Islamic or a crime?

http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2014/02/islamic-rape-wave-continues-in.html

I visited the comments section on David Wood's bog,  not sure if it will see the light of day or not, so I'll include it in this brief update.

What I'm doing the rest of the day, lots of writing; some of it requires more research, which is frustrating, I just don't have enough info to answer all kinds of questions, but I always try my best to be honest and get my point across. I think that's more important than convincing people of  Islam or appearing to be a very learned person. I haven't studied in depth, but I have lived half my life as a Muslim which means I have a lot of personal experience and also knowledge of the basics.

I don't get why these Christian fundamentalists continually, and very aggressively run a smear campaign against Islam, when it isn't like they honestly believe that they are "telling the truth about Islam" or doing it because "we love you". I guess, its the fame or the money, or something else then.

My comment -

"Islamic"? That's not how I see it or how I would describe a crime such as rape or murder. You are as usual, deliberately inciting hatred. It is one thing to quote hadiths which are 1400 yrs. old about things which happened in another time (a very different era) and to call rape by people with Muslim names, who may or may not be Muslims, something which is "Islamic" - which implies it is okay according to Islam.

 

Rape is punishable by death in Islam. (The victims of rape or victims of sodomy are not punished, because it’s not their fault, they didn't ask for it.)

 

Many people would love that Islamic law for rape is applied. Unfortunately, most rapists get a slap on the wrist in the West and in states with similar lenient punishments to what exist in the West.

A "Rare Breed" of Atheist

Don't pinch me, I'm awake.

I know what atheists think, that deists and theists are morons.

But what makes some of them now pride themselves even more (than other atheists)?

The "Vegan Atheist" has spawned a whole new breed of folks who believe they are better equipped to deal with the menace that is modern religion. They outright reject any belief in god, or gods, or the rules which religious people follow as moral. But that's not all...

They pride themselves for their superior intelligence, which might I add, doesn't (really) require one to "wear shades". Though you would think, from the way they pat each other on the back, that mere mortals wouldn't be capable of such brilliance or even witnessing it.

Should I say Dr. Vegan Atheist?

Well, not yet.

This same nonsense which is called "logic" that I've seen somewhere before, proves disappointingly funny however, along the lines of something someone else said when debating some points of religion (Islam) with me, "One person's reality is another person's illusion".

I begged to differ with that.

Oh, by the way, I did leave a comment or two for the Vegan Atheist on his YouTube channel, or on his blog, but I think he has yet to respond. I think I might have embarrassed him.

What I said,

"I'm not sure if you are the same Vegan Atheist who commented on comments in your You Tube videos?
In the "Stupid Muslim Comments" video #6, the "Vegan Atheist" says he thinks "people came from apes.["] What do you think..

I will say this for Richard Dawkins, he scoffs at people who believe that, yes. He is a biologist and therefore we assume somewhat intelligent and educated. He believes the theory of evolution and that "humans and apes share a common ancestor" but not that humans evolved from apes.

I hope vegans and atheists everywhere will think before they speak or write on the internet.
It isn't only others who make stupid comments.

"If you want to dish it, then you can take it", but like I said, I don't know if you are that person.
If you RSVP I wouldn't mind. I have my own blog as well."

(February 14, 2014 at 12:11 PM)

This was one of the posts I wanted to get up for V-day.

********

I did however have the opportunity to share one of the people I love in dawa, who is "Idris Tawfiq" a very loved and intelligent Muslim man, a revert from Britain. ( I had thought he was Irish)

I shared some of his links, etc. yesterday, the 15th of February.

February 14th, I drafted another post which I will share today on the blog.

 

So many more things I've been sharing from all over the place, on Twitter and Facebook, I can't remember them all now, but still I haven't gotten down to the nitty gritty of going through my old folders (boxes, too) of ideas, writings, drafts, paper and flash memory, or the hard work of finishing important final drafts.

I'm feeling restless, so I guess, it is time for something new and exciting.

Wonder what that might be?



Why I Raise My Children Without Christmas

This is my response to the article chosen by CNN for the best list in 2013, "Why I Raise My Children Without God".

1. God is not a “bad parent”. He is omniscient, all powerful; He is the Lord of the Worlds.

It is common for western people, and maybe others too around the globe, to compare God to people. But God isn’t a person, nor is He anything like us.

God gave us books, and sent messengers who would teach us right from wrong.

2. God doesn’t tell us to lie. It was the mother who wanted to lie, as she points out. She was the one who was weak and needed to learn that her son can understand and learn; it was her duty to learn how to be strong enough not to lie about her own beliefs. All parents make the mistake in thinking that their children can’t handle things, whether the news about Santa Claus or the fact that millions of children live in poverty or are starving in some parts of the world. Life is tough.

