This is me!!! (February Blogging Challenge)

So here goes... My first proper blog post for the 'February Blogging Challenge'.

I'll start of by introducing myself (I have done an intro before in my very first blog but this is a bit more updated)

Hi, my name is Salma, I am a second year Journalism student with a dream to travel the world. I wanted to become a war journalist at one point in my life as the thrill of going onto war grounds and dodging bullets and ducking behind cars gave me a rush but the more I look into it the more dangerous it looks. But hey ho, life is full of risks right?

But to be on the safe side I have decided that I'll stick to freelancing but in different countries. Should be fun.

I come from a family of eight people – My parents, four sisters & one brother, sometimes nine when my Nan stays over. And I have a cat for a brother. Okay, so I come from a family of ten.

My parents are from Bangladesh but me and my siblings were born and bred in London. East London to be precise.

Salaam Salma – What does my blog name mean? Salaam is an Arabic word سلام which means peace so I thought why not use the use of alliteration to my advantage. My name Salma derived from the word Salaam so jackpot. Salaam Salma – what a contradiction to how I really am. As much as I want peace, I am not very peaceful. Always yapping, singing and bothering those around me :D

Travelling

I love to travel and meet new people from around the world and I have made some life long friends from around the globe. I used to be very active in youth projects and community work but the older I've become the less I've participated. I guess I'm falling out of that youth age.

I've travelled a fair amount compared to some people my age but then again I've gone nowhere compared to other people who have lived out in different countries.

Where have I been?

I have been to... Bangladesh (my mother land) 2002
France (school trip 2008 for a day & Paris for my 14^th birthday) 2009

Morocco (to celebrate the end of my GCSE's) 2011

Morocco - Ourika Valleys

Atlanta (for a conference for Usher's New Look Foundation) 2011

Usher

With Dougie Fresh & the crew representing the UK

Sweden (for an exchange where I made some amazing friends and lived near the lake) 2012 

Greece (for a European Exchange on environment) 2013

People from around Europe... (spot me)

Switzerland (Caux, for a conference) 2013

Then to Paris with family a few months later

And again to Switzerland straight from Paris

With my sisters sitting on a tree

Making a speech in the UN

Arabia (Makkah & Madina for the smaller Islamic pilgrimage – Umrah) 2014

Algeria (to tour) 2014

Monument des Martyrs

Bangladesh (again. To tour this time) 2014

Rickshaws

Lal Bagh Fort

and India (where we went to Kolkata & Darjeeling then back to Bangadesh).

Queen Victoria's memorial in Kolkata

With young girls in Darjeeling

I have always dreamt of going to Egypt. Not too sure why but it just appeals to me. Over the past few years I have been determined to go to Palestine and visit the holy Mosque – Masjid Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock. I was meant to go last year but unfortunately I had to cancel my flight due to the bombings. Summer 2014 was a sad one for the civilians of Palestine and for those around the world who showed their support for them. I hope I can make these trips come to life this year. 

Education

Although I hate politics, it surrounds us hence why I need to have an awareness of it. And if I want to become a journalist, I'll need to have an understanding of a little bit of everything. But, Middle Eastern politics interests me more than British Politics. I guess I have always had an interest in the Middle East since my early teenage years and to be quite frank, British Politics is boring.

Goals

I know a month of the new year has already gone but I am actually struggling to accomplish or even make a start on my goals. New years resolutions are weird. Every year I write up goals which I hope to achieve for that year but I end up rewritiing the same goals for the next year.

I accomplished about seven goals out of sixteen in 2014 – To finish the Qur'an, Travel alone, Go Umrah, Go Bangladesh, Be happy and content with life, Appreciate and show gratitude, say Alhamdulillah 'Praise be to Allah' for everything. Small but doable. And every year for about six years, the one goal I've written everywhere is 'LOSE WEIGHT' and 'BE MORE HEALTHY'. I'll get there one day.

