Under the Eagle

The most obese US President (350lbs), William Taft back in 1917 did not yet have the Russian or Cuban bogeymen to justify US intervention. But then he did not seem to feel the need for it. Listen to his arrogance: ‘The day is not far distant when three stars and stripes at three equidistant points will mark our territory, one at the North Pole, another at the Panama Canal and another at the South Pole. The whole hemisphere will be ours in fact as by virtue of our superiority of race, it is already ours morally.’ REMEMBER that statement was made over 100 years ago. Trump another obese US president wants to "buy" Greenland. These guys are crazy. White supremacy infects the USA to the point of madness. And still Guyanese (who obviously are ignorant of history) and many in the world rush to live in this madhouse. They won't buy Guyana...stupid as we are we will give it to the white supremacists of the USA. But there are Americans who leave the US...read the brochure BARS & GRIPES (The Fact is they work you like DOGS in the USA).

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Salaam All...So let's read history...This book UNDER THE EAGLE was written in 1982. BUT... it could've been written today. I was 22 years old then and at 58 I still have it in my possession. 

Just how those flags that daft Taft wanted to be planted and continue to be planted is told with marvelous clarity in this book by Jenny Pearce. A popular history of the battering that Central America and the Caribbean have taken from their neighbour to the north is long overdue. And it turns out to be highly readable not just because it is well written but because she allows many other people to join in and tell the story with her.  

What this book shows is the nearly absolute subjugation of the Caribbean and Central American region to US interests. It lays bare the state-corporate network that exists within and between the US and this region, how the US arrogantly calls this entire chunk of the globe its "backyard". And here they come to Guyana AGAIN with EXXON. How Guyana was exploited by the CIA is made clear. Please read this 2016 article titled Exxon-Mobil’s past Crimes against the Earth are nothing Compared to its Present Ones with this question that ends it: The question is: Why on God’s-NOT-so-green-Earth-anymore would anyone want to be Exxon’s partner?

https://www.juancole.com/2016/02/exxon-mobils-past-crimes-against-the-earth-are-nothing-compared-to-its-present-ones.html  

(It must be repeated over and over that OIL IS DEAD). Guyana's govt (whoever that is) and the Guyanese people are living in a fool's paradise...but this will be dealt with in other emails.

Under the Eagle should be studied in all of our schools. Rather than the propaganda from TV and the numerous fake pieces on the Net that brainwashes our children they need access to real history. To understand the deception of the US government.

Ask any religious leader (Muslim, Hindu or Christian) if they have read this book and the answer most likely would be NO!!! They all hide behind some "fake god" whilst ignoring the social justice struggles that need to be undertaken. Unfortunately, they have their thousands of followers beseeching their "fake god" for help...help that never comes. Muhammad, Jesus, Abraham & Moses...now those were leaders that prayed to the REAL GOD whilst engaging the corrupt leaders on all fronts. AND WINNING!!!

Under the Eagle is a very well-crafted narrative that lays bare the true intentions of American intervention in Central America and the Caribbean. Organised into five parts:

Part I - The Eagle Rises (1823-1962)
Part II – The Eagle Rampant (1961-1976)
Part III – The Eagle Retrenches (1973-1979)
Part IV – The Eagle Reborn (1979-1981)
Part V – El Salvador: The Eagle’s Reckoning?

A brief historical background in Part I provides the backdrop for the post Cuban Revolution series of events that occupies the rest of the story. There are several photos, maps, and tables and as with all of the Latin American Bureau (LAB) publications, a solid underpinning of economic data helps expose the brutality of the neo-liberal agenda.

The enormous sums of money spent on military provisions, personnel and training; CIA covert operations, establishing institutions like The School of the America’s (known as the School of the Assassins), and providing enough cash for the bribing of local elites, could easily have been put toward improving living conditions for the poor and that does not even take into consideration the mountains of profit drained out of the region by the corporations and banks on whose behalf the military always became involved. The cost to the American government itself was substantial, leading the CIA into a highly publicized creative accounting scandal, the Iran-Contra affair, when it was revealed money from weapons sold to Iran were used to buy drugs that were funneled into North American cities, the proceeds of which were used to fund the Contras (Counter-revolutionaries) against the Sandinistas of Nicaragua. The Iran-Contra affair still lay into the future when this book was published in 1981, however far from being out of date, Under the Eagle reveals the policy-in-the-making thinking that has influenced United States action worldwide down to the present day. Apologists will say that this was the height of the cold war and that every precaution had to be made against a very cunning adversary, namely the Soviet Union, but the advent of the CIA’s ‘Team B’, which is mentioned in the book, exposes the cold war propaganda for what it was; a lie.