But teaching that she doesn’t believe in God, is her right as her son is hers. Others of course will disagree, but that is basically the law. But it isn’t natural not to believe in God, just the opposite. That being said, I don’t expect that most people will hide their true feelings or beliefs from their young children forever. Eventually, like the mother of the article, they find others also who can share a similar experience. It isn’t any more difficult for atheists to tell what they believe than it is for others. I think this is a woman who was able to manipulate opinion and get a mediocre article published and even rewarded. (CNN didn’t do a good job choosing this article, in my opinion. Many readers said as much, maybe differently than I would)

Racists or Islamophobes also teach their “world view” to their children, but that doesn’t mean that they are right. It just means that they are free to do so.

3. God doesn’t tell us to ignore reality. The woman writes, “How many times have you heard, ‘How did God allow this to happen?’ and the answer is “’It’s not for us to understand’”,  she writes. But the truth is - that is the reaction of many confused believers, agnostics, Christians, or others; not all of the people on earth, though maybe a good deal many.  

Muslims don’t think this way, and maybe Hindus or Buddhists also have a unique perspective. Whatever one believes, blaming God is popular, because that is the idea that has spread, and largely through the fault of Christianity. Christianity teaches that God sacrificed his son, so that we could have eternal life (if we are Christians). Not all religions give us this easy “cop out” or easy way out of our religious responsibilities. Muslims believe that they can also go to “hell” if they don’t believe and act properly according to their religion’s teachings. Or for things like missing prayers, watching improper movies or television, fighting with siblings, and all the things one can think of are considered "bad".

I believe all religions do teach responsibility in day to day activities, however. It is wrong to assume that Christians are not responsible parents or citizens, just because they believe in a savior. It is important to note the difference between their idea of a forgiving God (and a "saviour") and their idea of brotherhood with the commonly "good" outward expressions of their faith (like charity, modesty) which are in themselves justly called admirable.

God doesn’t tell us to be lazy or let bad things happen. When we are able to, we have to take responsibility for our welfare, our children’s’ and neighbors welfare, help our relatives, friends, neighbors, and help out in the community if we can. That is what most religion really focuses on. So it isn’t fair to blame God or religion when people and communities do not take care of their own, or when disasters happen. Sometimes, these are preventable, or we must be ready for any situation, such as natural disasters, on a national scale, and nothing prevents us from doing “good” except our own laziness, or selfishness.

This is a world where God created us to work, not to relax or take it easy; it is His will that we try our best as in a race, to fulfill our duty as the vice-regents on this earth, so that we can earn His pleasure in the next life. In doing good, we are earning points for later, while advancing our good in this life and helping others to advance their goals, too. Life is a struggle, and not a picnic.

Your destiny and your future:

People who believe God should make our lives easy and simple do not understand life and the possibilities. Yes, bad things happen, too. But God doesn’t tell people to hurt other people. People do bad things because they are evil, or they don’t care about others, and so on.

Thus, God doesn’t require or ask us to “abdicate” our responsibilities. No religion should teach such an idea, unfortunately, that is in a way what Christianity and the idea of a “savior” have given the world. No wonder people are confused. It is however very simple minded to blame God for this. It is the people who wrote the book or corrupted the message who are mostly to blame for this situation and despise of God and religion. To be fair, the idea of a savior isn’t the only teaching in Christianity, there are many beneficial and good teachings nothing to do with the central ideology of Christ and the resurrection or (the other) more otherworldly teachings.

4. God isn’t here, no. God is not in this world, or in the universe, but is “above the throne”.

The fact that Allah exists, and does as He wills is enough of a “logical answer”.

What is illogical about suffering? Isn’t it true, if you clumsily allow your hand to touch the hotplate or a fire, that you will burn it and feel the pain? Isn’t it logical, that if you let your child play with toys, he might fall down, or hurt himself, somehow? Isn’t it logical that pollution we cause by burning fossil fuels, or driving our cars, because it is faster than walking to work, is our fault, and not God’s fault. But do we take responsibility for many of our actions? Do we stop flying because it is disastrous for the environment, or do we fly because we want to see our family on holidays, and it is quicker than driving halfway across the country, or travelling by horse and buggy halfway around the world? What is logical isn’t always what the best thing is it?

5. Psychologists teach that if a child is rewarded after he has done good, without any promise of getting rewarded, then the reward is good for him, he realizes that he has done good and gotten a reward. But after a while don’t you think children know that they will get a reward at least sometimes or a nice trip as a “surprise” even though they didn’t ask for or “expect” it. Sure, kids learn fast. But bribing children is wrong, so we don’t give them the reward before they do the thing - that earns the reward - of their own volition. Sometimes parents make mistakes, and they are tired, so they give in to bribery, though they know it’s wrong.