Some of my goals for 2015, apart from losing weight and being healthy are: To start and pass my driving, Make my blog bigger and better, Volunteer abroad, Go Palestine, Learn Arabic, Learn more on religions, and to be Happy. It is important that I remind myself to be happy especially during times I feel low. I need to remember that someone out there will probably do anything to be in my shoes so I should have no reason to complain and be sad about life.

So this is me. Salma.

Just an East Side girl livin' in a huge world.

I hope y’all enjoyed that.

Next blog will be this Friday around 9pm.

I look forward to it.

Follow me on:

Instagram: SalmaKhatun95 & SalaamSalma

Twitter: SalmaKhatun95

February Blogging Challenge

As off this week, I am going to do a 'February Blogging Challenge', something I have set for myself to get me into the routine of blogging as opposed to posting here and there due to my laziness. 

If you are someone who goes to Uni, is always on the go or sometimes extremely lazy, love to travel, have boring days and sometimes the most productive of days, you will be able to relate to my posts. 

Some days will be advice about anything and everything like lifting yourself to infinity and beyond if you are feeling down, other days will be about my opinions about the latest issues, other days will be me moaning about how much I've stuffed down my throat and overall, life. 

Ah and maybe a poem here and there if I am feeling creative. But we'll see. 

So... Why not embark on this journey with me through lifes highs and lows. 

Let February posts come alive!!!

I should be posting every Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays around 9pm. 

If February goes well, who knows, I may even do a different challenge in March.

Let me know what you guys think I should do and what my posts should be about.

(So show the support guys. Criticism and ideas will be appreciated)

Be ready for Wednesday's first proper post!

Can't wait!

If you have not already done so, check out my previous blog posts

http://salaamsalma.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/salmas-selma-experience.html

Follow me on:

Instagram: SalmaKhatun95 & SalaamSalma

Twitter: SalmaKhatun95

Salma's Selma Experience

When I went to the screening of Selma at the Odeon cinema in Marble Arch, I was asked 'Do you know what Selma is about?'.

My response: 'Yes, it's about a woman named Selma and Martin Luther King'.

How stupid was I?

My name is Salma and I have a confession. I actually do not know much about Dr Martin Luther King except that he had a dream.

He had a dream that there would be more equality for black people - Negros as they were referred to in the 60's, that black people would be given the rights to vote and be allowed to vote. He had a dream that there would be freedom and justice and God will help them through it all.

Dr King was portrayed to be an active leader for his community who did not give up and negotiated without using violence but peace - something which lacks when trying to make change in today’s society, people who believed in him and followed his steps as he tried to seek justice for his people. After marching towards Montgomery from Selma with the support of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators they were stopped at the bridge.

To what extent Dr King had worked to attain equality or basic rights for 'Negros' I had no idea of.

Selma made me more aware of his work and reminded me just how harsh black people were treated by the authority who were mainly white men. It captured the brutal reality of how heartless and unjust authority figures were when beating black women and elderly people with batons and whips sending them back the way they had come had from in a huge group.

After walking the bridge again, this time with the support of white people from around the States as well as 'Negros', the white officers on the other side of the bridge stood down and let them through. But Dr King knelt down, did a prayer and turned around, heading back towards Selma.

Why did he do this? His supporters did not know, nor did we - the audience.

Whilst watching this film, I could not help but compare it to the modern day. Today.

Black people have fought for freedom worldwide. South Africa, America, to some extent the UK as well. Racism has been an issue that still exists today even though the law covers equal rights.

The hard work and effort of successful activists has been thrown down the drains and history is once again repeating itself.

It is hard to not compare the white people beating, killing and discriminating 'Negros' in the United States during the time of Dr King to the killings of black people today in the United States. Surely the 21st Century would be more different and the system would have changed to not favour anyone. White authority figures have got away with shooting black men with stupid reasons such as: 'I thought they were carrying a gun' or 'he looked like a threat'. Black men have been strangled to death for no crime but for being black in America.

Though there is this sense of pride for Black people in the US for having a coloured President -Barack Hussein Obama, an African American, it seems as though not much has been done for the black people. There may be no more signs saying 'No Negros Allowed' but in some areas of America, they are treated with no respect. This needs to change.

