Someone just texted me "Lol thnx 4 Kila Kitu" :confused: Malika??

Looooooooool @ Ngonge! Hahaha Malika lol Naak waalan.

Ngonge I went to bed at 3.00am. CL thats why I don't walk thorough th shops anymore, spending money I don't have. Take the back roads dear. All those clearance/ final posters will make you depressed or buy all sorts of things you really don't need. Sheherazad. Loool So monday you will be mad as ....* In which case put yout feet up today and have a perfect weekend. Who cares if monday goes wrong eh. They Oyster system is crazy, when it is not over charging you it is not workings...

The debate about Islam, women and rights seems to have reached a dead end. We are stuck, all of us together - Muslim and otherwise - in a groundhog day regurgitation of the same arguments about women and Islam. It's all talk with few new ideas and intellectual works being produced, little social change happening, and Muslims still not facing up to the fact that we need to address the subject of gender. We must reject this status of 'stuck'. Stuck, is no longer an option. God does not change the state of a people until they change it themselves. We must also reject the notion of 'fixing women'. Fixing women, doesn't fix the problem. Let's replace the issue of 'women' with a debate about women and men. After all, God does say He created human beings in pairs. What we need is for men and women to work together so that we can make substantive change and real improvements. What we need are open hearts and inquisitive minds so that we can make a positive move forward. What we need, is a womelution. Inspired by women, but for both men as well as women, the womelution is positive, engaging, creative and forward-looking. This is not a bloody revolution, but looks inside all traditions and heritages, to both genders, to all ages and multifarious ethnicities and languages. The womelution is about making real change: intellectual change but most importantly, real social change. It is characterised by compassion, humanity and humour and most of all by respect. It is not about women versus men, but about being on the same side, creating the best for everyone. It is rooted in Islam and its foundations are within the Muslim conception of the world. Its premise is that Islam has more to offer than it is currently given credit for, and it has a blueprint that can contribute to humanity in general. The womelution encourages questioning, respectful challenging and constructive criticism. 1. We need to re-ignite the tradition of intellectual debate We need new thinking and output that moves forward Islamic scholarship on the issues of gender. The world has changed and we need to face up to that. We must ask challenging questions - but with respect and within the spirit and ethos of the Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet. Every time we look at the words of the Qur'an we are advised that they will reveal something new. In the same way, when every new generation looks at Qur'anic verses and the Prophetic traditions it will be through new lenses. In 2008, I invite every Muslim scholar, every Imam, and academic to tackle the issues around Islam and gender. It can be in the shape of a theological discourse, or a social reform, small or large, but it must offer something new and positive that leads to real change. 2. Communal spaces, particularly mosques, need to re-balance gender participation Although a womelution is about both men and women, it is undoubted that in some areas - such as those of mosques and other public forums - getting women involved is the first priority. This will benefit both men and women. Those mosques or community centres which currently have no space for women need to create areas for women and start engaging with them. The many mosques where women are already actively involved need to make sure that there is at least one woman who is on the management or executive committee of that mosque or centre, and that she has actual authority and empowerment vested in her. Let 2008 be the year for asking questions and offering answers about how men and women should share mosques and community spaces, and when every single mosque up and down the UK succeeds in appointing a woman into an official position. 3. Women must themselves actively pursue improvement and change - for the sake of society as a whole Men need to open hearts, minds and doors, but women must also grasp the mettle and engage in change. It can and will be difficult and will feel uncomfortable. Both men and women need to understand that women must participate to create a successful community. Women have new perspectives and approaches, and will bring forward issues that have not yet been addressed. Women will double the resources, brains and energies at the disposal of the Muslim community. 4. Change must be based on addressing the needs of both men and women What are the traditional gender roles that we are upholding? How do men and women currently interact, how are responsibilities distributed, and are these rooted in culture or faith? Once we've asked these questions we need to assess: what should be our definitions of gender roles and what should be our notions of gender worth? We don't live in a traditional world anymore. It is worth remembering that the greatest failing of the community of the Prophet Abraham was that they did what their fathers and forefathers before them did without questioning it. The biggest social and practical issue facing us today though, is that of gender relations - how should men and women relate to each other, and how do we implement personal law? Muslim women have become the bastions for maintaining and regulating gender relations. The concepts of hijab, niqab and segregation have been confused with the real concept of modesty in etiquette, behaviour and personal relationships. What does modesty really mean? What is its role in Muslim society, how should both men and women practice it, and how should it regulate the world of gender relations? 5. Confidence, compassion and curiosity are the values that will drive positive change It's time also to put paid to the frankly silly but insidious suggestions that Muslims are alien to Britain. Muslims must be confident in themselves, in their Islam and in living in Britain. We must have curiosity and confidence in asking questions to make the lives better of everyone around us - Muslim and otherwise. It also requires compassion and empathy for our neighbours which, of course, comes with the right to be treated with respect and love in return. This year should be the beginning of a womelution, a marked change in the tempo and confidence of the Muslim community, with a particular focus on gender. We will need vision and creativity and to be positive and work together. This is the only way that we will move forward. And if you're still confused, it's pronounced wi-mah-lou-shun. Also from Muslim Weekly