Religions also teach that good has its own reward. It isn’t as if waiting for a lifetime to go to heaven is going to be an immediately gratifying and therefore overwhelmingly attractive offer to young children. We teach them, as religious parents, that God rewards for good, but having to wait a long time will become boring and of course children would then lose interest in doing good – the same could happen to adults, too. This is why all parents, - whether religious or not - teach their children that doing “good” is what is the right thing regardless of what they receive or what it costs them personally. Sometimes doing “good” is costly. Don’t religious people give charity, or alms? Isn’t that money they part with willingly? People teach their kids that there are more important things than money, or owning things, and that sharing, giving, helping out and so on, are all good things, and make us feel good.

The immediate reward is most always something positive, makes us feel happy, and isn’t something tangible. So it is a fallacy to say that God doesn’t teach “good”. Also, religions are basically good, though some of their teachings have been corrupted. Christianity is one in point.

6. As a religious person, I have never once told my children “God has a plan for you”. This woman assumes that all religious people believe and say the same basic things. I think most religious people are well meaning, just as the woman says she is well meaning in not telling her child God exists, because she doesn’t want to lie to him. But it is wrong to assume so many things about all religious people and that all religions teach the same basic things.

We are responsible for our own destinies, to do our best and to expect the best. Yes, God might well have a “plan” as she puts it, but we don’t know what that is, so we are the ones who must decide our destiny and plan our futures. We are our own masters in that sense. That doesn’t seem like narcissism does it?

We strive and then “hope” for the best. Sure, the outcome isn’t always what we would have liked, or the best outcome, but that doesn’t mean God doesn’t know what will happen. He is the all seeing All hearing. That being the case, He answers our prayers “sometimes” in this life, and other times, He promises us better than what we asked for, such as the tremendous rewards for our patience, in the Hereafter, if our lives were not so great, or didn’t work out exactly the way we wanted, so it is the case for most others people. Only a few people never experience great loss or pain in their lives before they leave this earth, and fewer still never lose loved ones in a real “tragedy”. Most people have their share of good and bad times, ups and downs, health and sickness, etc. Most people, until this millennium, have outlived their parents but not their children. At least in the western world. It is interesting then, that it is mostly western atheist people who complain the most about “God not being fair”. Well, they have not seen most of the suffering, which even their own governments have caused, so they should not even dare to mention the “suffering” or what is “fair”, without first taking stock of what they have done to either prevent or reprimand their own government, or challenge the status quo. It is a fact most of the wealth is in the hands of a few, and that no one is forcing atheists either, to see that others be able to share that wealth, or at least refuse industries to pollute in their backyards, while America and others are outsourcing work to poorer countries, etc. Most problems are not something even true atheists can use to point at  and say is any “god’s” fault. It is even hypocritical for them to blame religious people's "god" or "gods" for troubles from murder or genocide, to earthquakes and tsunamis, when these are out of all of our control, and if religious people could prevent these, they would like to just as much as the atheist. It is true, that some things, religious people also blame on atheists or "sinners" anyway. AIDs, or other diseases, or catastrophes.

If being logical is what matters, it is logical that a "god" who is seen by many believers as a "parent" or "angry" might indeed want to destroy much of humanity for its sins. The fact that the same "god" is also "loving" seems contradictory to the atheists or non-believers. But believers often do not have the same problem with this perception. They believe, as Muslims do, that God does what He wills and His decisions are just.

Whether believer or non-believer, each person will have to deal with life and happiness and sorrow often happen to each of us regardless of our outlook or beliefs. Even negative people often experience happiness, and positive people often experience sadness or tragedy. That is the human condition. We are created human, not supermen, nor angels. To expect perfection is stupid, to reach for it is human. We know we can’t be perfect people, and our children can’t be perfect, nor can life be perfect. But, most of us can live with the fact that life is what it is and we are here whether we like it or not. It is better to learn to rely on ourselves, and also trust that friends relatives and our closest loved ones will be there for us, if not, then we already have learned that we must largely rely on ourselves to help ourselves. We have learned that life is really a struggle, and not a picnic.

The meaning of Hope:

Religion does teach us to trust and rely on others. By learning trust, we also learn hope. Hope isn’t just an idea or an intangible, but is something we come to see as real and something we can expect will lead to tangible outcomes.

You have a dream, or a hope, you strive, and then you see, sometimes in the near or a more distant future, the result of hope and trust and striving. That isn’t “believing in ‘nothing’”. That is belief in a - real and immediate sense - in good and in the goodness of the world. The world isn’t all evil or perfect evil doesn’t exist.