There is a lot more Obama, a black President, can do for his people. Majority of African Americans voted for him and he needs to help them out before helping countries outside like Israel or sending his troops to fight useless wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Remember the Ferguson Unrest protests and riots which happened during the summer of 2014 in the United States? All the uproar over the killing of a young black man - Michael Brown - by a white police officer.

People had to take to the streets in the 21st century, protesting for their rights as black people.

Why do black people have to protest for rights? Why do they have to get targeted for not their crime but their colour? Are they not humans?

So what was one thing I learnt from the film Selma? Aside from learning about the active work of Dr Martin Luther King and his friends I learnt that Selma is a place and not a person.

I really do suggest that you all watch this film on February 6th 2015!

I have nothing negative to say about it (maybe a suggestion - they could have included the 'I have a dream speech' at the end)

I hope you all enjoyed that and that it probes you to go watch Selma.

And remember 'There is a king in all of us'.

By Salma Razia Khatun

If you haven't done so, check out my last post and previous posts.

http://salaamsalma.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/goodbye-2014-hello-2015.html

Instagram: SalmaKhatun95 & SalaamSalma
Twitter: SalmaKhatun95

Goodbye 2014 - Hello 2015

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

As 2014 has closed it doors on us, I sit and reflect on all the good and bad.
Every year consists of its ups and downs but it makes us who we are. It teaches us new lessons and it drives us to move forward and make beneficial sacrifices. 
Every year our lives take us on different journeys and 2014 took me on many journeys. 

My 2014 didn't start with a 'BANG'. But grateful I should be as I was in the comfort of my home and family. Millions out there would do anything to be in my shoes. 

When I Performed Umrah
Whilst I was having an 'eugh' time at university I made the intention of going to perform my pilgrimage in Makkah. I felt that I needed this spiritial awakening and to draw closer to Islam as my surrounding and my attitude was not helping me. By the Will of the Lord Almighty my family and I were invited to the house of Allah and we performed our Umrah. 
I must admit, I am not a very emotional person and sad films make me cringe or laugh, if I see someone crying I'll awkwardly comfort them. However, when I lifted my head to see the Ka'bah (House of Allah) for the first time, I could not stop bawling. I cried like a baby and I do not even know why. Everything I've ever kept bottled up was released here and it felt like a lifetime of burdens were off my shoulders. 
My life revolved around prayer and I loved every second of it. I was one of many who were privileged to have kissed the Hajre Aswad (The black stone), follow the footsteps of our beloved prophets and companions and of some of the most amazing women in Islam.
I was one of the many who were privileged to have given my Salaam to our beloved Prophet (saw) in Madina.

The Bleak Summer
After such a journey, the summer of 2014 wasn't a great one. 
Why? Because of the 'wars' going on around the world. 

There is a saying like - The Ummah is like a body. If one part of the body hurts, it hurts the whole body. If some people of our Ummah are hurt, the whole Ummah hurts. 
Gaza, Syria, Rohingya, Central African Republic (and more) Muslims have been getting killed in masses. Though these have been ongoing, the summer of 2014 brought about more awareness of the actions of the real terrorists. It didn't matter how many protests happened for the sake of humanity, such actions still took place. And it hurt. It hurt those who could not help or do anything about it. Except pray. The conflicts were not even Muslim issues, it was and still it the issue of humanity.
Thousands of lives have been taken away this year but it has also educated a mass amount of people as to what happens around this world. 
How horrid people can be!
It does not stop here, the recent killing of students in a school in Peshawar (Pakistan), the shoot down of a Malaysian Plane, the tension between authority and the public after the killing of black men in America... The list goes on and on. 

Travelling
2014 was the first time I travelled alone to another country even though I missed my flight. But it's ok. I learnt for next time, don't sit with your sis an hour before boarding to have breakfast!