Modest dress is a key component of Islam, but it's important to retain personality and aesthetics in the way we dress This week I tried out the most extreme black cloak to make it into my wardrobe. A piece of elastic attached it to the top of my head, and then the single piece of long fabric hung snugly over my hair, sweeping over my shoulders and down past my feet. The final flourish was for me to hold together the two edges under my chin. Two eyes, a nose and a squashed mouth peeked through the gap under the black sheet. My husband peered into the bedroom, and nearly dropped his mug of tea. "You look like a black blob," he said, horrified. "Where have you gone?" He poked underneath the black cloth like a serious Sherlock Holmes. Despite feeling uncomfortable about the cloak, no man was going to tell me how to observe modest dress. "Don't you want me to hide my figure so I'm not attracting attention?" I barked at him. He froze, rabbit in headlights, and then looked at me for a clue. "Of course I want you to be modest," he said, certain that this was the right answer. "And isn’t this long cloak, the most modest thing I could wear?" "Well yes. Erm, well no, well yes, no, yes, yeah... no? yes, yes... " I looked at him sternly, with the if-you-dare glint of a determined Muslim woman, who has pro-actively chosen to wear the headscarf and modest dress. He looked more terrified of me in my new guise of crazy-eyed Muslim harridan than he had of the black blob. But he was right to be distressed. The question about how we should define modesty is constantly plaguing the Muslim community. Neither men nor women can map out any consistency or meaning in the higgledy-piggledy implementation of the rules of modest behaviour. At work you can interact with the opposite gender but not at Islamic conferences. Muslim men can shake hands with non-Muslim women, but not vice-versa. Brides who normally wear hijab will uncover in front of men to be shown off. In some communities, men will push into the women's section during weddings, but will enforce segregation at home. In others it is the opposite, with women not allowed to participate in mosque management due to the fitnah (division) this could cause, but happily socialising together. The spirit and implementation of modesty is confused at best. Women and their clothing have become hijacked into being the symbol of how religious we are as a community. If women are properly covered, then everyone seems to think they can rest easy. Her choice of dress is inextricably linked to a judgement about her spiritual status. At the sober end she is considered overly pious, not to mention excruciatingly dull. By contrast those women who choose not to wear a headscarf, are immediately judged to be irreligious, un-spiritual and not considered to be 'properly' practising. There has been a visible increase in the number of women wearing the hijab (head covering), the jilbab (loose fitting long dress) as well as the niqab (face covering). Colours are subtle: greys, browns, blues, blacks. These women cite their dress as a freedom, an escape from the body-obsessed post-modern world, as well as a greater commitment to the values of Islam. At the other extreme is the rise of the Muhajababe. Her head covered, she probably wears skinny fit jeans and lycra t-shirts. For her, the headscarf itself has shown her commitment to her Muslim identity and faith. We sighed simultaneously at the black cloak I was still wearing. "We all end up looking the same, I feel anonymous and unknown. I'm not me anymore," I mourned to him. "Some people say that our voices should not be heard either. I'm part of a black silent mass at the back of the room. Surely individuality is important? Especially if Allah says that there are as many ways to know Him as there are human beings?" He responded enigmatically: "Each flower that God has created is specifically a different colour, and design. Even when they are closed, they make an effort to show their personality, and individuality." I squinted dubiously at him. "Does this mean you think women don't need to wear niqab, jilbab or even the hijab?" "Defining what 'modesty' means isn't easy, and we Muslims spend an awful lot of time on the outward signs like dress and physical separation. Where we need to focus more is on the complex relationships between modesty, personality and aesthetics." I draped the abaya playfully over his shoulders. "Modesty isn't just for Muslim women to worry about," I reminded him. "To build a strong community we all have to be concerned with inner spirituality as well as outer codes of conduct like dress." Grinning cheesily, I pointed at the cloak: "Modesty is definitely not a black and white issue." Source: The Muslim News