Religious people do live in the “here and now”:

Heaven is not meant to be an idea that gives us hope or meaning. It is meant as a reward; likewise Hell is meant as a punishment. The real test is here and now, and the here and now is always the focus of Islam’s teachings. I cannot speak much for other religions. But I don’t think Christianity puts the same emphasis on the here and now as does Islam. I never felt that way as a young person, growing up Christian.

The fact that we can’t see or touch something doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The proof will be in the pudding, but not here and now. It isn’t however something which everyone wants; it is each person’s choice to believe or not to believe. Religions are not forced on people anymore at the point of a sword (and not in Islam), but maybe governments sometimes force schools (or public schools) to teach religions which don’t belong in secular society, or in public institutions. As for Islamic society, what is permitted is also the choice of the rulers or people, their own choice - often a cultural or religious history exists which lends itself to a more accepting attitude toward religion in general. Many Christians and Muslims live in the Middle East or Africa side by side, and do not have problems with religion in schools.

It is each society which must decide how to proceed with this subject, whether allowing separate classes for students of parents who permit religion class or not. Also, the same can be said about some other subjects, or courses, such as sex education or even anthropology. The mother is wrong to think she is alone, when we know that this isn’t a new problem and this is an ongoing debate for the new millennium, which is decades old already.

********

The excellent question is who decides which articles make it to the top for the year? Because this article is the same old same old, except from the perspective of a poor mom, who has pulled the heartstrings of many people, and pulled the wool over their eyes in doing so. Many better articles than this in the list, this one however, is not one of my favorites, nor would I have chosen it. “I think this is a woman who was able to manipulate opinion and get a mediocre article published and even rewarded. CNN didn’t do a good job choosing this article, in my opinion.”

But that’s just me.



To Be Or Not To Be

Not "He"

I had written recently, because I am not the eye that sees everything, or know the unseen, that I thought someone who commented as "Libyan" was my husband. Later, I think the next day, when he called me, he told me that wasn't him - because he doesn't comment on my blog, actually, but he does get emails whenever I publish something. I should have been forewarned by some "premonition" which women get, that he would bring it up, which he did immediately, "I'm not 'Libyan'". "Oh", I said. And for a moment something "awkward" happens. I feel an invisible process,  like a force field suddenly erected by a gigantic spaceship to capture the Earth or the pull between two planets, or the gravity of a bigger planet drawing in a smaller planet, maybe. I am like a satellite, an object with no resitance and feel the need for some air. Then the feeling is gone - we start to discuss our plans for the coming week.

Stay Tuned

Something exciting is happening, which I won't discuss right now. It is kind of a top secret matter around here, I was told the other night when I had dinner with someone. I am good at keeping secrets, so I am bound by an oath. Or I wouldn't have been trusted with this in the first place. Also, being a blogger, I suppose I should always look at the bigger picture - I will report on this again later.

Last night, I talked to K again trying to smooth over the logistical problems for him to come home in time for the "big day", but it is touch and go right now. I am keeping my legs crossed, lol. That means of course (not what you might think) that I am at my desk today again, typing away. I am not ashamed to admit the detox program I mentioned last week on Twitter has me jumping to the bathroom quite a lot - so in more ways than one, time is of the essence this week. Does he think he can make it, or is he trying not to let me worry about it? I tell him I don't completely believe that things will "magically" or otherwise, work out. It is like booking a ride to the moon, unless you are stinking rich, it ain't happenin'. I have a nervous feeling; butterflies which soon will be a large pit in my stomach, if I don't know we can manage to solve the timing problem.

A Man on a Mission

When I went to Juffair the other night, my husband sent five or six SMS checking up on my progress; did I take my son as well? Don't forget to close the car door? Take one of the girls with you! What???

He was worried; I said I will be fine, why would he worry so? I then wondered if he'd had a bad dream, which made me worry - but I pushed that thought out of my head.

K

 If I know him, already the thought crossed his mind to ask other people to call to find out where I am. If I knew how to use one of the applications to pinpoint my whereabouts on a map, I would, just so he could be sure; In fact I think that’s a good idea for all couples. What’s wrong with being able to find one’s spouse on Google Maps™ or Wat’sApp™? And parents should do the same thing with their kids. But there should be agreement that we are going to share our locations anytime, anyplace, because we care – it’s the same as asking your teenager to “call [you] when [she] get[s] there”.