Central to that policy refinement is the startling admission (on page 168), made in the Monthly Review, April 1980 under the title; The Third World Threat.

“In order to understand US foreign policy in the period ahead, we must first identify the forces which threaten the status quo in ways likely to upset the stability and profitability of the US economy.

As we have already seen, the answer is not the Soviet Union . . .

The source of these changes . . . was in every case national liberation movements in the Third World, usually combining nationalistic and social revolutionary elements and in all cases carrying threats to US economic and political interests in the countries affected. All signs are that these movements are active in various parts of the world today, (South Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean) and are likely to become so in others (South America, the Middle East, Southern Asia) in the not distant future. Deteriorating economic conditions and mass living standards in all but a few Third World countries virtually guarantee that what may be called the revolt of the Third World will grow steadily in intensity during the 1980s.

This and not superpower rivalry is the number one contradiction in the world today and in the foreseeable future, hence also the primary concern of US foreign policy.”

So there we have it, with startling clarity for our present malaise. Latin America Bureau publications shine a well-researched light on the Eagles enormous effort and contribution to the collapse of fragile Third World economies through coups, usurious interest on national debt, currency manipulations; economic embargoes, drug laundering and out right military invasion – all blueprints for the 21st century. Only self-interest, not self-reflection, is permitted. 

What the USA did to Guyana is included in this book....and it's UGLY.  

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Shamal (225-9031; zamalsgy.com)...Please READ BARS & GRIPES (http://www.zamalsgy.com/index_htm_files/Bars%20&%20Gripes.pdf)...do your own research and do not, for heaven's sake, swallow American propaganda...

Daddy & Apology to My Father

Quran 17:23: “Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour.’ 

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Salaam All...Here's the newest brochure titled DADDY. Please share it with all your contacts. Thank you.

"Children will not remember you for the material things you provided, but for the feeling that you cherished them. Unfortunately, some fathers have poor relationships with their children. There is a lack of dialogue, tenderness & affection."

And accompanying it is this spoken word poem by a young girl, Sakila, called APOLOGY TO MY FATHER. It's so brilliant. This moving poem bridges the divide between generations of immigrants. If you're in America then read it to your father...it will cut so deep that he will begin to cry.

Apology to My Father | Sakila Islam | TEDxDetroit

Apology to My Father | Sakila Islam | TEDxDetroit Sakila Islam is a young poet from Detroit who has performed at slams around the country and even at the White Ho...

Shamal...Before I end this mail I want to thank those teachers who acted as a mother or father to my son. THANK YOU!!! For those who treated him harshly maybe one day your consciences will make you pen a poem titled APOLOGY TO MY SON.   

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Now study these words...

Apology to My Father, by Sakila Islam

My father has the pride of a thousands suns
The kind of pride that leaks out of him as he walks
The kind of pride that radiates from him as he talks
The kind of pride that’s so bright that I can’t even look him in the eyes sometimes

My father’s pride is as deep as the ancient green forests behind his Bangladeshi home and as strong as the rigid jackfruit trees that stand tall even during the monsoon season floods.

And that’s why I know that he will never accept my apologies.

Dear father,
You came to this country with only the clothes on your back and the hopes and dreams of your family in your pocket
Hopes and dreams so heavy that they weighed you down with every step you took, putting so much pressure on you that you kneeled to the ground in prayer time and time again
I’m sorry that this country will not accept you

I’m sorry that your skin is too brown, too similar to dirt to be worth anything, 

if anything it’s only good for their cheap labor

I’m sorry your English is too broken, like jagged shards of glass—maybe they’re too afraid of cutting themselves on your sentence fragments so they clench their fists full of insults before even getting to know you

I’m sorry your faith is too strong, that it’s become a threat to the people around you. Instead of realizing how beautiful your voice sounds coming from the minaret of a mosque, they silence your needs and turn a deaf ear to your problems

It’s been two decades since my father came here, and he’s begun swallowing his pride like diabetes pills

Doctor’s orders: be unseen, unheard. Unless you were born in this country, you’ll always have second priority while sitting in the waiting room

But my father’s sight has gone bad from turning a blind eye to the people who mock him so many times, that he can’t even read the fine print on his prescription.

