conquer gravity, you find a way to go beyond it (think astronaut). then you are truly free. this is confusing even my brain, but think of this spiritually and practically. it's just another principle of this world.

some advice for you

in my experiences, advice is a funny thing. most of the time, people end up doing what their gut told them, regardless of what you may present. and the person giving it is in a weird position of power/wisdom, so it creates an interesting dynamic. (or maybe that's just me and my friends)

one interesting thing is to note what someone tells you. most people's advice is given through their lens on the world, taking on their experiences in life, in what they have observed, learned, etc, and they are trying to make sense of your reality on their terms. it is close to impossible for someone to truly think from your point of view. because of that, you can tell a lot about what someone thinks of this world, what their experiences have been, etc. maybe this is really elementary, but i just found it amusing to see another way in which we can try to learn about people.