 

He was in stealth mode - probably his own sense of well being depends on my physical well being. As internet service would have it, I couldn't connect for a few minutes, and had to leave - in the car there was no chance of messaging him again. I was relieved, I have to say, because I was afraid he might tell me to stay home, which I would have to do then. To other people, non-Muslims and also many Muslims, this sounds archaic and ludicrous. But I don't care what anyone thinks.

A Room of One's Own

Being on the same page with my husband is paramount. And, though my life isn't perfect, Islam is one of the constants that makes my life worth living, without which I think I would rather be just another form of creature, like a bug; bugs have no worries, I mean, how big are their brains? I don't think something that small knows much about anything, not even what it looks like. They don't have feelings or problems - certainly not the drama human beings experience almost all the time. It's nothing less than biology (but proof of the irrelevance of theories about human evolution) that we don't all have an instinctive urge to jump like lemmings do, considering some of our's deep seated neroses, volatile relationships, jobs that don't pay enough, or careers that don't make sense - what does a stock broker really do? Our lives are always careening towards some danger, or we are always trying to cope, trying to make sense, or trying to forget. That is one side of the story, then there is the good stuff, which would take another five minutes to think about; and I don't have the time.  

I can't blame K for his overpowering need to know where I am and what I am doing - and occasionally refusing me permission to do something even if I am set on it. I understand it better now, after the events of this past summer; I was the one who "needed to know" - where he was, what he was doing, who he was with, who he was talking to on the phone. So I do understand - needing to know can be very unsettling and is much harder to ignore than needing to pee (this is something I know women understand more than men, so the metaphor is an apt one, lol) But he can also be unpredictable, which makes it harder on me, when I have thought something through, decided on a course of action and then find that he is putting up resistance.

Making things public

I timed the start of my blog well, he didn't have anything to say about it at first. Sometimes he tells me to be careful.  Now, he even gives me advice or comments. He liked the last post, though I felt he wasn't being completely honest about his thoughts. "Too personal?" I asked. But he said on his phone the paragraphs were mixed up - I said, no it IS mixed up, because I couldn't edit it; I might edit the post later (should but probably will not do it today), which will mean deleting it,  editing my copy on the pc, posting a new draft, and republishing; I can edit the labels then as well, if I think its necessary. I can't do anything about making the subtitles stand out, block lettering isn't an option. I am frustrated about this, but haven't found any solution to the problem yet. This one, is being written on the fly. I hope it meets peoples expectations, as per the title.

I don't like getting too personal, this is one of the times where I am hesitant, but also figure, WTH, it's only a blog afterall. Blogs are supposed to be journals. I write to tell people what I believe, and this maybe is just one of those attempts to explain a Muslim's perspective on a personal matter of little significance to others, but which impacts my life perhaps weekly or less than that. I hope other people who have struggles or their own little problems have a way to cope that is as simple as mine - the purpose of a journal is to let one's feelings and ideas flow, emerge, and maybe solutions will show themselves.



The Widget Is Gone

Where did it go wrong? And where is my goo-gaa? The "Amazon Cloud" widget just took the goo-gaa and left me! I'm distraught about it; actually, I removed it because I had the idea that on November 11th (maybe I read this?) blogs with any advertising would not be allowed to publish anymore (at least not ones that are doing it the way I do, which is too vague to make sense...) I'm not making sense of this becase I am not able to put into words what I know happened.

When I first started blogging there were no issues about me having advertising popping up; I didn't have any widgets on the blog then. Then I added some widgets, videos and the last thing I added probably was the nice cloud widget. I hope I still have a bitmap of it in my files, so I can add it; I really liked the way it brightened up the page. Finally, some weeks or months ago, I read that (around this time) I couldn't have advertsising on my site, and I thought, the Amazon Cloud widget qualified as that because I noticed when I scrolled all the way down on it, there was something about a dollar figure (e.g. $2500/year). I thought it is better to be safe than sorry, so I removed it; but I am sad to see it go.

Screen shots





Stats after my event.

   You were always on my mind. You were always on my mind.Where did it go wrong? And, where is my goo-gaa?

It's My Party And I Won't Cry

Friends of a Feather

I thought I should write about the events I’m doing back to back, the one yesterday, obviously is finished, so only one to go. The event yesterday yielded some okay numbers in the stats for my blog; the bitmap here shows 49 visits, which is less than what I finally got. But compare to ten visits only, the previous day. On average, I was getting 600 - 700 views per month for a while, or more than that, one month exceeded 1,000 views I believe, but since summer views have gone down to a trickle, the past quarter a lot less than I was hoping. It takes time to get readers, but then to keep them interested is even harder. I’m not disheartened or anything; I will keep the blog up as long as others are still going there, but I would prefer some interaction, a comment here or there. People are sharing the blog or certain posts, I do know that; and some people probably come back more than once. When I first started the blog, I didn’t share it or anything, except with friends, so it got close to 1,000 views only,(I can’t remember a ballpark number for it anymore, but I believe more than 600 and maybe a little over 1,000 views) in the first eighteen months.

