I WANT THE NIQAB BANNED!!!

NO I DON'T!!!

I hope that grabbed your attention.
You will probably know from the title that this blog post will be about the Niqab (the veil that covers the face revealing mainly the eyes) and the latest heated issue about it being banned.

(Before I start, this post is a late one as I was away on the weekend, meeting new people and taking part in workshops. In two weeks time I will be away for a week on an international exchange in Lake District with people from Palestine, Israel, Indonesia, Pakistan, US and the UK to talk and learn about conflicts and cultures.)

Firstly, my view on the Niqab ban... I think that it is pointless. The ladies of this Ummah are strong and will not step down and give up their veil because a few guys who have nothing to do said do. Psshhttt. Plus, there are so many other things in society that need sorting (eg) Big girls wearing transparent leggings with a vest top (this needs to be banned and burnt) or girls who go out wearing next to nothing, however it seems as though the Niqab is the biggest threat in society at the moment.
People are afraid of a few ladies wearing a Niqab? El Oh El.
I do not wear the Niqab nor do I wear the Hijab (Headscarf). But I can tell you, the ladies wearing these pieces of cloths are 100 times more beautiful than a lady who is not in veil.
I don't know why, but I like the sense of mysteriousness when I speak to a sister wearing the Niqab. Eyes can tell a story which the mouth cannot. Happiness, sorrow, guilt, serenity. As much as I want to see their face, I would rather know what they are like because the heart matters more than the face.

Islamically, as far as my understanding goes, and feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but the Niqab is not compulsory. Covering the hair with a head scarf is compulsory and is written in the Qur'an however the Niqab is not. This is a choice that is given and no one is forced, so do not even once think that the men of Islam are forcing their women to wear the Niqab. (Maybe in other countries the women are made to wear it but it is done for the protection of the women. But the West have managed to brainwash people and make it look like a negative thing. This does not apply to the people of the UK so I won't go into detail.) We live in a so called 'democratic' country yet the freewill to dress modestly is being discussed to be taken away.
I don't understand this logic.

I understand that in work places such as school and dealing with customers, the Niqab isn't the wisest choice, however, it does not mean that it should get banned. In Islam it says that we should follow the laws and rules of the place that we live in. And in certain places such as schools, it is alright to remove the Niqab so people can see your face.
In secondary school, in the last year, we had a replacement teacher and it was only after a few weeks when we saw her out of school, we realised that she wore the Niqab. She did not complain against the school policy but instead she calmly removed her Niqab before entering the school and placed it back on her face at the end of the day when leaving.

Many of you may or may not have watched the Channel 4 debate on the Niqab ban. It is surprising to see even Muslims being against the ban. But people are entitled to their own opinions even if it is stupid and makes no sense. There is something that one of the sister's said which was a good point.
They want to ban the veil due to communication problems. However, not all work places need face-to-face communications such as a call centre. People don't know how other people look when speaking on the phone yet they are still able to communicate. Whether someone wears or doesn't wear the Niqab will not make a difference. Therefore the Niqab does not need to be banned in all public places.

(Watch the debate if you haven't done so)
http://www.channel4.com/news/debate-should-british-women-wear-the-niqab-video

Just to wrap up this blog, I would like to say, it does take a lot of courage for a lady to walk the streets with her face covered, to keep her gaze low and to stay modest in a society where modesty is frowned upon and where nudity is seen as a good deed. The Hijab is an act of faith, a symbol, for all the world to see, a simple cloth to preserve the dignity. (A bit of Dawud Wharnsby Ali - The Veil http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg_8-LPq5qY )
So, keep it on sisters and do not get threatened. Wearing the Niqab in this society is your jihad and you will wear it regardless of the struggle.
I have spent times in my college prayer room with girls my age who wore/wear the Niqab and they are some of the nicest people I have met, I swear to God. And do not think that because a lady is covered up, she is restricted in everything. No. These sisters used to have jokes and their laughter used to make me end up in fits. Some sisters I used to know, used to run around and take part in sports. The Hijab never restricts anyone in anything, it is other people who restrict these Hijabis/Niqabis.

As always, I hope I have not offended any person out there.
I hope that if you had negative views on the Niqab, that this changed your mind a little and if you had positive views about the Niqab then yaay :)

A late Salaam Saturday
Sayonara
Ma'as Salama
Au Revoir.
Tata.
Peace out.