Last week Hazel Blears has announced that the government would fund a "Theology board" for Muslims in the UK. In an interview with Radio 4, she said lots of nice - and true - things about Islam: that it is peaceful, that it is a religion of compassion, and then Kaboom! She claimed that this board will allow for a "proper interpretation" of Islam. I felt like I was stuck in the blurry screen waves of a bad 1970's sitcom which was transporting us back to the Middle Ages, to a time when the Government dictated to the public what is and isn't proper in religion. And this was indeed, about as funny as aforementioned sitcom. The government has stated that it is doing its best to tackle Islamists who are the source of extremism. According to the government, Islamists are all without exception terribly violent and bloodthirsty. Islamists are apparently the cause of the world's problems - earthquakes in China, climate change, food shortages, the fuel crisis and poverty and malnutrition to name but a few. The only good Islamist is an ex-Islamist. The government has then used this premise to go on to define its entire policy about Muslims in the UK around the issue of security, ignoring issues of economics, society, education and deprivation. The term 'Islamist' was once applied to anyone who used Islam as a political ideology. Muslims who do not have a political ideology of any sort are okay and need not be worried about being infected by Islamism. But the problem is that the term 'Islamism' has now been stretched to mean any Muslim who is political. Blears insinuates that Muslims who are not politically active are the preferred kind of Muslim. She said in a speech to the Policy Exchange: "The fact remains that most British Muslims, like the wider community, are not politically active, do not sit on committees, and do not attend seminars and meetings. They are working hard, bringing up families, planning their holidays, and going about their business." Jack Straw was also quite clear about this two years ago: you can't be a Muslim woman in niqab and visit your MP to engage in the political process. So if you are a poor confused brainwashed Muslim who cannot tell the difference between someone who is peddling violence and someone who is rocking their head with Britolerant chanting, then the government is going to help you decide your opinions, don't you worry, poor little Muslim. The stance of the government takes the handful of criminals who have engaged in violent activity and states that this is a perverted interpretation of Islam, and needs to be exposed as such. Tony Blair said in a discussion with young Muslims "we have to accept that this is therefore a Muslim problem, and a problem with Islam." I reject this utterly. This is a criminal issue, which needs to be exposed and rejected as such. The criminals are invoking the mantle of Islam as protection. The only way to get rid of them is for everyone together - including Muslims and the government - to isolate those horrible violent activities as outside the philosophy of Islam. There is no need for a 'proper' interpretation of Islam, because these activities are not to do with Islam. Rooting the problem falsely within Islam has created a hostile and prejudiced environment where the criminal activities cannot be properly attacked. The government doesn't like to hear this being said, but this is the only sensible right-minded way forward. The recent refusal of ministers to attend IslamExpo is a case in point. Irrespective of their opinion of the organisers, it was a chance to engage with forty thousand Muslims who want to create and settle into a comfortable peaceful British Islam. It smacks of an increasing confusion on the part of the government who are now not only failing to engage with Muslims, but are actively disengaging with those Muslims who are working to a positive peaceful agenda. Blears is playing a dangerous and - in my opinion - futile game which can only backfire as it will leave the vast majority of peaceful Muslims feeling resentful at being singled out for undemocratic dictatorship of their religious views, something with which the government has no business. My government - the one that I dutifully pay my taxes to, the one that I actively engage with through support and through criticism as part of my duties as subject and citizen, the one that I cast my vote for (or against), the one that I have represented abroad on official business, the one that I support through my labour resources and contribution to the economy - this government tells me that I cannot be a Muslim and engage in politics. Government you have failed to understand that it is I, and millions of others who engage in political activity, that have put you into a position of power. And this statement refers not just to the Labour party, but to any party in power, so Conservatives take note too. Your holding of the reins of power is at the behest of those who vote you in. If our government makes a statement that a Muslim with a 'proper interpretation' of Islam is one that does not engage in political activity then our government does not have a 'proper interpretation' of its role and authority. I wrote a piece a year ago stating "Five Things I love About Being a British Muslim Woman." In it I emphasised the importance as a Muslim of contributing to the nation that you are part of, and that part of being a contributing member is to be proud of what is good in that nation and to offer positive criticism to make the country a better place. I continue to be committed to the people of Britain and to making our country a flourishing, forward-looking nation. In return the government has made a mockery of Muslims like me who want to engage in the political process by the rules of democracy, shared values and freedom of speech that the government claims underpin our shared vision of society. And the government is also making a mockery of the claims of democracy and freedom of speech by illegitimately excluding from political participation those whose opinions the government does not like. The government needs instead to think clearly for itself and avoid pandering to any which old voice which is popular in fear-mongering circles for their actions are undermining both the positive goals of social cohesion as well as the political process. Blears said that "You can't win political arguments with the leaders of groups... who believe in the destruction of the very democratic process of debate and deliberation". By excluding the Muslim opinions that the government doesn't want to engage with through the devious method of saying that being a political Muslim is unpalatable, it is the government itself who is destroying the democratic process of debate. Source: here