Maybe that’s why he takes a little too much, overdosing on becoming a pushover, in a society that has no problems pushing him over the edge, 

father

I’m sorry

I’m sorry I’m writing a poem to you in a language you’ll never fully understand

I’m sorry I don't even have the ability to properly tell you how much I love you because they didn't teach me your mother tongue in the school I was adopted into

I’m sorry this country is such a cruel lover to you, binding you to it with blackmail

I know you’re only in this destructive relationship for the sake of your children

And your children, with one foot in America and the other in Bangladesh, know you can’t fight a war when you’re standing at the border

So when people fire insults, they follow in your footsteps, overdosing on silence

Swallowing the pride of a thousand suns, and becoming shadows that can only carry

Apologies

Ramadan 2017: The Introduction

Supplication: Our Lord! Accept this service from us: For You are the All-Hearing, the All-knowing
[Quran: 2:127]

During this month of Ramadan we will explore every day great Muslim lives over the last 1400 years. Read on to find out WHY.

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Salaam All...The whole progress of humanity is an eloquent sermon on the externalization of the thoughts of those gone before. An intelligent glance over the past reveals to us many secrets, and, contemplating the struggles which men have gone through, we perceive the process of development that has resulted in the advance of character from the purely physical plane to the moral and spiritual. 

The world, consisting of more than fifty-five Muslim majority countries and nearly two billion people today, Muslims have left their fingerprints on every field of human endeavour. It is not surprising, therefore, that some of history’s most influential men and women have been Muslims. 

In the words of George Sarton, the renowned historian of science and author of Introduction to the History of Science, ‘The main tasks of mankind were accomplished by Muslims. The greatest philosopher, al-Farabi, was a Muslim; the greatest mathematicians, Abu Kamil and Ibrahim ibn Sinan, were Muslims; the greatest geographer and encyclopaedist, al-Mas’udi, was a Muslim; the greatest historian, al-Tabari, was a Muslim.’

So if when Islam is mentioned you think only of Osama Bin Laden because of the American media propaganda then be prepared to be educated...You will come to understand why 1 in every 4 human beings on earth is MUSLIM. It's because of these great moral characters. 

These shining Muslim luminaries....if only modern day politicians could quell their arrogance and learn from them....O what a world, a grand world, we would occupy.

Shamal...The lessons start from the next email!!

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Note: The genesis of doing this Ramadan project on great Muslim thinkers is amazing. A dear friend of mine had an art class...and after it was closed he said he had a few pieces. And I asked him for them. It contained two pics of Ibn Sina & Qasim Zahrawi. They were framed and put in our home/office. And my God, have they generated conversation starting with "Who are those people?" Christians. Hindus, Muslims have all benefited from the dialogue. They leave enlightened when they hear of the greatness of these men. Here's hoping that our Islamic schools can display such luminaries in their hallways so that visitors can be educated about our history...a history that has been and continues to be...TRAILBLAZING!!!

Ramadan 2017: Welcome

Supplication 1: O Allah! Grant a good end in all our matters and save us from humiliation in this world and the torment of the Hereafter.

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Salaam All...The month of Ramadan is here in spectacular glory with the new moon hanging from the Throne of God by a golden thread...

The month of Ramadan is here...where human stamina can be tempered to meet all the vicissitudes of life. Fasting & lots of prayer hold the capacity for renewal and transcendence. In Ramadan's calm and tranquility the soul revives its strength, and is fitted to help the body to subdue self. lf we would but pause for a while each day and let our thoughts dwell for a space on the Unseen World—how much better would our daily lives become—how much the more would our lower self be subdued, and the higher self fitted for success. 

Ahhh...the first night of Ramadan. It is such a night as when the trustful and believing heart is filled like a holy chalice with the rich wine of joy and gratitude,--when the soul rises to an angel's stature within its fleshly tenement, and sings 'All Praises are For God!'--when nature wears her most serene and noble aspect,--when it seems good to live, good to work, good to hope, good to love,--good to be even the smallest portion of the divine and splendid order of the Universe.

