Poem – Our sister’s 18 stabs

Bisimillah, alhamdulillah.

18 stabs by an axle whirring
Through Sherbini’s breast and baby murdering

In a Faranji court they let her fall
Their response – silence from their pedestals tall

Let the memory fade, a short story,
An aberration consigned to history,

Media complicit – inert and silent
Her hijaab rendering her a miscreant

Consign her to the African page
From the European conscience purge

Wrap her in an Egyptian flag
Muslims – divided and ruled their tag

Will her memory cease
Drowned by their unholy sleaze?

Her crime modesty and purity
Their rule devilish depravity

Can the two compare?
Shall we drown in this miserable sea of despair?

Western silence bears witness
To their concealed malice

Is the French tsar cozy with his fire of hate?
Didn’t you smile as you heard of her fate?

Will hands move or have we no shame?
Is there not a flicker of belief left in our limbs lame?

____________________

On July 1st Marwa El Sherbini, an Egyptian researcher living in Germany, was stabbed to death 18 times inside a courtroom in the city of Dresden, in front of her 3-year-old son. She had won a verdict against a German man of Russian descent who had verbally assaulted her because of her veil. Her husband, who rushed in to save her when she was attacked in the courtroom, was shot by the police. Marwa’s death was not reported by any Western news media until protests in Egypt erupted after her burial. The reporting that followed focused on the protests; the murder was presented as the act of a “lone wolf,” thus depriving it of its context and its social meaning. (Walid El Houri, 8th July 2009)

Technorati Tags: Marwa El Sherbini,stabbed egyptian women,hijab,hijaab the price,martyred Muslim lady,death of a Muslim women in Germany

Palestinian Prayer

Bismillah, alhamdulillah:

You roll out of your bed
To the smell of sweet bread,
While I wake to the stench
Of a blood dried bench

You dream of western grass
A summer ready to pass
While nightmares greet me
Ahead of me nothing but misery

You watch silenced by fear
On camera a fake tear
As bleating sheep we die
Sacrificed gentiles to butchers high

Your day ends with the sun setting
You return to your family laughing
As I stand at my families remains crying
Their charred odor their final calling

‘Donate’ your media mantra
Assuage your people’s shallow anger
With your money abound
Your shrouds lower us to the ground

In your prayers your crowds are led
To pray for God to fight in your stead
Did not someone before say
You and Your God go and fight today?

What did you suckle – wet nurse or brute?
That she left you toothless and mute
Fear my prayer for oppressed am I
God change your heart or let you die

Can we boycott Israel?

Bismillah, alhamdulillah seeking God’s guidance to the truth.

With the continuing Israeli activities in Gaza the local chatter in the corridors is of people wondering what they can do to help. One of the topics of discussion has been whether or not to boycott Israeli / American companies that support Israel. This blog examines the effectiveness of such actions, the concept of divestment, related fatwas and offers some suggestions on the topic that may be of use.

The perverse maths of Palestine

Bismillah, alhamdulillah : In the name of God, with hope and submission

I came across a well written article in the Guardian (Israel’s onslaught on Gaza is a crime that cannot succeed) the following line highlights the perverse maths of Palestine:

“During the last seven years, 14 Israelis have been killed by mostly homemade rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, while more than 5,000 Palestinians were killed by Israel with some of the most advanced US-supplied armaments in the world.”

I pray that  God extinguishes the flames of war and reins in the dogs of war. The following verse of the Quran comes to mind and deserves reflection:

5:64 And the Jews say, “God’s hand is shackled!” It is their own hands that are shackled; and rejected [by God] are they because of this their assertion. Nay, but wide are His hands stretched out: He dispenses [bounty] as He wills. But all that has been bestowed from on high upon thee [O Prophet] by thy Sustainer is bound to make many of them yet more stubborn in their overweening arrogance and in their denial of the truth. And so We have cast enmity and hatred among the followers of the Bible , [to last] until Resurrection Day; every time they light the fires of war, God extinguishes them ; and they labour hard to spread corruption on earth: and God does not -love the spreaders of corruption.