A well-known Muslim asked me to write for his website, but I turned him down (not because I didn’t want to, necessarily) but because I didn’t think I could write creatively without sometimes saying things which are not appropriate for a website like his. And if I had accepted the offer, maybe I wouldn’t have thought of some of the stuff I have written and published to date. I like to think I am living my dream. I didn’t think it would be good for his website to have someone like me writing there or because I didn’t want to give up writing on my blog, the way that I like to write. Nowadays I feel less pressure, though sometimes I do feel anxious if I haven’t been doing a little bit of research or at least brainstorming ideas. When I stop publishing regularly I know my readers are likely to drop off. I am not ready yet to quit, though I was told that most Islamic websites become inactive and the owners quite within two-three years. If I have survived just over three years on this blog (though I had a previous blog which I didn’t quit, but I was told there wouldn’t be any blog there anymore or something like that happened with my Windows Live ™ blog, “My Islam Feed”. I saved those posts, (like “Not Everything Is Sexy”), some of which are on this blog. If I decide in the future to discontinue writing, I will tell everyone. The blog will still be up there, maybe I will eventually trim it down, but I have been too lazy to even review older posts, or do necessary changes and revisions, sooo that is not happening soon.

The downside of writing for myself (or my own blog and not someone’s website) is that I don’t have the exposure they do, and I am responsible for my own mistakes, and to do necessary research and corrections on my own – this is the area I have the most trouble with. Even when I was given the chance to have another person review my work, I just didn’t get back to her; she is a scholar of some standing but I have been to unorganized and also too casual about the whole process; I haven’t made the time to review and also get back to writing that is in progress or submit anything for review by her. Probably some of the proofs (hadiths, for example) need correct references, which I can’t find, and things like that.

As a rule I do mention on occasion that I am not a scholar, and that I am telling people what I believe, but also I do furnish “proofs” when I can, or express opinions which I honestly know are the mainstream, and which most Muslims also accept. I am not perfect, so of course there will be mistakes. But I am not trying to fool anyone and I am not lying about Islam. I really believe what I write and what I write is not an attempt to lie about Islam to paint a rosy picture which doesn’t exist.




A circle "FriendsSharingFriends"or v.11.3

 

Numbers

Stats don’t tell everything. For example, they don’t tell me (because I don’t have the wherewithal to get the right program or whatever, thought it exists, I think it is Feedburner™, which I tried to use - not sure what if anything happened, if I disabled it, or didn’t register it?) to know how long people are staying with one post, or if they even read more than a couple of paragraphs, or just jump from one page to another and give up. So I still don’t know what people think about my writing, and for another ( good) reason, I feel safer knowing that the numbers show life, and I don’t think knowing that someone thought something that I liked posting was awful - or would elicit a negative reaction. That’s why I opt out of descriptive words (too generative) at the bottom which readers could choose to tell me what they really think, or express at least in the ballpark of what they think – there are no expletives in the choices. If you have a blog or read blogs, you know what I’m talking about (I don’t think I have to add a bitmap). The drawback is that I don’t know, for the most part anything about readers’ reactions. And because no one comments, it is much less likely that anyone will comment.

So, I am living my fantasy, I guess. I can believe that lots of people out there really do appreciate and maybe even crave my writing. I suppose it would be natural to have a wide range of emotions while reading my blog, lol (also my comments on the internet).

YouTube™

I commented on a guy’s channel last night when I should have been adding photos (or trying to find out where my photos got to, which somehow found a “goo gaa” and transported themselves somewhere away from the event where I had posted them)to the event. He says Muslims are hypocrites, which many of us might well be, or we might sometimes behave hypocritically, when it comes to certain issues; the subject was freedom of speech (no surprise there).