Uni life is stressful!
Whoever said 'Go all out in first year, enjoy it and get wasted' well, you're a really bad role model.
I have only been at Uni for two weeks and already I'm stressed. I've always had eye bags but now my eye bags have reached my chin (ok, I kind of over exaggerated)
We recently had seminars on democracy and journalism. I have written a whole blog post about democracy and my view on it. I have said it before and I will say it again, DEMOCRACY IS A LOAD OF RUBBISH!!! It does not exist. It is a man made lie, a myth.
A state which is said to have democracy isn't true. Its like the illuminati business. They draw you in slowly and corrupt your mind. (That's not a great metaphor, but it's similar. In all honesty, I barely know what illuminati is, except that it is guidance towards evil and daaaahmmm!!! That's what democracy is!! )

In the seminars we have been discussing a quote which goes something like 'journalism is another name for democracy'. Blah blah blah.
I have had to try and control what I say. One because, I'm not political so I am afraid of saying something stupid. All  know is that democracy means power to the people.
Two because, although criticism isn't a bad thing, I am afraid that what I say will get criticised. There is really no 'freedom of speech'.
Lastly, number three, (a handful of you will be turning your heads right to left in disagreement and a armful of you might be like... 'woooh go Salma' and some of you guys might be lost now in what I'm writing about) Islam says it all about democracy. Democracy shouldn't exist. Why should man have power to rule a country when God made the world. God rules the world and God rules the country.

If they want laws and rules and all the other shizzle, READ THE QUR'AN maybe (even the bible or Torah, They have rules and laws). That's just my view to be honest.

Doing Journalism, we were made to make a new blog where we have to write about university, lectures and seminars every week, which will go towards our portfolios :O WHYYYY!!!
I'm not good at writing about university shizzle.

Aside from all of this uni stuff,
Oh my God!!! Eid came and went. Despite having to go to a workshop for 3 hours in the morning, it was amazing. dressing up, eating, seeing old cousins, waiting on the meat to come -which never did until the next day. I helped my mum divide it which put me off from eating the curry that she made later on. (Anyone else feel the same?)

One thing that really bothers me is when people say, 'oooh I can't be bothered about Eid this year'. SHUT UP!!!! AND BE BOTHERED!!!
People are showing less interest in Eid which happens only twice a year yet they want their children to be good Muslims. Well, if you show more interest in Christmas and Easter, then your child will grow up only eager for those holidays and celebrations. We should take pride in this celebration. I wish I lived in an Arab country. The buzz and the atmosphere would be wild and lively.
Despite all that, I had a wonderful Eid. But one thing really affected me the next day.

Eating cats, dogs and rats was made a fatwa in Syria due to the lack of food and nutrition. Oh my Lord. CATS AND DOGS!!! This is not out of choice but out of dire need. May Allah make is easier for them. Please do all you can, charity, prayers, anything to help people them in the world.
I feel so helpless and useless living here and reading about these kind of issues. But God works in mysterious ways and all this crisis will turn around eventually.
Even the prophet Muhammad (saw) spoke of the children of Shaam. They are the real martyrs.
Their tears are like pearls and their prayers and calls are heard.
Time needs a chance in order for everything to get better.

Hopefully, Soon
The people who have shed blood and tears will win back what is theirs. They are already winners, They just need to win their possessions back.

(This blog was a bit all over the place and I do apologise for that. I've been really busy recently -.-
Next week's post will be delayed a little bit as well as I will be away for the weekend)
(I hope I have not offended any one. Everything good that I have done is from Allah and all my wrong doings are from no one but myself)

Peace out
Bless
Take care :D

Oppa Story time!!!

Salaam my fellow people,
People of the world.

I know it's day time, and most of us probably woke up a few hours or minutes ago, but I'm going to have a short STORY TIME!!! Op Op, Oppa story time.

So recently on Facebook and Twitter, I posted a status telling my friends and family to inbox me stories, poems or pictures or anything creative and I would choose the winner and post their creative piece in my next blog.