This sacred month is meant to shape our experiences by turning adversity into advantage and obstacles into opportunities. It offers a resting point for reflection on where we wish to go from here so that we can live a life free of limiting beliefs.

Each of us needs tremendous courage to keep from being overwhelmed by our own troubles and the distrust and hostility afoot in our world today. This rejuvenating month will provide the resources, the practices, and the access to a global community we need to develop inner strength and resiliency for the journey down the shape-shifting road that lies ahead.

Quran: "Fast...if you only knew"...Better even than curing the body is to rise above it; to be its master, and not to be tyrannized over by it; not to abuse it, not to pander to it, never to put its claims before virtue; to discipline and moderate its pleasures, and not to be overcome by its pains—in a word, to live in the poise and strength of the moral powers, this, better than bodily cure, is yet a safe way to cure, and it is a permanent source of mental vigor and spiritual repose. 

Shamal...A Blessed & Pure Ramadan to all of you.

Za & I along with other members of the household went to the Sonu Nigam "Live in Concert" show at the National Stadium. It was a beautiful evening with the first quarter moon and a cloudless sky that made for gorgeous viewing of the stars. Za was making triangles with different stars. "Look daddy a right angle triangle with those stars!" And I loved his game. The show started an hour late (at 8:00 pm) but with Za's interruptions & my reading one line here and there on the Kindle of Cheerfulness the time flew by.

The show in itself I would give 9/10. One point deduction for at some points being too loud. I "knew" one song "Kya ho wa terde wada" or something like that. There was a huge crowd, and properly behaved. Sonu was good, spoke English well and interacted in a pleasing & pleasant manner.

Went to Essequibo On the 13th and 14th to promote the brochures & dvds. Met a brother from Imam Bacchus, a lady named Aisha that runs a spare parts store, a rice farmer (wonderful brother) who gave us dinner & breakfast, a Moulana who gave the khutbah at Affiance masjid, a brother from Toronto who bought a few Palestinian dvds, a brother who runs a restaurant in Affiance.

On the 16th, the day my son's school reopened, I had a meeting with Fazeel Feroze from CIOG. He wants to run the brochures in the newspapers and maybe restart a dinner/dvd show once a month. I am hoping that the CIOG helps financially to get a once a week one-hour TV programme going. He is supposed to get back to me in 2 weeks.

A prominent businessman gave a substantial donation for printing the brochures. Another gave his third annual donation. One can only thank them and Allah who blessed their hearts with the understanding that money should be used for promoting good here on earth. Money will have no value on the Day of Judgment or in Paradise. So the wise thing to do is to use it for good & useful causes. Storing it away in a bank is obviously not a good investment.

On Friday 20th the new principal requested a meeting with me. He wants to hear my ideas that can push the school to another level. I mentioned khanacademy.com (he never heard of it) as a website that must be used by the school.

GIT called on Friday evening to invite me to their convention at Zeeburg on May 6th. Have decided to go, inshaAllah.

Also a brother this week has pledged $50000 to purchase a booth at Guyexpo in Sep. for me to promote the brochures.

A wonderful week by the grace of the Almighty.

Watched a Hamza Yusuf video on Poetry. Very interesting ideas as usual from one so intellectually gifted. Leart that Aisha memorized 12000 lines from a poet. There are some Muslims who are against poetry because the Quran & the Prophet (p) condemned some poets & poetry. They in the unmistaken belief have then condemned ALL poetry.

A sunny morning. Aisha turned to me as I sat as normal on the school bench. "Do you have any brochures?" I reached into my bag and gave her a bundle of about 60. She was astonished. And I then engaged her in conversation of the many reasons I have put these brochures together...with God's permission. She said that the few she got from the Mall was very interesting and asked permission to reprint them and share. Like always all Praises are for The One Who has made it possible.

Another woman came to my office yesterday and bought 4 dvds and also took a bundle of brochures. Said she came into contact with them during Islam Awareness Week.