to the Israeli lobby by declaring that "I continue to say that Jerusalem WILL be the capital of Israel.... Presumptive US Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama arrived in Germany from Israel on Thursday at the start of the European leg of his week-long international tour. Obama, whose flight touched down at the military section of Berlin's Tegel airport at 9.50 am (0750 GMT), was due to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Mayor Klaus Wowereit. Later Thursday he will deliver what his campaign has called a major speech on transatlantic relations in the German capital's Tiergarten park before a crowd expected to reach tens of thousands. He will continue on to Paris on Friday and London on Saturday before returning to Chicago. Obama headed for Europe after vowing to forge an "unshakeable" bond with Israel if elected the next US president and stressing the need to head off the "grave threat" of a nuclear Iran. The Democratic White House hopeful paid a brief visit to the Wailing Wall before leaving Ben Gurion airport for Germany on the European leg of his international tour. In an interview with the daily Haaretz Thursday, he called on Israelis and Palestinians to act quickly for a settlement. "I have had in-depth discussions with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and encouraged all of them to make as much progress as they can in their negotiations this year," he said. "The next US administration should help the parties build on the progress that has been made thus far, and continue to work toward the goal of the two states living side by side in peace and security." Obama, who had already visited Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq and Jordan, heads on to a three-stop tour of Europe, beginning in Berlin on Thursday. Obama hailed Israel as a "miracle" as he courted Jewish voters at home, taking pains to stress he understood the security fears of the Jewish state and would not push it into a peace deal. "I bring here an unshakeable commitment to Israel's security," Obama said Wednesday, after a day meeting top Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, opposition Likud chief Benjamin Netanyahu, and President Shimon Peres. Olmert, hosting Obama for dinner, replied that the presidential hopeful was following a tradition of the "great friends of Israel." "I know how friendly you are, and I know how much you care for us," Olmert said. The Illinois senator also tried to convince the Palestinians, during a short trip to see the conflict from the other side, on the occupied West Bank, that he would sponsor a vigorous peace effort if elected. Obama picked his way through the tricky currents of Middle Eastern politics on the latest leg of a high-profile international tour meant to assuage fears among some US voters that he lacks experience on the global stage. The senator reiterated his vow to stop Iran developing a nuclear weapon, but defended his offer of talks with leaders from the Islamic Republic, promising to use "big carrots and big sticks." "A nuclear Iran would pose a grave threat and the world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," Obama said, as he visited the southern Israeli town of Sderot, long in the firing line of rockets from Gaza. Olmert said during his talks with Obama that Israel expected Iran to have the nuclear weapon "by the end of 2009 or the start of 2010 at the latest," Israeli public radio reported. Obama however refused to budge on his offer to talk to Iranian leaders, which has sparked consternation among some in Israel, and drew charges that he is naive by his Republican rival John McCain. Obama held just over an hour of talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas after sweeping into heavily guarded Ramallah in a motorcade. "I will not wait until a few years into my term or my second term if I am elected in order to get the process moving," Obama said of Middle East peace efforts. "I think we have a window right now that needs to be taken advantage of." Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP that Obama told Abbas "if he wins the election in the United States he will be a full and positive partner in the peace process and will not lose a single moment in pursuing it." Obama also said that he had not backed down from his comment that Jerusalem should not be divided, which he made before the US Jewish lobby last month, sparking anger among Palestinians. "I have not changed my statement," Obama told reporters in Sderot after touring the home of a family in which a young boy lost a leg to a rocket fired by Palestinian militants from nearby Gaza. "I continue to say that Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel. I have said it before and will say it again... but I've also said that it is a final status issue" that must be decided by negotiation. Obama's original comment was seen by some observers as prejudging final status peace talks, and his campaign has since said that it was poorly worded. The senator also said he stood by Israel's refusal to negotiate with Hamas, which the United States and European Union consider a terrorist group. "It is very hard to negotiate with a group that is not representative of a nation state, does not recognise your right to exist, has consistently used terror as a weapon and is deeply influenced by other countries," he said. US polls showed Obama has yet to lock in an overwhelming advantage among the normally solid Democratic bloc of American Jewish voters, just over three months before the US election. Earlier, the Democratic senator toured the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem to the six million Jews who perished under the Nazis. Source: AFP