This was the winner story after choosing very hard between 3 pieces. A stupid poem which deserves no credit, a one worded story and finally the winner. A dear friend of mine, a young lady with passion for literature, Khadija Rahman. Well done young laday!!! (Plus you were the only sane one in this small competition)
This is an extract of her story which she is working on:

'Tears fell from her gentle brown eyes as he whispered those two words... 'she's dead'. Only then did the feeling of woefulness overcome her entire body. Finally had the surreal-ness faded as she slowly drew herself closer to the body, that laid there with merely nothing. But just a white cloth to cover her. She sat parallel to the body, crouched, with her head buried in her knees. For had she not only lost her niece that day but her best friend also.'

This needs a round of applause. So where ever you are reading from, please clap. (Thank you to those who clapped. If you didn't clap, there is going to be a witch standing at your bedroom window tonight.) Although it's just an extract, it engaged me straight away and to be honest, I was left wanting more. So to the winner, if you are reading this, HURRY UP AND TRY AND FINISH THIS THANG!!!


If any of you have a creative side and you would like to share something, but may not have a blog or anything, why not share it with me.
I could post it for you and don't worry, I will give you credit for it.
I think expression through creative writing or even drawing is important. It doesn't even matter if what you write make no sense to others, as long as it makes sense to you, then that's what counts.


Hope you enjoyed the short story.
If you want more then let me know

سلام
再见- Zàijiàn
Au revoir
Sayonara
Adios

Email me your pieces on: salmaraziakhatun@gmail.com
Follow me on twitter & Instagram: SalmaKhatun95

ThrowBack - Chillin' with Usher... Naaaah, not really

Salaam Saturday

In 2011, I attended a work shop lead by some American dudes on different things like branding, respect, service, education and how we see ourselves and where we would like to see ourselves in 5 years time. 

The workshop was lead by young guys from a foundation called 'Usher's New Look Foundation' and was started of by the man himself, USHER!!! 

None of us thought he would come in to the workshop as it was in a crappy youth centre, but as we chanted catch phrases, the guy walked in!! 

I'm not always fazed by celebrities and I'm not a huge fan but this is the dude who is always on television with the latest tracks and such. (Plus, I was younger and anyone I saw got me excited)

(left) Usher walking in at which point we were star struck. (right) Me shaking Usher's hand after talking to him

Anyway, by attending this workshop, I had the opportunity to go to a free concert (yaaaay) and the opportunity to go to Atlanta to attend a 3 days conference and meet others from all over the world. I made some pretty awesome friends out there, one whom I stay in contact with and see time to time when he comes down to London :)

While I was out there, there was a night where we were allowed to express our talents because this conference was about learning new things and learning about ourselves and the talents which we hold.

I'm not such a confident person however I couldn't let this pass. As dozens of people sang, danced, played an instrument, rapped etc in a hall in front of 400-500 people, I decided to go up and read a poem which I had written in London for fun. 

Looking back at the poem, it doesn't seem all that (work of an amateur) but I'll write it out and show you guys what I read.

It got me a round of applause and a few 'woop woops!!!' and a few 'brap braps' and people who I hadn't met came to compliment me. I was younger then, so I think I thought I was the next Tupac or something. 

Even this dude called Dougie Fresh (apparently the Jay-Z of his days) came and said well done to me :D

(Even though I don't know him, I fainted a little)

You see, this life is a test

We must not reject what god claims

At the end of our lives, we are to blame

Our lives are like trains, ongoing

Only we can restrain

We’ve got to fear the hardship ahead

Thousand out there who have bled

And shed tears from their eyes

Until they could no longer cry

What they thought was fame, really made them die.

There are those who live life behind bars

Thinking what life would have been like if they stood back

And didn’t help corrupt innocent lives

They turn to the sky seeking for the lord

They leave that tiny space changing life to good

Not committing any fraud

They see they had failed their test once

Killing, corrupting, watching nude women dance

They could make a change with the click of a finger

The way a bullet shoots out of a gun with the pull of a trigger

They see sense, life’s no longer intense

As it used to be

They see a bright light shining upon he

Changed for the good

No longer a man from the hood

It was he that was the only one who could

The only one who could make that change and create brotherhood

Inviting others to seek that special relationship that he had made with the lord

Right now, they may be bored, no change, still bad men

But later on, they’ll be the big men who have found inner peace

Turning to the lord.

(left)Second day at the conference with my friend from Bermuda. (right) The Brits with Dougie Fresh (after my performance)

I hope you all enjoyed my throwback to 2011. 