After a Long Time

Revisiting this site after 17 months...and it JUST happened. Like I opened an old diary that had all my passwords & I just entered the code to see if it was still working. So what's happened as time marched on...to use a cliche...quite a lot. Something I didn't foresee was continuing the brochures. But thru all the dark nights and emotional lightning & thunderstorms...and holding onto God I did. Or truthfully HE did. And it has brought me into contact with some amazing souls. Souls who appreciated the spiritual "gems" that helped them. One day I will share those stories. And in the last year God brought me back into contact with a stunning woman. What a reuniting we have had. Sharing our life stories from the last decade.

The "Fruits" of My Labour

So by just talking nice to clients and getting their work done with no "corporate" fuss what do you know...I was showered with gifts. The lesson for you Za is that kindness and goodwill is a million times better than "business as normal." I have always done transactions on a friendly platform. My word (and the client's) should be good enough. So these Christians (different ones not one group) brought a HUGE bag of cherries, lots of golden apples, the biggest fish I have ever seen. Money as a tip!!! Books. And all because they said I treated them specially. Haha...it was nothing...a smile, late hours, even Sundays...come on it's how we have always worked. Work should always be a pleasure. The best piece I have ever read on how to conduct business is by the Buddhists. I will publish as a brochure for the Prophet has said “Any word of wisdom is the stray of the believer, who has the better right to it wherever it may be found.” Look at things thru the prism of Islam. Never thru the jaundiced eyes of the Westerner. The US has destroyed goodwill but marches/bulldozes with blind power over simplicity. Why do we override our own sensibilities, trusting, surrendering, our authority and responsibility-and our children-to Western institutions (and their thoughts) that are not only far removed from Divine Guidance but that clearly demonstrate inherent corruptions? The US is so corrupt. God is ever Aware. And the Muslims FOLLOW them blind and blinded. Za trust the knowledge that you're acquiring now (Islam)...it's not childish cartoons to be discarded as you mature. It's meant to polish your character and for you to shine at school and in the real world of business. Be good son...even though the circumstances right now is extremely difficult for you. I pray and cry for you that my soul is swamped (deeper and wider than the Atlantic). Love, Daddy.

Just Pay it a Passing Glance

So my dear son...here's what daddy's had to endure...and so will you...it's the way of creatures of the earth...those who do not struggle to elevate the soul
This guy who has been collecting the brochures for a while at the school stopped and engaged in conversation. After several of these he opened up and said you know in talking to you I cannot seem to understand the slander I hear of you. I smiled and couldnt care to inquire. But he continued...at the mosques people are being told to beware of me and the thoughts expressed in the brochures. I laughed. He then said that he asked several of the "scholars" what they found so "wrong." And then he said whatever they came up with you perceive their small/narrow-mindedness. And most of it out-of-context. I shrugged. The reality I said is for them to better what they condemn and lets make the society sit up and become more godly. So pay slander a passing glance, Za. And just keep doing QUALITY stuff for God. He does not accept mediocrity which most of them deal in. The brochures have created a huge impact and daily people come to collect and are making copies to distribute. One ISA teacher wants to share them on UG campus. Another guy said it is helping in combating the Jehovah Witnesses. And a Hindu friend of mine shares them out at GRA. And on and on it goes. the end result is that All praises are for God...and from Him I expect the tiniest of rewards. For I am NOTHING in His sight. Be good my baby. I decided to continue publishing these thoughts for you...use them as a platform to confront the pseudo-religion that will be sure to exist in your adult life. I got tired of the "Crap" that masquerades as "Islam." May God be your Guiding Light. Peace.

Just You...Just My Clothes

So you continue, Za, to puzzle me...even your teacher. You did extremely well at mid-term exams. With you at the centre of the storm...you the only witness to the madness it is still amazing that you have maintained sanity. May God hold you in his hands for daddy's hands have fallen, been severed. After the court, the lawyers, the system...all I have left is the clothes on my back...but they CANNOT steal my love for you. Dont think they are not trying even for that...but desperately I hold on. Hagar ran between two hills ... I feel as if I'm running between several insurmountable mountains...imprisoned... and I scream, time and again... why does God allow suffering if He is so compassionate...I might have lost my religious faith...but dear God I haven't lost YOU...yet!!!

Accidental Meeting...