I think ‘if’ Salman Rushdie wrote a book some people ‘didn’t like’, or the Muslims ‘didn’t like’, but can’t do anything to get rid of the book, then they will be angry or upset about it; personally, I don’t think about it, unless it comes up, but when it does, I do get angry or upset – I think it is natural and I don’t hate myself for it. In fact if he dropped dead today I would be happy, and I don’t believe expressing emotion is a crime in any planet in the Universe. I am more upset however that Muslims are being slaughtered in Syria and some guy’s comment says, “The war is Arabs killing Arabs”. Often comments about sectarian violence and wars are met with comments like that, or “let them kill each other”, “good riddance”, and so on. If those people are not angry and upset, I don’t know what they are. So who is the hypocrite? “Boo hoo hoo” I wrote and something about the western (I met any secular government, I think the guy was Australian, I consider that “west” of the Persian Gulf, or of where I stand on the issue of FOS) governments having leaders who are hypocrites. Of course he will probably come back with a ‘lightning attack’ (Blitzkrieg, in German) against the Arab governments. This is obviously typical of discourse (I keep saying intercourse, I think I did back in the first couple of paragraphs, which is funny, and probably most people won’t even spot what is wrong with the sentence – actually I used the word “interactions” back there, and almost wrote “intercourse” the first time here, which made me think I had used it twice, so I revised this). Long story short, I also pointed out to another comment on the same channel, that “it isn’t Arabs killing Arabs, you SOB.” (Not in those words, but I wish I had said that).

I retired earlier than people in the West would have expected. I have been at the desk for two days and my shoulders and neck are stiff. I recently got an exercise bike, but this week I have been “too busy” (the usual lie people with health and fitness equipment tell themselves) to ‘get back on the horse’. Probably if I do get back into regular exercise I will feel better and not even care about the blog anymore – but that might be a bad thing. I guess writing is cathartic for me, as well.

Draw You A Picture?

The other bitmap, shows a circle which I visited, not sure, but I think I am in it. Just so I am not too annoying if I didn’t actually join at some point (but I must have because I comment , share stuff and like people’s stuff) I am sticking with v. 11.3, and ignoring the others. Sometimes I just go down the list of comments and +1 the lot of them. I think it is being nice. I know it isn’t just an altruistic act however (or I thought about that yesterday and realized that all those people will know I did that - if they allow notifications). I am far from comfortable with the experience I have had with social media in general; I am not great on the internet, I fumble through things, so does a friend of mine, in fact I haven’t even seen her on Google™ for the longest time. She had mentioned that she needed help with some things – “don’t look at me”, I thought. My chat message hangs there, like a lost puppy, waiting for her to ‘pick up’.

It is difficult to explain how to do things on the internet, and that’s why I don’t try very often. I have one exceptional piece of technical writing, maybe two, on my blog; the first one discusses how an app I used translates “not seamlessly” from English into Arabic. The other post which is popular for some reason, and is always up there in the stats (you will find it to the right of your screen, in the popular posts section.) is “How to Use the Link Button”. I think some of the posts are popular because they happened to be first in the stats so people gravitate to them (because they are always visible on the right). Once, I saw a post I do want to get more circulation going down in the stats, so I immediately asked some people on the net to share it, please! And they did!

Unfortunately, relying on kindness of others doesn’t work all the time, like yesterday, I wanted people to comment on my blog, and I don’t think anyone did. I asked y’all to post a comment saying “I was here” and I haven’t found anyone who did, yet. The blog is vast (or over 190 posts) so I could have missed it. So, people are not just mindless robots after all? I guess Alex Jones gets comments because he is popular and people feel drawn to him. It is also more fun to comment on videos and YouTube™.

I appreciate that people shared yesterday, and I thank the few who came to the event. There is another event today, not sharing the blog specifically, though that will probably kind of happen as I share the event on my blog and bitmaps from the blog at the event. I will be discussing how to be safe on the internet, which isn’t a subject I have done much research on, but I have some screenshots I think are interesting, which I can share, and maybe others can give their more expert advice (they probably can, but won’t, lol); Until then, farewell.




Don't Forget Invitations and Reminders for the Event



You Are Invited!

al Jazeera shares a link (recitation of Sura Yusuf in soosi style)  
I am doing an event today, which readers might not be aware of yet, though I hope it generates some comments (finally) on my blog. I only ask two things for the event to be a success, in any comments type "I was here" or if you prefer, type something nice. You don't even have to read a blogpost or share if you don't want to.
I don't know yet if comments will be visible, but they should work; I have been asked by someone on Youtube why they can't comment, and the answer is I don't know; I'm not positive if he was refering to the blog as well. I have not blocked anyone for a long time, if ever.
I had one comment from 'Libyan', who I suspect is my husband. Other than that, no comments yet.
People like to press the +1, which is nice.
Enjoy the event, or the blog, and don't forget to type "I was here" in the comments section of a random post.
People, don't all comment in the first post you see, that's the third and final rule.
Have a nice day!

A screenshot of a circle I was interested in joining.

Is Yusuf Estes Muslim?

Pet Peeves

I have some things that get me peeved; it means that my day isn’t completely ruined by them, but that I get “an itch” (the same feeling as when you want to scratch an itch on your body) to do something about what peeved me. For example, I wrote about robots and androids, a long time ago, when I had a blog connected to my Windows Live TM or Windows Live R.