I also got accepted to the University I'd wanted to go to from the beginning and I got accepted straight into second year which was a bonus. 
I climbed mountains with loved ones in for the fun of it (Mount Hira, Scafell Pike, Mount Snowdon)

and I have seen sunrises and sunsets in so many places. (Arabia, Algeria, Bangladesh, My Bedroom Window)

I had the opportunity to travel to my mother land - Bangladesh and see the beauty of this country. The longest natural beach, tribal people, animals roaming free, seeing people live their lives. It seems pretty relaxed compared to our rushed lives here in the UK and it was something to appreciate. But people do work very hard to make a living. 




I got the chance to go to the neighbouring country - India: Kolkata & Darjeeling. It's amazing how people have made homes and towns, railways and roads high up in the mountains.

I met people who share the same language and culture but different religions and features. 









2014 reunited me with certain people and made me distant to others. It has allowed me to make new friends and experience new things. It has allowed me to make change and adjust to changes. 
I have become more determined to accomplish my goals of 2014 (which will have to follow me into 2015). I want to travel more and more and see the wonders of this world. I want to visit places that people have not heard of and places were there is conflict. I want to be more knowledgable in my faith and more knowledgable on the world around me.
I want to start and finish the small things like learning how to drive and learning a new language. 
I want to be more humble. 

I have been sad and I have made others sad but I have also laughed, cried from laughter and made others around me get stomach pains from laughing. My highlights of this year has to be, making my mother laugh nearly every day and giving her a funny story to tell my father. Irreplaceable.
I have asked for forgiveness and I have forgiven. I have been loved and I carry on loving.

All in all, 2014 has been a mixture of emotions and I must say I am grateful. 
I am grateful for the lessons and experiences. I am grateful for the people I have spent time with and the lonely times. 

Now bring on 2015. Take me on new adventures. 

The eyes of Migrant Workers

After encountering an eye opening journey through parts of Bangladesh and India, there is something which will stick with me for a long time. 

The eyes of Migrant Workers from Bangladesh. 

Yes, the eyes.

I recently went to Bangladesh and after I came back I was asked, Why Bangladesh? What on earth is there to see in Bangladesh? Well for starters, there is earth in Bangladesh. Natural earth. Ever heard of Cox Bazaar? The worlds longest natural beach with Bangladeshis being its tourist. People swimming fully clothed without the risk of children laying their eyes upon xrated body parts.

Secondly, Rangamati, where there is a hanging bridge and you can get boat rides to small Islands where tribal people reside. They speak Bangla but look more oriental - They're known as Chakma people.

There is a lot to see in Bangladesh and the beautiful thing about it is, a lot of it is untouched. It's not very touristic which allows nature to do its job. 

Now about the Migrant workers. 

When I got to Dubai where we had to do a transfer I realised that our gate was full of young Bangladeshi men. 'Migrant workers' I thought and I wasn't wrong. I always knew that Bangladeshi people go to Dubai to find work and I have come across a lot of disturbing articles and videos in recent years about how these Bangladeshis are treated by the Arabs in Dubai. Some are beaten, some have their passports taken away, some get given horrendous jobs. A lot of handsome faces have turned rugged from the hard labour work they do. 

I found it pretty surprising when I discovered Dubai isn't the only place these workers go to. They travel all over the Middle East in hope to make an earning to survive on or to help a loved one get an education or wear something new. 

When getting on that plane it was heart warming to see all these people on their brick phones with happy smiling faces telling their family that they have boarded the plane and will see them soon.

Even when the announcement 'to turn all eletronics off' was said, these people were still making calls. It was pretty funny. 

I was thinking, they probably spent months and months doing hard work and the UAE Dirhams that they earnt would have been spent on this plane ticket to see their family. But it's worth it I guess. I mean, money cannot buy the giggles and smiles these people had on their faces. 

Some have even grasped the idea of Selfies and were taking selfies with the plane seats. To be honest, I do that too. 

Some of the Migrant workers. A few of them did not know how
to use the screens in front of them. 

When the visa forms were given out before landing in Dhaka, many of them looked at the small sheet in confusion. They turned it around a few times looking tensed. Lack of Literacy skills. Most of them couldn't even read. It wasn't long before my dad had 5 forms to fill for 5 different people. Sad isn't it? The simple things in life aren't accessible to everyone. Education, the ability to read and write in one of the worlds most common language. 