Au Revoir

Salaam

(Follow me on twitter & Inastgram where I update quite a lot on things I do and just daily life: SalmaKhatun95)

Dear Diary...

Salaam to another Saturday.
This weeks blog post is going to be a bit like a diary but about my week.
Unlike many of you people, I am not in education at the moment. But that will change by Monday 11am. This does mean that I have had quite a bit of time on my hands recently, some of which I have spent wisely and some not so wisely.
Monday is an example of my time not being spent wisely. I did not even get out of the house. I felt so depressed being cooped up at home all day and the worse part is... I didn't even get out of my PJs. (I bet some of you guys have lost respect for me because of that)
I have had my friends complaining about waking up early to attend lectures on time, while I have been in bed. Sleeping from 3-4am, waking up after midday and having an evening nap has become a routine. I wish I could be doing something, but I become too lazy. When I start Uni, I know I will miss these lazy days.

I'll start with Last Friday- 20.09.2013. In the evening I managed to change the plans my sisters had of going out all night to attending a talk about the Middle East Crisis in East London. Thank you very much to the people who arranged this. The speakers gave some in depth details of what is going on in Egypt and Syria and why. One thing that I took away with me, and will use in the future if I get into any debates is a metaphor which one of the speakers used to describe democracy. It was something like this, 'Democracy is like a bus. When it is their stop, people will get off. However, Egypt and Syria are still on that bus. They still do not have democracy'.
Truth be told, I really don't think anyone has got of that bus. Democracy is a load of beep beep :D

I'm not so sure what I did on Saturday so I will skip to Sunday.
A march was organised for Sisters in Syria for women only. This march went through Edgware Road, Oxford Street and ended up in front of the Syrian Embassy. We marched and chanted in support for our sisters who are fighting, getting killed and protecting. They really are heroes.
One thing that really touched me was, as we marched towards Marble Arch, there was a man standing on the side with one hand in the air doing the R4BIA sign (the four fingers) and with the other hand he was wiping away his tears.
We do not need to be Syrian to understand pain, to feel the heartache when someone dies. We need to have a heart. We need to be human.
Outside the Syrian Embassy, sisters held the Qur'an above their heads and chanted 'SYRIA WANTS QUR'AN, SYRIA WANTS KHILAFAH' (An Islamic system)
The turnout was amazing. I couldn't see the end of the march because it was crowded with sisters and young children.
There was a slight debate on the issue of women going out and marching, travelling without mehram (A male guidance who is closely related) and shouting on the streets. You may or may not agree with me, but I think that sisters all over the world should be more active in these kinds of things. We have brothers marching for brothers and no one marches for the sisters. We need sisters to march for the sisters suffering in the world. It is not drawing attention to an individual, but to a crowd who are trying to pass out a message.
We have ladies fighting for the sake of God, for their land, for an Islamic state yet we sit and debate about going out and supporting them. We want to help yet we make excuses to sit at home. That's not right. But hey, that's my opinion.

Then came Monday which seemed to drag but Tuesday came to my rescue. I slept that night thinking about the British Museum and on Tuesday, me and my best friend got up and went. It brought back memories of when I used to go there every summer with school and family. I really wanted to go see the Islamic section, the Islamic art, the swords that were used during the wars, the delicacy and thought of designs that went in to designing even the handle of a sword. I also enjoyed seeing the Ancient Egypt section. That part is truly a reminder of what was written in the Qur'an, about bodies being preserved to show the people of the future on how the Pharaoh made people suffer. Aiii, How I really want to visit Egypt. It's a dream!!! Maybe I could fix the Sphinx and put the nose back on. :D

Wednesday was my Freshers fair for Uni. It wasn't as wow as I thought it would be. I was in the queue for nearly an hour and I got a whole load of leaflets for late night parties and offers like '1 shot for only £2'. ARE YOU MAD??? Firstly, I will never touch any of that, Secondly, Why would I waste my grant money!?? I signed up to a load of stuff which I doubt I will attend but one thing I will get involved in will be the ISOC - Islamic Society. The few people that I met on the day seemed so nice from ISOC.