Today I was exhausted from all the intricacies of human associations. Crawled into bed and before you know it...I was asleep. Ok only for an hour but it was deep. The exhaustion...A Muslim and I were discussing kids growing up in this world which is unlike the worlds of yesteryear. Then along comes this woman to purchase something from him. Saw her khimar and I said Salaam. And this led me on an unexpected journey. The discussion sprinted along at breathtaking pace. So much was covered in such a short space of time that it almost left me breathless. She said she views Islamic Documentaries...but what I found out was that one of my brochures convinced her to don the khimar. What crossed my mind was you know this woman has been reading the Quran and attending lectures and the like but the "conviction" didnt dawn upon her. But that brochure acted as the catalyst to move her to don the headwear. So the reality is that powerful "words" do exercise magic upon one's reasoning. Why then dont the religious leaders recognize this and upgrade their oratory khutbah skills. People are hungry for brilliant explanations of the Quran. Yes, the Quran is amazing...BUT the Jeffrey Langs, Karen Armstrongs, Endos...open up the linguistic mysteries with their insightful writings. And the writers dont have to be Muslim for you to see the Quranic light. She was all praise for my work and thanking me...no maam, I'm nothing...if you only knew...Of the dark night that is my soul. Sometimes, your life is destroyed because you are honest; you try in vain to find the meaning of life. How difficult it often is to live a life so passionately. May Allah bless you Za, in your search...for its only in searching that you truly arrive...at the gates of Jannah. Don't ever give up Za...I speak to you, as much as I desperately plead to my own soul. Love you baby.

Suicide

Have been thinking about suicide for a long time. Heard the president of the country on several platforms making mention of it as something that is plaguing us. So I started many months ago putting together thoughts on why. Emotions can run riot, I tell you. I have been arguing with my spirit and with God's Law. Then run, jump and bang as a nation we were catapulted to confront this ugly reality. And trust me the "whys" are never answered. Just pure heartache. Yep I have contemplated self-destruction when life got really "hard" and it seems that your circle of acquaintances just cant seem to provide answers... this week when I read of the German footballer walking into the path of an express train...O my God!!! I also saw several trains hurtling pass but didnt make the fatal leap. And I'm here to tell you why. Yes WHY. The answer is RELIGION...and the religion is Islam. So even though I slipped and slid and I fell...it wasnt onto tracks or rocks...but into the safety net of God's Love. So all these years later was it worth it to live? And the unequivocal answer is YES. Why? Has life gotten easier, better, more comforting, wealthier. Haha. NOOOO. For between two sorrows is a small interval of pleasure and this seesaw in life continues endlessly.
So here is the brochure. Please save someone by kind words.
http://www.zamals.com/index_htm_files/Suicide.pdf
May God help us all to not lose faith for suffering, yes SUFFERING, carries us to a loftier height of realization, shattering the myth that life is merely mundane.

Essequibo comes a-callin...

...8 years later. What mysteries life holds. The phone rings and the person is saying we met "some time ago." What about? O you did a presentation here in Anna Regina. I was stunned. Hey bro, that was like 8 years ago. Anyhow he wanted several dvds for a fair they were having there. Wanted to showcase Islam to persons of other faiths. So they collected 10 and and had their show. God alone knows the level of success achieved. But wait there's more...the person who called came himself and bought 24 more...well what do you know!!! Life sure is strange. I reminded him how they did not allow my two sisters entry to the mosque where we had the program. Was I angry? Most likely...can't remember my emotions that far back. But knowing my "spirit" I would have sure expressed my displeasure at such "ridiculous" pseudo-religion. Anyway it was sure nice that after such a long time they have begun to see some light. But am beginning to think they are way too late. A kind of slow religious suicide. Thousands of souls have been denied all these years of viewing high-quality Islamic programs...the point is: having travelled all the way to Regina and explained to them, and shown them and having shook their heads in affirmation on the need for such quality presentations...then having thrown such spiritual energy behind their backs have surely impacted negatively on the growth of Islam in that neck of the woods. And I do not accept but it's good that they have started. My God!!! Can't we grasp opportunities when they present themselves...pronto! 8 years...holy macarolli.

