I’m removing the Islamicate link from my blogroll. I haven’t yet decided on my opinion about the validity if Ismailis in the greater scope of Islam. Scholars are divide on it.
I come from both a Shia and Sunni background but am not clear what role the Aga Khan plays in Ismaili Islam and so am not endorsing them via my blogroll.
Last week ‘America’s #1 online magazine for muslims’ was hacked. I can understand the sentiments of the hackers and also what Muslim Wakeup is trying to do. Have a read of the columns and post your thoughts here.
I have not decided how I feel about the Progressive Muslims Union yet.
So we are almost through another year. How has it been for you? Me? Well my year was amazing. A year which started off poorly with a little depression as I had been very close to ’shuffling off this mortal coil’ with illness, and I was fed up with work. Which got better as Spring progressed and my wife’s belly got bigger. The scans came along and I first saw my daughter. She was sucking her little thumb. Then came the scares, ‘I can’t feel the baby!’. A quick drive to the hospital to spend a couple of hours hooked upto a monitor. Everything was fine. Then as Summer approached, came the wait. 2 Weeks late…we go into hospital to be induced. And we spend the whole day waiting. Till 4pm…and we get the first contraction. After several hours on a swiss ball and experiments with Laughing gas, 11pm saw my daughter drawing her first breath in this world. The last six months have been a rollercoaster of happiness and trepidation. I finally think I may be understanding this being a dad thing. But of course, most people would say “You never learn how to be a dad, no one does.”
Happy Holidays and a prosperous 2005 to you all.
So David Blunkett, UK Home Secretary, is again being hit with allegations of improper activities around visa applications.
For those who have not heard of him, David Blunkett is responsible for the establishment of several draconian measures including the UK’s equivalent of Camp X-Ray, Belmarsh Prison. He is also trying to push through ID cards which will hold biometric information.
“Weighing up the risks and benefits of identity cards is hard as it’s a really complicated issue. You don’t have to be absolutely for or against the plans in order to take action. Many groups don’t object to identity cards in principle but have serious reservations about how they are implemented. For example, you may want to make sure that while it should be compulsory to have identity cards, it shouldn’t be compulsory to carry them. ” - BBC
So back to these visa applications, the ‘Seven Principles of Public Life’, published by the House of Commons Committee of Standard in Public Life seem to have been largely violated if these allegations prove to be true:
“Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.”
I think the last part of this principle is important, benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.
“Integrity
Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties. “
Well that’ s been blown out of the water. We may have Mr Blunkett under some sort of obligation to the alleged mother of his child who allegedly asked for visa applications to be processed quickly.
The other principles: Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty and Leadership.
I would certainly not question his Openness & Honesty as per his comments in his biograpy about his colleagues. As for Accountability, he will admit his faults. As a Leader, well he is leading by example. And of course he is being objective in his view of all he has done.
UPDATE:
So I get a phone call last night.
Caller: How come you didn’t tell me you had a blog?
ME: I did. Its on my email signature
Caller: Oh. You don’t talk to me anymore.
ME: Stop being a whiney bi**h. I’ll give you a plug.
So here it is…For all your in car entertainment needs and other cool mods to your vehicles…check out AMG Design
Plug Over.
Well my family and I went to the Islamic Society of Britain’s Eid Extravaganza last night. Very entertaining evening listening to the likes of Irfan Makki, Abid Baig and Dawud Wharnsby-Ali (teen idol? More on that in a bit).
The comedian Preacher Moss was funny, especially when he encouraged brothers to embark of the journey of discovery which is marriage, so you can discover what is wrong with you. I’d like to check out more of this guy’s work…I’ve found a few places and will be researching a little more.
Dawud Wharnsby-Ali was good despite having an accompaniment from Ruqaiiya which meant I had to leave the hall. Afterwards, however I noticed that there were a bunch of girls, all in hijabs getting excited as they hung around the artists’ dressing rooms and acting like the typical teenagers who follow around rock stars. Its interesting to note that certain trends transcend faiths. Of course these girls were ushered away as it certainly is not islamic to be indulging in these fascinations…
Otherwise…a nice evening in an Islamic atmosphere with a few laughs here and there.