One of my less troublesome pet peeves is that I don’t know and can’t remember what I’m supposed to put at the end of words connected to a registered trademark or words and other things with copyright. - As in the example in the first paragraph (above). Where do I find out about this? The thing is, it isn’t even “bothersome” because I’ve never done anything about this, except attempt to hide my ignorance. I have never been motivated enough to search it on Google (the trademark owners and everyone else know who they are.)

Another of my pet peeves is that most everyone’s websites look better than mine. I am currently following a few blogs, one of them being Yvonne Ridley’s “From Soho 2 Silo” (type Soho, and surprisingly, it isn’t in the computer’s dictionary!) I guess I can live with that.

I don’t particularly like what I have done with my blog, though I think the cloud app is a nice touch, and I like my Mecca Live feed, or video stream (located on the bottom of my blog’s page).It’s not really mine, I just embedded it onto my blog from another location.

But I am going to defend my blog here, because I think at least, it is honest. (Read previous post, or post connected with this idea, about dishonesty or how some websites deliberately (try to) mislead the public or visitors to their website, or blog.

If you hate someone, just come out and say it, dammit!!… Probably the website I mention today by MWFJ is just one example of many.

Also, I don’t like when people say “I hate” this or “I hate” that, or “I hate” someone (LOL)

But seriously, there is enough pain and suffering in the world without this. Hate is a strong word. Those people would do better to think of other ways to express how they feel about something or someone, without resorting to the “H” word.

The final one I’ll mention, although this doesn’t close the book on what I get peeved about, (nor are these necessarily my most troublesome peeves) is trying to reply back to people on the internet, sometimes it is just impossible. Maybe my internet connection is too slow, sometimes the upload is slow, but the download is still moving (albeit very slowly). I’ve noticed that when the upload was zero I couldn’t comment on a video (or something else) Answering emails or replying to comments to me, isn’t being rerouted to the right place? Or there is something I’m not aware of, or a simple way to reply to others which I haven’t figured out.

If you like this blog, you might like “???” (Edit - I’ll post a link here when I find the post I want to connect to).

(Probably people might get peeved when they see that I have not edited or revised something like a direct quote in a post.)

********

I will take this opportunity to ask others to share my previous post about lying websites, e.g. the ones connected to Muslim Witnesses for Justice (MWFJ). DO NOT go to their website or download their Pdf - you are just helping spread their message if you do (Unless you agree with them, in which case I have nothing else to say to you right now.) If you like Yusuf Estes, share my blog, too.

Or better yet, share your favorite Islamic videos and websites (by him).

The “UPDATE”

Currently, it is my thinking that a lot of people don’t know anything about what said group (MWFJ) has to say, so it is counter intuitive to bring it up again, but I am doing this as a public service, so you know. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet, even on my blog. I can also make mistakes and have. Sometimes on my channel or here I will tell you or correct a previous mistake. I might write a separate post clarifying something or correcting something and also do the same on my channel’s (Diamondraw4Real) discussion page, or in a video’s comments, etc. (Also) elsewhere on the net.

I’ve been wondering what to write about recently, until this morning when I read some of the feeds (on my other computer) which I haven’t looked at for the longest time, and discovered that Muslim Witnesses For Justice actually are against Yusuf Estes because of things he may or may not have said or meant in some comments, or in some videos. (I had thought they were in support of him – as you would know if you’ve read the previous post)

Whether Yusuf Estes apologized or not for anything which he might have said doesn’t concern me as much as the fact that there is a ‘witch hunt’ or an ‘inquisition’ to have him ‘blacklisted’. Some would probably like him expelled from the ummah; I think this is going to extremes, and isn’t right. There is a point when you have to live and let live, no matter what your personal beliefs.

Boot Straps

I have many ideas to work with, and notes to type out or revise – it shouldn’t be long before I am back writing and posting regularly to my blog. So, there is a lot to write about, and that’s never a problem for bloggers.

I have had a real problem with motivation, partly due to events this past summer and also because I haven’t been balancing personal and work related matters as well as I should or could. But I still want to give priority to writing blogposts so I will try harder to commit to publishing some posts on a regular basis.

Finally, I want to mention that I’ve been working on a book, which I might do as an e-book – or I might publish it as chapters on the internet. Charles Dickens book(s) was (were) published in newspapers as separate chapters (e.g. Tale of Two Cities or Hard Times) before it (they) was (were) published as a complete work(s). Of course, I won’t publish all of it, but only excerpts, to find out what readers think. This is a big “might”. Just thinking about it makes me stress. I know any time now I will see an ad about how to publish my work as an e-book. That’s how cookies work, and it is both helpful and intrusive at the same time.