An Exchange

I just charged them for work done...a standard business transaction. And then their amazement with the way they were helped and all the explanations as to why their computer and software were (mis)behaving...they came with an envelope and put it into my hands. I glanced inside and said please this is not necessary....I have charged you already. But they insisted I take the envelope with the money. I pleaded that a "thank you" was just good enough. Za, the ability to go beyond the "job" at hand...the late nights, early hours of the morning, in helping people is what "true" religion is. With smiles. The ultimate rewards are with Allah. Shall I tell you that which is the best, better than the pillars of the faith, the Prophet (p) asked? Treat people well...make peace, don't be harsh in dealing with them. Do business with truth, trust and integrity. Avoid at ALL times harshness and encompass GOODWILL. Doing business with goodwill (no matter the amount of money involved) is the best form of worship. May Allah help you to set the highest standards...God's.

The Most Important Thing in LIfe is....

...in a moment I will tell you Za. What a spectacular full moon graces the velvety black night sky. Stunning. Made me catch my breath as I stepped outside.
So the answer is death. On Nov. 3rd she awoke, full of life, at age 48, and making her way to work. And I at 4:30 a.m. opened my eyes to another day in this world...it was 8:30 a.m. in her part of the world as she closed her eyes forever to this world. In a brutal car accident. My God!!! So who was she and why did it stun me. When I arrived in England she and her family (mother, grandmother, 2 brothers and a sister) cared for me. CARED. Lots of dinners, lunches and great chat. I enjoyed their company and their support as this was my first time away from my home and they made me feel welcomed. So today she lies in her grave in a face-to-face meeting with God and His angels. For we came from Him and to Him is our return. But God, allow me to say in disbelief My God!!! I'm just a piece of flesh, NOTHING God. So do not take me to task for my moaning. May YOU grant the family EASE in their time of distress.
"Munaza Hanif, 48, was on her way to work in Bolton when the accident happened in the Abbey Village and Belmont area at 8.30am yesterday. Police said she was driving along the A675 Bolton Road when she lost control and swerved into oncoming traffic, crashing into a white Mini Cooper which was heading towards Blackburn. Munaza was pronounced dead at the scene. Her funeral will take place this afternoon. Munaza's brother, Atiq Hanif, 47, said: "Munaza was a loving daughter and Aunt, an affectionate sister and was dear to all who knew her."
Atiq, Farah, Rehan...May Allah grant you ease at this immensely difficult time. She was indeed a beautiful person. I'm remembering her as the 18-year-old I knew (ready smile and giggly laughter). Yep, for three years always NICE to me (as you all were)...can't remember a harsh word from her (God I hope you're listening). Ashmeen always mentions when she would receive an email from Munaza.
Our knowledge, our comfort, is that she is now in a place much more beautiful than here. Munaza, may your lovely soul find rest in the arms of Allah.
Ina lilah wa ina ilayhi raji'oon....may Allah swt grant you janatul firdaus,and make your time in the world of barzakh easy.ameen..please pray surah Fateha once and 3 times surah ikhlaas...Thank you...
My dear son, learn the lesson...life is fragile so handle with care.

Problems & Solutions

Za, I know how immensely difficult it has been for you. Divorce wrecks...but unhappy marriages does the exact same....or worse. But you have stood up thru the confusion amazingly good. Whilst daddy is slipping, sliding falling...losing control and not being able to pass on good words, good thoughts. Where is that quote from the Prophet (p) that the BEST thing a father can give to his child is good character? See Za, sometimes our book-learning is like straw and cannot stand up to the storms of life. But thru the darkness I still want to pass on some quality ideas for you will also face trials in life (God made it so). See Za, many of us allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the small (or big) worries and vexations of everyday life, clothing them with a reality quite disproportionate to their importance. We are too apt to look at them, as it were, through a powerful microscope, piling power upon power of magnification, until we have made mountains out of mole-hills. However if we had treated them at their true value then we should have looked at them through a telescope, in the reverse direction, when they would appear not only trivial, but would be seen to be too remote to have any material effect on our lives. So Za, time heals. Papa will be back to his humorous self as God clearly states that He CARES for all during times of crisis. So baby lets place our trust where it truly belongs...GOD. May He guide you to utilize the time given you in this world in a beautiful way. For sure you have brought immense joy to my soul. Thank you.