Though most of them laughed and sm
iled, you could see through their eyes the hardship they have been through. Going back and forth to a foreign place, being mistreated, living in bad cramped conditions, missing their families and friends. You can see from the structure of their faces how handsome and beautiful they are but the hard work of working under the sun every day had taken its toll on their beautiful skin. They looked older than they actually were. 

I have a cousin. When I last saw him in 2002, he was very handsome. Very light skinned, sharp featured, high cheek bones, structured jaws. I saw a recent picture of him and he was unrecognisable. He has gone dark, marks all over his face and he looks older than he is. He works in Dubai and every morning he is made to climb the side of tall building fixing electrical stuff (which I have no idead about) as the sun reaches its peak.

After a hectic 10 days of moving around Bangladesh and India, meeting and speaking to different people, coming across some of the most loving people who live in some of the most hardest conditions, it was finally time to come back home to London. 

At Dhaka airport as we were going through customs, a young man was pushed to the back of the line by one of the security - Physically pushed on the chest. It made my blood boil. These people need to care for their own. Show some respect. They already get mistreated in the Middle East and the last thing they need is harsh treatment in their home land. 

We went through and saw a big group of ladies in uniform. Yellow clothes and caps. We asked them where they were going. Not anywhere luxurious. They were off to Amman to work in a sewing factory. Beautiful stunning ladies who have to leave their families behind to try and provide the basics by working abroad. 

There is a huge number of Migrant workers in the Middle East from South Asia. How else would the Arab world work? Bangladeshis are very skilled in construction work but its a shame to see that their skills are not used to improve Bangladesh but to build amazing stadiums in Qatar or five star hotel in the Saudi Arabia. 

This is surprising - Something I found out when I was in Cox Bazaar. 

The men in Bangladesh are pretty small. It's pretty cute actually. Especially when you see the armour men wore during the wars. They look like they could be for children.

Anyway, a lot of young boys used to get kidnapped from Bangladesh and were trained to become Jockey's. Their small frame was an advantage for rich horse racers in the Middle East. 

My grandfather was a Jockey but luckily not for the Arabs. 

I have always felt proud of being Bangladeshi especially knowing that my people fought for our land, but after going to Bangladesh I felt a sense of belonging. This is my home, my mother land, the land where my language stems from. This is the place where hard workers come from, the place surrounded by water, the place where Bangladeshis share the same language in different dialects and look completely different according to the region they come from. This is the place where I went to and I will never forget one thing. 

The eyes of Migrant workers.

I hope you got a slight insight in to how hard people in Bangladesh work and the extent they go to so they can make money. Not just Bangladeshis but Pakistanis, Indians, Chinese, Filipinos, go through the same effort to try and make a living. 

I wish I had the power to change lives around so people could live their lives in a bit more ease. 

By Salma Razia Khatun

(Instagram: @SalaamSalma & @SalmaKhatun95)

#PrayForPeshawar

'They went to school and never came back'

That day was a day of sadness and grief

Learning and play turned to a day making hearts bleed.

Morning kisses meant more than it ever did 

And the happy lives walking to school that morning became names on a grid. 

Innocent souls left their bodies looking over the friends who had been shot.

While the friends stared at the lifeless bodies in complete and utter shock.

None of them prepared for a day so horrid

Their parents in distress and very worried. 

Who goes to school with death in their mind? 

Knowledge and power is what we all seek to find.  

But little did they know, that they would become blind

Blind to the world that they had to leave behind.  

Oh Innocent souls, rest in peace

Your status in this world will only increase.

We'll mark the day you died with a moment of silence

And pray they get what they deserve for this act of violence.  

A moment of silence will not change what has happened. 

But at least you will know, the thought of you has not been abandoned.

By Salma Razia Khatun

(Taken from the internet)

Please keep the young people of Pakistan in your prayers and thoughts. 

No person deserves to ripped away from their loved ones. 

Rest In Peace to the innocent souls.

(Instagram: @SalaamSalma & @salmakhatun95)