Thursday was another day that was spontaneous. I went Oxford Street with my sister and ate in a pasta place called Vapiani. We saw the guy make the food in front of us. According to the guy who made our food, it doesn't matter whether we eat halal or haram, as long as it isn't pork. What examples are these other Muslims setting? They go into the place and don't mind about whether the food is halal or haram. So he has it set in his mind that all Muslims think the same. Well, we put him in his place. Booyakasha!!!
After this, 4 of us sisters met up in Greenwich and chilled near the waterside and watched the sun set. The view was amazing with Canary Wharf in sight. Then came the Bollywood music and the attempt of dancing. Yurp... We got a little crazy. We attempted to do that ballet thing that people do, the thin person runs and the stronger person tries to catch them and lift them in the air... 10 tries and all were failed. I'm very disappointed. The only downside to this day was the journey home. I mean, men really need to invest in DEODRANTS!!! I felt like I could see the white light, and the stench of old curry wasn't helping.

Friday, Yesterday, I attended another talk for sisters only in London Muslim Centre. It was called 'Pursuit of Happiness'. There were two very well spoken sisters, one from the US and one from the UK.
A brief summary of what was said, firstly about inner beauty. Apparently, inner beauty is what those without outer beauty say they have - ugly people say that have inner beauty according to the urban dictionary. This is sooo wrong!!!
We spend precious moments of our time everyday trying to make ourselves look presentable with what we wear, how we look, what we smell like. We like to look nice and clean, use clean things and leave things in a clean way. Why can we not clean our insides? Have inner beauty. Take time to make our insides clean and beautiful as opposed to the outside. Have pure intentions, think clean, speak in a well manner and listen to only good things.
That was one talk.
Another talk was about happiness. God put us on this earth to be happy. Not to suffer. When we see one in sadness we should try and lift their spirits and make them smile or laugh. Many people walk around with a grumpy face. Why not cheer up a little and smile? You underestimate the rewards of a smile. A smile makes others smile, and their smiles make loads more people smile. You should smile so much that your mouth hurts (like I do at work. It hurts, but it's rewarding).
Happiness is not a goal. We do not pursue happiness. Happiness is within.

Today is another Saturday... And in the evening, I will be going to an outdoor cinema thingamabob with my sisters to watch 'Les Miserbales'. I hope it's good but the bonding with my sisters is good enough :D

Hope you all enjoyed this blog post about my week
And have a good day.
Stay safe Ya'll.

Peace out!!!

(I'm sorry if my posts are really long, I just tend to blabber on and on. I'll try and post shorter ones in my next blog posts)

Meet the Family

Salaam Saturday
I hope everyone is doing well.
Wow. This Saturday came fast. I didn't realise how hard it is to choose a topic to write about.
This week I've decided that I'm going to write a little bit about my family. If you decide to read my blogs weekly, not only should you know me a little bit, but know a bit about my family as well.
So here goes. Only about my immediate family though because I do not have a family tree. I have a family Forest. And that would take ages to write about and you would probably read for the sake of reading and you won't enjoy it.

We are a family made of 8 members. Actually, 9 members. If you have a cat for 10 years, he becomes a sibling of yours.

I'll start of with my Dad or 'Abbaji' as I call him in my mother tongue. My father is not soooo old but he is old. I don't actually realise how old my dad is getting until I go out with him and he has to take rests by sitting on a bench or something. Despite that, he still has the heart of his young self. Joking and laughing and cracking these lame jokes. I remember when he used to carry me on his shoulder and take me to the corner shop. That won't be happening anymore. It'll be weird and I'll probably break his shoulder. He used to be this really strong man, with pitch black hair and a nicely trimmed beard. I used to sprint beside him as he used to walk slowly. And, his hugs. Boy, my Abbaji's hugs are indescribable. When your upset and he hugs you, it makes your burst into tears even more and when your happy, they just make you feel over the moon. So that's my dad.

My Mum - Ammaji. A feisty, STRONG woman she is. She has more strength than the two 'men' in this household. Yet she is delicate. Her cooking is to die for. I mean, sometimes when we decide to go out to eat, nothing compares to the food my mum cooks. Though her English isn't so great, she still has the confidence to go out and make conversation with people and she can get by. She is independent and supporting. When I'm ill, she's the one by my bedside giving me those bed baths. Well, not exactly a bed bath, but taking care of me. My mum used to have the figure of a model back in her days. She's had 6 children and for her age, I think she doesn't look so bad. Her blouses don't even fit my sister because they're too tight on her. My sister is a size 6. Oh boy. Well, that's my beautiful mum.