36 ‘C’-crets of successful teamwork

Bismillah, alhamdulillah

Ever wanted to stop that routine job you are doing and start a business? Or start a group to do something useful in life, parent-teachers association, charity club etc. Perhaps the wages are not good, the lifestyle not what you want, the freedom to live according to your schedule rather than be at the beck and call of others, an impulse to help others. Whatever the reason is or isn’t, the next step is to think about how you would do it. Solo, partnership, limited company etc. The list of possibilities can be confusing and the two that seem intuitive to most people are either going solo or doing it together with others. It is the second that I wish to share my 36 ‘C’-crets about.

Not really a mnemonic fan but finding them sometimes useful I wondered if I could put enough words beginning with the letter ‘C’ to describe what are the key ingredients to a successful partnership. I don’t think these are just applicable to partnerships in business but any endeavour in which people work together in teams. As my source of inspiration I have drawn upon the world’s greatest example of teamwork, the life and times of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his ‘co-workers’, the Companions.

Caution	In balanced measure to avoid being reckless but not too much to avoid being timid.
Challenge	All the team members, let everyone feel they can hold the others to account and give them the space to do so. The so called 360 degree feedback.
Chance	Exploiting chances when they arise.
Clarity	Of what is expected. Why are you doing this? What are the main aims? Money, quality of life, altruism, Allah?
Class	A touch of class – your USP (Unique Selling Point)
Cognizance	Of the idea, preferably through your own experience in such a field.
Co-location	For an idea to take off face to face interaction between team members is best.
Combative	spirit to fight and struggle against the barriers that inevitably occur.
Combustion	Money that needs to be burned before the business is self supporting. You need to keep your business, self, family going through the initial lean times. Somewhere around 2 years.
Comfort	Of knowing you have the support of those near and dear. If your wife is dead against the idea – think again.
Commitment	100% – No backing out. Burn your boat, no going back. Have a do-or-die mentality.
Communication	Channels between team members should be open and it should be regular. No going off and doing your own thing
Companions	Want for your brother what you want for yourself. Think about your team members and they will think of you.
Compatibility	Are the team members compatible? Choose carefully when you start, you might be great in limited situations but when the going gets tough you’ll really find out who you are dealing with. Acid tests: do business with a guy, travel with him, be his neighbour. This was the advice given by the second Caliph Umar.
Competition	Knowing the competition inside out, but not overstepping the boundaries.
Complete	Transparency 100% transparency required in business dealings with the team members especially where money is involved.
Compliant	Is the idea halaal (legal)?
Compos Mentis et Valetudo	Sound of health and mind, business is very stressful, best done if your fit and well.
Comprehension	Thorough comprehension of the task involved and its requirements.
Concentration	No multiple ideas. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid principle), start simple and build up.
Confession	In your own weaknesses.
Confidence	In your idea and your own willingness to succeed
Confidential	Don’t tell the world until you are ready.
Conscience	of Allah’s laws and the rights of fellow man.
Consensus	Don’t ram rod your ideas on others, get them on board and listen. In your meetings ask yourself ‘Am I listening or am I waiting to speak?’
Consistency	Of effort of work. Remember the last 20% of effort will take 80% of your time.
Contingency	Planning, what to do if things go wrong.
Control	Believing that the locus of control i.e. the ability to change starts with you and is not in someone else’s hands. What a friend of mine called tawakkul juice.
Conviction	Of Allah’s help.
Cooperation	Obvious but true!
Cordiality	Partners fall out, the best get back together and become stronger.
Courage	In leaping into the unknown
Courtesy	To all those around you – co-worker, competitors and customers. Good manners can win the world.
Co-vision	No pulling in different directions.
Crafty	Ready to change or add ideas depending on opportunities.
Cultivation	of new ideas, talent and the next generation.