The Last Weekend

A mixture of emotions...the pendulum swinging from one extreme to another as if in a hurricane. BUT, Za, as both of us rode to the seawall on Saturday and Sunday and spent time on the beach Daddy felt (no fancy words)...just felt good. It was so beautiful. The beach looked so clean and the waves gently lapping a small distance away. So you could play with the sand and pick up shells for Daddy's birthday. Haha...it was simply beautiful to watch you and for me to store such memories. The wind was a joy...bringing the therapeutic sounds of the ocean to my ears and lovely to breathe into my lungs. And I felt at peace. God, nature is so kind to our minds. And the sunset on both evenings were spectacular painting the clouds in divine colours...it was as if two beautiful angels were getting married and the clouds draped in all their fineries were in attendance. Za, it sure was the most pleasant time we spent together. Thank you and may God guide your every step, for every step you took on the sand left footprints on my soul.

At the End

My dear son, what can daddy tell, reflect on, pass on...as my 48th year comes to a close. At least tonight with the earth pressing in...I can let my gaze, tired, broken...leap up to the darkened night...its star-filled and in that is great pleasure even to a saddened soul. And to the first-quarter moon beckoning to me...a sight that grant an immense degree of solace. I would love to tell you of the "terrible" events that unfolded today...but cannot leave you to read that years from now. On the contrary I would just pen some lines that show how my heart-strings are tuned to vibrate even as my soul stares at the grim realities of life. One of the vibrations was suicide...daddy didnt want to carry on. Didnt want to see out this year. Tonight is so dark Za baby. Not the outer world Za...that's beautiful. The inner world...dark and brooding. I'm struggling to let my heart be buoyed up by an inextinguishable faith in the ultimate triumph of sanity. Without such faith, all effort is like the fluttering of a caged bird who sees its doom and knows it cannot avoid it. Yes Za, I'm fighting against the "caged bird" feeling which is threatening to take me down. Pessimism implies lack of faith and consequently a loss of energy. Wherever pessimism creeps in insidiously there can be no steady and persistent effort on behalf of any causes worthy of our best aspirations. So Za, I'm passing this message on to you...be an optimist...not in a facile way...for genuine optimism does not shortsightedly ignore the hard and ugly facts of life. It does not seek consolation in any form of escape. It's wrong to walk away...to become a recluse...no matter what keep on doing "things"...for thru work God heals. I have continued to look after you Za...papa is proud of your achievements at school...the teacher is amazed that you are doing so well even with such a HUGE problem that have settled like a dark cloud over your lovely head. Grade 3...and you are getting hundred percent in several subjects. I cry so much for you (my god tears are falling now Za). You know, baby, I read a bit about Moses which I will convert to a brochure...gosh it's stunning the problems he had. haha quite a few brochures have just "happened" as circumstances occurred. Lordy, isn't that so weird? But societal changes take place first and foremost when new ideas are hurled against old standards, shattering them and then rebuilding pillars of divine justice. So tomorrow might dawn with me on 49...what lies in store must be met with a faith in the ultimate goodness of human nature and the consequent belief that life is worth living and striving for. My baby, you're my best inspiration...loving you Daddy.

Expect better

Perhaps I was being naïve, but then, honourable men have the right to expect better from the world. What a depressing year it has been...but the battle continues to be fought. There have been bright periods but overall I do feel as if I'm being squeezed. Make a prayer for daddy, my son.
Hold your head high, my son. To get a feel for the world read "Strive to be Happy." Read wide and then you will be able to put your own life in perspective. And then it will boil down to dependence (in a positive and strong way) on God. You will be bombarded with all kinds of fake ideologies...the only way to "beware" is to be wary with the shield of knowledge. For example try to understand this piece of "wisdom" from a so-called scientist: Conway Morris opens his book with a disclaimer: “If you happen to be a ‘creation scientist’ (or something of that kind)and have read this far, may I politely suggest that you put this book back on the shelf. It will do you no good. Evolution is true, it happens, it is the way the world is, and we too are one of its products..." He states in a definitive manner Evolution is "true" (and by force of his words we the people must accept it... However Evolution is FALSE...then note the derogatory phrase (or something of that kind)...so my son, you will have to use your mind/intellect/reasoning to overcome and do battle against such devious "logical" twists. Daddy is extremely pleased at your progress so far...you do amaze me...you do make me smile...and yes you're my only joy at this point of time. Thank you my "little man." My favourite call name for you. May God continue to grant you strength in all forms. I love you.