HAHAHA Loool Macsonkoor. You must pay up and I shall tell you who she is... Lool @ Ngonge

I've been up since 7am. I got to travel for free today[something wrong with my Oystar]. I've already been to East Ham, made a stop at Upton Park, to north London to West London and now to at uni. I love when you do so many things you've been meaning to do for so long and it is only 12.20pm I'm in a good mood too. I don't think I've been in a good mood for a while so it feels great. Health is something you don't appreciate till you get ill. I also figured out my results and now I don't feel like such retard anymore. Hello people, what is happening.

YEs yes yes WHooo. I got it finally... Now I can go to sleep. pheeeeeeeeew

Ghost town....

^^^Sorry, I don't know what got into me, I blame SHE and her come ons...

Loooooooooooooooo Fuuley even in London. lol I'm doing the boring stuff...

LOool^^ Well you are so old, you can't sleep anymore. Finished my story yet??

All the oldies have gone off to bed.

I don't like this side of the SOL boys...makes me wanna beat them silly witha broom stick. oh second thought, Duc will probably find a way to enjoy it with his one track mind...so would paragon...so would...oh never mind.

She: I'm not, don't even know what it is, he was insisting to tell me, so I thought I'd let him get it off his chest... Duc: :rolleyes: read in context would you, clearly that is NOT what I was asking Xiin. SHiiid. Nin waalan. Acudubililah.

^^^Ok wat does it mean?? Paragon: :eek: What application. What kind of lie is that??? You wish... :rolleyes: Don't drag my name around like that, I'd rather stick/ be dragged with SHE and stalk her for the rest of my life than a Minyaaro... Xiin What on earth baad qaariin? speak your mind! I Don't sleep.

^^^LOL okay, just no then. Ducaysane with your one track mind I don't even want to know it!!

@ SHE: Beelayo adgia trois kuula gashaa! No, no, no. Get away from me lady. No more of your crazy ideas. Pluz I lost interest in you and xarbi individual minutes ago, I don't think you will capture my interest TOGEther. Sorry Xarbi...

^^^Loool. HAHAHa. Thank the lord for that. You was useless anyway So unnatural and uncomfortable! Go back to your abusive CHE Che thanks and don't let the bed bugs get you

@ She?? Haye :eek: Really??? I knew it! I don't think Xarbi will be any better for you, he is an old Geel Jire at WAR. lol You might be better off to stick with me. Xarbi lol, no I don't... Che lol, too much coffee and antibiotics/ pain killers is making me act strange...

***Wait**, How come you get to pick??? Maybe we want to pick or NOT at all. Or maybe Che wants to pick! WHo made you the leader. I'm still leaning towards She, but she's gone AWOL on me! Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....

^^^Your not old enough. Me and She like ours grey old and super lonely, otherwise we'll turn to each other

She...indeed.. haye, so what is next, Can you show me the ropes. I'm new at this, can't say I've done it before... Che, stop taking credit!