Sometimes I think, I wish I could see how my parents were before they married, before they had children. The mischief they would have got up to. But that's a story that slowly gets revealed by other family members.

Now, my siblings. I have four older sisters and one older brother (and my younger cat brother). Yes, I am the youngest (from the humans) but unfortunately, I am not so spoilt. Actually, it's a fortunate thing. It makes me work hard for what I want and I don't always expect things.

My oldest sister is a fitness instructor (and is an ex amateur boxer) and in all honesty, her expertise has not helped me. I am not slim or muscular, but I'll get there... one day.
After her come my non- identical twin sisters. One who is a mortgage advise manager who loves to dress up. She's probably the fashionista in the house but she is sooo dopey, and one who is a police officer. I used to get really excited telling people about the police lady, I still do, but her shift work drives me crazy. Stupid hours and I barely get to see her. The incidents that she deals with leads me to having sleepless nights due to my vivid imagery.
My brother is a Geography teacher at a local secondary school. I do not know how he manages the students. I think they have to learn to handle him instead. I mean, the jokes and break dance moves he comes out with. Cor Blimey!
Then there's my final sister. She works for charity organisations and is a youth worker and I'm grateful for that. Because of the youth work that she does, I have managed to go to Atlanta, Sweden, Greece and recently Switzerland for various reasons. Conferences, exchanges, skiing. It' not because I am her sister, but because I participate and volunteer and the youth group she works in just happened to be the coolest thing I've come across.

So that's their careers. A little bit about them. They are all crazy!!! We are genuinely nice people and we have different yet similar behaviours and characteristics. We go wild when we see playgrounds. It unusual, seeing as they are all in their late twenties. We try and speak different languages to people when we go out and sometimes we speak in made up languages amongst each other. We all love to travel and my sisters have seen a fair share of the world. They've been to EGYPT!!! I AM DYING TO GO THERE!!! And the youth worker went to Palestine this summer. She went to the places where I have been dreaming to go. Most of the times they have been away, they have always left me at home because I am the youngest. That's one of the downsides plus many more. But, their travelling makes make more passionate to travel and I want to see everything!!!

Even though my brother is the only male sibling, I am glad to say that he is manly and our feminine behaviour has not rubbed off on him. More like, his manly traits have rubbed off on us. All of us sisters are slightly Tom-Boyish. We all love sports, take part in sports and try and do marathons. (I did a half marathon on November 2012 by the way, just saying, but that has been topped by them doing full marathons in and out of London).

When I was little, I was a mad tom-boy. My best friend in nursery was a boy and I used to be a bad influence on him. We used to go to them plastic yellow and red cars, pull, sometimes beat, the girls out, and roll around like we owned the place. Looking back now, using your feel to get the car moving isn't as bad boy as it seemed. I once received a girls outfit on my fifth birthday from my neighbour and I had the guts to throw it from my hand onto the sofa and shout 'I DON'T LIKE THIS!'.

There's a lot of hilarious stories that we have had in our lives, from fashion (if you're Asian, you would have at some point experienced the Salwar Kameez and Trainers phase), to going out (and randomly ending up on the floor) and many more. Sometimes when we're out, people ask us if we're drunk!!! NOOO!!! WE DON'T DRINK! Seriously, it can happen! You can have fun, be happy and laugh all night when you have the right company, and you do not need a drink for that to happen. Coke is like the most toxic thing we consume (and shisha) (Typical Asians).

The five of us sisters (In Switzerland, Chillin' in a tree :) 

We are all quite diverse in what we do BUT we still live together. They need to move out ASAP! But, that's why we are so tight knit and we have that 'Love & Hate relationship', from 'GET OUT MY FACE' to 'Come, let's all five of us get in one bed and go sleep'.
I think a big THANK YOU goes out to my parents for raising us with manners, with a life and soul and giving us the right amount of freedom to explore the world and see what's out there.
*Spud*

Anyway, Hope ya'll enjoyed that.
Peace out.
Au Revoir.
Ma'as Salama.
Caoi.
Bye.

(If you enjoyed this, do look out for my weekly Saturday blogs)
Or keep up to date with what I do through Twitter or Instagram - SalmaKhatun95